I f demonstrators are fighting for their right to freedom of expression in the national arena, non-Catholic Lasallians inside DLSU are also fighting for another kind of right—their right to religious freedom.

Concerned student leaders are spearheading the campaign for the inclusion of the right to religious freedom to the Students’ Charter. Mark Edward Nanquil, Executive Vice President (EVP) of Academic Policy Research Engagement and Lobbying (APREL), which is under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for Academics of the Student Council (SC), together with non-Catholic students are initiating the campaign.

According to Nanquil, “For this year, we all know that the Student Handbook will be re-vised and it’s actually a good timing for the Student Charter to be revised as well. That’s why we also thought of lobbying for the right to religious freedom to be included in the Students’ Charter.”

Recognizing FAITH The proposed bill seeks to recognize and accredit non-Catholic organizations inside the school

so that they will be given the same rights, such as the legitimate right to use the facilities of the University during their activities, which are afforded to Catholic organizations within DLSU. They would not need to mask their activities in order to be approved anymore.

Moreover, the proposed act aims to stop the passage of University policies that might reduce the religious freedom of its students and might bar other religions and non-Catholic religious practices inside the campus.

Meanwhile, the DLSU administration, as stated in the draft, shall encourage academic dis-cussions of religion and other related subjects inside the university too. In relation to this, the university administration, with the assistance of the SC, should support different sectors inside the University in promoting religious freedom and the religious interests of Lasallians.

Nanquil asserts that it will be good for DLSU to include the right to religious freedom in the Students’ Charter, because it is one of the key factors in helping the university achieve a world-class status.

“I believe that DLSU is, in fact, on its way to being a world- class university and therefore, one small step to accomplish that goal is to recognize that a world class university should be open to international students, who are not necessarily Catholics. I believe that religious freedom is one of the crucial elements of a university, wherein students, regardless of race and religion, could be accepted freely and could be an integral part of the system,” the EVP of APREL said.

'Let Religious Freedom ring'

Former faculty criticizes student activists "Shut up and go back to your books!"

These were the blunt words, published in an article on Inq7.net, with which former College of Engineering professor Eric Gutierrez castigated the recent spate of Lasallian student protest actions.

These statements were prompted at the height of the Gloriagate political drama, and the deafening calls for the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) to make the supreme sacrifice, which DLSU has been initiating.

Words of disappointment?“I am dismayed by what you students are doing these days. You students

rally for causes that are self-dooming. You students help destabilize and em-barrass this country that you think you love so much,” Gutierrez said. He further stressed that students should instead focus on their studies, this being the very reason why they are in school.

He accentuated that the students’ involvement in the said efforts to oust PGMA is defeating their very own principles, noting that their drastic political participation will make them the next generation of the same kind of people they cursed on the street –traditional politicians, or as he said, maybe even worse.

“On top of all this, you seem to think you know everything under the sun, that’s why you students involve yourselves in matters you should stay away from – politics,” he further added.

The defense of the students Ayleen Ortiz, a professor of the Filipino Department, believes that “no

one has the right to obstruct the students or anyone on that matter, to exercise their constitutional rights.”

Student Council (SC) Secretary and active youth leader Kate Lim sees Gutierrez’ pronouncements as a solid attack on her part, remarking that it somehow depicted an apparent definition of who she is. Nevertheless, she believes that there is no way that such statement can hinder the youth from pursuing a fight which they have already begun.

As proof of the conviction of the student leaders, Lim further reiterated that the SC has already made a stand even before the Lasallian Brothers came up with Restoring Faith in Democracy, in which the Brothers asked PGMA to make the “supreme sacrifice.”

Although Gutierrez’ statement is a clear condemnation on their part, she still wants to look at it on a brighter note. “Still, it is good that someone is criticizing you, quite obviously he is coming from a different perspective,” Lim closed.

Both Lim and Ortiz share the same view that learning does not begin and end in the four corners of a classroom. It certainly goes beyond that because genuine learning is realizing that each student has a responsibility to the society where he/she belongs.

Br. Roly resigns from Con-Com Br. Rolando Dizon FSC resigned from his position as vice-chairman of the Consultative Commission (Con-Com) last Oct. 5, a few days after being elected. His resignation was discussed in a meeting of the District Council and Community Directors of the De La Salle Brothers which was called by Br. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC. “Health reasons” seem to be what is behind Br. Roly’s resignation.

History repeating itself?Br. Roly, who was DLSU-System

President from 1998 to 2003, was also at the helm of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) a year ago. While Br. Roly was the chairman of CHED, he launched a more affordable and wide-ranging student loan program for college juniors, seniors and graduating students. CHED was praised for making an effort to increasing the accessibility of tertiary education to Filipinos. There was also an increase in the number of Filipino seafarers due to the improved standard of educa-tion for Marine Engineering and Marine Transportation courses.

However, Dizon’s term as chairman was also cut short when he resigned on September 25 of last year. His term, which was supposed to end until July 20, 2006, was made abrupt, also because of supposed health concerns.

Still, Dizon’s move at that time was surrounded by contro-versy, and questions of whether politics and conflicts within the commission had anything to do with his stepping down.

Currently, the Brother is director-at-large of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

The Con-Com dilemmaThe Con-Com, a body that would tackle the

issue of charter change, is headed by former Uni-versity of the Philippines President Jose Abueva. They are tasked to review the 1987 Constitution, conduct public consultations, propose appropri-ate amendments, and make recommendations. However, it would still be up to the Congress to approve the changes.

The Con-Com is composed of entrepre-neurs, members of the academe, constitutional experts, incumbent and former local officials and even journalists. Formed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the commission should ac-complish its task by Dec. 15.

While some might agree with the establish-ment of the charter consultative body, DLSU

System President Br. Armin Luistro FSC said that in spite of the Constitution’s imperfections, constitutional amendment “will be more of a distraction rather than a help.” He closed by saying that modifying the Constitution “will not guarantee that things will be better.”

FRANCESCA STA. ANA

LET RELIGIOUS, SEE PAGE 2

CRISCEL LAMSIN

4 5 Y E A R S O F R E L E N T L E S S C A M P U S J O U R N A L I S M .

PHOTO BY DAN NABLE

ADMINISTRATION, SEE PAGE 2

ROYCE ROBERT ZUÑIGA

The DLSU- Employees Association (DLSU-EA) continues its legal battles with the DLSU-Administration. It has aired its side on the issue; now, the Ad-ministration shared its sentiments.

The Grievance MachineryAccording to Human Resource

Development (HRD) Director, Atty. Enrico Lusica, the grievance machin-ery, which comes from the Collec-tive Bargaining Agreement (CBA), is

working. It follows a step-by-step process

in the resolution of conflicts between the Administration and the employ-ees. There are two steps in resolving a dispute that is being handled by the grievance machinery. Normally, cases are being referred to the HRD level, which is composed of an official rep-resentative from the employees’ union and the HRD Director. However, when the HRD Director renders its decision

and the employees are not satisfied with it, they may appeal their case to the Committee Level. Four members, two from the administration and the union, and two alternates for each of the parties, comprise the Grievance Committee.

DLSU-EA President Baylon Bañez, meantime, claimed that the Adminis-tration is "authorizing themselves to appoint the representative of the em-ployee to the Discipline Board.

Admin clarifies legal employment issues ROYCE ROBERT ZUÑIGA

Facelift. Workers continue to refurbish the Rizal Stadium for the upcoming Sea Games 2005.

VOL. XLVI NO. 5 • THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY • 13 OCTOBER 2005The LaSallian

Japanese expertise is seen to reinforce DLSU’s academic strengths with the inauguration of a Tokyo Tech Office

last Sept. 29. DLSU played host to the inauguration rites of the office at the North Wing of the Marilen Gaerlan Conservatory. Guests from the Philippine government, DLSU Administration, and the Japanese contingent graced the event.

The event marks the renewal of long-standing ties between the Philippines and Ja-pan in the fields of education and research.

This office serves as the gateway for communication across these two nations as it bridges the gap through the use of teleconferencing via satellite connection to the Internet, the only one of its kind in the Philippines. For the first time, the remark-able technology was showcased as the event was aired simultaneously in Tokyo Tech through a live feed.

Japanese bayanihan This facility is the outcome of decades

of cooperation between the Tokyo Institute of Technology and DLSU. As early as 1985, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sci-ence already made an agreement with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for academic exchange and re-search cooperation. On May 20,1992 Tokyo Tech and DLSU signed an Agreement for Cooperation detailing the activities to be undertaken by the two institutions.

Under the agreement, both schools pledged to undertake joint research and publications, exchange experts for lectures, meetings and sharing of information, ex-change of invitations of researchers to con-ferences, colloquia and symposia, exchange of information and lastly, the exchange of faculty members and students for study and research.

According to the Agreement on Es-tablishing the Tokyo Tech Office in DLSU signed last May 30, the main goal of the office is to strengthen the academic and re-search networks through distance education. The primary role of the Tokyo Tech Office is to be the focal point of technological ex-change between Japan and the Philippines.

Flaunting the hardwareLocated at the fifth floor of the Velasco

building, the office houses the latest in information and communication technol-ogy that allows easy contact with Japanese counterparts. The office can provide details on studying at Tokyo Tech, make possible the steady exchange of information between those who are conducting joint research and study, facilitate academe and industry link-ages and maintain individual contact with Filipino exchange students in Japan.

The office also can provide access to the most up-to-date journals of prominent Japa-nese researchers. This assistance is extended to other institutions interested in participat-

ing in the various programs. Interested parties may contact Engineer

Ronaldo Gallardo, the local manager, or Professor Hiroo Niiyama, the director of Tokyo Tech Office Philippines.

Recent developmentsTokyo Tech has given its full support to

the advancement of research efforts espe-cially in the field of Chemical Engineering for which DLSU has been nominated as the host institution among ASEAN universities. As part of this support, Tokyo Tech has granted full funding to three new research projects proposed by DLSU. On top of this financial help, tools and equipment were also sent from abroad in order to facilitate quality research and development.

Two staff were also admitted under the Tokyo Tech UNESCO program to study in Japan.

The role of the officeIn a speech prepared by DOST Secretary

Dr. Estrella Alabastro read by Engineering Dean Dr. Pag-asa Gaspillo during the inau-guration rites of the Tokyo Tech Office, “the Tokyo Tech Office can provide the platform to strengthen existing partnerships or create new and mutually beneficial collaborative projects”.

She also lauded DLSU for taking initia-tive in hosting the office and in keeping with one of the government’s top priorities.

From a fifth place finish last year, De La Salle University (DLSU) improved to third place in the recently concluded inter-university finance competition sponsored by the Junior Financial Executives of the Philippines (FINEX).

The competition was held last Sept. 27 at the University of Makati. DLSU ranked behind University of the Philip-pines (UP) and University of Sto. Tomas (UST), which retained their first and second place finishes last year. UP scored a total of 740 points, UST 660 and DLSU 620 out of a perfect score of 1000.

Finance students from different schools all over the country joined the competition. A selected few passed the elimination round, where DLSU ranked fifth.

In the final round, DLSU gave other schools a scare as it slowly climbed up the rankings. UP and UST proved to be tough opponents, as DLSU failed to catch up with them. DLSU finished third, followed by Ateneo De Manila University and DLSU-Dasmariñas at fourth and fifth places, respectively. The contest covered topics like Accounting, Finance, Ethics, and Economics.

DLSU was represented by Andrew Pua (BSA), Wain-right Gregory Yu (BSA), Mark Gloriani (AE-MFI), Chloe Chizu Go (AE-BSA), and Thai Dang Hoang (MFI). They were chosen among a pool of students who were referred by different departments of the College of Business and Economics (CBE).

The team conducted its training under the guidance of Antonio Zamora.

The team also underwent training from different CBE departments. Executive Vice-President Dr. Carmelita Que-bengco provided financial support to the delegates.

DLSU has competed in all seven FINEX-held com-petitions. This year marks the second straight year that

DLSU failed to regain the championship it held last 2002 and 2003.

TrainingAccording to Dr. Junette Perez, chair of the Manage-

ment of Financial Institutions Department, other teams had longer and more rigorous training in preparation for the competition.

Some even prepared for one to two years. UST fourth year accounting stalwart and representative

Smith Lim likewise said that their team rushed prepara-tions for some topic coverages of the contest, particularly the finance portion. Lim shared that the UST team had serious training for approximately one month.

Digressing, it may be noted that the Mathematics’ Trainers Guild, Philippines, an organization that trains mathematically talented children for international math competitions, trains students as early as elementary all the way until second year high school.

During this period, several persons are chosen to com-pete in the elementary and high school competitions.

Addressing limited preparation time, the University’s long term plan is to identify potential team members in as early as their sophomore year, and train them for competi-tion during their junior and senior years.

Dr. Perez and the rest of the faculty were satisfied about this year’s results. She attested to the intelligence and man-ners that the team displayed during the competition. She also expressed her hopes of bringing the championship back to DLSU in the competitions to come.

The DLSU team bagged a trophy and cash prize amounting to twenty thousand pesos, which the team members equally shared among themselves.

Lasallians place third in FINEX

Tokyo Tech to supplement DLSU's educational drive

DLSU undergrad graces Hollywood

Christian acheivers for God and country - this is what DLSU envisions its students to become. However, some students seem to have stretched this vision a little further, landing on the shores of the United States and Hollywood. Pam Tan, who took up BS Philosophy in DLSU-Manila in 1999, proves that she’s not just an average Fil-Am.

Tan discontinued her study in DLSU and moved to New York University. After completing her degree in Philosophy in New York, she went on to pursue an

acting career in Hollywood. She is currently involved in major acting projects, which is why she is closely linked to today’s top Hollywood celebrities. But aside from affiliating with the stars, she is working on a film about the late Pope John Paul II together with a close friend and filmmaker, Robert Evans. She is the executive producer of the said film entitled The Power of Faith.

She recently visited the country, from July 19 to Sept. 9, in order to promote The Power of Faith. She was a guest in different television shows, all interested in how she made it big in Hollywood. Tan confessed that it was not easy for her to get to her present status and many people didn’t believe that she can make it, but she pushed through anyway, disproving those nonbelievers. Tan was eager to make her mark in Hollywood, especially since she believed that Asians are under-represented there and it was time for Asians to step out into the limelight. Moreover, she wanted to share her success with the country, which gave her the best memories of her life.

Despite Tan’s success in Hollywood, she never forgets to look back and thank her roots. Although her stay in the University was only for a short time, she remembers and cherishes every minute of it. In fact, before leaving the country, she wanted to get something across to the students via her website, pamtan.com: “My message to all of you: love and make wise use of every minute in our University. When those days are over, you will face tremendous pressure outside. And when you do, remember that we bear the name of our University and our personal honor. So don’t forget to always give your best shot.”

In her short stay in DLSU, Tan was active in student organizations such as Englicom and Student Council.

FELICE CARIASO

RAYMUND CHRISTOPHER CUESICO

MARK ANTHONY BARIT

U NIVERSITY The LaSallian

In Review

The pie graph reveals that though DLSU is a Roman Catholic institution, there is a significant number of non-Catholic students who belong to other denominations such as Protestantism, Islam and Hinduism. According to the article, "Drawing the Line of Faith" published in Paradigms, the DLSU student population is composed of 72.46 percent Catholics, 22.15 percent other religions, and 5.39 percent Protestant and Born Again Christians. The statistics, provided by Executive Vice President Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, were as of 2004.

DLSU had been very open to other religions and strongly encouraged religious freedom. According to La Salle:1911-1986, “De LaSalle College in the 1970s went ecumenical as well as international in its outlook.” The book stressed that DLSU took care of the needs of Protestant students as it invited the Protestant-based Campus Crusade for Christ to hold its activities in DLSU. It was during that time that BIGKIS, a religious organization of Protestant origin, was introduced.

On proselytizing Andy Simeon, Coordinator of

Community Building and Christian Education (CBCE), which is a com-ponent of the La Sallian Pastoral Of-fice (LSPO), and one of the resource persons that attended the SC meeting about religious freedom, believes that there is nothing wrong with starting discussions about religious freedom.

However, he has some reservations with regard to the issue on proselyt-izing. Section 13.3.2.7 of the Student Handbook defines, “proselytizing as an attempt to convert another to one’s faith by attacking or denigrating other person’s practices and beliefs, or by of-fering special inducements.

The CBCE Coordinator opined, “They (non-Catholic religious organi-zations) can do that (recruitment of members)—but not inside the school. The school is not asking them not to practice their religion. Actually, the school is telling them to practice their religion. But they cannot do that freely inside the school because it contradicts the nature of the school. If they would like to attend in a school, wherein the school can be so open, so accommodat-ing—I’m sorry, it’s not La Salle. They could look for another school, they can go to the non-Catholic schools [or]

they can go to Christian schools and then they could do that.”

In response to Simeon, Nanquil said that the problem is not about the re-cruitment of members of non-Catholic organizations because they need it for their operations like solicitations and documentations, but the problem lies in the view of the DLSU administration as regards the conversion of faith.

“We believe that conversion of faith is not a bad thing. For us, it is only a process of enlightening a student of which god he or she should believe in, or which type of lifestyle he or she wants to choose. We believe that Lasallians are mature and therefore, when they decide to convert or change, it is by their own free will that they decide to convert to another faith,” Nanquil asserted.

EVP Dr. Carmleita Quebengco, for her part, has nothing against the draft as long as it conforms to the relevant provisions of the Philippine constitution and it does not violate the University’s policy that is prohibiting proselytizing on campus.

In the Name of ReligionCurrently, BnE 2005 Legislative

Assembly (L.A.) Representative, Chris-topher Ngo is at the helm of a signature campaign, which tries to garner support for the proposed act from non-Catholic

and Catholic students alike inside the university.

According to Ngo, “the signature campaign has been going on for a week already and it has been going well. We decided to extend the signature campaign for another week so that we can advocate the issue to even more students and gain their support. Aside from gaining their support, we also want this signature campaign to be a way for the students to know and to be aware of what religious freedom really is.”

In line with this, Nanquil and those who are pushing for the inclusion of the right to religious freedom in the Students’ Charter will still continue to educate the student body, and will hold talks with different groups in the Lasallian community, in order to gain support for the proposed act.

For his part, CBCE Coordinator Simeon believes that, “the draft is still open for dialogues in order to make it more acceptable to everybody. There’s nothing wrong with opening that up and there’s nothing wrong with push-ing for that as a policy and I really encourage that—to open up this kind of talk so that we can have this kind of understanding because if nobody will start this, I don’t know how long we’ll still be in the dark.”

Lockout on sponsorships From a strictly profit-based perspective, lockouts can be consid-ered as very good avenues of school commercialism. A lockout is an agreement between two parties that basically gives the sponsoring organization the exclusive right to sell and promote their goods to the sponsored organization. Usually, these companies sponsor university programs and activities in order to associate their brands with these events. These are means for companies to gain entry to a school. There is sense in this venture since in DLSU's case, it is an institution composed of students coming from relatively well-to-do social classes, and as such, it is a strategic market for selling the mer-chandise of these companies.

DLSU continues to have lockouts with several companies. Even if DLSU enters into lockouts with these companies, there is still no formal policy that governs these agreements. This is disadvantageous for the university because lockouts are deemed to be market distortions and as such, it violates the basic free market principles on competition.

Also, when market forces are ignored, there is a possibility of abuse within a lockout agreement. There is a danger that the supplier will take advantage of imposing unreasonable terms for a campus.

Hence the school needs to be consulted first if it wants to be part of the lockout agreement or not. In the case of Globe, though not a lockout, the school was consulted so that the terms of the agreement would not go against school policies.

However, according to Ildemac Bautista, head of Finance Investment under the Office of the President, some ground rules are already sketched out. These are pending for the approval of System President Br. Armin Luistro FSC, in order to address these problems.

These ground rules try to see if the university can impose market discipline in entering into agreements with companies.

For example, before going through an exclusive contract with a company, DLSU will take proposals from rival companies. In this way, DLSU will be able to compare the various agreements offered by the different companies and it could choose the best possible deal.

JOYCE ANNE ALFONSO

LET RELIGIOUS , FROM PAGE 1

U NIVERSITY The LaSallian

JOYCE ANNE ALFONSO

In response to the demand for scholarships and sponsorships for student athletes, Globe Telecom and De La Salle University (DLSU) signed a contract last Sept. 23 for a University Athlet-

ics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) team endorsement. The agreement, duly signed by DLSU System President Br. Armin Luistro FSC and Globe President was a four million peso, one year deal.

The contract makes Globe the official sponsor of all the UAAP teams of DLSU for next school year.

However, Executive Vice President Dr. Quebengco stressed that DLSU’s contract with Globe is not a lockout. What both parties agreed to is “the right to first refusal,” which means that if any telecom company sponsorship is needed by an organization within DLSU, the first one to be asked is Globe. If by chance that Globe refuses or disapproves the request that is the only time the organizations can approach other telecom companies.

Br. Bobby Casingal FSC, director of the Office of Sports De-velopment (OSD), said that the deal is a response to the problems it has been experiencing. Every year, the OSD spends a significant amount of money for athletic scholarships, coaches’ salaries, rentals, and the like. All of these spending boil down to one effect: a budget deficit for the department. The OSD needed to devise a fundraising scheme without taxing the school and the students. The sponsorship is seen to be the solution to the OSD’s dilemma.

The General DealThe proposal was initially offered by Globe, which was revised

to conform to the relevant campus policies of the university. Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, Executive Vice President (EVP), attested that the agreement can present the opportunity of giving more scholarship slots for student athletes and providing them with better equipment and supplies.

The contract states that whenever DLSU plays in any game, the teams will carry the Globe logo on their uniforms. Aside from this, Globe will have the opportunity of putting up a stall at the bookstore of the Don Enrique Razon Sports Complex.

In terms of sponsoring student activities such as job fairs or projects presented by the Office of Student Activities (OSAc), the deal asserts that Globe will have the liberty of asking for a listing, where student organizations can present their plans for the whole

year. The telecom giant will then select the activities it wants to sponsor.

A certain project is proposed to be explored as another means of gaining more funds without taxing the students. This project comes in the form of having a DLSU Menu in the Add-On Services of Globe. This service might help DLSU students who are Globe users to avail of services such as checking of schedules, online an-nouncements, and access to the Office of the University Registrar for transcripts without the use of the DLSU Help Desk.

On the other hand, the Student Council has just recently launched its text hotline (2955) for subscribers of all networks.

Br. Bobby said that this project may take a long time to proc-ess and set up because of safety parameters like the security of the University’s data and programs, and the possible added cost of the service for students.

Students not consulted?The contract was signed, but it raised the eyebrows of some

officers of the Student Council (SC). The SC claimed that they were not consulted regarding the deal. Simoun Ferrer, VP-Ac-tivities, expressed that they talked to OSD about the issue. Before contract signing, they requested to look at the provisions of the agreement.

The OSD answered that before the contract will be signed, the draft will be shown to the SC in case some revisions will be made. The contract signing nonetheless commenced without the knowledge of the SC. However, Ferrer admits that although the SC doesn’t know if the contract explicitly disallows them to see the provisions, the fact of the matter is that the "OSD bypassed representation the SC might have done for the students."

Br. Bobby clarified that no one was allowed to see the contract before it was signed. It was not merely a secrecy issue, but rather a measure against rival telecom companies.

Dr. Quebengco stated that there is no need to consult the SC about the deal as it is already mentioned to the students. "This is not being kept from anyone and any student could have reacted to it or given us comments directly. No policy is violated by this agreement,students are not adversely affected by it; in fact, our athletes have everything to gain from it.so what is there to consult about?" Dr. Quebengco reasoned.

DLSU, Globe ink P4 million deal; contract not a lockout

PHOTO BY TIANEL ESPIRITU

ADMINISTRATION, FROM PAGE 1

Over the past few months, issues on merging several parts of the Student Personnel Services (SPS) have emerged.

Last Oct. 6, Dr. Carmelita Pabiton, dean of Student Affairs, met the student leaders of Student Council, Student Publications Office (SPO), Cultural Arts Office (CAO), and Council for Student Organizations (CSO).

The dean asked the students to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the SPS as an umbrella organization for students. The dean also asked what possible offices could be merged in SPS to further intensify their func-tions and avoid overlap operations. The student leaders replied through writing their concerns.

According to a reliable source within Student Pub-lication Office (SPS), the initial stages of this plan have materialized in the form of job auditing performed by the Internal Audit Office.

The interviewing process that started last May is already finished. The auditor phoned some SPS person-nel and asked basic questions about their functions. Information about the whole process was communicated to SPS staff.

The source showed an email that was sent to him about job auditing and “possible reorganization of the SPS office.”

The LaSallian tried to get the evaluation of job audit-ing to Dr. Carmelita Pabiton. However, the dean cannot yet reveal the facts because of administration matters.

The publication also tried to get the side of other SPS offices, but most of them don't want to comment on the issue.

Many SPS staff members have shown apprehension towards the audit. Fears of dissolved positions arise, ag-gravated by the recent economic hardships, the source said. A freeze hiring order was even laid because of the audit, the source also stated.

On the other hand, the source speculated the pos-sible merging of two offices: Student Development Office (SDO) and Office of Student Activities (OSAc), as well as the SPO and CAO. The source cited a possible reason that SDO and OSAc would function efficiently if housed in one office.

As of press time, the Student Affairs Office is continu-ously evaluating the possible changes in SPS.

The merging of offices is also an issue being discussed by colleges. These included the possible merging of Me-chanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering and Management, as well as Business Management and Marketing Department.

In response to the DLSU-EA President's claim, Lusica said that he cannot comment on this issue because it is still under litigation to be resolved in the case entitled, DLSU-EA, Peralta et al . vs. DLSU et al., which is now pending in the Ar-bitration Branch of the National Labor Relations Commission.

“The number of “griev-ance” as contemplated by the CBA to be processed through the Grievance Machinery as provided in the CBA, in a school year, may be approxi-mately placed anywhere from zero to five grievances a school year,” Atty. Lusica revealed.

“Within easy reach”The HRD Director dis-

closed that despite the numer-ous cases the DLSU-EA has filed against the Administration

and vice versa, the Administra-tion has frequently tried to reach out and communicate to the union.

“The Administration has consistently been within easy reach, open to communication, and responsive to the require-ments of circumstances. Aside from the Labor- Management Relations Council, and the Grievance Machinery, as venues that exist for communication, the University is always open to address any concern,” Lusica shared.

As of now, there are 29 legal cases filed by the DLSU-EA against the Administration that are still unresolved. Accord-ing to Bañez, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) rated DLSU with the most number of employment cases in Metro Manila.

Dean consults student leaders on possible reorganization of SPS

DONELLE GAN AND PAUL GARILAO

Faces among the crowd. These are the faces that will shape tomorrow. PHOTO BY CHYNNA CHAN

Tokyo technology. Japanese experts are expected to aid DLSU's educational campaign. PHOTO BY ERIC SIY

PHOTO TAKEN FROM PAMTAN.COM

13 October 2005 2 13 October 2005 3

I’ve been wanting to write about poverty for a long time now, even

though I’ve never felt qualified to do so. Yet if only for those stray cats, I will share my ponderings.

They won’t make a difference to poverty’s rude immobility, which is like a boulder in the middle of a highway. Pretty words and philosophy won’t budge it a millimeter. So I’m not going to say that this is about how to solve the problem. Rather, it’s a selfish confession addressed to those who have never known what’s like to be poor, and consequently, have never known what to say or do in the face of it. I live in Pasay and usually drive to work in Manila. There’s no working day in which I don’t see, at the least: Individuals of indeterminate age walking around covered in soot and grease because they haven’t taken a bath in months. Persons scrounging in the garbage for discarded half-eaten hamburgers. Topless, middle-aged women with their hair in disarray, mumbling to themselves. Or little children tapping on my car window, ropes of wilted sampaguitas in their hands, scrambling to the sidewalk when the light turns green.

This last miserable tableau lingers in my mind as I shift the car into gear, thinking that I always see them in the same intersection in the same part of the city, near the squatters’ area along the train tracks. They wear soiled garments and streaks of dirt on their faces and nothing on their feet. Only the weather varies: Sometimes the sun is merciless or the rain is pouring. When I was their age, I was collecting Barbie dolls that my mother kept locked in a glass cabinet so my playmates wouldn’t touch them. Driving away from these children, whom I dare not open my window to, I feel trapped myself. Trapped in a glass house looking out at the ruin of the world, suffocating in ineffectual guilt.

I try to do something. Sometimes I give my fries to the children who loiter around the entrance of fast food restaurants. Occasionally I roll down the window to place a few coins on waiting palms. Back in college I had a whole course in community service, so that every term there are entire classes of privileged Lasallians who spend their Saturdays building houses for other people or visiting orphanages. Yet we ask ourselves sometimes if any of this makes a difference.

I’m reminded of the cats in our compound, who started hanging around because my aunt kept feeding them scraps. The female gave birth to different batches of kittens, until they grew so numerous as to become a major nuisance—pissing all over the place, making an awful racket at night, hiding under the car so I have to shoo them away every time I have to drive off.

We don’t treat them as pets, like our short fat mongrel whom we took to the animal hospital last year for a multi-thousand peso surgery. Generally we tolerate them, giving them the leftovers that aren’t healthy for the dog. Yet it’s amazing how they survive on our inadvertent, thoughtless charity, how their very lives depend on it. How they thrive and multiply on the excesses of people’s comfort, encroaching into the forbidden circle and becoming a problem in their numbers, until finally there’s talk of putting them all in a sack to heave into the river.

What is it like to be an uninvited stray? In the end, it’s something I hope I would never have to find out, that my children and my children’s children would never have to find out. In a perfect world, no one—human or beast—would ever have to sink into this kind of wretchedness.

But even knowing what the world is, one takes in the strays, and hopes for the best.

-Noelle Leslie Dela Cruz, Editor in Chief (SY 1999-2000)* * *

Have you ever encountered non-Catholic missionaries who travel everywhere to profess their faith? There are pastors who share their “Born Again” experiences; Mormons who eloquently speak in native tongue; and Hare Krishnas who promote the modern day version of Hinduism with their monk-like attire outfits. These types of believers are also considered as “uninvited strays” for they are seldom welcomed by our Catholic dominated society.

Even in our own University, the non-Catholic students are often seen sharing their faith, as well as exhibiting their modes of worship. A primary barrier is the image of DLSU as a Roman Catholic institution, and that other religions are perceived as a great threat to the credibility of the the Catholic faith.

When other religions are recognized, more and more students would open their minds to the dynamism of faith. Good news. The acknowledgement of religious freedom opens a more vibrant and lively participation of non-Catholics in the campus. Actually, religious freedom is accepted in the campus. However, non-Catholics are limited to incorporate their ideas and activities, simply because they find it difficult to get an accreditation.

What then is the fear of Catholic zealots and most religion professors in the University? Accreditation of religious organizations will not undermine the Catholic faith. In fact, it will complement other organizations. Definitely, Christian orgs such as Victory for Christian Fellowship and Campus Crusade for Christ will no longer work underground and can freely conduct Bible studies and room-to-room evangelism.

However, strings must not be attached on the explicit recognition of religious freedom. The string that I am referring to is no other than proselytizing, an act of converting someone through offering special inducements. But like any mall discounts, religions indeed offer gifts such as salvation, prosperity, and anything beyond physical benefits. As I mentioned in my previous column, proselytizing is a vague idea that could still undermine religious freedom.

Of course, we will definitely prohibit riot to happen just because of controversial topics on religion. The freedom must not end up like the religious showbiz debacle between Ang Dating Daan and Iglesia ni Kristo. Honestly, the bad side of religious freedom is the personal attack of self-proclaimed prophets against their counterparts.

In a perfect world, no variety of religion exists because everyone focuses their attention to God, who is encouraging us to have an intimate relationship with Him. But this utopian society only happens during the second life. In Christian context, accepting Christ Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior is the only way to God’s Kingdom. After all, Christ was an uninvited stray on earth, who invited people and promised an eternal life for them.

-Paul Darwynn Garilao

Paul Darwynn Garilao Donelle Gan Luis Emmanuel De Vera Royce Robert Zuñiga Juan Carlos Chavez Earlene Clarissa Ching Jan Michael Jaudian Eric Siy Alejandro Almendras IV Kristel Kaye Chua

EDITOR IN CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR UNIVERSITY OFFICER IN CHARGE

MENAGERIE EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR ART & GRAPHICS EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

CIRCULATION MANAGER

OFFICE MANAGER

13 OCTOBER 2005

The LaSallian has its editorial office at 502 Bro. Gabriel Connon Hall, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 1004. TLS can be contacted through telephone number 5244611 loc. 701, or through its e-mail address, the_lasallian@yahoo.com. All contributions are subject to editing for clarity or space. None of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editorial Board.

UNIVERSITY Joyce Anne Alfonso, Angeline Arcenas, Felice Ann Cariaso, Aileen Kristel Cham, Ross Vergel Delantar, Kristel Gayle Guzman, Arvin Alcanar Jo, Michelline Kuon, Paulo Jose Mutuc, Fransesca Sta. Ana

MENAGERIE Nancy Chua, Franz Francisco Chan, Rosanna Guintivano, Angeline Martha Manuel, Anne Lorraine Ng, Mariane Lourdes Perez, Anjeli Pessumal, Karess Rubrico, Dianne Margareth Tang, Nicole Tangco

SPORTS John de los Santos, Ivan Geoffrey Gayares, Jhoanna Kay Leal, Camille Bianca Pinto, Don Eric Sta. Rosa, Reuben Ezra Terrado, Candace Daphne Ting, Nikki Ann Mariel Tungol, Jewelynn Gay Zareno

PHOTO Christopher Kison, Aithne Jaen Lao, Dan Joseph Nable, Diane Lou Reyes, Ofelia Sta. Maria, Amanda Valenzuela

ART & GRAPHICS Carvin Choa, Richard Rustum Gutierrez, Frank Herrera, Kenji Inukai, Kimberly Kha, Gene Carlo Magtoto, Christine Marie Mendoza, John Ian Roman, Gerard Philip So Chan, Charmaine Ventura

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS Maria Michaela Ferrer, Jose Paolo Lacdao, Ernestine Suzanne Teves, Meryll Anne Yan, Isabelle Regina Yujuico

ADVISER Noelle Leslie Dela Cruz

STUDENT PUBLICATIONS COORDINATORS Rosanna Luz Valerio, Joel Orellana

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Fritzie Ian Paz-De Vera

LaSallianThe

The bastion of issue-oriented critical thinking.

In a perfect world, no one—human or beast—would ever have to sink into this kind of wretchedness.

The re i s s t i l l an available recourse - to initiate change on a personal level. Playing God and playing gods

Avenue for change and more

Exercise your creative rightsVirtual Martial LawEDITORIAL

R u l e s a re r u l e s , but they’re there to challenge us to do things a little better every time.

So God, this is what it feels like?

45 and fighting. 45 years of relentless campus journalism.

Rally, demonstration, protest (or whatever it is called) is nothing

new to me. The daily walk on my way to school, which is located near Mendiola Bridge, serves as a testament to the notion that rallies are part of my everyday existence.

On a Monday, members of the opposition would assert their unified stand against the administration. On a Tuesday, student activists would storm Malacañan in order to air their grievances regarding the proposed budget cut in the education sector. On a Wednesday, drivers of PUVs would create a noise barrage due to the incessant price increase of gasoline and crude oil. On a Thursday, groups representing the minorities make their claim about the government’s indifference towards their plight. On a Friday, the OFWs would stage a ‘candle protest’ to lament the unfair treatment given to Filipinos outside the country. On a Saturday, labor unions would band together to demand a P3000 across the board wage increase. It’s only during Sundays that the famous bridge is given its supposed rest.

The plethora of available reasons to protest paints an honest picture regarding the current state of the Philippines. On the one hand, it shows how democracy works—providing people with an avenue for redress of their grievances. On the other hand, it questions the relevance of democracy.

There is truth to the truism that democracy works only for people who are ready to accept the responsibilities attached to a democratic country. The freedom of speech and expression, though given much importance in the Constitution, is not an absolute right. Contrary to what people assert, the government has the right to prohibit the continuous or excessive display of such right. The inevitable question arises: What then is guaranteed in the Constitution, if the government can suppress or prevent such rights?

Generally, such right, when uttered or discussed within the confines of one’s home or in any other private place, is beyond the ambit of government intervention. However, when a group attempts to convene in a public place and exercises the freedom of speech or that of expression, prior government permit is necessary. The succeeding question focuses on the reason behind the need for a prior permit. Under the Public Assembly Act, a city or town

mayor can approve or reject a petition to hold a rally three days before it is scheduled. But every rejection must be accompanied by a written explanation, which may be appealed to the courts.

The prohibition to stage a protest can be traced on the State’s police power. The apparent reason for the permit highlights the very nature of a public place. A public place is generally open to everyone. People who desire to use the area for a specific purpose at a given time would necessarily exclude others from enjoying it. Therefore, the State, through the city or town mayor, has the right to enjoin or limit the use of such space, if it deems that there is another area available or that the purpose would not prove beneficial.

Which bring us to the more important factor: is protest the only available recourse? Some would argue that it is. The failed impeachment complaint, for one, illustrates the current political tension. Court proceedings, on the other hand, seem to take an eternity, as seen on the on-going impeachment trial. Even the supposed truth commission is only as good as the resolution creating it.

But the rubber that we ought to stretch has its limits. To constantly use mass demonstration in order to initiate change is just a knee-jerk solution to a complicated problem. What happens is a perpetual abuse of such right, without considering the consequences. And the sad part is, abusing such right is destroying that which we hold dear.

There is still an available recourse—to initiate change on a personal level. Rather than complaining about the inefficiency of the government, start to create ripples of change. These might be small and seemingly insignificant attempts, but if everybody else would do his part, these ripples could generate a wave that could alter the entire system.

It only takes a positive disposition and the willingness to change.

-Michael Macabata, University Editor (SY 2002-2003)

* * *To the people who have joined

rallies, I wish to understand one thing: the first thought that majority of these people think of when they get home, after a long and tiring day rallying on the streets. Although I had been to quite a few of these, my experience is not enough to teach me the answer.

Let me put it in another setting I call setting X: During a spiritually engaging evangelistic meeting, the pastor has “rekindled” in you the passion for God, and you stand up and proclaim, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” Spirited, you get home and: A) your naughty sibling plays a nasty trick on you; B) your mother scolds you for being late; C) your friends invite you to watch an “exotic” movie; D) your father orders you to pray to Buddha. What comes into your mind?

Whether or not the willingness and initiative to change on a personal level exists in a person is reflected in this seeming triviality. Much more - this triviality is a moment of truth.

In the first half of the story for both settings, the person is in a group, and with others the little energies of individual people snowball into one behemoth of an emotion. The people initiate, or at least attempt to initiate, changes as a group. The collective drive the group generates is often enough to overshadow personal doubts and weaknesses.

But when one leaves the group, everything magically changes. The terms people within the group have used so naturally and matter-of-factly suddenly become taboo. I point the reader to case D of setting X, as this is the most evident scenario. Imagine saying “Holy Spirit” in front of your father. Try saying “I can’t pray to Buddha,” and you’d expect a lengthy sermon/debate.

When one is alone, the real world presents constraints that groups are not limited by. People are normally discouraged and revert to their old selves.

The same happens with people involved in rallies. If people maintain the same level of passion they had in rallies when they get home, then real change may not be farfetched.

So a rally may not be that bad.- Donelle Gan

Uninvited straysThink out of the box. Sounds like a

good advice for the artist and the writer, who need to constantly come up with fresh ideas in order to create something that can catch people’s attention.

Maybe not so good for the office employee, who has to succumb to rules, adhere to standard procedures, and comply with the boss’s demands, or else lose the job.

This is one of the reasons why I miss being a student. When you’re a student, you’re encouraged to think out of the box, and when the ideas you come up with don’t work, you can simply try again. It’s quite different when you’re out there trying to make a living. Although you’re still encouraged to think differently and you still can try again when your ideas don’t work, there are more important things you need to consider, like keeping your job because you can’t afford not to have one. Heck, you can’t afford anything unless you have one. Thus you can’t venture too far outside the box. And as my best friend made me realize, finding that job that you want to be doing for the rest of your life by trial and error is such a risk, unless your parents are still quite able to back you up financially, and they (and you, sans the pride) don’t mind if they still do so years after they’re done financing your education.

Often we hear about people in the creative line of work complaining about their jobs, mostly because creative people in general don’t like putting good ideas to waste. Unfortunately, they can forget about doing exactly what they want, and just do the job according to the rules and specifications provided by the clients, or whoever it is that puts money in their pockets. And those who have no choice but to follow mind-numbing routines just have to carry on as if they have nothing more exciting that they’d

rather do.However, are rules not the exact

reason why it’s so important to think, talk about and come up with fresh ideas? Rules are rules, but they’re there to challenge us to do things a little better every time.

They’re there to remind us to think outside the box, so we can keep ourselves inspired, at least, and see our work through a fresh pair of eyes. This way, we can be able to survive a full day of work, while keeping an eye out for what it is that drives us to excel.

-Emmeline Iris Ong, Menagerie Editor (SY 2002-2003)

* * *When Pinoy Big Brother was

issued a one-night suspension last Sept. 25, I wasn’t surprised. A bit jaded, maybe, but not surprised.

I mean, when you have two housemates sharing an intimate onscreen kiss in an earlier episode, uber-concerned folks will start cackling, cocky censors will be forced to take action, and disillusioned producers will be forced to comply. This opens yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of “Culture versus Censorship”.

Now, I am not really a Pinoy Big Brother fan. The hype is simply too much for me to ingest.

We have a 24-hour cable channel devoted entirely to it, incessant updates

that gush in almost by the hour, four recent evictees with beckoning showbiz careers, and a theme song that’s fast approaching novelty oblivion. Go figure.

But, in all honesty, I think Pinoy Big Brother is still groundbreaking for what it’s worth despite its excessive publicity. In one way or another, it has redefined the Filipino’s connotations of reality shows from scantily-clad starlets performing circus acts to a bunch of nameless faces portraying reality-based scenarios, while having to deal with their inner demons and the Hawthorne effect. The formula worked, all right. And, granted that these scenarios are “real”, they can’t be all that bad. Right?

Such is the premise of shows like Big Brother. When you incarcerate 12 people who barely know each other in one house for 100 days, surely you don’t expect them to make like Batibot characters and start singing to us the Filipino alphabet. Naturally, there will be quarrels, backstabbing, and most definitely, attraction.

But, there are also positive relationships formed. However, there are still viewers who are still scandalized by onscreen kisses, profanity, and sexual innuendoes, as if they’re not part of actual life.

Besides, isn’t that what the “Parental Guidance” disclaimer is for? It means the program contains scenes inappropriate and too complicated for children and it’s the parents’ job to do the supervising. It’s that plain and simple.

And one more thing: Isn’t it funny how the MTRCB seemed so outraged with Chx and Sam’s swimming pool kissing scene, and not with Jomari Yllana’s character in Kamapanerang Kuba throwing his own daughter off a bell tower?

Well, that’s censorship for you. -Juan Carlos Chavez

Rea l i ty shows and SIM and MMORPG games are everywhere

these days. Their immense popularity is attributed to how they “mirror” real life more accurately than other television productions. Like life, every once in a while an event happens that rocks our boats. In the case of television, it’s some mini game initiated by the host that throws the entire cast of reality TV stars into chaos, much to the delight of the audience.

The outcome of these events and how these characters will appeal to the audience will determine their lifespan in that world.

The audience is an observer at first, checking out which of the characters they can identify with: as an equal. Then it changes into what we can relate to as our relationship with our Creator, or at least that’s what we were taught to believe.

Like the Apocalypse, judgment is passed upon the poor denizens of that little world through their observer’s text votes.

An unpopular character is usually ejected, fired or voted off, either by their fellow contestants/competitors or by the audience.

Then here come the simulation games, where one can either create a world, town or theme park, watch it grow and its virtual inhabitants interact with it. If you’re bored since you do have the power to do anything, you can also destroy things at your will. Should your creations disappoint or much less bore you, you can either throw in a flurry of disasters to entertain your bored self. Throw in a hurricane or an earthquake and see how the people cope up with it. It is entertainment at the core with a sadistic overtone. Make this person fight with so and so, kill this creature, or even just build an army to wipe out another one. All this can happen with just a few clicks of your

little finger. Now that’s power. So God, this is what it feels like?

Reality TV and these SIM & MMORPG games are so popular now because they are very entertaining. They are entertaining as well as empowering for the audience.

We can watch situations that can either be pleasant or horrible, all in the comfort of our own homes or wherever you do these things. The success of these genres is simply proof of the human being’s subconscious desires to at least play as the omnipotent being they temselves fear (or create, depending on how you look at it).

-Ramon Del Prado, Art and Graphics Editor (SY 2002-2003)

* * *“I came, I saw, I conquered,” Julius

Caesar resounded these words during his campaign against Pharnaces. Yes, I would have enjoyed saying that, too. And what luxury it would have been, if I was able to sit down and have coffee with him.

But I’m still being left to think if he really did play god. Now, I’ll try to examine several individuals whom I believe played or plays god.

Let me cite some names and tell me if they ring a bell. Neil Gaiman, Mario Puzo, John Grisham, Pablo Neruda, Paolo Coelho, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordan, Pete

Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Roger Federer. Now, tell me what they all have in common. Yes, they came, they saw, and they conquered. They dominated the paperbacks, the silver screens, the melodies, the circuits, the hardcourt, and the surfaces. And we all know that the list is just a diminutive portion of a bigger list of gods.

I believe that one who seeks excellence in accordance to his development, as well as the welfare of others is, in his own right, a god. And Benedict Spinoza said that “desire is the every essence of man.” We all desire to be better and that is a given fact. And gods defy the limits to excel furthermore.

Now, do you think Adolf Hitler belongs to the list? Why not? He made Europe and as well as the rest of the world do nothing, but stand in horror as his Nazi army trampled over Europe.

He amassed incredible power over the decades he had reigned. And he made us realize the way to attain total conquest.

Then goes the question: was he a god or did he play god? I strongly disagree. He was definitely not a god; not from my understanding of what a god is.

We must understand that it's either gods or beasts. The distinction is very clear. Corrupt, vile, and unreasonable men think they are playing gods. They think stepping over the rights of the others and a mockery of the law is their manifestation of there image as a god.

They are just an abomination of the society. And I need not name names for you already know who they are. There is a big difference between playing god and playing beast.

Nowadays, who do you think is playing god or playing beast?

-Jan Jaudian

They do not call it Martial Law. But the Palace is already implementing measures that resemble the operations of Martial Law, a nightmare that intends not to fight national terrorism but to hide layers and layers of lies within the government.

In the past weeks, numerous indications of Martial Law have been taking place. First in the list is Executive Order EO 464, an act that sets several rules such as determining the circumstances that will allow government officials to testify before the Senate and the House of Representatives.

With the recent EO 464 now at the fray, it seems like the showground for the fiery battle of the executive and legislative departments has been built. Why would the President create a policy that would hinder its co-equal branch—the legislature—from properly performing its functions? The order is indeed an act of destabilization and not in aid of legislation.

In fact, the order has sampled both Marine Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani and Lt. Col. Alexander, since they testified before the Senate Committee and refused to obey a direct order from their commander in chief. Even demonstrators have been restricted to march the streets, because of the government’s shift from “maximum tolerance” to “preemptive calibrated response”, which bans protesters to conduct unauthorized rallies.

With all these basic manifestations of Martial Law already taking place, “desperate” is definitely a too soft term to describe the recent move of the embattled tenant of Malacanang.

After all, the moves of GMA and her minions seem to indicate that their ears are already callous, if not full of earwax, to hear the resounding and persistent call from the silent majority for her and her cohorts to leave Malacanang.

The Palace could continue its outrageous spree of coming out with detrimental policies and calibrate the responses through infringing both public officials and demonstrations from airing their grievances.

For us, students, who have just learned Martial Law from historical books, the challenge is not just to question the system but also seek ways to prevent such suppressions.

Action speaks louder than words. Although the government claims that declaring martial rule is just a hogwash, it is already performing virtual methods to exhibit the clutches of Martial Law. In the end, what would virtually explode are the hidden lies and deception, which are under the government's custody.

13 October 2005 4 13 October 2005 5O P I N I O N The LaSallian O P I N I O N The LaSallian

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anong pabili po”. A quick turn of the eye and you will find Mang Felipe sitting in his usual corner in front of Metrobank Taft and you may think of him as an ordinary vendor. A few moments later, you find him in the company of students and you may start to realize that Mang Felipe is no ordinary vendor. If you know him like those students do, then you know about his adventures. His lifetime of adventures in the ocean which took him to faraway lands like Brazil, Mexico and, even Russia. Felipe Sudario, once a seaman, shows us that there is a life after the sea and that no matter where life’s wind blows our sails, we will find a way to live through it.

Calm as the SeaFelipe Sudario was once a high school graduate from

Arellano. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t accepted in his preferred course which was Criminology, because his final grade was not sufficient to the requirements. In his mind, he wouldn’t have imagined that he would someday set off to see the world.

Soon after, Mang Felipe joined the health brigade of a political campaign, and somehow ended up in a job at Pasay City Hall. Uncontented with the low pay, Mang Felipe resigned from the job and set the stepping stone for his journey to the sea.

Following the footsteps of his deceased brother, he ap-plied for the job, even knowing that the dangers such as the perils of the sea are there to warn him of what his life could be facing. At age 19, he set out for his first voyage, and sailed of from continent to continent and to a better life.

Paradise in Buoyancy

As a seaman, Mang Felipe had the world in his point of view. From the landscape of Europe, the diverse tastes of Asia, the proud continent of America, and the unique sights of Latin America, he had gone to them all.

Life in the sea is not all about dan-ger, mutiny, and endless days of seasick-ness. In his journeys, Mang Felipe calls Latin America and Mexico, “Paradise”. Entertainment and beauty could be the best words to explain what he felt and witnessed. The nightly serenades and the beautiful scenery accompanied him and his fellow seaman while they were dining and drinking to the night. As the days went by and as the sea water brought his sails to different places, he never failed to thank God for all of the experiences he has received. His rosary was his companion day in and night out, to the extent that a day without praying the rosary seemed incomplete. “‘Yun ang unang-una. Basta sa barko, (kapag) hindi ako nakapag-rosaryo, ‘di kumpleto ang araw ko.”

Hardships of the TidehunterOn the other hand, life in the sea has its own dangers.

As Mang Felipe says: “Di ako marunong lumangoy pero ibig sabihin malaki yung faith ko sa God, kaya parang buo ang loob ko anuman ang mangyari. Hindi ako nag-papanic.” Not knowing how to swim was not reason enough for him to give up on his job. It was all his faith in God that brought him to live on and tell the people of his journeys and his adventures. Once, Mang Felipe had almost died in the vastness of the sea, but amazingly, his faith in God and his trust in him brought him to safety, and to his better days as a person.

Discipline is also important in the job as a seaman. A little mistake can send one packing his bags without warning. Despite being adrift on the ocean, travel and exploration was only secondary to the work these people had to go through. “Kailangan, nag-apply ka du’n, trabaho lang, ‘yun ‘yung pinuntahan mo du’n. pangalawa na ‘yung pamamasyal.”

In the end, Mang Felipe never returned to the sea again when he gave up the job, but it was worth more than a nor-mal life in the city. Mang Felipe’s four years in the sea was more than enough to show him what the world was more than any ordinary person can learn in a lifetime.

Impossibility of the Possibility Sometimes, no matter how one tries his best to reach

his dream, there are still hindrances that separate him from the world of heavenly bliss—the attainment of that dream. External factors like unemployment and poverty, brought about by economic instability, result in the veering of one’s goal. Instead of reaching for it, one shifts his direction towards something more feasible in the situation. In the end, his long term goal or his dream turned into a mere impossibility of what ought to be possible if he tried. But contrary to the physical barriers of economic conflicts, there is an internal factor that defeats the purpose of personal contemplation —inferiority from within.

Sudario’s Mexican night-outs with comforting ser-enades, movies shown in the plaza and clowns all around, became mere good memories because he never returned to the sea again. He was depressed when his daughter got married at a young age. It was a self pitying circumstance for him when he was on the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, risking his life, unguarded from the possibility of fire on the ship, or worst, drowning in the vast water world. And here, his daughter never even finished her studies, his wife was vending in South gate, and his brother in North gate. He gave up his luxurious life of earning dollars and traveling in different places to stay with his family.

The Sails of Taft Avenue It is said that when God closes the door, He opens a

window. When it seems that fate is so unfair that the means of hopelessness starts to embitter him, faith seemed certain

of justifying the end of misery. What had been done was done and there was no turning back. Regrets have no room for self isolation and self pity, for there are opportunities that one blindly knows would make him grow as a person—as a great man for himself and as a good man for others.

It was a sacrifice for Manong Felipe to settle a life far different from what he used to have as a seaman. He ventured into selling cigarettes and candies to be able to support his fami-ly’s needs. But conflicts arise when, at times, his wife would get sick, heaps of monthly bills start to pile up and he falls short of his capital. The things to pay for and the things he needed to buy seemed endless for him. But despite all

that, he remained confident that his friends’ support, like some Lasallian students who would come and serve as a blessing to him and his family, would be a great deal of help. Though he now lacks the extravagant financial support for his family, not like before, Manong Felipe has strong faith in God that his family would be provided, not with so much but with enough that he could cater to his obligations as a husband, a father of four daughters and a grandfather.

What Dreams May ComeIt is mind boggling how dreams can be reachable like

catching the wind in a sail, if one pursues the conquest of attaining it; but can be impossible, at the same time, like defeating all the giant waves with the fast and strong turns of the propeller, if one makes a trade-off with what he perceives proper.

The Filipino dream might be too fragile for most people: earning big bucks in the city, having power and position, and feeding his family at the same time. But for Manong Felipe, “I traveled the world [for] free....kasama ko misis ko at mga anak ko.” And “…healthy ako.” He is more than fulfilled of his Filipino dream. It is just a matter of one’s own choosing.

Mang Felipe has been a vendor along Taft since 1981, but for many, it is hard to imagine how being on top of the world can be so difficult, and going back to reality can be so relieving. Mang Felipe’s story shows us just how experience and circumstance can solve the mysteries of our lives, and how people come about to be able to tell about them.

The tandem of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton scores yet another potential hit with the early Halloween treat, The Corpse Bride. This fifth collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton takes its audiences into the dark side with the spooky conventional gothic architecture that is always featured in wide repertoire in Burton’s films. The eerie otherworldly style is evidently reminiscent of Tim Burton’s earlier animated movie, 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, but of course, The Corpse Bride is a different movie on its own.

Animated using stop-motion claymation, the emotions that the characters convey seem to transcend animation, which makes the visual effects spectacular.

The audience can easily get a feel for the characters, not to mention the bone-rattling musical numbers provided by musical whiz, Danny Elfman.

The story begins with a crass cash-for-

class transaction. New money fish tycoons, the Van Dorts (voiced by Tracey Ulman and Paul Whitehouse) want their drab, introverted son, Victor (Johnny Depp), to marry Victoria (Emily Watson), the endear-ing daughter of impoverished aristocrats, the Everglots (Albert Finney and Joanna Lum-ley). The arrangement unexpectedly turns romantic as the bashful couple surprisingly falls in love at first sight.

But, lo and behold, in a twisted scheme of events, he suddenly finds himself stranded in the land of the dead married to a lifeless bride named Emily (Helena Bonham Carter). Torn between two contradictory worlds and two extraordinary women, Victor is confronted with the staggering decision if he wants to "live" happily ever after with a bride from the afterlife or a bride with a pulse.

Based from an old Russian folk tale, The Corpse Bride is churned into the Tim Burton machine and with the help of co-director

Michael Johnson and the tireless team of animators resulting to a new rendition to this classic. The voice talents perfectly fit their characters like a glove, with each role por-trayed splendidly adding the needed spunk and attitude to these flat characters. It is also interesting to note that Victor seems eerily reminiscent of Ichabod Crane, another character portrayed by Johnny Depp from Burton's 1999 live action thriller, Sleepy Hollow (Though depiction is plausible).

The Corpse Bride is a tenderly macabre and beguiling romantic tale of undying love that nothing in this world or the next can conquer. This film is a delightful mix of comedy, romance, mild horror and an affinity for goth that only Tim Burton can catapult to life. And with all the time and effort placed into making this movie, it almost certainly will not disappoint Burton fans.

- Michelle Reyes

With a raise of Phil Koeghan’s eyebrow and a wave of his hand, they were off. 10, 000 miles to travel, 11 legs to complete, 10 more teams to compete with and $1 million at the end of the finish line.

The Amazing Race 8: Family Edition kicks off in New York City, requiring the same physical, mental, and emotional strength from a new batch of adventure-seekers. However, perhaps because the producers realized the previous seven seasons had one model-actor team too many, they added a new format to the show.

This season, the show takes 10 American teams of four, with participant's ages ranging from as young as eight and as old as 57. The teammates are required to only be blood relatives or relatives created by law, as opposed to the previous seasons where the partici-pants could race with their roommates or friends. Instead of just one navigator and one driver in road trips, there is one navigator, one backseat driver, one actual driver and one perpetual whiner. There are more people to account for and more people to remember, as the viewer would constantly go “Wait, whose kid is this? Which fam-ily does this woman belong to again?” Also, teamwork is taken to a higher level. Two people working together under the pressure of the race is hard enough, getting four of them on the mat at the end of the leg calls for a modern-day miracle.

Rumors have been flying that the route will only be limited to

North America to make the race more child-friendly (and perhaps less expensive), which means there will be more road trips and fewer airports. More locals pointing the directions to the nearest federal monument and fewer travel agents. More American history, less in-ternational culture. This could mean that the only miscommunication will come from having four people to move together, and not the extreme language barrier in Taiwan or Mongolia.

Still, what makes it worth an hour of your Wednesday night is the sight of having that big a team traveling all at the same time. The action never runs out, whether the foursomes are boarding bigger SUVs, bickering for hours or completing Detours, Road Blocks and Yields. Pitting tiny children against older racers doesn’t seem like such a problem so far since there is always a situation where their varied sizes and strengths will be needed. Whether these kids will be able to withstand the stress of the race still remains unknown, but judging from the first few episodes, The Amazing Race: Family Edi-tion might not only promise to be twice as fun but also four times as noisy. You’ve been warned.

- Ramona Torres

The Amazing Race 8: The Family EditionWednesday, 9pmAXN

The Corpse BrideD: Tim BurtonS: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter

raditional martial arts such as judo, kung fu, karate, and tae kwon do have a host of wonderful benefits for both children and adults. Some of these include getting and staying in shape, developing self discipline, observing weight control, improving self confidence and learning some very important life skills. But most of these will not work on the street.

It’s because the effect of the adrenaline rush, as a result of fear, is either ignored or not even addressed during training. One doesn’t place one’s life on the line or think “I’m going to die/seriously get hurt if I lose.” while training/sparring with partners. Fear is simply absent.

In the Danger Zone Imagine waking up and seeing a man at

the foot of your bed, already moving towards your side to attack you. What will you do? Remember, you only have split seconds to take action. Or else.

That’s the same condition you’ll find yourself in when you’re attacked on the street: unaware, unprepared, and afraid. It has severe effects on us both physically and mentally, as it causes adrenaline rush. For one, we lose some or most of our cognitive thinking and fine motor coordination. We also lose peripheral vision, which tends to make things appear larger than they really are. We feel weak at the knees or develop body shakes. Breathing becomes short and rapid; studies have shown that if the heart beat gets high enough we can become totally (even literally) “frozen in fear”.

Just considering the loss of cognitive thinking and motor coordination is in itself big trouble, even for a martial artist. It’s because many of the techniques taught in many martial arts schools and self defense programs require precise targeting or wrist or joint manipulation. This probably isn’t going to happen under a strong adrenaline rush.

Learning fighting techniques for the street can be a diverse issue. Most of us have heard of black belts fighting someone on the

street and still getting beaten to a pulp. This is sometimes due to their misconception that their dojo fighting techniques will really work in real self defense. Most martial artists have never trained under pressure so when a real fighting situation occurs they are shocked to find they cannot access their multi-step, fine motor coordination techniques.

Modes of BehaviorIt was once said that real victory is win-

ning a battle without fighting. One will won-der how one will defend, much less survive, without fighting. Well, there really is a way to win most street encounters without fight-ing at all. Emphasis on “most”. Sometimes there is no other way than to fight. The best self defense is either to avoid a confrontation in the first place or know how to defuse a potentially dangerous situation before it becomes physical

There are three modes of behavior one can take on in terms of self defense. First, there is the passive mode. Passive behavior is a model of weakness. Picture someone with their head down, shoulders lowered, no eye contact, and feet close together. Not exactly a pillar of strength. Criminals call someone like this, “free lunch.”

The opposite of this is the aggressive mode. Most overly aggressive people are working from a position of fear or inferiority as well, but over-compensate in order not show it. They fight fire with fire and many times cause situations to become physical when they need not be. It is easily seen by the chest puffed up, the jaw up and perhaps tilted, finger pointing, loud boisterous behavior. By becoming overly aggressive they don’t allow the would-be attacker an honorable way out. To save face the attacker would feel compelled to fight rather than back down.

The best behavior to avoid in many if not most physical confrontations and attacks is the assertive mode of behavior. This behav-ior is crafted from a position of confidence.

Shoulders erect, head up, eye to eye contact, aware, alert and focused position; prepared but not engaging or insulting; ready but not pre-emptive; always willing to compromise and let the aggressor save face; confident enough to hold his ground without having to win the verbal war. As one become progres-sively more assertive in a self defense situation there is a good possibility that the aggressor will back off. This is especially true if one gives him an honorable exit. Another benefit is that it naturally brings up one’s adrenaline levels so if an attack ensues you are prepared both physically and mentally.

Worst Case ScenariosBut if fights cannot be avoided, how will

you know if your technique is useful? Here is what to look for:

If it requires any fine motor skills imme-diately toss it out. Fine motor coordination is one of the first things that one loses in a real situation when the adrenaline starts to flow.

Be sure it works on pretty much every-one. There are many techniques that will not work on a very tall (or very muscular, stocky, short, etc.) opponent. You don’t want to have a set of techniques for different body types. It’s just too much to have to think during a real attack.

Many wrist and joint manipulation techniques rely on the pain threshold of the attacker. But people’s joint flexibilities and thresholds for pain vary greatly. Some of these techniques just don’t work on some people at all.

Simplicity is an important part of self defense. Techniques need to be simple to work on the street. Too many practitioners of martial arts and self defense think because they can execute a technique quickly and eas-ily under the controlled conditions of a dojo or seminar class that they have something that is viable and effective on the street.

Reference: Street Self Defense 101 by Shihan Michael Pace

Old Man

""Mang Felipe’s four

years in the sea was more than enough to show him what the world was more than any ordinary person can learn in a lifetime.

Fine motor coordina-tion is one of the first things that one loses in a real situation when the adrenaline starts to flow.

from the

FRANZ FRANCISCO CHAN AND NAZRIN CAMILLE CASTRO

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KISON

13 October 2005 6 13 October 2005 7M E N A G E R I E The LaSallian

ways to get over defeat1. Pamper yourself.2. Shift your attention.3. Hang-out with your friends.4. Pig-out.5. Try something new.6. Be productive.7. Join other contests/competition and win it!8. Accept that sometimes, "Sh*t Happens".9. Practice, train and study harder.10. Just forget it and move on.11. Keep in mind that "today's defeat is a training for tomorrow's victory".12. Cast your sorrow upon the Almighty.

Text by Royce Robert Zuñiga, Donelle Gan, and Luis De VeraPhotos by Tianel Espiritu, Eric Siy, and Amanda Valenzuela

Graphics by Luis De Vera

They played it cool.But the other team was just too good.

Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative

Beauty and the Media Beast

GABRIELLE MARIE ANTONIO, YASMIN NAJIB, AND CARMELA SIOCO

PHOTO AND GRAPHICS BY LUIS DE VERA

overachieving team. We were the unwelcome guest and the gatecrashers in the finals. We surprised a lot of teams when we came through the backdoor (to the finals). Just being in the finals, parang nag-champion na rin kami,” Pumaren stated.

“We only lost because we did not execute in the last few seconds. We were just one shot away from winning this game,” Pumaren added, who lost the champion-ship via sweep for the first time in his career.

The Archers had a scintillating third period as a 17-3 run marked by turnover points gave them their biggest lead in the game at 11, 62-51. But the Tamaraws came back with six straight points, 62-57 at the end of the third.

Game 1Game 1 was a mirror image of Game 2 with the Green Archers trying but failing

to sustain their lead in the dying seconds, no thanks to the all-around play of Santos, which ended with a 75-73 decision at the Araneta Coliseum last Sept. 29 in a game that was almost overshadowed by an altercation after the match.

Santos amassed 29 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks but it was his end game heroics that gave the Tamaraws its first win of the finals.The lanky Santos drilled a three-pointer to tie the game with 48.6 ticks left to tie the game, 73-all. To cap of his brilliant performance, Santos gave the game-clinching basket after tapping in a missed three-pointer by Isip, thereby giving the Morayta-based cagers the lead, 75-73, with 5.5 seconds remaining.

The Archers had one last chance but JV Casio missed his last second shot from behind the arc, almost the same spot where he hit his title-winning shot last season, to end the game.

The game was not free from controversy though as Santos and DLSU assistant team manager Manny Salgado got involved in an exchange moments after the game. Television replays showed Salgado hitting Santos at the back of his head that irked the Tamaraws. To prevent further untoward incidents, security came rushing in the court to separate both squads as some fans pelted the court with debris.

De La Salle led in the waning minutes of the game as the wily Yeo slashed his way to the goal and gave the go-ahead basket to the Archers, 72-70. At the 1:37 mark, Araña halved his free throws, 73-70, the last time De La Salle would taste the lead before Santos saved the Tams.

Yeo was his usual self, scoring 26 points for the Green Archers. However, the defending champions struggled to orchestrate their full-court pressure, which was scouted well by the Tamaraws. FEU also showed their might in height by blocking seven De La Salle shots.

After a 12-0 run by the Archers, guard Eder Saldua hit two consecutive triples in a 13-0 blast by the Tamaraws as halftime ended with the Morayta-based squad leading by one, 43-42.

The momentum shifted to FEU at the start of the third juncture as they were poised to take the lead, 59-53. But in the ensuing plays, Yeo and Cabatu helped tie the game, 59-all, setting up a highly contested battle.

Deja vu

Meanwhile, Geleen Handog landed in 4th place for the combined girls’ high school and college division. The De La Salle teams won all 5 divisions they ended scoring the biggest victory in the five year history of the

Samsung tournament. The DLSU Golf Team shares its victory to the entire Lasallian community and credits its success to the support

of team manager, Mr. Ferdie Atendido, the DLSAA, Pisanti, ICTSI, Campos, Lanuza & Co., and Island Wide for sponsoring them in this year’s tournament.

of Sports Development (OSD), the University said that it “regrets the incident” and adding that they “certainly will not condone any such act especially if it harms others.” The incident “does not reflect the values we (DLSU) stand for as an educational institution.”

“We apologize to Arwind Santos and the Far Eastern University community, to the other UAAP member-schools and to the general public,” the statement furthered. The statement also said that Salgado voluntarily left the team but Salgado clarified that he took a leave of absence.

However, DLSU representative Danny Jose personally thinks that the decision was unfair for Salgado. “It was too harsh. He (Salgado) did not deserve such punishment. If this happened to a player, would they have imposed such punishment?” Jose said.

Life after the DecisionEven with his absence, Salgado declared that he will still

support the team in any way he can. “I’ll continue to give my services to the team and to this institution even if I’m no longer on the bench. One act should not erase all the things I’ve done [for] the school’s sports program.”

Moving on is what Salgado will do after this issue that rocked the community. “I’m really sorry to the community. At the same time, I’ve already closed this chapter of my life. I’m ready to close this issue and end it.”

The near-chaotic events after Game 1 led to a “peace-ful” Game 2 as the Board disallowed the players from trash talking during Game 2 of the UAAP men’s basketball finals, and required the players to shake hands before the game as a sign of sportsmanship.

all of these factors, Coach De Jesus still kept his faith on his team and was confident that they are indeed ready for and deserving of a championship.

And his prediction eventually came true. After five years of coaching the DLSU Lady Spikers, Coach Ramil de Jesus was able to concoct the perfect recipe for three-peat title.

Game 1The DLSU Lady Spikers proved that experience is

indeed a crucial factor in winning a game, as they success-fully defeated a younger Adamson squad, 3-0, in Game 1 of the UAAP Volleyball Finals.

The Taft-based squad easily dominated the first set as the Adamson Lady Falcons committed several unforced errors, thereby allowing the Lady Spikers to grab the first set with a score of 25-14.

At the start of the second set, both teams fought tooth and nail by answering each other’s points. However, Adam-son had the upperhand as the Lady Spikers failed to return

the drop of the Falcons, bringing the set to 8-6.Not to be outdone, Desiree Hernandez started the

defending champions’ rally. An ace by left-handed spiker Carissa Gotis and Illa Santos’ successful return shifted the momentum back to De La Salle’s side. Adamson responded with equal determination as they tied the score multiple times throughout the set. Unfortunately, an outside spike by the Falcons gave the set point in favor of DLSU, 24-23. Hernandez’s spike secured the second set victory as the Lady Spikers inched their way to a Game 1 triumph.

The second set win boosted the spirit of the green and white squad in the third set. Though the set started with a close fight of both teams, Adamson lost its focus after failing to receive Santos’ drop, 13-7. From that point on, the Lady Spikers never looked back as the combination of Hernandez and Carla Llaguno’s spikes, accompanied with Chie Saet’s aces, were just too powerful for the San Marcelino-based squad. On the other hand, the Lady Falcons couldn’t find their rhythm as they continued to commit several mistakes, ending the set at 25-7.

Déjà Vu

Influential leaders from across Asia convened at the 7th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) held forum on July 11 and 12, 2005, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With the objective of inspiring the next generation of leaders, they shared their perspectives on critical issues impacting the region today. Under the overall theme of Balancing People, Planet and Profit in Asia’s Future, specific sub-themes that discussed include: Asian Economic Integration - Challenges and Opportunities; The Changing Role of Education in a Dynamic Asia; and Translating Environmental Awareness into Action.

Mr. Nobuaki Furuse, General Manager, Hitachi Asia Ltd. Philippine Branch: said, “With a region as diverse as Asia, developing solutions to address common issues requires an in-depth understanding of Asia’s social, economic, envi-ronmental and political landscapes. We are indeed fortunate to have an impressive line-up of speakers who, in their vari-

ous professions, have contributed to alleviating these issues, and leading their countries, businesses and organisations to greater heights. We believe they will serve to inspire our young leaders to do the same in the future”.

The guest-of-honour for the 7th HYLI was Yang Ber-hormat Dato’ Dr. Shafie Mohd Salleh, Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia. He was joined by the second keynote speaker, Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of State for Na-tional Development Planning and Chairperson of National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) from Indonesia. Mr. Victor O. Ramos, former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources from the Philippines, will speak on an environment sub-theme.

Together with eminent speakers from the business sec-tor, government and non-governmental organizations, and academia, these leaders presented their insights and interact ed with twenty-four top students from Indonesia, Japan, the

Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.This year’s initiative, the 7th in the series, was held

from July 11 to 15. Students participated in two morning forums, a series of closed-door workshop discussions, a press conference to share their recommendations arising from the workshops, and a community project.

Representing the Philippines at the 7th HYLI are Philip Francisco Dy of Ateneo de Manila University; Mark Gregore Gloriani of De La Salle University; Pamela Manuel and Carl Nicholas Ng, both from the University of the Philippines.

They were selected from among undergraduate and graduate students from four top local universities through a rigorous selection process, which included a university short-list, submission of written essays and a panel interview.

The 24 students of the 7th HYLI joined the HYLI alumni, a strong network of potential future leaders of Asia formed by past HYLI student participants.

"Today, we are reliving the night-mares of martial law under theArroyo regime."

Press releaseLADY SPIKERS, FROM PAGE 16ARCHERS LOSE, FROM PAGE 16

DE LA SALLE CAGE, SEE PAGE 14

ARCHERS LOSE, FROM PAGE 16

The program you’re watching pauses for a commercial break and onto your screen bounces Georgina Wilson, looking cool, calm, collected, and drop-dead gorgeous in that flamboyant red dress.

You call on the universe to trip her as she sashays past you on the TV screen to at least make you feel less inferior.

Her thousand-watt smile frustrates you, knowing that you will never end up as eye-catching as her. You’ll never be able to smile, wink, or sparkle on a TV screen, nor will you ever have an avalanche of product endorsers pounding at your door.

Think these thoughts and you have become a certified victim of this generation’s biggest blunder. Who ever said a woman had to have long flawless legs and fair complexion to be beautiful? Or who ever said a man had to be tall and sculpted to be handsome? No wise man, that’s for sure.

Unfortunately, this generation has been brainwashed to believe that beauty is an elusive aesthetic quality bestowed upon the chosen few who dominate today’s catwalks, billboards, and television com-mercials. Since media projects the idea that these people set the bar for what is considered “beautiful”, the masses have been left to think of themselves as inferior immortals, less worthy to stand beside these beauty icons.

Twisted DefinitionThe American Heritage Dictionary defines beauty as the quality

that gives pleasure to the mind and senses. However, in this day and time, the media seems to be the one determining this quality. Over time, media has distorted the image of real beauty so much, that to-day’s generation defines beauty based on the ads and images that fill television sets and crowd billboards along highways.

Beauty has become so commercialized that people have become too dependent of this medium. And as the level of contentment de-clines, what to wear, how to act, and how to enhance themselves is left on the pages of magazines just to be courageous enough to call themselves, beautiful.

Teenagers and adults alone are not only media’s market target, when even children are exposed to this kind of publicity. Take Barbie as a prime example. Sure, she can be easily dismissed as a mere plaything. But read in between the lines. With her luscious locks, her perfect figure, and her permanent pearly-white smile, she can easily dictate to those youngsters the “proper” look.

On the other hand, photos of models and actors reveal fair skin, slim and toned frames, not to mention the mestizo or mestiza pa-rameters. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and today’s men and women should be proud of how they look, or at least be contented. A Filipina more than anything finds her natural tan skin, an exotic look to many, a hindrance to beauty. Why then?—when other continents consider this to die for and Americans pay hundreds of dollars to get this color. Beauty is relative. Beauty is absolute. But media has taken this to its advantage by plastering what they deem beautiful all over billboards and TV screens, not realizing that the judgment of real beauty is not on their hands.

Vital StatisticsMedia is responsible for brainwashing people to believe in a con-

ceptualized notion of beauty. Numerous ads and commercials imply that slim; hence, weight has become a cosmetic concern for men and women across the globe. Women, however, are more prone to obsessing about weight. According to www.pbs.org, 75 percent of women with normal weight think they are overweight, and 90 per-cent of women overestimate their body size. Moreover, 69 percent of girls said that their perceptions of beauty were strongly influenced by magazine ads and television commercials. These statistics are pieces

of evidence of how the idea of beauty has become a misconception to many. Girls who feel that their worth can be measured simply by stepping on a weighing scale.

The idea of beauty that media promotes brings about a lot of disastrous effects. Men and women are disillusioned to the point of developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia is a psychological disease wherein a person refuses to eat to control his or her weight. 90-95 percent of anorexics are females, but an increasing number of males are also becoming subject to this disorder. Bulimia is equally dangerous, because it induces a person to consume large amounts of food and then force himself to vomit. Feelings of self-depression and low self-esteem are rampant in bulim-ics. Aside from malnutrition, dehydration, and ruptured stomach, the biggest danger to anorexics and bulimics is death itself. According to Doctor Walter Kaye of the University of Florida, anorexia has one of the highest death rates of any other psychiatric disorder.

Vanity FairDressing up and carrying oneself is another effect of media’s

displacement of beauty. Body-hugging material, skin-tight jeans, and skimpy skirts are every woman’s resolution; literally, you have to fit in those then. Men, on the other hand, concentrate on sculpting their bodies in order for women to actually notice and appreciate them aside from the good looking face. Media has also become hazardous to human psyche. The images one sees on magazines and billboards can dull their ideas on what passes as beautiful. It has always been like that, to begin with. People, in their struggle for acceptance and belongingness believe that they have to abide with what media dic-tates before they get noticed by their peers. The sense of self-worth declines, until society continues to remain closed with vanity, one’s individuality will come to its lost. People misconstrue what they see in these supposed expressions of reality because they do not realize that advertisements can only go as far as selling beauty products and not the real essence of beauty.

Take it from the GreeksThe standards, by which society measures, beauty have become

all too superficial. Beauty has even been presented as a challenge, and in the demented search for physical perfection people will never be satisfied with how they look if they cannot learn to go pass what media offers. This commercialization of beauty forces people to focus on their imperfections based on the established idea of beauty—that of which can be measured according to height, physique, weight, and skin color. Media has taught people to settle for nothing less than surface perfection and to consider natural oddities as disfigurations. It has spurred society on a never-ending quest for physical enhance-ment, completely disregarding the inferiority it might cause people top feel on account of their less-than-perfect-but-nevertheless-human appearances. People should understand that they do not have to be carbon copies of models in order to be beautiful. They do not have to succumb to media’s thousand-peso theories beautification, instead, they should accept and love the gifts nature has given them. A sense of appreciation and contentment could make people more confident and above all, happy. Because being able to rise above face-lifts and beauty products would highlight a beauty more compelling than that of any over-exposed media god or goddess.

To the Greeks, beauty has a virtue within and without, but this generation seems to have forgotten that physical beauty must always be complemented, if not overridden, by inner beauty. Then and only then can a person be truly and completely, not only in the eyes of others’ but to oneself, say “I’m ok, I’m beautiful”.

Greetings in St. La Salle! I fully understand your sentiments regarding

Martial Law. However, I wish to clarify that the theme of last month’s issue, was “Searching for the Good in Mistakes”. The stories featured in that issue center on seemingly erroneous deci-sions, technological blunders, sudden career shifts, and in that article’s case, tumultuous historical events, that yielded positive resuts in one way or another.

Therefore, the intention of that article was not to undermine nor entirely disregard what Martial Law represents in our country’s history, but rather, to tackle the subject matter from a more positive angle.

Sincerely yours,

Juan Carlos ChavezMenagerie Editor

Déjà vu derived from two French words, “already seen”. It also refers to an experi-ence that causes you to remember some-

thing such as the déjà vu of the tabloid headlines showing images of mass protesters and student activists being water cannoned, clubbed, mauled, illegally arrested and detained by the policemen and military.

News reporters and radio commentators de-nounced the acts of violence and the imposition of martial law in the pretext of national security. It reminded us of the late President Ferdinand Mar-cos manipulating the national elections in 1986 to prove to the international community that he still enjoyed the popular support of the Filipinos. A dictator championing the cause of democracy yet, disregarded the check-and-balance of pow-ers in the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary branches of the Philippine government. Recall how the dictator converted Batasang Pambansa into a rubber stamp. President Marcos controlled the military and ordered the arrest of his political detractors and enemies. He prolonged his stay in power for 20 years in cahoots with his cronies and the US government.

Today, we are reliving the nightmares of mar-tial law under the Arroyo regime. The butchering of the impeachment case against PGMA in the House of Representatives only proved that we couldn’t rely on traditional politicians to unravel the truth behind the Gloriagate and jueteng scan-dals. Elitism, loyalty to the party (numbers game) and political patronage (pork barrel) persist in the Congress and Senate. Indeed, nothing has changed in our Philippine political system.

President Arroyo is determined to prolong her stay in power using the policemen and military to suppress the protest of the Filipino masses against her government marred with graft and corruption. The policy shift of the Arroyo administration from “maximum tolerance” to “calibrated preemptive response” grossly violates human rights. Mass media exposed to us how human rights workers, social activists and peace advocates were physically harassed and violently dispersed by the policemen invoking the cali-brated preemptive response as their mantra to justify their acts of violence.

President Arroyo’s signing of Executive Order 464 states that all government officials and employees must have her permission before appearing in any congressional inquiry. Many viewed EO 464 as unconstitutional and illegal.

The united opposition, member-lawyers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and civil society groups strongly denounced EO 464 because it prohibits the Legislative to check-and-balance the Executive and Judiciary branches of government. Under EO 464, the Executive undermines the power of the Legislative to hold hearings and receive vital information useful for investigation in aid of legislation.

EO 464 is illegal because under the revised administration code, any law or executive order must be published in official national newspapers to inform the general public before it takes effect

in 15 days after publication. Senator Maceda is right in his column that without publication, EO 464 becomes secret decrees of the late President Marcos under Presidential Decree No. 6.

Political analysts and columnists believe that President Arroyo in cahoots with her allies is gradually retaliating at her political foes and detractors. Just imagine former President Cory Aquino and Senator Franklin Drilon accused of masterminding the alleged assassination plot against PGMA. Brig. General Francisco Gudani and Colonel Alexander who testified on massive electoral fraud are now facing court martial. Those people who stand for truth and social justice become targets of character assassination and political harassment.

Aside from the crisis of Presidency, our na-tion suffers from a crisis of sovereignty. The signs

are very clear. First, the IMF-WB and WTO are using loans as their leverage to push for greater privatization, deregulation and trade liberaliza-tion at the expense of the Filipino poor. Secondly, PGMA has forged allegiance with other nations under the ‘Coalition-of-the-Willing” to promote US policy on the “war on terror” in the pretext of Balikatan Exercises in the Philippines. The Arroyo administration must realize that terrorist rhetoric and intensified militarization in Mindanao and in other parts of the country will not solve the escalating peace and order problem of our nation. It delays and jeopardizes the peace negotiation between the Philippine government with the New People’s Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In the spirit of Bayanihan and Damayan, we’ve learned from our Philippine history that real crisis brings out the best in every Filipino like what had happened during the 1986 People Power uprising. God will not forsake and aban-don the suffering of His people who are repent-ing from their sins. God will be sending again martyrs and prophets to heal our land. Recall the martyrdom of Senator Benigno Aquino on August 21, 1983 and many other unsung he-roes who died in the pursuit of peace and social justice. Recall the important roles played by the Kongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KoMPil) to arouse, organize and mobilize the Filipino masses. We fondly remember the prophetic role of Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin in the 1986 People Power uprising that led to the downfall of a dictator.

With former President Cory Aquino, Br. Armin Luistro FSC along with citizens who have genuine concern for this country, we shall overcome all these adversities. If we want peace, let us fight for the truth and social justice under the Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan. Let us always remember that our Philippine history is full with inspiring stories of exemplary Filipinos who stood up and died for freedom, social justice and love of country.

Real change must begin within us. Concrete-ly, we can showcase the Gawad Kalinga program to our Filipino youth in teaching minds, touching hearts and building homes for a brighter future to help the needy.

By Gregorio L. QuitangonCenter for Social Concern and Action

13 October 2005 10 13 October 2005 11M E N A G E R I E The LaSallian LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The LaSallian

Subject:“martial law” in menagerieDate: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 13:48:04 +0800From:“ongj(Ong,Jaime S)” <ongj@dlsu.edu.ph> To: the_lasallian@yahoo.com

Dear Editor: I am bemused and appalled by “Martial

Law: Triumph Amidst the Turmoil” by Michelle Lauren Reyes and Dianne Margareth Tang (Menagerie, Sept 2005).

How can the authors say in the second paragraph that “Economic stagnation, politi-cal repression and insurgencies sprouted from the callous disregard for humanity” and then conclude that “The Philippine economy during Martial Law was catapulted to all time highs” and “With the thriving economy and crime-free environment, the Philippines under Martial Law seemed like an ideal place to live in”?

This roseate view of the economy under Marcos makes no mention of crony capitalism and its baleful effects on the sugar, coconut, and other industries, the accumulation of for-eign debt that now burdens current and future generations, the skewed priorities in the national budget, the rising levels of poverty.

The writers may be too young to remem-ber what happened in the first decades after Proclamation 1081. But youth is no excuse for ignorance, in a campus with a library that has an abundance of materials on the sordid and bloodstained record of martial law.

Jaime S OngChairman, Marketing Department

P H O T O The LaSallian

JIPNIY DRAYBERS

SHAYDER TIME

WORST CASE SCENARIO

MAIS CON CARNE RETURNS

ALTERNATE REALITY

USAPANG BUTIKI

Abs Go

BC Uy

Carvin Choa

Char Valdez

Jan Jaudian

Luis De Vera

13 October 2005 12 POPTOWN The LaSallian

DLSU Paddlers struggle in UAAP wars

Tankers:A notch down

Woodpushers: Bridesmaids in Season 68

Last season, the Lady Paddlers made history as they bagged De La Salle’s first table tennis

title via a rare complete sweep of the eliminations.

However, this season is a different story. With former MVP Crisanta Abas out of the picture and the changes in the playing format, the Lady Paddlers failed to defend their crown as they ended the 68th UAAP season at third place.

After ending the eliminations at the third spot, the Lady Paddlers battled second seeded Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in the semifinals round at the UST gym last Oct.5. Un-fortunately, the Morayta-based squad, who carried a twice-to-beat advantage, proved to be too overpowering as they swept the Lady Paddlers, 3-0. National Team members Arlene Borja and Ayra Malabayabas, together with the tandem of Leah Calamiong and Vanessa Ng, tried to bring De La Salle back into the game but their efforts weren’t enough to beat the stronger FEU team.

Both the Lady Paddlers and the FEU Lady Tams were tied at first place after the first round of eliminations. As the second round progressed last Oct.1, the Lady Paddlers suffered a big loss against the University of Sto. Tomas(UST) Lady Tigers. However, Coach Ramil Sta. Ana’s troops man-aged to pick up their games as they defeated the Ateneo Lady Eagles and Adamson Lady Falcons by the end of the day.

Despite being down by two games, 0-2, the Lady Paddlers were still able

to control the tempo of the game as they won over the Ateneo Lady Ea-gles, 3-2. Borja together with rookies Mabalayabas and Ng, prevailed in the remaining singles round with set scores of 3-1, 3-0, and 3-2, respectively. In addition, the Lady Paddlers trounced the Adamson Lady Falcons in three straight games, 3-0.

The Taft-based squad continued their dominance as they crushed the UE Lady Warriors in three consecutive games, 3-0, last Oct. 2. Praine Ong and Borja swept their respective single matches on three straight sets while Lei Bonifacio and Calamiong only over-came their foes in the fifth set.

Then again, lady luck was not on the Lady Paddlers’ side as the FEU Lady Tams shattered their hopes of gaining a twice-to-beat advantage. The Lady Paddlers were outmaneuvered in the second and fourth singles with both scores at 0-3.

There was no luck either in the doubles game as they settled for a 2-3 score, thereby handing the FEU squad the victory.

The UST Lady Tigers brought home the championship that was once stolen by DLSU while the FEU Lady Tamaraws finished as the runners-up.

The Lady Paddlers didn’t go empty handed as freshman Ayra Mabalayabas bagged the Rookie of the Year honor.

Green Paddlers settle for fifth place This is simply not De La Salle’s year in table tennis.

Despite finishing third in the first round of eliminations, the Green

Paddlers weren’t able to sustain their momentum as they succumbed to a fifth place finish as the UAAP wars came to an end.

A win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the second round gave the Green Paddlers a chance to grab a Final Four spot as the matches ended with set scores of 3-2, 1-3, 3-0, and 3-1. With momentum on their side, the Green Paddlers continued to show their true form as they pounced on the Adamson Lady Falcons, 3-1. The victory over the San Marcelino-based squad boosted the spirits of the Green Paddlers as they earlier suffered a 1-3 loss against the same team in the first round.

Just when the Green Paddlers were starting to get their hopes high, reality came crashing down once again as they lost to the defending champions in three straight matches. The loss marked the end of the Green Paddlers’ bid for the crown.

Turnaround of EventsThe reason for the Green and Lady

Paddlers’ dismal finish may be account-ed by the new table tennis format.

According to head coach Ramil Sta. Ana, both teams would have bet-ter chances if the UAAP had sticked to its former playing arrangement. “Nahirapan talaga kami sa Blind Entry system na hindi mo alam kung sino ang kakalabanin at isasalang at the same time.”

He also added that, “Last minute nagfafall down ang mga players. That is beyond my coaching and explanations at nasa player na rin ang judgment.”

When I received a text message from Abbey last week about

writing for the sports column, I immediately said yes even though I didn’t know the topic. Upon learning it, I then thought about all those hours I spent learning my course: Marketing Management.

Remembering all the stuff I’ve read and studied about was not that easy as I thought it would be. Although you could say that I am still considered a bit fresh from college, graduating June of last year, I can vividly recall all those stuff regarding the four P’s of Marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion).

After watching the flick Fever Pitch which stars Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon last Monday, the idea suddenly popped in my head. You see, Basketball is still the cult-following of this nation with Boxing finishing a far second. Basketball has been inculcated in every Filipino as they are born. The popularity is so widespread that you don’t have to announce that in the UAAP for example, De La Salle and Far Eastern will again meet in the finals this season. Much similarly to the movie, Fallon since 7, was brought by his uncle to his first Red Sox game, he didn’t miss a game. Only after 11 years when he met Barrymore and fell in love did he miss one. Passion and love for the game has enabled him to follow the team and the sport, much similar to us Filipinos

I realized that you can’t force someone to watch the other UAAP games since this would not be beneficial in the long run. What other sports enthusiasts could do to promote their craft is basically encourage family and friends (including their blockmates) to watch. They could then teach them the basics of the sport, the how-to practically, and ask them to bring some of their other friends to watch. In reference to the movie, Fallon’s uncle brought him to the game at a young age. He was given the Red Sox annual and other baseball merchandise which were other primary information materials. His uncle’s friends in the ball park also were able to help mold Fallon’s love for the sport as they were able to give him tidbits of knowledge regarding baseball and life. On the part of the UAAP schools, they could in return do some below-the-line marketing to promote the other sports. One thing they could do is set-up banners or tarpaulins in strategic areas around the school with the game schedules and the other pertinent information regarding these sports. This would reinforce the first-hand information given by the athlete/enthusiast to their school mates. The school could also ask Studio 23, as a start, to cover games of the other sports and possibly include it on the airing contract with Basketball in the near future.

What I’m proposing is not guaranteed to fill the rafters of the other sports on the spot. What it will do is constantly increase the number of those watching. Sounds cliché but great things do start from small beginnings.

Ric Alvin Gayares (sports editor during SY 2003-2004)***

After the Lady Archers failed to make it to the Final Four for the first time in seven years, I had a conversation with one of the team’s defenders, Gay Mitra. She mentioned that nobody really watches their games except for some friends and family members. In addition, the De La Salle pep squad has only gone to their games several times. Compared to other teams, DLSU is really lacking in terms of supporters.

During the conversation, the idea on how to promote other UAAP sports especially in DLSU besides basketball came to my mind. For me, this would be a good time for me to test if I really learned something in my marketing classes.

Though the Philippines is a basketball-dominated country, there is still hope for the other sports to be noticed. Take volleyball for example. For several years, nobody really cared about volleyball but the moment the Shakey’s V-league was launched, supporters started swarming around the court.

Now, TV coverage is not just the solution because I know that there are not enough budgets for all the UAAP sports. However, there are still some strategies that can be used.

One, I talked to one of my marketing professors, Mr. Leongson. He mentioned that one way to market the other UAAP sports would be displaying banners and announcements around the DLSU campus. This would inform the De La Salle community about the games and other stuff. Actually, some of the game schedules are posted outside the Office of the Sports Development in the 9th floor of the Enrique Razon Sports Complex but the OSD is too far away for the students.

These students would not take the time and effort to just go to the OSD to just find out the latest news. Like what they say in marketing, don’t let the customers (students) come to you, come to them. Banners and tarpaulins (which may feature the profile or picture of the star player of a particular sport perhaps) would definitely catch the attention of the student body.

Two, in other UAAP schools, they allow their schools to be used as venues for the games. UST holds the table tennis and tae kwondo competitions in their place. UP is also the venue for volleyball and judo matches. This gives them the supporters and homecourt advantage as well. Why can’t De La Salle use its facility like in women’s basketball or volleyball perhaps? Why not do what the NBA does, travel from one state to another? This time around, the athletes just travel around the schools. Honestly, I don’t think that we should be just limited to one venue.

Three, I’ve noticed that in Adamson and UP, the P.E. professors somehow require their students to watch the games. I think this is a good way to teach the students about a particular sport. They are not just confined to the four walls of the classroom but they are able to witness the real game as well. I believe that this is being done in judo classes; hopefully, the other P.E. professors will follow. The students will not just learn, but they are also able to support the DLSU teams as well.

These athletes work hard for the DLSU community but they are not getting the support that they really deserve. They need people to boost their spirits but sadly, we only recognize them once they win a championship. But is winning a title the basis for people to support a team? I hope not.

Banners, venues, and school requirements-these are just icings on n the cake. But what’s beneath all this is the word support. I hope that there exists support for the other UAAP teams in each and everyone of you.

It’s only the end of the first half. But for the second half, it’s just the beginning. Support the UAAP teams. Animo La Salle!

Earlene Clarissa Ching

A fter stumbling to fourth and third places respectively in this year’s UAAP swimming tournament, the Green and Lady Tankers ended up in a disappointing predicament as the

two teams both placed a notch down compared to last season’s finish.

The Green Tankers’ final record of 80 points was simply lacking as they trailed UP, UST, and Ateneo. The UP Fighting Maroons bagged its third straight title after garnering a total of 304.5 points. UST and Ateneo followed suit with 225 and 154.5 points, cor-respondingly. On the distaff, the Lady Tankers had better luck as they scored 166.5 points behind defending champions UST’s 244 and UP’s 200 points.

It was a blistering reality for the Green Tankers to settle at the fourth spot as the team was actually eyeing for a second place finish prior to the competition. Their hopes came crashing down after two-time MVP Benjamin Uy and highest pointer Mickey Quilala weren’t allowed to play due to the UAAP residency rulings.

Since Uy and Quilala were really expected to contribute pre-cious points for De La Salle, the decision became detrimental to

the team as they lost their top gunners, especially for the 400m individual medley event. Besides lacking players, the poor recruit-ment also contributed to their paltry finish since the other compet-ing schools capitalized on their exceptional recruits.

Despite the tournament results, the Green Tankers still re-mained as proud. “We never gave up even though we were feeling so down. We stayed tough,” said Tanker Jetro Asis. “We knew we lack players, so all of us in the team needed to step up and really focus on team points,” JR Sia also added.

The Lady Tankers, on the other hand, experienced the same distress after falling far from their championship target. They suf-fered from the loss of key players Michelle Nisce and Ace Sapinoso, who were consistently reliable in chipping in a good number of team points. However, notable performances from sophomore LC Langit and rookie Tessa Alcantara, carried the Lady Tankers into a better niche.

LC Langit, a former UAAP MVP in UST High School, was confident as she bagged the silver in the 800m and 200m Free-style while bronzes were in hand in both the 400m Individual

Medley and Freestyle events. Before the season unveiled, Langit was expected to step up. True enough, Langit indeed showed big improvement from her performance last year.

Alongside Langit is rookie Tessa Alcantara, who unexpectedly showed her best times. A former Most Outstanding Swimmer awardee during her high school days, Alcantara captured the second place in the 50m Freestyle, and third place in the 200m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke, and 50m Butterfly events.

For the relay events, the Green Tankers finished as runner-ups for the 400m Freestyle while landing the third spot for the 200m and 400m Medley, and 200m Freestyle. For the women’s division, the Lady Tankers ranked second in the 200m Freestyle and finished third in the 400m and 800m Freestyle, and 400m Medley.

With the Green and Lady Tankers still possessing a somehow lineup next year, expect the Taft-based swimmers to gradually improve and bring the glory back to De La Salle in the seasons to come.

With reports from Rey Christian Sikat

All good things have come to an end. After dominating the UAAP chess scene for

six straight years, the De La Salle Green Wood-pushers finally bid goodbye to glory as they only wounded up in second place, thereby missing the chance to rewrite collegiate chess history.

With eventual champions UP leading by a half-point before the last round, the tension took its toll on the Woodpushers as they settled for a 2-2 draw against 3rd place finishers UST in the UE Briefing Room last September 24.

Since the UP Maroons disposed the Ateneo Eagles with a 3-1 score, the Green Woodpushers had to win all its boards against the UST tigers for them to grab their seventh title. Unfortu-nately, the 2-2 draw proved to be too costly as it signaled the defeat of the Green Woodpushers, while spelling victory for the UP Maroons. UP garnered a total of 39 points to end the season on a high note while the Green Woodpushers followed suit with 37.5 points. The UST Tigers, last year’s runner-ups, fell to the third spot.

The Taft-based squad missed the chance of tying the longest championship streak in UAAP History, which was the 1971’ UE Mens Basket-ball Teams’ feat of 7 straight championships.

Unlike their male counterparts who fell to a lower placing, the Lady Woodpushers managed to improve to one spot from last year’s finish to claim second place. UST topped the women’s di-vision while the Green and White squad together with the UP Lady Maroons both finished with 30.5 points. Since the Lady Woodpushers were able to beat the Lady Maroons in their previous meetings, it was Coach Randy Segarra’s troops who ended up as the runner-ups.

Jennifer Advincula took home the Board 4 Gold while fellow Negrense Eden Tumbos grabbed silver for Board 5. Rookie Angeli Di-makiling missed the ROY honor, but was award-ed Board 3 Silver in consolation. Team Captain Faith Dimakiling finished with a bronze in board 1, ending her rich UAAP career together with veterans Aileen Caños and Myrill Garcia.

“The team really did great despite the fact that we lost [the championship] to UST, but our matches were good enough as we played harder moving into the crucial rounds,” said Faith Di-makiling on her team’s overall performance.

The awarding ceremony was graced by Br. Ceci Hojilla FSC together with DLSU chess team managers George Barcelon and Gerry Achacoso.

Passion

GEOFFREY GAYARES

CAMILLE PINTO AND JULIUS

De La Salle cage official banned in UAAPIs admitting one’s own fault ever enough to justify one’s actions?

Assistant team manager Manny Salgado has already admitted his mistake; however, a lot of people still continue to judge him.

What really happened?A near skirmish broke out when Salgado hit

FEU stalwart Arwind Santos with a closed fist at the back of the head moments after the Green Archers lost to the Tamaraws in Game 1 of the UAAP men’s basketball finals, an act that was seen on national television.

Newspaper reports stated that Salgado was trying to pacify Joseph Yeo and Arwind Santos from trash talking. Santos then said slanderous remarks to Salgado which prompted the latter to hit Santos at the back of the head.

“Still, my act was not justifiable. It was uncalled for and I apologized for it,” Salgado shared.

The UAAP Board’s DecisionThe UAAP Board pulled an axe on unsports-

manlike behavior by banning Salgado for life from being present in all the events of the UAAP.

In a decision after an emergency meeting last Sept. 30, the Board statement declared that “after due deliberations… the UAAP Board of Trustees decided to perpetually ban Mr. Manny Salgado from personally watching all UAAP sports com-petitions in all venues thereof.” The decision was based on the recommendation of the technical committee, which was approved unanimously by the Board.

Salgado said that he will not appeal the lifetime ban sentenced to him. “I’ll leave it at that. I will face the consequences and I don’t need to react further,” Salgado said in a phone interview with The LaSallian.

De La Salle’s SideIn a separate statement signed by Br. Armin

Luistro FSC, President of the De La Salle Univer-sity (DLSU) System, Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, Executive Vice President of DLSU-Manila, and Br. Bobby Casingal FSC, Director of the Office

REUBEN TERRADO AND CARLOS REBULLIDA III

NIKKI ANN TUNGOL

Green Archers: Season in review Coming into this season, the Archers knew that they will have a gargantuan task of reaching the finals after explosive scorer Mark Cardona and bruiser Jerwin Gaco left the team, two of which were vital cogs in the past campaigns. The lack of height was evident as some players were forced to play out of their usual positions. Basketball experts somewhat were skeptic about the chances of this year’s bunch of Archers.

After a big opening day win against Ateneo de Manila, the Archers were upset by the UP Maroons and the UE Red Warriors in close fashion and ending the first round with an un-impressive 4-3 record.

A loss to the Tamaraws in the second round left observers and even some members of the De La Salle community wondering whether the Archers have what it takes to go back to the finals.

But like last year, the Archers peaked at the right time, putting together a string of victories in the second round. Their game against FEU in the second round was their solitary defeat in the

second round. And even with a “board room” decision to replay a won game against the Warri-ors, the Archers got even better as they beat UP, Adamson, Ateneo, and UE in a return match, by an average margin of nearly 19 points.

Thanks to the tournament format, the Arch-ers, ending the elimination in a three-way tie for second with a 10-4 slate, found their way marching into the Final Four with a twice-to-beat advantage because of a superior quotient to the Eagles and Warriors, tagged as the early favorites but both faltered in the end after having good starts to their campaign.

They went on to dominate the Eagles again, 74-57, in the Final Four setting up a finals rematch against the Tamaraws. “We’ve been dreaming for this (reaching the finals). It’s good to be back in the finals,” Pumaren noted in an earlier interview.

Pumaren tagged themselves as the under-dogs to the Tamaraws, who took command in the tournament with a 12-2 slate. Not surpris-ingly, the Tamaraws of rookie coach Bert Flores

used their height advantage, veteran leadership, and the desire for redemption from last year’s failure to cop the men’s basketball crown against the Archers. Santos, this season’s MVP, even skipped playing in the PBA just to have a crack at the championship trophy. Now, he has it.

The championship was FEU’s 18th UAAP men’s basketball crown, tying UE and UST for the most in league history.

Overachieved, as Pumaren depicted it, is what the Green Archers were this season. And even if this will mark the end of the collegiate careers of the veterans Yeo, Cabatu, and JR Aquino, Pumaren feels optimistic next season as Tang and Casio will be spearheading the team while highly-touted big man Marko Batricevic, the comebacking PJ Walsham, and other re-cruits are expected to play doubly hard for the Archers.

“We will be a bigger team next year. And with this experience, our young players tasted a bitter pill. It is going to be a good springboard for us next year, ” Pumaren concluded.

REUBEN EZRA TERRADO

Missed the ball. Despite the paddlers focus on the game, they missed out on the UAAP Table Tennis titles this

Green Tennisters start off strong in Milo Interschool TournamentThe Green Tennisters opened the Milo Interschool Tourna-ment last Oct. 8 and 9 at Mandaluyong Mental Hospital tennis court with compelling victories. The team was divided into two contending groups as they participate on the competition.

The Team B of the Green Tennisters opened the tour-nament with a two to one win against the University of the Philippines. The squad took the first advantage as Jandrick de Castro scored an 8-6 victory ov*er BJ Sison in the first singles match. Miguel Pantua failed to defeat OJ Sison, 3-8, at the other singles match. Luckily, Edu Diaz and Lawrence Magaway already sealed the win for the team, beating the duo of Gerald Remio and Junjie Guadayo with scores at 8-5 in the doubles match. The next day, the squad had it easy as they won by default against San Sebastian whose players were not able to make it to the game.

On the other hand, the Team A of the Green Ten-nisters kicked off the competition with a win as well. They outclassed the squad from College of St. Benilde, winning two of their three matches last Oct. 9. In the first singles game, JR Moreno gave the green squad a head start as he handily defeated JV Cruz with the final score at 8-3. The tandem of Yannick Guba and Nico de Dios secured the team’s win, finishing their doubles match at 8-2 against the pair of Johan Guba and JV Cruz. Unfortunately, the team was not able to sweep their three games against CSB as Pereme Alina suffered a 5-8 nonbearing loss to PV Cruz, in the last singles game.

Exciting matches await both DLSU squads, as they move on to the semifinals on Oct. 15. Team A will be fac-ing PUP, the number one seeded team, while Team B will be competing against UST, the second seeded squad.

PHOTO BY TIANEL ESPIRITU

PHOTO BY TIANEL ESPIRITU

PHOTO BY AMANDA

VALENZUELADE LA SALLE, SEE PAGE 11

CANDACE DAPHNE TING

13 October 2005 14 13 October 2005 15S P O R T S The LaSallian S P O R T S The LaSallian

On page 14

Lady Spikers snag three-peat

P assion plus determination plus hard work equals victory.

For the third consecutive season, the De La Salle Lady

Spikers continued their reign as queens of the volleyball court after they trounced the Adamson Lady Falcons in Game 2 of the UAAP volleyball finals via a four set win, 3-1, at the UPCHK Gym last Oct. 5.

After sweeping the Lady Falcons in Game 1, the Lady Spikers maintained their firepower to defeat the Adamson team in four sets, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16 and 25-21.

The Lady Falcons, who handed the defending champions their first loss during the first round of eliminations, displayed great defense all throughout the game. However, the green-and-white squad was just too much for them to handle. Adamson’s quartet of Kristine Dave, Rissa Laguilles, Jacqueline So, and Han-nah Suarez were not able to get past the explosive trio of two-time MVP Desiree Hernandez, Illa Santos and UAAP best setter Chie Saet. Rookie Michelle Datuin and three-time Best Libero Shermaine Peñano complete the powerhouse cast of the Lady Spikers.

De La Salle set the tempo early in the first set by capitalizing on their opponents’ errors, bringing the set at 10-3. Then again, the Lady Falcons managed to tie the game at 10-all, after DLSU committed several unforced errors of their own. The Taft-based squad aimed to grab the first set as they pushed the scores to 24-18 while a fault from Lady Falcon Dave sealed the first win in favor of the Lady Spikers.

The second set belonged to the Lady Falcons as they consistently sustained their lead over Coach Ramil Sta. Ana’s troops. Several errors from DLSU’s Carla Llaguno and Carissa Gotis allowed the Lady Falcons to pull away with a victory in the second set at 19-25.

With both teams tied one set win apiece, the third set became crucial as the winners will have a better chance of win-ning the set and the game. Led by Hern-andez and Santos, the Lady Spikers found the right moment to avenge themselves as they gained the upperhand. A running spike from Datuin finally closed the third set at 25-16.

It was a no-turning-back point for the Lady Spikers as there was only one set left to conclude the season and claim the pres-

tigious championship. On the other side, the Lady Falcons were as eager to tie the game and force a deciding fifth set.

With hunger for their first volleyball title ever, the Lady Falcons quickly took the lead, 19-18, courtesy of Kristine Dave’s hot passes. Coach De Jeses modified the DLSU lineup to adjust to the situation, substituting the offensive-minded Santos with tall defender Erika Tiamson.

Rookie Tiamson was enough to intimi-date Dave as her good blocks answered the latter’s hard spikes. After banking on the Lady Falcons’ faults and service errors, the Taft-based squad caught up with the young Adamson team. On the later part of the set, Santos was brought back to the game and smashed a hard spike, securing the championship with a final set score 25-21.

The green-and-white squad were faced with several problems upon entering this season’s tournament. They had to dwell on the departure of skippers and three-time MVP Maureen Penetrante and the inavailability of Clarissa Gotis for the first few matches. In addition, the Lady Spikers were also considered a young team as it possessed a rookie-laden lineup. Despite

Archers lose crown to FEU TamarawsThey dreamed to repeat. But in the end, they fell short to the feisty Tamaraws.

Having a daunting task of becoming back-to-back champions, the De La Salle Green Archers marched into the finals with the motivation of being crowned as kings of the hardcourt once again.

Unfortunately, their dream ended with a reality of failure as even the willpower of the Green Archers could not thwart a team blended with taller, heftier, more talented players whose battle cry all season long comes in just one word – payback – as the FEU Tamaraws swept their best-of-three championship series against De La Salle with a pulsating 73-71 win in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals series last Oct. 6 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tamaraws struggled to win it all but the Archers were poised to extend the series as Joseph Yeo sliced the lane and scored a lay-up against the outstretch arms of Arwind Santos and Mark Isip to take command, 71-67, with 1:22 ticks remaining. But FEU refused to give up as they appeared to be the hungrier and better team in the end.

Rookie Jonas Villanuva scored on an uncontested lay-up with 1:07 left. Then, the Tamaraws showed might on defense on the other end as the Archers could only come up with a jump shot by Cholo Vil-lanueva which missed the mark. In the ensuing play, the veteran Isip, who finished with 12 points, scored the go-ahead basket on a timely pick-and-roll from (Jonas) Villanueva that drew a foul for a three-point play which he converted, 72-71, with 33.2 seconds remaining.

The Taft-based cagers tried to take away the lead again but TY Tang missed a short jumper. FEU’s Villanueva corralled the loose ball and was fouled. With six seconds to go, Villanueva split his charities, giving the FEU team a two-point advantage, 73-71. The Archers’ last opportunity backfired as Jun-Jun Cabatu’s triple in the left corner missed completely.

Ryan Araña led the game with 20 points including 11 rebounds, while Yeo and Cabatu tied with 13 markers for the Archers, who were limited to just six points in the final quarter. Santos led the Tamaraws with 14 points.

Even with the loss, Coach Franz Pumaren said that this year’s finish is still an achievement to the team mainly composed of a young and small line-up. “Even with this loss, I should say I’m still proud of my

What's inside

Woodpushers: Bridesmaids in Season 68

Tankers: A notch down

DLSU golfers sweep 5th Samsung tilt After settling as runners-up for four years, the Green and Lady Golfers finally got its taste of glory for both the boys’ and girls’ college divisions in the 5th Samsung Interscholastic Golf Championships at the Valley Golf and Country Club- Executive Course in Antipolo last Sept.27-29.

The Green Golfers-Team A dis-played their winning form as William Hong and Charles Hong submitted a combined 111 points while Oliver Gan carded 56 to end the second day of the event with 167 points. This was nine points higher as compared to their scorecard during the open-ing day. On the final day, the team exploded with a score of 168 to em-brace victory with an aggregate of 491 points, 47 marks ahead of defending champion Ateneo.

Aside from fulfilling their promise to give the golf championship to DLSU since a lot of them will be graduating this term, they also broke the record of Samsung Inter-scholastic since no other team has yet scored an under-par total in a

three-day event. The Team A roster also included Jason Barcelon, Marlo Capinianes, and Nico Lanuza. Team B, consisting of Jared

Samson, Borgy Torre, Jorge Paez, and Marvin Pizarro followed suit at third place with a total of 252 points.

On the distaff, the Lady Golf-ers topped the combined girls’ college and high school division as they marched off with a total of 172 points, only seven points away from 1st runner-up St. Paul-Pasig. The team was composed of Geleen Handog, Kim Hong, Aina Garcia, and Lilet de Villa.

The Golfers’ dominance also loomed in the individual awards as Charles Hong, William Hong, and Oliver Gan seized the top three slots in the boys’ college di-

vision, respectively. Hong, a freshman from Sacred Heart School, Cebu won the individual honors for the college division, scoring an aggregate of 158 points, thereby edging his brother William by 5 shots.

DLSU Paddlersstruggle in UAAP wars

On page 15

On page 14

On page 14

JHOANNA KAY LEAL AND NIKKI ANN MARIA TUNGOL

REUBEN EZRA TERRADO

NIKKI ANN TUNGOL & IVAN GEOFFREY GAYARES

Frustation. Despite pushing the FEU Tams to the edge, the Green Archers failed to pull through in their quest to becoming back-to-back champions.

Breakthrough. Golfers are finally champions after years of runner up finishes. PHOTO COURTESY OF DLSU GOLF TEAM

PHOTO BY JERRY ACHACOSO

PHOTO BY ERIC SIY

LADY SPIKERS, SEE PAGE 11 ARCHERS LOSE, SEE PAGE 11

DLSU GOLFERS, SEE PAGE 11

SPORTSThe LaSallian

VOL. XLVI NO. 5 • THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY • 13 OCTOBER 2005