Lasallian tops physician exams ANGELINE MONICA ARCENAS

MEE chair grabs Metrobank award Dr. Manuel Belino, Chairman of Me-chanical Engineering Department, received the prestigious Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Award together with another professor from University of the Philippines (UP) - Manila besting other nominees nationwide in the higher education category.

BY AILEEN KRISTEL CHAM

MEE CHAIR, SEE PAGE 3

STUDENT HANDBOOK, SEE PAGE 3

SC, DO resolve Grievance Booth issue

FRANCESCA STA. ANADiplomatic discussions resolved the misunder-standings that surfaced between the Student Council (SC) and the Discipline Office (DO), when the Legislative Assembly’s (LA) Stu-dents Rights and Welfare (StRAW) Committee launched an activity entitled, DO Grievance Booth: We want to know the real deal last July.

The root of the problemThe booth was set up from July 26 to 28 along

SJ Walk, and at the Gokongwei Lobby last July 29. In line with upholding students’ rights, the booth was established for Lasallians who may have encountered problems with the DO.

Problems, which could range from denial of student’s rights, to hassles or difficulties that might have been caused by the office could be aired through the said booth. One of the booth’s objectives was to collect first-hand student testi-monies about the aforementioned problems with the DO. The SC will then compile and check the validity of these complaints, while at the same time maintain their confidentiality.

While complaints were coming in from the students, the DO also raised its objections on the booth. They may have seen the Grievance Booth as a way to put down the image of the office.

Problems and solutionsA concerned member of the DLSU com-

munity observed that the DO Grievance Booth seemingly projected the DO as above all a student apprehender. It was emphasized that DO enforces rules and regulations and helps maintain order in campus which are mainly for the students. These observations were addressed by LA Rep-resentative Madel Balane after meeting with the individual who aired out his concerns.

Moreover, Discipline Office Director Atty. Hilario Caraan filed a formal protest against the SC who “knowingly, willfully, and maliciously established the ‘DO Greivance Booth’ last Aug. 1.” In the said protest, Caraan expressed his indignations, and further stated that it was “un-fortunate that the DO’s sincere efforts to reach out to the students… are being deliberately destroyed.” Attached was a document which supposedly contained “baseless, unfounded, and worst, concocted” assertions against the DO and Student Discipline Board (SDB).

To resolve this, SC President Army Padilla and Balane met with Atty. Caraan to settle the issue.

In the said meeting, the SC took into con-sideration the criticisms against the committee. The SC explained that they did not aim to stain the image of the DO. Quite the contrary, as ac-cording to Balane they “merely wanted to help the DO by providing a venue for compiling first hand testimonies of problems that students may have encountered with the DO, if there are any.” Moreover, the Legislative Assembly will use the accounts gathered by the booth as “an aid in the on-going Student Handbook revisions.” The

For the first time in history, a Lasallian has shown supremacy in the Physician Licensure Examination. Besting 2,863 other examinees, Dr. Jonah Lomibao Amora of De La Salle Health Sciences Campus (DLS-HSC), topped the said examination given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila and Cebu last August 2005.

With an average of 85.17, Amora was followed by Geral-dine Zamora, a University of the Philippines (UP) valedictori-an who obtained 84.83. Prior to his feat, Amora recalled

that the highest rank obtained by a DLSU graduate was that of third.

The Makati Hope Chris-tian High School valedictorian graduated with an Honorable

Mention in BS Human Biology in June 2001 at

DLSU-Manila. Human Biol-ogy allows qualified students to finish medicine in only six

years, instead of the normal eight years. While the first

two years focus on in-tensive pre-medicine

courses, the third

year simultaneously serves as the first year of medicine proper. Amora furthered in a telephone interview that Human Biol-ogy offered subjects such as Histology and Biochemistry that are also taken up in medical school. The topnotcher sees this as an advantage, making graduates of the course adequately prepared for medicine.

Although he did not expect to top the test admitting that he found the test tough, three months of self-review proved beneficial for Amora. Amora had already reaped several honors in medicine before. With a group of other HSC students, he placed second both in the Medical Quiz Show and Brainstorm Inter-Medical Quiz Bee in September 2001 and March 2003, respectively. The “boy wonder” was the salutatorian of a roughly 200-strong batch.

After taking some time off, Amora plans to spend his residency in either the De La Salle University Medical Center or the Philippine General Hospital.

In a phone interview, Amora mentioned that he intended to specialize in internal medicine. While he plans to undergo further training abroad, the board topnotcher plans to practice in the Philippines.

Christian Achievers, Forgotten Country?Although Amora sheds a ray of light on the local medi-

cal landscape, he is sadly an exception and not the rule. In

I am greatly sorry - Baluyut“Having realized the magnitude and impact of all these incidents that our students have experienced, I would like to ask from them and from the school my deepest apology...I wish to say 'I am greatly sorry' from the bottom of my heart." This was the gist of the letter Enrico Baluyut wrote to Atty. Emmanuel Sales, the chairman of the ad hoc subcommittee. It may be recalled that the former faculty member of the Accountancy Depart-ment was charged with sexual harassment by 10 male students last Aug 1. The said letter dated Aug. 8 was publicly notarized in Makati City.

The student victims claimed that they were "harassed" by Baluyut in rest rooms and isolated places with his familiar phrase, "Can I hug you as a friend?" A professor for almost eight years, Baluyut explained that in all the incidents wherein he approached the students, he had never meant to “inflict any harm to them.” He only wanted to make friends with the students, but considering his “highly sociable” personality, Bal-uyut admitted he “may have probably stepped on the line between what is proper and improper.”

The subcommitee formed under the Committee on Decorum and Investigation found Baluyut guilty of the sexual harassment charge. The former faculty member’s case was rather quickly settled, partly because of his admission of guilt according to Vice President for Academics and Research (VPAR) Dr. Julius Maridable. The VPAR furthered that Baluyut was terminated; this meant that he could no longer teach in DLSU-Manila and other DLSU System schools.

Baluyut emotionally closed in his letter, “...I pray hard to the Lord that this most tragic chapter in my life will soon be over.”

Although Baluyut had already been expelled, he was charged as a faculty member and not as a student with Master of Education in Math-ematics. Baluyut’s case as a student is currently pending in the Student Discipline Board.

Will the SC make the cut? The great debate on the Student Handbook

– the student version of the Constitution – has already begun. In view of ongoing deliberations by the

multi-sectoral Student Handbook Revisions Com-mittee (SHRC), the Legislative Assembly (LA), the Student Council’s (SC) highest policy making body, is in the process of finalizing its intended revisions for the 2007-2010 edition. The Handbook expects students to "conduct themselves as to mantain discipline, uphold the good order of the school, and preserve the fair name of the University."

Among the provisions targeted for reform are those regarding the dress code, attendance poli-cies, and awarding of honors. The SHRC began talks before the start of the second term of this academic year. SC President Army Padilla, VP for Academics Oliver To, and Council of Student Organizations President Goldilyn Uy will haggle for the targeted changes before the Dean of Stu-dent Affairs Dr. Carmelita Pabiton and Director of the Discipline Office (DO) Atty. Hilario Caraan

among others. Will the SC's intended changes survive the

grilling at the committee?

Fashion emancipation and moreThe abolition of the dress code - via the re-

moval of the reference to the DO in Section 4.1 - is arguably the most noticeable change proposed by the LA in the SH Social Norms section.

If the SC will further have its way, eating and drinking in classrooms will be optional and any member of the academic community can use the chalk and blackboard if “permitted by an authority.”

Students will be allowed to submit the same original work or assignments to various courses as “it is [students’] discretion if [they] want to sub-mit it [the assignment] to different professors,” said BnE 2007 LA representative Madel Balane.

The word “Christian” was substituted with the terms “individual” and “Lasallian” in referring to the studentry. This was done to “recognize students here [in DLSU] who are not Christian,”

according to Balane. A greater emphasis on stu-dent rights and obligations, stricter discrimination provisions, and the removal of vague discipline stipulations (e.g. the infamous “Any unbecoming behavior” clause on 4.12), in addition, mark the LA’s overhauled Section 4.

Even greater changes are being forwarded by the SC with regard to attendance (Section 6). In the LA’s proposals, sanctions related to tardiness and absences will be done away with altogether. In the succeeding section on examinations, profes-sors will be required to announce midterm and long examination dates at least a week before. They will also be asked to give special tests for absences due to sickness, conflicting schedules, and representation of the University in official contests or functions.

Students, in the LA’s revised Section 6, will have the right to inquire about their class stand-ing anytime within the term. Blank grades due to failure to take final examinations, will in turn be converted to a grade point equivalent not neces-

PAULO JOSE MUTUC

"Adventurous" Handbook changes sought

LASALLIAN TOPS, SEE PAGE 2

DONELLE GAN

PHOTO BY JOSEF LIMCraftsmanship. Like this Cebuana crafter, student leaders are expected to meticulously cut superficial rules in the Handbook.

SC, DO, SEE PAGE 2

JonahAmora.

LaSallianTheVOL. XLVI NO. 4 • THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY • 15 SEPTEMBER 2005

RAYMUND CHRISTOPHER CUESICO

AILEEN KRISTEL CHAM

PHOTO COURTESY OF FIRA.NET

Owen Park, a South Korean exchange student hail-ing from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), with Dr. Elmer Dadios of the Manufacturing Engineering and Management (MEM) Department, is conducting research on a new form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of micro robot soccer.

Soccer-playing robots incorporate the latest in electronic hardware and artificial intelligence soft-ware. These tiny machines have been in existence since 1995 with Korea and Japan pioneering their latest advancements. This field of research is used as a medium to foster technological advancements by having opposing robotic teams play in an actual soccer game. These robots can pass the ball, block, shoot and even set coordinated plays just like real players, though in a limited way.

It may be recalled that Professor Jong Hwan Kim of KAIST delivered a talk during the second HNICEM hosted by De La Salle University Manila last school year. HNICEM stands for International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Infor-mation Technology, Communication and Control, Environment, and Management. Dr. Kim is ac-knowledged as an expert in the field of robotics.

Park explained the two ways by which robotic soccer works. One way is to have a central computer

control each independent robot’s movement using machine vision or pattern recognition with a camera. The other more complex way is equipping each ro-bot with an independent brain that communicates with other team members.

Park’s innovation in this field is the introduction of a machine referee. In previous occasions, a human referee is required in order to call fouls, take note of the score and implement the standard rules of the game. Park is devising a way for computers to recognize and judge actual situations through the use of fuzzy logic.

Computers think in terms of ones and zeroes, yes and no, without any gray area. Fuzzy logic as a form of AI enables computers to address ambiguous situations with numerical equivalents of “maybe.” In other words, a computer could be programmed to understand, say, very far, slightly far, slightly near, and very near.

Dr. Dadios teaches artificial intelligence and robotics to MEM undergraduates, among other teaching engagements.

Through a lot of research and experimentation, Park has almost finished his study. He estimates that he will complete his work by January and hopes to test it in actual competition.

SoKor student conducts soccer robot research

Technosport. Robots battle it out like humans in the soccer robot field.

Every three years, the Student Handbook (SH) undergoes a facelift. Like amend-ing the Constitution through a conven-

tion, representatives from different sectors through the Student Handbook Revisions Committee (SHRC) go through discussions to pinpoint portions of the handbook that they deem necessary to revise or overhaul.

The SHRC is a venue of “lively” discus-sion where the outcome of the arguments determine the future of the students for the next three years.

Philosophically, the main purpose of University rules is to develop the personal and social dimension of students. Part of this is to rectify any wrongdoings of a student through the offenses listed in the handbook. But Oliver To, VP for Academics and Research of Student Council (SC), said that there are still ambiguous portions in the handbook that may be “abused” by the interpreter.

Ambiguous policiesThe greatest challenge for the SC is to

pursue the removal of vague discipline stipula-tions, such as the one written in Section 4.12 stating, “student exhibiting unbecoming behavior automatically brings about an in-quiry by the Director of Discipline.” This is conspicuously mirrored in Section 13.3.2.1, which slaps a student a minor offense for “behavior of unbecoming of a young Chris-tian adult.” The SC calls provisions as “catch all” rules.

Nowhere in the SH is unbecoming behavior ever defined, hence other “viola-tions” may be lumped together under this generic provision. However, the Discipline Office considers sleeping in class, writing in blackboard that is not related to academics, as grounds for unbecoming behavior. In 2002, the SC’s proposal to remove this portion failed to materialize.

For the SC, such “are superficial rules

that infringe on the rights of students” and the council will still lobby this to the SHRC.

It may also be observed in certain parts of the handbook that references are made either to the SC or the Discipline Office (DO). For instance, a student has to refer to the said offices to see a list of inappropriate attire or actions classified as Public Display of Intimacy (PDPI).

Though the handbook was revised in 2002, the SC and DO have the chance to change the rules on dress code and PDPI. In fact, the policy on slippers was just introduced last June 2004 that became one of the debat-able provisions. Just this school year, the SC compromised with the DO with regard to the “inappropriate” slippers.

By the bookDuring the last time the SC discussed

handbook revision, some of the resolutions decided by the Legislative Assembly (LA) then mirror some of the resolutions filed now. For instance, the attendance policy was targeted to be removed by the Student Council (Resolu-tion # 2002 - 16) but seemingly, their efforts were in vain.

A significant fraction of revisions, past and present, to the SH concerns word play. This involves addition or removal of a word or phrases. Basing from Resolution # 2002 - 18, the LA decided to add the word “violent” to the beginning of section 13.3.1.19, which reads “acts of subversion or insurgency.” An-other instance is the addition of the phrase “an object, which is primarily used as a deadly weapon” to further describe a deadly weapon. The present handbook does not contain these two modifications.

The inclusion of Student Charter in the handbook was also an achievement for the SC for the charter specified the rights of students in the campus such as academic rights, right to organize, and right to due process during

disciplinary proceedings.

What to expect nowCurrently, the LA is drafting revisions

on University offenses, the most crucial part of Handbook revisions. One of the primary concerns is the forms of cheating (Section 13.3.1.1). Based on the Student Handbook, cheating includes unauthorized possession of notes during exams, copying or allowing another to copy from one’s exams, commu-nication of students during examination or test without permission of teacher or proctor, and plagiarism.

Such conditions maybe interpreted as only “suspicion” on cheating. The professor’s discretion on offense is also a subjective view. Professors also file cheating when they notice the similarities of student’s answers during ex-aminiations, especially if the type of question. In fact, this happened in a laboratory exams three years ago though this was immediately resolved through a settlement.

To said that cheating must only qualify if it is “deliberately done” or caught-in-the-act; thus including this in this school year’s handbook revision.

An offense on what is known as proselyt-izing (Section 13.3.2.8) is also another policy that some SC officers wanted to remove. It is defined as “an attempt to convert another to one’s faith by attacking or denigrating other person’s practices and beliefs, or by offering special inducement.”

Yet, the minor offense may affect Born Again Christians, who are enthusiastically driven to share their faith that is fundamentally based on the Bible. The instances categorized as proselytizing could be considered as limita-tion of religious and possibly even academic freedom in the University.

The SC is currently working on other portions of SHB, which they deemed neces-sary to revise.

Vague discipline stipulations In Review

PAUL DARWYNN GARILAO

Is DLSU ready for AUN accreditation? If things go well for De La Salle University (DLSU), the university may soon be at par with the best universities of the ASEAN University Network (AUN). AUN is a network of the two best universities of each ASEAN member country.

DLSU is the only private institution among AUN members. Although AUN membership is given only to public universities, “they cannot disregard that La Salle is the best university in the country so they got La Salle as a member of AUN together with University of the Philippines,” stressed Dr. Julius Maridable, VP for Academics and Research.

As a member of the network, it is expected that DL-SU’s educational standard is as that of other members. To this effect, the AUN will implement the accreditation for the first time.

If the university will be accredited, DLSU will be acquiring long-term benefits that could help the students tremendously. One of the benefits involved is credit transfer, wherein the subject a student has taken up in DLSU will be credited in other AUN members.

The university is hoping to work on the accredita-tion immediately and will be starting this month on the preparation process where the visit is expected to come early next year. “This is a major accomplishment of the university to be accredited under the ASEAN,” emphasized Maridable.

April 2004, another medical topnotcher, Dr. Emil Reyes Jacinto, took a beating when he decided to become a nurse abroad instead of pursuing his medical career in the Philippines.

According to bulatlat.com, statistics show that 5,000 to 8000 nurses leave the Philippines on an annual basis. Pursuing more lucrative jobs abroad, around 2,000 are former doctors. Considering that rate of immigration and the current doctor-to-population ratio – a measly 1 to 26000 – the situation has long been a cause for concern.

One doctor should theoretically be able to attend to 6000 citizens. Unfortunately, medical schools produce only an average of 1000 doctors a year. With several med-ical schools closing over the past five years, this output cannot adequately accommodate the needs of Filipinos. Considering the state of the Philippine economy and the sheer practicality of taking up nursing and other ‘care-giver’ courses, it may be understood why the number of medicine students is declining rapidly.

The exodus of physicians heightens the danger of health crises in the immediate future. A UP research study confirms that various hospitals in Mindanao and Isabela have no doctors. “Because of the exodus of doc-tors from the Philippines, ‘yung mga naiiwang doctor dito sa Pilipinas ay hindi na ganoon kaqualified,” (the doctors who are left in the Philippines are not that quali-fied) Amora noted. The minority who are considerably competent yet do not migrate choose to practice in large, urban and highly-populated areas, as this ensures a steadier flow of income. As a result, rural regions usually become the victims of the maldistribution of doctors.

Out of the 2,864 examinees, 1,471 or 51.36 percent passed the medical board exams. The number that refuse to become what various opinion writers call ‘sell-outs’ remains to be seen.

sarily equivalent to 0.0 (Section 8.12).With flying colors

The most radical modifications may, however, lie in the SC’s planned restructur-ing of the criteria for honors. Through the LA’s omission of Section 10.5.4, students with failures are given the chance to graduate with honors.

The rationale behind this move is a study conducted by To which showed that students with failures are less likely anyway to graduate with honors. To’s inquiry also revealed that many prominent foreign universities, such as Harvard University, largely base the awarding of honors only on students’ cumulative grade point averages. Only academic offenses are to prevent students from garnering graduation awards, according to the LA’s revisions.

On trimestral honors, students not found guilty of cheating or academic dishonesty within the term regardless of previous terms can be a Dean’s Lister.

The SC also plans to tighten the leash on cheating. According to To, the SC will contest that a student can only be filed a cheating case when it is done deliberately or caught-in-the-act. Presently, a student may be slapped with cheating even when there is just a suspicion. In addition, a student who has committed cheating must be caught by the professor for the case to hold ground.

Aside from these adjustments, Balane reported that the Legislative Assembly is looking into deducting from the list of offenses in Section 13. Once the LA is finished in coming up with proposed amendments, their work will be turned over to the SC delegates in the SHRC.

Belino received a gold medallion from embattled President Gloria Macapagal Ar-royo last Aug. 30 in the Malacañang Palace, and was awarded a trophy coupled with a cash prize of PhP 200,000 last September 2 by Vice President Noli de Castro at the Metrobank Plaza in Makati. 25,000 of the said cash prize will go to the University for faculty development.

Dr. Belino was nominated by DLSU System President Br. Armin Luistro to represent the University. The Harvard University doctoral graduate advanced to be among the eight semifinalists in the prestigious search.

Criteria for judging included personal qualities and character, instructional com-petence and teaching effectiveness, and professional and community involvement. The Preliminary Board of Judges (PBJ) determined the semifinalists through documents sent by nominees detailing their accomplishments in the last 10 years. Education ex-perts from Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepED) reviewed the documents.

Qualified nominees were interviewed and asked to perform a teaching demon-stration to determine teaching effectiveness. The evaluators acted as students in the demo and even tried to test their patience to assess their knowledge in class. “In the interview, these people ask you questions that’s hardly dealing with your expertise,” the awardee added.

Professors from Ateneo de Manila, DLSU, UP-Manila, and UP-Visayas emerged as finalists. The final judging is an interview conducted by another panel of judges composed of representatives from the political, juridical, academic, and media sectors. In the end, it was Dr. Belino and the UP-Manila professor who took the coveted award.

“The ‘ideal teacher for me is someone who plays the multi-faceted role of a mentor as exemplified by Telemachis in Homer’s Odysey. The mentor is described as: teacher. Counselor, advisor, surrogate father and friend,” Dr. Belino shared.

FROM PAGE 1, STUDENT HANDBOOK

FROM PAGE 1, MEE CHAIR

FROM PAGE 1, LASALLIAN TOPS

After being awarded Level III status, the College of En-gineering (COE) will face reaccreditation this October by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Col-leges and Universities (PAASCU). Level III is the highest accreditation level that a program can attain, while Level IV is given only to institutions.

Six courses of COE will be reaccredited: Electronics and Communication, Chemical, Civil, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering. Manufacturing Engineering and Management will be accredited for the first time. Dr. Julius Maridable, VP for Academics and Research (VPAR) and former COE dean, said the college was prepared since July but PAASCU delayed its visit letting new dean Dr. Pag-asa Gaspillo warm her seat first.

About PAASCU PAASCU is a private, voluntary, non-profit, and

non-stock corporation officially recognized as an accrediting agency by the Department of Education (DepEd). It evaluates educational quality to uplift the standard of local education via self-evalu-ation and judgment by academic peers.

Institutions or pro-grams are accredited if ac-cepted standards of qual-ity or excellence are met. “The good thing about the PAASCU is that you are forced to evaluate yourself,” stressed Den-nis Beng Hui, Industrial Engineering Department Chair.

Short on cash yet prepared?The VPAR said that COE administrators studied what

the college had done after the last accreditation, applied recommended practices, and followed suggestions to improve the college. However, he admitted lack of funds, seen most evidently in acquiring equipment.

In spite of being financially shorthanded, COE has been acquiring equipment it needs to educate students efficiently. Mechanical Engineering (MEE) department shared that whether or not there is reaccreditation, they have new state-of-the-art equipment for demonstration purposes.

Moreover, two million-peso Spanish lathe machines are already in the Machine Shop replacing some older machines. MEE Chair Dr. Belino stated that the plan is to replace the 3-decade-old machines, two per year. The said machines are so expensive; while it is still serviceable, it is still used. But persistent servicing inevitably prejudices safety. “[Kahit] magagagamit pa pero kung hindi na [ligtas] sa gumagamit dapat palitan na natin kasi sobrang luma na,” (The machines may still be usable, but they have to be replaced since old machines make for unsafe use) Dr. Maridable explained.

According to The LaSallian article, Are we world class?, Dr. Ma Yong Sheng stated that in National Univer-sity of Singapore (NUS), equipment is replaced every five years. In a related article about ASEAN University Net-work Accreditation (see related article on page 2), NUS is also part of the network. Dr. Maridable conceded that tui-tion alone can never pay for equipment acquisition unless

students agree to a very high tuition fee increase. How-ever, sharing of lab budget among de-partments helps to acquire expensive equipment.

One source of funding for the COE is through the research ef-forts of faculty. F o r i n s t a n c e , equipments of Sci-ence and Tech-nology Research Center came from externally funded research projects. “The faculty at

DLSU have come into a level that they can ask for support from external funding agencies,” declared Maridable.

The real dealDr. Maridable has high hopes for COE. Despite

COE’s distinct limitations, the college has displayed crea-tivity in getting to where it is now, an esteemed position in the local engineering landscape.

The LaSallian, for Are we world-class?, conducted a survey asking Lasallians to assess the “world-classness” of DLSU. Interestingly, majority of negative answers came from COE.

COE to face reaccreditationAILEEN KRISTEL CHAM

Proper tune up. The COE's residence, Velasco Hall gears up. PHOTO BY TIANEL ESPIRITU

O il prices are not the only figures shooting up; legal cases in DLSU do too.

A Staggering IncreaseBaylon Bañez, president of DLSU Employees’ Association

(DLSU-EA), explained that during Br. Rolando Dizon’s time as president of DLSU, only 10 labor cases were filed against DLSU. The EA president attributes the low number to the effective griev-ance procedure the school implemented.

Under Br. Rolly’s leadership, the Administration and EA suc-cessfully devised a procedure to prevent the filing of labor and criminal cases outside DLSU’s walls. The cases included unfair labor practice, illegal suspension and harassment.

Bañez revealed that the EA was given representation in the Discipline Board and “free will to exercise our (EA) prerogative to ap-point the official and authorized representa-tive of the union to that particular board.”

Since then, cases have dou-bled. According to Dr. Car-melita Quebengco, DLSU-EVP, “From 1996 to the present time, the University was sued and is facing around 22 labor cases that are pending before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the National Labor Relations Commission, the National Conciliation Mediation Board, and various Labor Arbiters.”

On the contrary, Bañez claimed that the EA has already filed 28 cases against DLSU as of September 2005.

Cause behind the swellingBeing EA President for more than a decade, Bañez observed

that as the new administration came in, the grievance board was changed and led to increased cases.

“They (Administration) created a Discipline Board, which hears the discipline cases of employees, without the representation of the union,” the EA president related, furthering that it was cre-ated in the guise of “exercise of management prerogative.”

The EA perceives this as beyond the bounds of the law and the

Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The CBA is a document that defines the relation between DSLU and the Employees with regard to employment regulations.

Bañez maintains that the Administration, under the new system, has abused its exercise of management prerogative. After the Administration suspended normal relations with the EA, it unilaterally changed the procedure, claimed the EA president. As a result, the EA no longer had the opportunity to participate in the modification of discipline boards. “They went as far as exercising their management prerogative by authorizing themselves to ap-point the representative of the employee to that Discipline Board. So they went out to the extent of exercising their prerogative,

and at the same time exercising the prerogative of the union,” Bañez lamented.

On the other hand, Dr. Quebengco reasoned that the increase in cases is beyond their control, explaining that “whether a case will be filed or not depends on the com-plainant and not the university as a respondent.”

Legal wages from tuition fees?The school spends about two million pesos a year on

legal cases, Dr. Quebengco revealed. The money spent for legal fees, the EVP asserted, are taken out of DLSU’s contin-gency fund, which is part of the University annual budget.

Dr. Quebengco admitted that the student's tuition is used to pay for a significant portion of legal expenses. “Tui-

tion, other school fees, plus other revenues are the sources of our annual budget, and part of that is the contingency fund, from which court case expenses are paid,” she explained.

The LaSallian obtained a document from Branch and Met-ropolitan Court , detailing that the University had spent PhP 800,000 in a theft case involving a former female employee. The employee was accused of 13 counts of theft worth PhP 18,000. The employee was acquited on 11 counts and finally faced PhP 3,000 theft case.

In another case based on court transcript dated Sept. 3,2003, ACRA law charged "us (Administration) on hourly basis, attorney's fees, and all out pocket expenses shall be charged with Dela Salle University." Another supporting document stated, "This is offered in connection with Criminal Case Nos. 280700-12 to prove that ACCRALAW has so far billed DLSU for legal services rendered in the criminal case against the accused in the total amount of PhP807,591.00."

Harmonious Coexistence?Bañez believes that the cases are not beyond settlement.

Through an effective grievance machinery and constant dialogue, a better relationship between the DLSU administration and DLSU-EA could be fostered.

“It’s simple—let the grievance machinery work. Re-establish the old Discipline Board to hear cases. If they (Admin) have already taken action, they should not repeat it again so as not to exacer-bate the situation. We have to sit down and we have to follow the procedure,” the EA president said.

Dr. Quebengco, on the Administration's part, believes that in the end, harmonious relationship between the administration and the Employees’ association is not beyond the realm of pos-sibility.

The EVP remains optimistic about the resolution of all case, concluding, “If all of us have the same frame of mind and attitude, a labor dispute or even a student’s grievance can always be resolved justly, and its resolution should settle the dispute or grievance peacefully and quickly.”

A legal dilemma brewsROYCE ROBERT ZUÑIGA

What can two million pesos do?As stated by Dr. Quebengco, the University annually spends approximately two million pesos to pay for legal cases filed by the DLSU-EA. This is an indication that students are also af-fected on Admin-EA diputes through the years.

Assuming a student population of 10,000, two million pesos means every student shells out 200 per year in payment to the ACCRA (Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz) and the LGCM offices, the law offices DLSU avail.

2M pesos is enough:1). To waive the ID fees of 3,752 incoming freshmen (PhP 533 per freshman).2). To give 667 students 1 month free board and lodging at the Lasallian Center (3,000 per student per month).3). To waive 471 students’ miscellaneous fess for one term (4242 per student).4). To purchase 50 computer sets (PhP40,000 pesos per set).5). To pay the tuition fees of four students for their entire stay in DLSU (assuming tuition of PhP40,000 per term and 4 year courses).

SC’s intentions were then made clear, and the issue was resolved.

SC President Army Padilla also disclosed that prior to their meeting to address Atty. Caraan’s formal protest,

concerned SC officers also met with the DO for the purpose of clarifying guidelines on slippers inside campus. She furthered that the SC and DO “try to maintain a dip-lomatic and a collaborative relationship in order for both offices to fulfill their roles in better serving the students.”

FROM PAGE 1, SC, DO

FROM PAGE 2, SC, DO

SEE SC, DO, PAGE 3

15 September 2005 2 15 September 2005 3U NIVERSITY The LaSallianU NIVERSITY The LaSallian

Paul Darwynn Garilao Luis Emmanuel De Vera

Donelle Gan Juan Carlos Chavez Earlene Clarissa Ching Jan Michael Jaudian Eric Siy Alejandro Almendras IV Kristel Kaye Chua

EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR UNIVERSITY EDITOR MENAGERIE EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR ART & GRAPHICS EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

CIRCULATION MANAGER

OFFICE MANAGER

15 SEPTEMBER 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, Felice Ann Cariaso, Aileen Kristel Cham, Ross Vergel Delantar, Kristel Gayle Guzman, Arvin Alcanar Jo, Michelline Kuon, Paulo Jose Mutuc, Royce Robert Zuñiga

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

SPORTS Evelyn Chua, 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, 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

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.

Fiction ideologythe impeachment complaint? It is time to start the great debate on which came first, the egg or the chicken. What is the root of the problem as our politicians see it?

As DLSU is but a microcosm of the real world, maybe DLSU is exempted? DLSU is small, can’t we all be friends, someone once quipped. On a person-to-person basis, correct. But on a large scale, this is what I see as an easy way out, the superficial harmony that lulls everyone into a false sense of security. Maybe this is what ecumenism has led us to thinking.

To me, it’s an enigma why people tend to connect loving DLSU with “praising” DLSU. To some extent, this is the same as telling an ugly child that he/she is the prettiest/handsomest kid in the world. Or the Backstreet Boys' “As Long as You Love Me” chorus.

The question I rather ask myself is, “is there any difference between love and tolerance?” Because seeing differences and taking action only to avoid clashes of principle, i.e. reach a common ground, is not the same as seeing differences and taking action to resolve the differences though it’s not the most pleasant option.

The operative idea may be akin to a saying I read once. It says that people take praise by the bucket yet receive criticism by the grain.

That is why the issues are laid flat out for the DLSU community to see.

People should find the banksia a fascinating plant. Unlike normal plants that die upon contact with fire, banksias need fire before its seeds crack and grow. I can see that institutions like our government need to be more like the banksia.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the institution of The LaSallian is perfect. If this was the requirement, then not even God’s prophets can pass analyses on DLSU’s situations.

There may be another installation on this topic soon.

* * *Following DLSU's stand, let's take

to the streets. I would sure want to meet the "concerned" Atenean again. Impressive.Happy thoughts?

"When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." - Proverbs 21:15

Guards and IDs Advocacy Revising De La SalleEDITORIAL

Grievance is not a matter of faultfinding but a manner of truth seeking.

One of the strong grounds of democracy in the University

is the right of sectors to air their grievances and report these to the proper authorities.

Students may file complaints when they have academic concerns against their professors; the faculty may charge students, who would violate any rules prescribed in the Student Handbook; or the employees may indict their employers for unfair labor practices.

From these general instances, one would conclude that there is no “one-size-fits-all” formula to resolve disputes in the University, because such parties involved have different frames of mind and relative “truths” to address. They represent the interests and sentiments of their sectors, especially if the aggrieved party is affected in the issue.

The past term witnessed disparities in the University. The most celebrated grievance case last term was the “Can I hug you as a friend?” story that involved a faculty, who was filed with a sexual harassment complaint. Since strong evidence was presented in the campus court, the faculty was found guilty and justice prevailed on the part of the 10 victims.

Unknown to many, another controversial issue last term was the dispute between the Student Council (SC) and the Discipline Office (DO). Because of the many “irregularities” in the discipline procedures, the SC created the DO Grievance Booth, a medium that has collated the unhappy sentiments of students who "committed" campus offenses. Yet this was counterattacked by the DO, though it was later resolved in an amicable settlement.

***But I think the community has a misconception on grievance. Most students

view it as a means to rant and get what they want. Some administrators consider it as a way to rectify actions of students, though in reality it may possibly be used as a method to encroach on student rights. Grievance is a process that can be used or abused, depending on the agenda of the individual/party that raised the issue.

Grievance must not only concern giving fair dealing to an individual but also serving justice to the community. It's not just a matter of fault-finding but a manner of truth seeking. Thus, a grievance must be well equipped with an advocacy. This means offering solution to the problem in a long-term scale to further improve the system.

For instance, finding the faculty guilty in the recent sexual harassment case must not be the end of resolution. Both the administration and faculty should discuss ways on how to prevent similar incidents. One good suggestion is to intensify the faculty hiring process through checking the psychological makeup of the faculty, though this is a challenging task. Special counseling is also a reccomendation to discern problems encountered by faculty.

Beyond University issues, I greatly admire the Center for Social Concerns and Action (COSCA) for adhering to its thrust as the “social development arm” of DLSU. While airing grievances against the Arroyo Administration, COSCA makes sure that the whole community is nurtured with information about the political crisis, through inviting experts to discuss the issue. Interestingly, the office is also formulating ways on how the government can eradicate the institutionalized corruption in the country.

There are ways to address grievances or just mere complaints. Action speaks louder than words, and these actions serve as a means to evaluate a person on how respectable and ethical the manner he aired his concerns.

The two major ways are the constructivist view and the personal attack. The aforementioned advocacy on grievance is an example of the former. But this constructive criticism is not a matter of shooting holes on the already fortified walls of DLSU. It is not an attack against DLSU but about DLSU.

On the other hand, the personal one is the most famous in DLSU. In debate, this is called argumentum ad hominem. A personal criticism is only aiming to attack the credibility of another system, without really suggesting ways to improve the system.

Whenever student leaders talk about airing their grievances for the sake of defending their rights, they are sometimes counterattacked with personal reasons. The intention of DO Grievance Booth is to help the office improve due process and other operations, yet it was conceived before as “grand scheme to initiate ‘hate campaign’ against the Discipline Office (DO) and the Student Discipline Board (SDB) by necessarily casting aspersions and unjustly causing irreparable damage on the reputation of the people working on the office.”

But the project must NOT be conceived as a “hate campaign” against the office. In fact, the booth is for the further development of the discipline procedure. The intention of the booth is very noble. It does not intend to malign the name of the office.

***How about the grievances for campus journalists? One of the concerns that

Santugon President Ramon Rubio aired to us during a dialogue is that why we criticized the SC and the Administration and yet “we cannot be criticized.” This is one of the misconceptions in the field of journalism. If there is an organization that is most criticized in this small campus, it is the publication.

The fact that this publication has received comments and letters every issue is already an indication that this publication is not free from public criticisms. In the past 45 years, this publication has been criticized for wrong grammar, unbalanced articles, poor reviews, basketball fanaticism, dead center photos or mocking artworks.

Definitely, journalists are not gods to criticize, but God gave them wisdom to point criticisms.

After an interview, Dr. Maridable asked us, “How do you handle criticisms by the administration and students?” The reply is simple: part of our job is to criticize and be criticized. At least, we were delighted when the administrator agreed and encouraged us that this is the opportune time to learn the trade and face worse conditions in life.

If we will stop constructing criticisms, then we would stop serving the University and advocating to seek the truth. It is already our instinct to always question systems. Conrado de Quiros said it best, “The business of journalists, much like those of artists and other writers is to keep an open mind, to probe as deeply as resources and deadline permit, to challenge accepted truths, especially official ones.”

Whatever University sectors we belong to, the best approach is to perform our tasks and air our grievances with the motivation of improving the systems in the University.

I usually find most security guards a hassle because of the “inspection”

they conduct before you enter an establishment. It’s not that I get stalled for some seconds or minutes, rather it’s because I have this notion that these security guards don’t know what they are searching of. Sorry if I sound too cruel, but I don’t see the point of getting your bag to be poked by a stick or metal detector when the security guards look clueless with what they are searching.

I usually ride the LRT when I go to school. Of course, before I could enter, I should submit myself and my bag to the guard’s scrutiny. But I just can’t help it whenever they just poke everyone’s bag with their stick or when they frisk a person and they do it just like another ordinary routine. I just hope and pray that I won’t be part of another bombing tragedy.

The same also goes with the security guards at the malls. I find it funny whenever I see an illustration board carrying pictures of bomb accessories that a terrorist supposedly would have in his bag. I think it only gives the terrorist an advantage since they know what the guards would be searching of. It is also surprising at how some guards become discriminatory during inspection. The guards don’t give much attention to me, whenever I wear neat outfit like business attire. On the other hand, they seem to be more cautious when I look more casual or rugged.

Unfortunately, it’s also the same in school. Although I think that the security guards are doing well on other their functions, like the rounds that they make in DLSU during the night, I think they are not effective manning the gates of DLSU. Most security guards that we have simply poke their sticks inside our bags in the search of deadly weapons, as prescribed by the Handbook. Most of them are no

better than finding out that the student carries a camera or laptop, which needs registration. Moreover, I find it unfair when some guards allow students to enter without any inspection especially during the “lazy hours” of the day. Well, I guess there’s the premise that no student in his right mind would bomb his own school or hurt any student or school personnel. But, who knows? If there’s some psycho student existing in school, he or she could have assembled and set off a bomb inside DLSU.

***After three years and one term,

some ID102 students will be graduating this coming October. And as my OJT nears, the thought of graduation is just around the corner. Whenever I think of our batch, the ID102 batch, one thing comes to mind: our ID.

I am proud to say that the ID we had is unique. We are the only batch in DLSU that had the first ID with a magnetic strip that is originally color white. I think it was the coolest thing a college freshman could have aside from the latest cell phone models back in 2002.

However the “coolest” ID lasted only until third term of my freshman year. I realized that the 500 peso ID was not durable. Although my ID stayed inside my wallet for most of time, it faded easily. I cannot recognize myself in the ID after two terms. It was

also not as tough as my high school ID (which is about P100), since I found out that the magnetic strip ID was easy to bend and break. And to my dismay, the 500 peso white magnetic strip ID turned out to be a “prototype” ID. It was replaced in third term by a new ID that has a new design. It was also more durable.

I don’t know if you could consider the “prototype” ID one of DLSU’s minor blunders, but I guess the “prototype” ID was a waste of money. It was like a product that is nothing but good packaging. It was hyped by the fact that it has a magnetic strip and that it is an electronic wallet (yes, you can load it with money), which I think is useless and impractical since it’s limited to internal transactions only. I also believe that IDs should be durable enough until the student graduate from the school; however the “prototype” ID was not. In fact, my P100 fourth year high school ID is still in good condition.

Although it was really an innovative move to have a magnetic ID, I still cannot accept the fact that what our batch had was a “prototype” ID. I cannot accept the fact that each student from our batch had to pay Php500 for an ID we thought would last until we graduate from this school.

My ID got broken two terms ago. For some reason, it was not able to withstand the pressure, while inside my wallet unlike my high school ID that it got partially bent. It snapped right exactly at the magnetic strip (it’s around the picture’s area) when I was getting it from my wallet. Of course I was able to get the new ID but I have to pay P533 for the replacement.

***To Meryll, Ate Hads, Rico, Rais,

Nats, Sali and Maan, and to all friends who will be graduating this coming October, advance congratulations! Good luck in the real world!

I am proud to say that the ID we had is unique.

It seems that oil prices will not go down anytime soon. Given this

hardship, some may have begun walking to their destinations instead of riding vehicles.

It costs me P13.50 to commute from my residence near Binondo. To find out what 13.50 means, I tried walking - counting every step of the way - starting from the South Gate, home. I arrived ninety minutes and 5850 steps later. Just for information, each step (2.5 to 3 feet in distance) cost 0.23 centavos.

Lasallians should be grateful they still have oil to fuel their cars. It is scary to think of the day Lasallians will have to go on “forced exercise.” This is bad, which is why everyone should help conserve fuel in their own little ways.

Anyway, I would wish to know how many steps it would take to reach Parañaque or Cubao.

* * *If the number seven is considered

lucky, then DLSU should be quadruply lucky. 2401, in 2401 Taft Avenue, is seven raised to the fourth power.

* * *Life in DLSU is certainly not

utopian. After a possibly dreadful first term, we reacquaint ourselves with the openly taxing trimestral academic system. However, the opening statement does not just point to that. Every so often, “disruptions” sprout, tangling in a jungle of dispute some of these sectors: the students (Student Council usually), the Administration, Faculty, and in the background, Employees.

Is it normal for a respected institution like DLSU to have internal disparities? It should be normal, since each sector of the university comes from different backgrounds, hence possessing distinct viewpoints about the world. Age is another complicating factor. As Randy David wrote in his column “Salute to the New,” the new blood politicians are openly pushing changes of a radical nature, while their older comrades prefer the status quo. I could say the same is true with DLSU’s politics.

These internal disparities sometimes

Do movies and television shows reflect reality or it’s the other way

around?And you have the freedom to

utter my state of mind as Neanderthal in standing if I’m to compare reality to that of Spongebob and fiction in general. But let me just state some points in hopes to let you reconsider your position regarding my sanity.

We may not live under the sea, but we do live under a norm we call reality. We strive under an umbrella of logic and morality. Every society has its norms or a social model wherein people partake to everyday. And it consists of Spongebobs, Squidward, and even Patricks. Wherein, Mr. Squarepants’ reality is being dictated by Squidward and the populace of Bikini Bottom. Likewise here in DLSU, our reality is our ensconced DLSU reality.

I once had coffee with a friend from another university, and told her about the five second hug rule in DLSU. She didn’t like the idea and as well as the dress code.

But as students, we already recognized its presence as our norm – an established model. And I will leave you to think the Squidward and Spongebob in this institution. Our reality is defined by compromise – a compromise between the majority and, so sadly, the minority. A compromise built on water and stone; it’s either square logic or morality, or NEITHER.

Do not stop me, I have some more analogies.

Scarface is about an undocumented Cuban immigrant in the United States, who started as a thug and rose to power until he eventually ‘owned the world.’ And that’s not the totality of the story. Scarface’s depiction of the Cuban Tony Montana’s ascent to power is brutal and calorific in truth.

Thirst for power and unreasonable way of thinking could lead you to self-destruction. The symmetry of destruction and life stands on a fulcrum and it is your dogma as a human being.

We should recognize the t ru th beyond fiction.

DLSU’s drive to call for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s resignation has accelerated from its sole participation to intensified affiliations with other groups such as the Bukluran para sa Katotohanan, a coalition clamoring the same and united sentiment.

Affluent political thinkers have commented positively on the University. During one of his speaking engagements in DLSU, UP Professor Randy David said, “the center of political gravity has shifted from Diliman to Taft Ave.”

On a similar note, Conrado de Quiros opined in his column that “La Salle has been far more consistent with its moral principles. Ateneo discovers righteous anger only with tyrants it doesn’t like. Maybe being a ‘Brother’ gives a sharper sense of right and wrong than being a ‘Father’.”

With a staunch supervision of the Brothers, DLSU’s active participation has, in someway, changed the people’s perspective of our university from an apathetic elitist school into a nationalist and morally dignified University.

It seems that for the moment, DLSU has its eyes set on the far horizon that is national development. But our University’s involvement in the political affairs should serve as a wake up call among the students and other sectors to call to arms in protection of justice and truth - both sacred elements that build strong fibers of democracy. The national scale participation of DLSU is enough to press us, students, to advocate changes in a local scale basis.

The sheer mind of Lasallian Brothers in the midst of political crisis motivates us to practice critical thinking not only in classrooms but also in life situations. The sad fact is, most are still confined with their comfort zones, only limiting themselves to learn their respective degrees.

But there is a huge world beyond books and classrooms that we should face. We cannot just switch on critical thinking during academic loads and off during real conditions, particularly when instances encroach our rights as students.

The outspoken character of Brothers inspires us not only to bravely articulate our thoughts, but also to eliminate unjust practices that hinder academic freedom.

This school year is an opportunity for us to revise the Student Handbook that includes the lists of norms and offenses inside the campus. Like ammending the Charter Change, revising the handbook requires both critical mind and outspoken heart, since it deals with changing norms and rules that have been detrimental to student growth. No doubt, there are still superficial rules that dangerously teeter on the borderline of acceptibility.

There are definitely other activities and events that would require more than an inspiration from DLSU's national participation.

We have already crossed the turning point. Perhaps, we have already changed our image as an institution. It's high time to change the way we think.

get out of DLSU’s walls. Employees file legal cases against DLSU, and DLSU retaliates with cases of its own.The order may possibly be reversed, but the irrevocable fact is that money is spent, albeit necessarily, in these cases and wasted on ones with trivial roots. Mang Bay showed us a memorandum on one case and I found it rather weird for DLSU to have spent 800 thousand on the alleged theft (see related article on page 3). But of course, DLSU has an image and "moral values" to protect. My only question is why this wasn’t solved within DLSU, considering the abundance of "great minds" in our University.

Quite many people have asked me blatantly, “Do you hate DLSU?” pointing to the fact that The LaSallian comes out with articles seemingly highlighting these disparities and do not necessarily put the institution’s best foot forward. My answer is an unequivocal no.

It is not a contradiction. Matthew 10:34 in the New Living Translation version paraphrased Jesus Himself saying, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to bring a sword.” This simply meant Jesus did not want to ignore deep and hard-to-reconcile differences to bring about superficial harmony. Rather than keep it hidden, it should be brought out and tackled in the hope that a lasting solution will be found.

An example from which we could glean several things is our government. In our political system, politicians have long ignored the deep problem of patronage politics among others (Randy David again) and recently shrugged off the Gloriagate controversy to make the government move on. Unity, the Administration had clamored. Superficial harmony. But is the problem solved by ignoring

Happy Thoughts?

And this goes for every system as well. And to wonder, where is this country of ours steering to? When will we wake to our senses and realize that every decision we make, every stand we defend, and every word that we speak are vital to how we progress as a nation.

The debate between technicality and truth stands aghast when the former wins over the latter. The question now is how long will this country stand until its self-destruction. And how long must the society wait until our country suffers utmost disgrace.

In the early stages of the movie Scarface, you already know that his thinking would lead him nowhere but to the pits of abomination. Can’t we see the same signs? And I will leave this question hanging.

The Godfather, my all-time favorite, is a classic that will be left for immortality bestowed to us by the late Mario Puzo. The tale is about the Corleone Mafia Empire. The power of the clan was bred early by Don Vito Corleone. And the family’s power remained unquestioned until a clash of principles with rival families stirred the family into a long standing war against rival families, who wants the Corleone family completely out of the picture.

A classic execution of Mafioso principle of power, influence, and ferocity, The Godfather shows the actuality of how influence and power tend to play a significant role in how

our future is being shaped. Sad to think that this is the case, but we all know that this is our reality.

If you’re fully aware of current events here in the country, you may very well know how collectively punctuated our system is. With the entire political circus going on, it is evidently shown how rule of supremacy works in our society. Influence veers judgment to grounds of no principle. And it still bewilders my senses as to how the people can still reason out of this debacle.

We all know that there is no turning back. And we know, very well, that the outcome is either a negative or a positive.

It's either we keep the Cosa Nostra standing or should we sleep with the fishes. And I do think it’s clear that we should go for the latter. Our country is our family and we are destined to keep it standing up its feet. This is an offer we cannot refuse.

Creative writing, l iterature, imaginary tales, novels, and the list goes on. Fiction is fiction. But we should recognize the truth beyond fiction. For it revolves around norms created by humans.

You may not be Spongebob and his struggle, Tony Montana saying “Say hello to my little friend” before popping bullets and his attitude, Don Michael Corleone and his ferocity, Don Vito Corleone with his wisdom and his empire, and you’re definitely not Superman.

Now, I am sad that I was never born to be the Batman. But I do know this: that fiction becomes reality as history would judge it. We all have our share of fiction inside our head – at least a stroke of idealism. And we can turn them into reality.

Being Batman is farfetched, but contributing for the cause you believe in is as gratifying to that of being able to ride a Batmobile. Enjoy and live up to your own movie, then.

15 September 2005 4 15 September 2005 5O P I N I O N The LaSallian O P I N I O N The LaSallian

Jose, can you see? Why are we Poor?

Teaching the free and the braveI am expecting a salary of PhP9,939 a

month. On the other hand, I could go THERE and expect a converted salary of around PhP159,000. I could stay here and use masking tape and manila paper, or I could go THERE and use the latest LCD projectors and Bluetooth devices. I could teach under a tree or go THERE and teach in a fully furnished classroom. I could teach here and be greeted by students with “Good Morning po, sir!”, or go THERE and double-check my bulletproof vest every morning. I could stay and not worry how other people view me, or I could go THERE and, most likely, be a subject of segregation, disrimination and/or racism.

Ever since I have been labeled as a future teacher, I have also been labeled as someone who will, most likely, not be here in 5 to 10 years. The main force that drives the idea is the sudden mass departure of the teaching community in our poor and malnourished country. These teachers go to, no other than, the land of the free and the home of the brave – the good old USA. Well, any rich and well-developed country for that matter, which is aptly named the "educational exodus".

Let’s be mathematical. There is a teacher-student ratio of 1:42 according to the Department of Education (DepEd). In line with this, we also note that the classroom size. It is surprising that there are around 70 students in each classroom in highly urbanized areas. Take note: teacher-student ratio is the number of licensed teachers over the number of enrolled students and it is completely different from classroom size.

There are 120,685 public school teachers reported by the DepEd in March 2005. Migrante International informs us that there are 160,000 Filipinos working as domestic helpers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East who has had some background in teaching before the

sudden career change. As for the other teachers deployed to more developed countries, 55.5 percent of them chose to teach in US. Since there are few teachers available, the DepEd has also reported that Science Education has suffered the hardest blows. 73 percent of Physics teachers, 66 percent of Chemistry teachers, 58 percent of General Science teachers, 58 percent of Biology teachers, and 20 percent of Math teachers have, in fact, not majored in the subject they’re teaching. Looking the other way, the US needs more teachers since, not many Americans are entering the field while the enrollment and the number of retiring teachers continue to grow. Specifically, they need half a million new teachers by 2010.

With the high pay, opportunities for a better life, fancy lifestyle and a colder climate, teachers are drawn to the USA like mosquitoes to the blue light of the nearest insect zapper. Experts say that’s enough data to literally panic.

Let’s put the numbers aside and put more feeling, emotion and logic into the scenario. Teaching is a job of service. People may say that, no matter where you are teach, it will do service, nonetheless. The American youth want to get a high school degree, possibly a college degree, leave their house ASAP and begin a new independent life. All these things must happen before they reach their 21st year.

Stereotyping? Maybe. Maybe not. America is about freedom and independence, a philosophy that has been instilled in the mind of their youth. On the other hand, students here have parents who burned the candle at both ends just to send their children to school. When they do get to school, there are no teachers to teach them. Thus, it deprives them a chance to be the one to relieve their family of poverty by becoming the doctor, nurse, or accountant that they dreamed of being.

I don’t understand why teachers opt to leave for other countries, specifically, the US. Teaching is a highly subjective job unlike engineering or banking. The techniques that are used here in the Philippines, when applied to other cultures, will not show similar results. Teaching is based on culture. The education students here are being exposed to the Filipino curriculum, Filipino techniques of motivation, and other lessons that are based on culture.

My dad bought me a book that contained stories about teaching, where the stories have been written by American teachers. I tried reading the first 5 or 6 stories, but I could neither understand the logic of the students in the stories nor could I understand the educational system. It just goes to show that there is definitely a clash of cultures.

So why are teachers going to the USA? Easy. Money. Do you think that if the Filipino teachers had similar salaries as the American teachers, they would still opt to leave for the US? I don't think so. The field of Education does not guarantee youa gold mine. If money motivates you, that’s easy. Don’t teach.

So, those teachers planning to work abroad, remember that the Filipino youth is a generation that will inherit a country. I’ll blame you when they can’t even count to 10.

They say America is the land of dreams. I say America is

the land of bigger opportunities. Dreams, my dear friends, are investments that people make for the future. You start with an idea, cross your fingers, and work hard to achieve it. If we dreamed a brighter future for our country as much as we dreamed of a brighter future for ourselves in America, we might have a fighting chance.

Simply put, if we dream for America, we leave nothing for ourselves. Why don’t we look at America as opportunity instead of a country wherein our dreams will be fulfilled? Indeed, the probability of Filipinos getting a job in America is big compared to their chances here—but is that enough reason to turn our backs to the land that nurtured us?

The answer too much for any of us to handle, and so we end up packing our bags and leaving the Philippines for the Green land. And no, I’m not referring to the country in the northern hemisphere. They say America is the land of green money. Well, it is, considering that the ink they use to print their money is green. However, to most of us Filipinos, the smell and the look of that crisp, green, and newly minted dollar is too much to handle. A mere centavo increase can send tempers over the edge and minimum wage workers lining up at the infamous embassy. At the end of the day, these figures are still numbers. They’re there to remind us but not to control us. They say America is the land of green(er) pastures, and poorly-fed sheep like us migrate to the lands where food, shelter, and happiness are aplenty. What I don’t get is why we graze on these lands instead of enriching ours. Plant the seed and make something grow from hard work and perseverance. I’m starting to think that we Filipinos feel we’re too good even for our own harvest.

I say America is a surplus shop. I can remember all the Barbie dolls and Disney tapes my relatives brought home as gifts for me. I thought I was a special little girl to have all these State-side goodies, but as I grew up, I realized that they’re not much. Literally. Those things are cheap and are produced by the thousands. Not that I don’t mind getting them. It’s just when you think about it, it doesn’t make you any more special. It hit me that the reason that I have a lot of relatives in America is that it’s a cheap place to live in. You can get everything at a bargain in a one-stop shop. Why would they settle for a country wherein all their hard work amounts to nothing?

Which leads me to this: Are they really living a dream or an illusion? I say that dreams are investments for the future, but people don’t look for dreams, they make them real. And since the assumption is that America is the land of dreams, we look for ours there, hoping that maybe, we’ll bump into it along the way. I guess, getting food and shelter for their family is part of it; but I don’t think working at McDonald’s as a cashier is. Achieving dreams is not equal to settling for mediocrity. Then, if it’s not a dream, that leaves us with an illusion that everything will be better for our family. It stops right there, doesn’t it? Our brother and sisters will have a job at Target while parents live the rest of their days in the home for the elderly (and useless). Yup. That just about covers every Filipino trait that we—no—wait. It doesn’t. Hardy-har-har. And that, my dear friends, pains us to no end, doesn’t it? You can change your name, the color of you hair, and you can change your accent all you want but the fact of the matter is, deep down, you’re still Filipino. And frankly, to them, you’re just another alien with a green card.

I graduated last June and to be honest, I am not enjoying the job hunt at all. I was accepted in two call centers and I am currently considering it. High-pay, air-conditioned rooms, carpeted floors, and all I have to do is make sure I don’t get tongue-tied when the next call comes in. Apparently, speaking good English can get you 13K. I am not happy. If I wanted to speak in English all my life, I would’ve migrated to America. I am embarrassed that being hired as a call center representative is all that I have to show after four years of Lasallian education. I know that like you, I have the power to change things and propel dreams to reality. I believe in myself but most of all, I believe in my country. I can be sarcastic and cynical about this topic but that doesn’t make me any less Filipino than your Filipiniana-wearing grand aunt. I am not settling for the call center job, but so far, it’s my best option. Besides, being an English-speaking, call center representative here is better than being an English-speaking cashier there—on any given day.

If we only open our mind to solutions as much as we open it to our faults. Being too critical is bad and not offering solutions is even worse. Didn’t our mothers tell us not to point fingers? Don’t look for answers here because one, I’m not giving you any; and two, I don’t have one yet. However, that does not mean that I have given up in finding one. I’m still young and I have a good twenty years ahead of me before I start worrying about pension.

The future seems bleak in a country constantly bludgeoned by conflicting interests and unresolved, political wars. Deal with it. Wishing for instant reconciliation is like asking for the moon. Then again, it’s always better to face reality than to sugar coat a very bitter ideal.

For me, America is a dream. And dreaming in America is an illusion.

Frankly, to them, you’re just another alien with a green card.

If money motivates you, that's easy. Don't teach.

***Marga Coronado was an Art and Graphics staffer from 2003 to 2005. She graduated with a degree in AB-Psychology last June. Aside from sharing Green Day's sentiments in not wanting to be an American Idiot, she also pampers herself occasionally with frappuccino-flavored caustic jokes.

Why are we poor?In the context of Filipino

society, that question is probably one of the most rhetorically asked, perhaps, even one of the most cliché. It is a question that takes us back in time - back to the most cataclysmic periods in our nation’s history. Back to the aftermaths of disasters that plagued our country in decades past. It has now become a prominent part of our culture and mindset. History has embedded it in our thoughts, and it permeates our daily lives as we speak.

Despite its apparent simplicity, the question offers a myriad of answers, each open to various interpretations. Some may opt to answer it with silver spoon philosophies. Some may go the traditional way and give concrete facts and figures. But for countless others, they may simply choose to evade the question altogether by heading to “greener” pastures. Indeed, the very essence of that question lies in its subjectivity.

Now, if I were to probe the nether regions of my brain for a definitive answer, most likely I will come out null.

So, I did the next best thing. Here are, in my opinion, the four possible answers. Most of which are taken from my new favorite site, www.getrealphilippines.com. 1. We suffer from severe inferiority complex.

This is where the battle between local and foreign actually starts. More often than not, all we Filipinos do is rant about how bad we are.

We keep talking about how morally tarnished our race is, about how lazy we are, and how we all coexist in a culture of dishonesty.

Oh, and don’t get me started on those government officials. We are masochistic in the sense that we “enjoy”, for lack of a better term, comparing ourselves with other

S o w h a t ’s n e x t ? Paris Hilton of the Philippines? Ha! I dread to see the day!countries and we, by default, are the underdogs.

The point here is, yes, we are imperfect, but, wait a second, isn’t everyone? The problem here is that we tend to put other cultures on pedestals notches above our own, consequently belittling our own nation in the process. 2. We fail to acknowledge a distinct, solid identity.

Our nation lacks unity in several sectors. We are only solid in superficial aspects, like say, region, skin color, religion, and school.

But we are marred by factions brought about by clash of principles, especially when it comes to who should lead this country. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that we, again, unconsciously use other cultures as our benchmarks. This is where colonial mentality comes out to play. Because of our lack of clear and independently established priniciples, many of us tend to some sort of recognition from other cultures in order to satisfy our voracious need

for self-acceptance. And worse, because of this relentless search to be at par with more developed countries, it is we who get lost in the process.3. We are our own bigots

Whenever we get the chance to travel abroad, or at most encounter a foreigner, one utmost concern that

always pops up is that we might get discriminated against, because of so-called racial barriers. But if we look more closely, it is actually we who are discriminating against ourselves. Now, I don’t mean to overgeneralize here, but clearly, all I can say is that there should be a fine line between hospitality and preferential treatment. 4. We lack a sense of security towards what we should call our own.

The Philippine culture is rich and diverse, but the problem here is, at times, we tend to exhibit misguided pride over our homegrown talents. Case in point: I remember watching a noontime gossip show in ABS-CBN six years ago. In one particular episode, I remember watching a segment in which they tried to find foreign counterparts for our local artists. For example, Regine Velasquez was touted as the “Mariah Carey of the Philippines”, Jolina Magdanagal as the “Britney Spears of the Philippines”, Tootsie Guevarra as the “Anggun of the Philippines”, and so on and so forth. So, fine, to them this seemed to be a harmless game of mix and match.

But the point here is, again, why do we force ourselves to find foreign counterparts for our very own talents, when they are talented singers, actors, or dancers in their own rights? Not only does this curtail the artistic growth of these individuals, but it also gives the implication that we are sheepishly accepting subservience to other countries. So what’s next? Paris Hilton of the Philippines? Ha! I dread to see the day.

So, again, why are we poor? The answer, for me, does not lie on our ailing economic status or our current political uproar. The answer lies on how we behave as a people and how we perceive our country.

15 September 2005 6 O P I N I O N The LaSallian

JAN'S LI'L SIS

SHEESH

Charm Ventura

Luis De Vera

Lori Valdellon

FINALS Char Valdez

Ian Roman

AKAWNTING DAW Abby Go

BUHAY ESTUDYANTE Allen Silva

ID#102

MISCELLANEOUS

15 September 2005 8 15 September 2005 9P OPTOWN The LaSallianP H O T O The LaSallian

PAGE DESIGN AND LAYOUT BY CHAR VALDEZPHOTOS FROM THE LASALLIAN ARCHIVE

The De La Salle Men’s Basketball Team-B struck on their College of Saint Benilde counterparts after coming up with a 71-66 win in the Fr. Martin’s Cup Division 2 basketball tournament last Sept. 10 at the FEU Gym.

With the Archers clinging only to a four-point advantage during halftime, the Blazers slowly caught up in the third quarter. Not to be outdone, DLSU’s Randolph Soriano ripped apart the Blazers’ defense when he nailed an impressive lay-up followed by Bader Jassim’s three-pointer to solidify the Archers’ lead, 45-40, with 3:45 minutes remaining in the clock.

However, CSB quickly erased the lead as one of the Blazers dished out a powerful dunk to begin their onslaught. The third quarter ended with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from CSB for a 48-47 lead.

The fourth quarter opened up with an outstanding 9-2 run for the Archers, with Bader Jassim and Brian Ilad anchoring the scoring load. Never giving up, the Blazers were able to cut down the lead to just four points, 63-59, but Ervic Vijandre and PJ Walsham crushed the hopes of a Blazers’ comeback with a jumper and a tip-in, 67-59, at the 1:15 mark of the final quarter.

Jassim ended the match with 15 points while Ilad added 14. Highly-touted big man Marko Batricevic finished with 12 markers for the Team B Archers, who is currently being handled by Jack Santiago and Tyrone Bautista. De La Salle is now sporting a 3-3 record behind the Team B squads of Ateneo, FEU, and San Beda in Group A of this tournament.

Joseph Yeo is the definition of a big time player. He loves taking the big shots and is not bashful about making his points look good and easy. His hangtime keeps him out of reach of most defenders and his fiery will is always in abundance.

Ty Tang. The starting floor leader of the Archers is a steady customer on both ends of the floor. Ty loves to hand out no-look dishes and is known for burying outside daggers with consistency. Always eager to catch opposing squads unaware, he loves to mix it up both in 3-point land and inside the shaded lane.

JunJun Cabatu. Despite playing as a relatively undersized center, he has managed to overcome his size disadvantage by using his quick footwork and showing his outside range. He exploits his defenders by facing up and taking them off the dribble.

JV Casio. The former San Beda Red Cub turned Green Archer has been marked as a potent three-point threat and he has not failed to live up to his billing. Defenders dare not leave Casio alone in the pe-rimeter else they want to incur his long range prowess. Also a crafty defender, he’s come to his own as a ballhandler and as a distributor on the court.

Ryan Araña is a trademark finisher under the basket. The veteran lefty has made a living out of converting his teammates’ drop passes. Extend-ing his shooting touch this year, Araña has also started putting the ball on the floor against his defenders. Araña rounds out his package as he is also an excellent rebounder and on ball defender for his size.

Cholo Villanueva. A reliable and consistent piece in the Pumaren rotation, Villanueva has always given the Archers an advantage in the intangibles. The scrappy combo guard creates mismatches on defense with his size while exploiting smaller defenders on the offensive end as Villanueva is gifted with a steady jumpshot.

Maierhofer. The fiery big man of the DLSU lineup, Rico Maierhofer is an extremely vital element to the Green Archer game.Using his deceiv-ing quickness, he has thrived on the boards and crashed them at will. Moreover, Mairhofer is not one to back down in battles inside the paint despite his wiry frame. His game is a dependable catalyst for energy and intensity and he towers over most opponents with keen sense for shot blocking.

Benitez. A finesse-focused big man, Mark Benitez is a center who likes to open things down low with his midrange shooting. He uses his mobility and underrated agility to drive through the lane while also keeping an eye for cutting teammates. Benitez is a fierce rebounder with surprising wit in the shaded area.

JR Aquino. Jr Aquino may look undersized for a power forward but his natural instincts for the position are showing this season. A stalwart on the boards, he has given the Green Archers a headstrong inside pres-ence and given mobility to the squad. Aquino is a tough close range scorer with good ball sense and cunning intuition.

OJ Cua. A known long range specialist, OJ Cua is a versatile guard-forward who is able to exploit defenders who are always weary of his ranged shooting. A relatively tall player for the 2 and 3 positions, he has flourished in the rotation and created mismatches for opposing teams.

Lionel Rivera. The third point guard in the De La Salle lineup is a zeal-ous ball handler and a persistent defender. Rivera is nimble and very active on the court causing rival guards to panic.

Kish Co-Kish Co is an asset that will soon blossom for the Green Archers. A powerful center coming into his own in his rookie year, he has made the most of his limited playing time by steadily contributing intangibles expected of all players his size. Co’s basketball IQ shows with well-timed boads and court awareness.

Spikers Fall out of Final Four Contention

Team-B bags third win in Fr. Martins Cup

For the second time around, the Samantha Bermudez and Martha Uriarte tandem strikes again.

Sophomore forward Bermudez scored five blistering goals to lead a De La Salle demolition of counterparts from Santo Tomas, 6-1, in the Metro Manila Girls Football Association tournament (MM-GFA) at the De La Salle Zobel grounds last Sept.11.

The other goal came from striking partner Marta Uriarte. With the win, the Lady Booters maintain an unblemished record of 2-0, strengthening their bid for the MMGFA crown.

In their first game of the season, the Lady Booters started out strong with a 3-0 victory over the UP Lady Maroons last Sept. 4.

The damp field did not slow down the performance of the Lady Booters as Martha Uriarte led the way to victory after scoring a pair of goals. The first score came in the 29th minute as the sophomore scored off a deflection. In the second half, Uriarte came out firing as she added the third goal of the contest with her shot rolling from the right flank that slipped past the goalkeeper into the back of the net in the 58th minute.

“She is coming to form now. She is a fighter and has a better attitude compared

to last year,” commended coach Hans Smit of Uriarte.

Striker Samantha Bermudez proved to be a good complement to Uriarte as she gave the second goal of the match in the 39th minute. Patty Silva’s cross was touched by the UP goalkeeper, a save that was not corralled properly. With the ball sailing in front of the goal, Bermudez took advantage by tapping the ball to the unguarded net.

Smit, also the MMGFA president, told The LaSallian that prior to the tourna-ment, the team has not played football for weeks because of the final exams and the weather. “I was surprised with our performance considering that at the start of every tournament we play, we are lousy. They played very good today.” The tour-nament, Smit added, will be used for their conditioning and skills-training.

With the football competitions of the University Games scrapped because of the Southeast Asian Games, the MMGFA tournament will be vital for the Lady Booters’ preparation for the UAAP. The tournament includes teams from FEU, Ateneo de Manila, UP, UST, and squads from St. Scholastica’s College, Faith Academy, and the Alumnae Football Club, composed of former RP team members and UAAP stalwarts.

Lady Booters notch second MMGFA victory

For the first time in five years, the De La Salle Green Spikers failed to make it to the Final Four trip as they suf-fered two consecutive losses against the Adamson Falcons and UP Maroons in the ongoing second round of eliminations.

The Spikers were dominated by their opponents from State U after the UP Maroons trashed the Taft-based squad in three straight sets last Sept.11 at the UPCHK Gym. Despite efforts in the third and final set, the Green Spikers still failed and succumbed to a stronger UP squad, 25-27.

After their loss to the Adamson Falcons last Sept.4, the Green Spikers automatically lost any chance of making it to the semifinals. They lost in four sets, 3-1, with set scores of 25-21, 26-28, 21-25,17-25.

The Spikers seemed to lose steam as they dropped a very close second set despite a huge comeback at the end. With both teams tied at 22-all, it became a seesaw battle as the two teams continued to exchange points. In the end, it was the Falcons who emerged as the victors as it scored two straight points to take the set.

The third set was somewhat similar to the second; this time around, there was no De La Salle comeback. The San Marcelino-based squad was able to maintain a lead of three points for the majority of the set, resulting to a 2-1 lead in the match.

Early in the fourth set, the Falcons continued their scoring rampage, putting the Green Spikers away for good after building a huge 21-14 lead.

Despite falling behind very early in the game, DLSU had gotten off to an excellent start as they went past through Adamson’s defenses and capitalized on the Falcons’ errors to grab the first set, 25-21.

After the loss to UP, DLSU is at fifth place in the tournament with only two games left to go. The team will be hard pressed to gain another victory for the season as these last two games will be against University of the East and powerhouse Far Eastern University.

text by jc bocaling and ric gayaresphotos by eric siy

JOHN DE LOS SANTOSREUBEN TERRADO AND JED GONZALES

REUBEN TERRADO

Game over. The Green Spikers just couldn't get pass the U.P. Maroons which resulted to their early elimination.PHOTO BY DIANE REYES

DONELLE GAN

DLSU presses on in Anti-GMA campaignThe battle may have been lost but the war

has just started.In the face of the death of the im-

peachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the De La Salle University (DLSU) System added its voice to resounding calls for truth and justice in a rally organized by the Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan (BPK) [Coalition for the Truth] last Sept 6.

BPK is a multi-sectoral organization com-posed of some 70 groups ranging from politi-cal parties, non-governmental organizations, student bodies, to advocacy groups. Notable groups include the United Opposition, Bayan Muna, the Black and White Movement, Uni-versity of the Philippines Diliman Student Council and Bangon Pilipinas party. Among the De La Salle System Schools that attended the rally included DLSU-Manila, DLS Zobel, College of Saint Benilde, DLSU-Araneta, and DLSU-Dasmariñas. Ronald Lumbao es-timated the population of the rally at around 355,000.

Rally on the fateful dayRallyists met at St. Peter’s Parish at around

noon, and after the customary prayer, intended to march to the Batasang Pambansa, where the impeachment complaint was fighting for survival. Under the blazing sun, the La Salle contingent and other groups marched along Commonwealth Avenue carrying banners and streamers. The rallyists finally conducted their program beside the Sandigan Bayan as anti-riot policemen stopped the protesters from further advancing.

Gregorio Quitangon, popularly known as Kuya Dodjie, a coordinator of the Center

for Social Concern and Action (COSCA), admitted difficulty in assembling the La Salle contingent as students were on term break.

Kate Lim, executive secretary of the Stu-dent Council (SC), spoke during the rally. While reiterating the call for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign from her post, Lim clamored to the policemen, saying that what they (rally-ists) are doing is protecting their (policemen) rights as well. SC President Army Padilla was not able to attend the rally as she was required to attend the Student Handbook Revisions Committee meeting.

Moreover, DLSU conducted two inter-faith rallies last Sept. 2 and 9 held at La Salle Greenhills, San Juan. The rallies were attended by former President Corazon Aquino, Bro. Bangon Pilipinas head Eddie Villanueva, Susan Roces, and some pro-impeachment congressmen.

Purpose-driven actionAccording to the Statement of Unity of

the BPK, their goal is to “unite for the truth. Demand the truth. Defend the truth.”

Br. Armin Luistro FSC, president of the DLS System and spokesperson of BPK, said in a speech during the rally that the mobilization was just the start of the war for truth. It may be observed that protest actions have been steadily occurring during the past week.

The System President, wearing traditional white Lasallian brother attire, narrated events that transpired in Congress. After the voting was finished, the BPK contingent along with pro-impeachment congressmen exited the session hall and prayed at the flagpole. The flag was lowered to half-mast to signify their

mourning for the death of the truth.Notwithstanding present developments,

the BPK is still unfazed in its stand that “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go.”

Br. Armin said that the group will initiate a signature campaign to reach out to people who are sympathetic to their cause yet are not part of any group.

What comes next?Quitangon said that the national fiasco has

two distinct facets: first is a leadership void, and second is the lack of a nationalist development agenda. The second facet is just as important since a new leader with only old policies to offer is pointless.

DLSU will still be very visible in rallies and various protest actions. However, Quitangon also envisions DLSU-Manila at the forefront of the creation of a nationalist development agenda. The agenda could serve as the govern-ance blueprint for the next leader. Details are still being determined as of press time.

On their part, the SC will continuously support the Brothers' call for “supreme sacri-fice.” In light of the Sept 6 rally, SC President Army Padilla sent a text message requesting “all DLSU assemblies, organizations, and parties to prepare at least 5 representatives (better if more) ready to join the nation for the coming organized and peaceful youth demonstrations. Please pass to all DLSU student leaders.”

Padilla added, “This is not a time for us to be silent. This is a time for us to demand for justice due our nation for the truth (that was) deliberately killed.” The rallies will be initiated in the next weeks to come.

Let the light shine. System President Br. Armin and former RP President Corazon Aquino light candles, symbolizing their continuing fight for the truth. PHOTO BY ERIC SIY

GreenArchers,

Playing Styles

15 September 2005 11U NIVERSITY/SPORTS The LaSallian

GreenGallery

10 things I "love" about DLSU

I “love” the way some floating subjects act as major subjects that add extra burden to students' lives.

CELINE HERNANDEZ AND JED GONZALESPHOTOS BY KARLA PERALTA AND ERIC SIY

Down by one goal, Jeremias Jiao struck the winning goal as the Green Booters defeated the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 2-1, in the 2005

Ang Liga Tournament, at the Ateneo Football Field last Sept. 10.

Jiao, a rookie from San Beda College, broke the offside trap in the 60th minute, to score his 2nd goal in a span of 15 minutes.

It was simply an Ateneo show in the opening minutes as the Green Booters were still adjust-ing to their new formation. Towards the end of the first half, DLSU found its form but a fierce counter-attack by the Blue Eagles broke the deadlock in the 31st minute. ADMU’s Gerald Cancio scored a strike as he took a wicked deflec-tion from the defense, sending DLSU goalkeeper Martin Villaflor the wrong way to score the first goal of the game.

After an inspirational halftime huddle, the green and white squad started to dominate the sec-ond half as Bon Bon Melendrez and Dave Tudence took turns in attacking the Ateneo defense. The Taft-based squad tied the ballgame as Melendrez crossed the ball for Jiao in front of the goal but the Ateneo defender scored his own goal, awarding the goal to Jiao under FIFA rules.

Both teams struggled to score the winning goal after the equalizer due to the poor officiat-ing from the referee and the linesman. A series of non-calls and questionable offside calls were made until Jiao scored the winning goal.

The Booters’ offense never looked back as the team pounced on the hapless Ateneo squad but fatigue took its toll as almost all of DLSU’s attempts went over the crossbar. The Blue Eagles almost equalized on a counter-attack but goal-keeper Villaflor overcame a one-on-one scenario to save the game for the Green Booters.

The Booters extend their winning streak to four wins and are currently placed 2nd in the standings, one point shy of the Leaders San Beda College, who has 19 points. “The Future is the championship for the UAAP,” said Coach Marlon Maro on the Teams.

The Ang Liga tournament is participated by teams which include sister school College of Saint Benilde, the Philippine U-23 football team, and other UAAP Schools such as UP and UST.

W ith their playoff hopes shattered by their archrival, the Lady Archers have chosen to let it all out in the court to regain some

lost luster.The Lady Archers escaped the gutsy and poign-

ant play of the hapless UE Lady Warriors, 61-57, during the second round action last Sept. 11 at the Adamson Gym.

The Lady Archers came into the game with a low morale after having been eliminated from playoff contention caused by the 59-50 Ateneo Lady Eagles overtime win over the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the first game of the afternoon.

“We have no more chance that’s why the girls were down. But we still have a game vs. Ateneo on Thursday and we’ll do our best to finish the season with a win,” said Lady Archer Coach Mon Jose regarding the playoff aspirations of the Lady Archers.

Team captain Kristine Prado led the charge of the Lady Archers as she exploded for 24 points and seized a dominant 12 rebounds. Helping the cause for the Lady Archers was Angeli Gloriani who con-tributed 14 points and some key free throws down the stretch. UE’s Lea Lopez and Kathleen Balingit paced the Lady Warriors’s attack, chipping in 13 and 11 points, respectively.

However, the victory didn’t come easy as the Lady Warriors proved to be a resistant adversary.

Both teams came out flat during the opening stages of the match brought about by careless ball handling and horrendous shooting from both sides. Fortunately, the Lady Archers were able to gain

some rhythm and gathered their acts together to grab a four-point advantage, 22-18, at the end of the first half.

The tempo picked up in the third canto as both teams exchanged baskets that rocked the mid-sized crowd at the Adamson Gym. Lady Warrior Lea Lopez scored six straight points on one stretch to help the Lady Warriors seize the lead for the second time in the game. Solid play from the Lady Warriors helped them abduct a one point lead going into the final stanza of the game.

De La Salle started the fourth quarter in the wrong foot as Coach Mon Jose committed a techni-cal foul that helped UE administer a 9-3 spurt that catapulted their lead to seven points, 50-43 with 7:51 remaining in the game. With the game hanging on balance, team captain Prado took the matter into her own hands as she led a 7-0 Lady Archer spurt that regained the lead. Some clutch buckets and free throws down the stretch from Prado and Gloriani sealed the deal for the Lady Archers.

According to Coach Jose, both the players and the referees appeared sluggish. “ The performance is a bit sluggish but we’ll take the win. What’s worse was that the referees seem even more sluggish. They really have poor judgement and it’s not fair to the players,” Jose concluded.

With the win, the Lady Archers now possess a 5-6 record. However, for the first time in five years, the Lady Archers will not be able to enter the semifinals as the Final Four cast has been completed. Adamson leads the pack with a10- 1 record while FEU, UP, and ADMU are all in a three-way tie at 7-4.

DLSU vs. AdU, 62-57

For the third consecutive year, the De La Salle Lady Archers were once again able to stop the Adamson Lady Falcons from sweeping the eliminations round. The win came at the expense of the Lady Archers’ fourth quarter run, resulting to an unexpected victory over the defending champions, 62-57, last Sept.1.

With five minutes left in the fourth canto, the Lady Archers managed to stop the Lady Falcons from their scoring rampage while slowly cutting down the Falcons’ 10-point lead in the other end. Hannah Candano spearheaded the Lady Archers’ offense in the final minutes after nailing two consecutive jumpers. Four charities from Khristine Prado and Kreme Huelar sealed the fourth win for the Lady Archers.

Prado led the scoring attack for the Lady Archers with 19 points while sophomore An-geli Gloriani chipped in 10 markers, banging in three long distance shots as well. Last year’s UAAP MVP Merenciana Arayi led the San Marcelino-based squad with 16 points.

The Lady Falcons started their dominance early in the game as they executed perfect of-fense, leading to a 13-point advantage over the green and white squad. On the other hand, it was a five-minute scoreless stretch for the Lady Archers until Gay Mitra’s basket, in the 2:17 mark of the first quarter, put her team back into the game.

The back-to-back champions continued their scoring rampage in the second quarter as they pushed the Lady Archers further to the

brink of death, with an enormous lead of 15 points at the end of the first half.

However, the atmosphere changed at the start of the second half as the Taft-based squad displayed determination and better defense on the court. Rookie Dinn Yamamoto’s two straight baskets together with Gloriani’s four-point play shifted momentum back to De La Salle’s side. Charities from Prado and Mitra, as well as Tin Alon-Alon’s three-pointer, fueled the Lady Archers’ charge, cutting the lead to just six points as the final quarter neared.

As the Lady Archers were threatening for an upset, the Lady Falcons pushed their lead to 10 points early in the fourth quarter. In spite of their efforts, the Lady Falcons weren’t able to maintain their lead as the Lady Archers held them scoreless in the final five minutes, result-ing to their first loss of the season.

DLSU vs. FEU, 61-55Things are not looking good for the Lady

Archers.After defeating powerhouse Adamson

Falcons, the De La Salle Lady Archers failed to sustain their momentum as they lost to the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 61-55, last September 4.

With the loss, their chances of joining the Final Four race have turned slimmer as they fell to a 4-6 record, two games behind fourth-placer Ateneo Eagles.

The Lady Archers started out strong in the first quarter as they unleashed a 10-2 run, led by Khristine Prado’s consecutive points in the paint. It was only during the last four minutes when the Lady Tamaraws started to convert

some points. By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Archers were up by 2, 13-11.

During the second quarter, Prado passed the scoring load to sophomore Angeli Gloriani, who nailed two three-pointers, to keep the Lady Tams at bay. On the other hand, the Lady Tams couldn’t find their rhythm as they kept on missing their outside shots. Jan Laureola’s two consecutive baskets gave the Lady Arch-ers its biggest lead of the game at 11 points, during the 2:41 mark of the second quarter. FEU’s Badette Mercado rallied her team back into the game to cut the Taft-based squad’s lead at 6 points during halftime.

The third quarter displayed the outside shooting skills of the Lady Tams as Diana Jose brought her team back into the ballgame by hitting two long distance shots. Despite ef-forts by veteran Gay Mitra, the Lady Archers saw their lead disappear as Lady Tam Kathrina Nido scored the tying basket at the end of the third canto.

With the score at 40-all, the Morayta-based squad led by Nido capped a 15-7 run, shifting the momentum back to the FEU side with 2:45 remaining in the game. Angeli Gloriani was able to cut the lead to just 5 points but several errors on the De La Salle camp proved to be too costly as the FEU Lady Tamaraws never looked back and went home with the victory.

Khristine Prado was the sole Lady Archer who scored in double digits as she paced the team with 23 markers. Nido and Jose led the FEU scoring with 17 and 16 points, respec-tively.

Cara Leong women's swimming

Most swimmers start their career at a very young age. However, co-captain Cara Leong is an exception as she only got acquainted with swimming during her high school days at

the Immaculate Concepcion Academy. For the past nine years, Leong has proved herself to be an ideal swimmer and an excellent leader as well. As a swimmer, she has never missed any practices and continues to excel in the breaststroke event. On the other hand, Leong’ leadership skills are considered to be exceptional as she treats everyone equally while still staying firm with her principles. With former stars Michelle Nisce and Ace Sapinoso out of the swimming scene, this 5th year Business Management student is definitely expected to lead the young Lady Tankers team to greater heights this season.

Citing “inconclusiveness” in the technical committee’s decision, the UAAP Board unanimously ordered the replay of the con-troversial second round battle between De La Salle and University of the East on Sept. 18, 4 pm, at the Araneta Coliseum.

After a board meeting last Sept. 9, UAAP president Fr. Maximino Rendon, CM said that in the technical committee’s action, “some questions remained unanswered.” However, Fr. Rendon did not elaborate on the merits of the verdict to the media.

The rematch was taken into account as a suggestion by FEU on grounds that it already occurred in the past. In 1991, an FEU-DLSU championship game was instructed to be played again by the UAAP Board.

De La Salle representatives could not be reached for comment, but a reliable source told The LaSallian that a high-ranking of-

ficial was disappointed with the result of the board meeting.

“The issue whether the time-out was valid or not was not discussed,” the high-ranking official was quoted as saying.

After trailing by six with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Warriors went on to take the lead when Marcy Arellano scored an uncontested lay-up off a steal, 74-72, with 1.8 remaining.

DLSU called a time-out, which resulted in an unguarded Cholo Villanueva convert-ing a short-stab to beat the clock to force overtime. The Archers went on to win the game, 86-83.

The Warriors protested the time-out called by the Archers, which the technical committee upheld.

Ricky Palou, technical committee head, said that a time-out should not have been granted to the Archers because after the

lay-up, inbounder JV Casio already had possession of the ball before the time-out. Palou added that under the rules of FIBA (International Basketball Federation), bas-ketball’s world governing body, “a time-out can only be granted prior to a basket or before the inbounding player gets hold of the ball.”

DLSU coach Franz Pumaren said that the players did not hear the buzzer and the time-out was legal, because Commissioner Joe Lipa was the one who affirmed it.

With the decision, both the UE Warriors and Ateneo Blue Eagles share the same 9-3 slate, while the Green Archers follow suit at the fourth spot with a 7-4 record.

These three teams are all fighting for the second twice-to-beat advantage after the FEU Tamaraws secured the first semi-finals slot.

UAAP board orders DLSU-UE rematch

Saving the Archer pride

REY CHRISTIAN SIKAT

Green Booters extend winning run in Ang Liga

IVAN GEOFFREY V. GAYARES

One Point. The DLSU Mens and Womens Chess teams are both in second place in their respective divisions with only a point shy behind leaders UP and UST after Round 11 at the UE Boardroom.

After coming from a 2-2 performance the day before, the Lady Woodpushers swept all their matches against NU last Sept.11. Faith and Angie Dimakiling scored on the top boards Negros bets Jennifer Advincula and Eden Tumbos, chipping in precious points from winning Boards 3 and 4 respectively.

UST is currently leading the women’s division with 27.5 points with the Lady Woodpushers following suit by scoring 26.5 points. UP secures the third spot with 21.5 points.

On the other hand, the Green Woodpushers unseated second placers UE after grabbing a 3.5-0.5 win. 2004 UAAP MVP John

Paul Gomez, Emman Emparado, and Paolo Bautista won all of their board matches, while veteran Jayson Salubre had to settle for a draw.

The green and white squad lost to the UP Maroons, 1.5-2.5, after round 10. Nevertheless, they are still in contention as they will face lighter opponents in their remaining games.

UP leads the pack with 30 points while DLSU and UE are not far behind with 29 and 27 points, respectively.

The tournament is nearing its crucial stages where every round and point counts. The Green Woodpushers have 3 games left against NU, AdU, and UST, while the Lady Woodpushers will have their bye on round 13. After that, Coach Randy Segarra squad will play crucial matches against ADMU and UP.

DLSU Chess Teams inching way to the crown

fourth and final spot in the semifinals. Tang completed the match with 14

points while Ryan Araña followed suit with 10 points of his own. Marvin Cruz scored 13 for the Diliman-based cagers. Points off

turnovers helped the Archers as they con-verted 27 markers off UP’s 34 errors.

Even with a slow start, the Archers man-aged to close in on the Fighting Maroons and pulling to within two, 30-28. The third

canto saw Ryan Araña and JV Casio making it a 39-36 lead but Victor Epres answered with a three-pointer to tie the game. Axel Doruelo split his charities for a 40-39 UP lead at the end of 30 minutes of play.

ANGELI GLORIANIwomen's basketball

Despite playing only on her sophomore year, Angeli Gloriani has already showed how much potential she has. The former De La

Salle Zobel standout exudes versatility on the court as she can both play the point and shooting guard positions. In addition, her all-out hustle and outside shooting ability are considered to be major contributions to the Taft-based squad. A leader by example, Gloriani tries her best to boost the team’s con-fidence which most of the time, produces precious points for the Lady Archers. With Gloriani still around for three more years, the Lady Archers will certainly go a long way.

JUSTIN MARCHADESCHmen's volleyball

Justin Marchadesch may not be the Green Spikers’ star player, but every time he is on the court, he plays like one. His presence can be felt all over the place as he powers the team with his timely attacks and crucial receives. The open spiker from Colegio de San Loren is determined to contribute more to the Green Spikers by working double time and trainings and learning other positions in volleyball as well. With only a net between him and his opponents, Marchadesch always makes sure that no ball on De La Salle’s side will ever touch the floor without a fight.

IVAN GEOFFREY V. GAYARES

REUBEN EZRA TERRADO

NIKKI ANN MARIEL C. TUNGOL AND JEWELYNN GAY B. ZARENO

When I took my college entrance

exams, my mind was set on studying only in one school, University of Sto.Tomas. I felt that UST was the type of school that I would definitely be at home with.

On the other hand, I hated De La Salle to bits. It was branded as an "elitist" school and I have never forgotten how Dino Aldeguer broke the hearts the UST crowd after burying a buzzer-beater three pointer in the 1999 UAAP finals. Ever since, I promised myself that I would never study in DLSU.

On the year 2002, I took the DLSU entrance exam for fun and unfortunately, destiny played a trick on me as I ate all my words and ended up studying in the school I really hated. Honestly, in my almost four years of studying in DLSU, all I can say is my stay has been challenging but definitely enjoyable.

Although I like a lot of things about De La Salle like its clean facilities, there are still some 10 things about DLSU that I am not in favor of.

One, I “love” the way some floating subjects act as the major subjects, making the lives of the students more burdensome. If you’re a student of CBE, then accounting and law subjects lead the pack of the difficult subjects. Law teachers expect students to read hundreds of law provisions and answer their nerve-wracking questions all at the same time. As for accounting, the subject itself is hard enough to begin with.

I just hope that accounting and law professors would also consider the fact that students also have other subjects to deal with. Most of the time, CBE students focus their attention more on their accounting and law subjects rather than subjects really required in their respective courses.

Two, I just “love” the expensive cost of reprinting EAFs and transcripts. Students have to pay PhP 150 for just one EAF while having to battle the long line at the accounting office as well. Just wondering….is there a “treasure” in the EAFs that it has to cost more than a hundred bucks?

Three, I also “love” the biased employees of DLSU. There have been a lot of times when I have experienced the “katarayan” of some employees who prefer to accommodate the inquiries of male students. One memorable moment was in the SPS bookstore when BJ Manalo was purchasing some scented soaps. Manalo was choosing for a long time but the lady in the counter was too happy to assist him. After Manalo left, the lady shifted to her grumpy mood once again. It’s just too bad that we all buy something from the bookstore, yet we all get different treatments.

Four, I really “love” the dress code policy of De La Salle. It gives the students a lot of “freedom.” How come students in Ateneo are allowed to wear sandos and slippers? Well, the argument is that DLSU students have to look presentable. Honestly, what’s the use of looking presentable if the attitude of the person is something that is not presentable to the public in the first place?

Fifth, I’ll always “love” how the De La Salle community has centered its support on the Green Archers alone. We always want to win the general championship but we never support the other sports.

On my sixth “I love”, I know many people would agree on this. De La Salle has one of the highest tuition fees but the students are not getting the quality teachers that they really need. In my case as a marketing student, I consider Ms. Milette Zamora and Mr. David Inocencio as the two marketing professors whom I really learned something from. Mr. Denis Gutierrez is a close third. The others are well, makes one cry and say, “Where is my tuition fee going to?”

Seventh, I just “love” the hassle of seeking the approval of activities. Last term, we planned to hold a sportswriting seminar for our Markeve class. Unfortunately, we had to go through four paperworks without even the assurance of an approval. The planning of activities is already a hard job but the process is even stressing. In addition, time is also not on the students’ side. I think the students are responsible enough to put up their own activities. Or maybe the University thinks otherwise.

Eight, I really “love” the priority enrollment. It just shows how unfair De La Salle is to students with failures. They have to suffer for their whole stay in DLSU because they are ones who aren’t able to attend the classes they want because it has been already closed. I may not be affected with the system because of the advanced enrollee thing, but I have seen a lot of my marketing blockmates fight their way to grab the last three slots in our major classes. Pity them. Again, we are all playing the same tuition but once again, injustice continues to prevail.

The next thing I “love” about DLSU is its long line during the special adjustment period. This is a result of the “successful” priority enrollment. As an example, business students have to pile up in front of the CBE office for the first school week just to get a slot on the adjustment. Despite the slot, students are not guaranteed to get the classes they want. Priority enrollment. Long adjustment lines. This just keeps on getting better and better.

Finally, the non-erasure of failures is the last thing I “love” most of De La Salle. In spite of getting a 2.5 on your second take, the subject you failed is still recorded in your transcript. The only consolation one can get is that the accumulation of failures will be lessened. Other than that, one has to suffer for the rest of his/her life as most companies are looking for students with perfect records.

After writing this column, it would seem that I hate De La Salle. That’s not true. I just love this school a lot that’s why I want it go through some changes and even become a better university.

ARCHERS SECURE, FROM PAGE 14

PHOTO BY CHRIS KISON

PHOTO BY ERIC SIY

Expect the unexpected. Once cellar dwellers, the Green Booters are now at the 2nd spot after postin four straight victories.

Closed door. For the first time in six years, the Lady Archers will be missing the semifinals after ADMU won over FEU.

15 September 2005 12 15 September 2005 13S P O R T S The LaSallian S P O R T S The LaSallian

REUBEN EZRA TERRADO

Archers secure Final 4 ticket

Lady Booters win Adidas Futsal LeagueHaving already conquered women’s collegiate football, the De La Salle Lady Booters decided to use their hands, or feet, at futsal—the world’s version of indoor football.

As it turns out, they’re pretty good at that too.The three-peat UAAP Champs took home the gold from the 1st ADIDAS WOMEN’S FUT-

SAL LEAGUE, emphatically defeating their counterparts from FEU, 6-1 in the Finals played last September 10, at the Adidas Sports Camp in Taguig.

The Lady Booters were led by 2004 UAAP Rookie of the Year Gia Yusi, who scored three of the team’s goals. Three goals from UAAP MVP Stephanie Pheasant, UAAP Rookie of the Year Clarissa Lazaro, and 2003 UAAP Best Goalkeeper Louise Navarro buried the dagger into the hearts of the FEU crowd as the Lady Booters did not wait for another day to cop this tournament.

Unlike in regular football, a futsal match comprises two 20-minute halves, with five players from each team on a reduced field made of the same material as that of a badminton court. The clock stops when the ball is out of play, and the goals are smaller, measuring two meters high and three meters wide.

Apart from the ball being smaller than a regular-sized football, the futsal ball also has a lower bounce, in order to encourage more skillfully focused play.

The Lady Booters are also currently taking part in the Metro Manila Girls Football Associa-tion (MMGFA), as they continue to participate in various warm-up tournaments in preparation for their title-defense.

The Lady Spikers are simply unstoppable.With two more games left in the second

eliminations round, the De La Salle Lady Spikers secured the UAAP leadership after crushing the UP Lady Maroons in three straight sets last Sept.11 at the UPCHK gym.

The defending champions simply domi-nated over the UP Maroons as they ended the match with set scores of 25-8, 25-21, and 25-22.

Despite some service errors, the Taft-based squad still managed to gain the upperhand as they displayed great defense to grab the first set with a huge winning margin. Setter Chie Saet was the key player in the first set as she intensified the spirit of the green and white squad with three service aces.

Not to be outdone, the Lady Maroons quickly established a 3-1 lead early in the second set by banking on several DLSU errors. Both teams displayed a combination of powerful spikes and aces, turning the set into a close battle.However, it was the Lady Spikers who prevailed in the end as Manilla Santos, Carla Llaguno, and Desiree Hern-andez came up with three successive spikes, while Saet contributed two more aces of her own. Despite comebacking efforts by the UP squad, Carissa Gotis’ spike sealed the set with a 25-21 score in favor of the

defending champions.The third set proved to be another close

fight as both teams scored one after the other. The Lady Spikers had its biggest lead at 6 points, 23-17, but the Diliman-based squad managed to turn things around as a few drops and spikes cut down the lead to just two, 24-22. But victory was simply in the hands of the Lady Spikers as former UAAP MVP Hernandez delivered the spike, ending the set and the match with a 25-22 decision.

With the win, the Lady Spikers now hold on to a 10-2 record while the UP Maroons has dropped to a 9-3 slate.

In an earlier game, the Lady Spikers still managed to continue their dominance despite the absence of head coach Ramil de Jesus and prized libero Shermaine Peñano as they swept the Ateneo de Manila Eagles, 3-0, last Sept. 4.

Coach De Jesus and Peñano have left the country due to their preparations for the National Team; nevertheless, the defending champions were able to redeem themselves from their second loss of the season against UST as they triumphed over the Katipunan-based squad with set scores of 25-16, 25-21, and 25-10.

At the start of the first set, the Lady Eagles quickly established a 2-0 lead after Steffi Veluz’s spike and a net violation from

DLSU. However, the Lady Spikers refused to be outscored as Manilla Santos shifted the momentum back to the De La Salle after unleashing a series of tremendous spikes. Desiree Hernandez and comeback-ing Michelle Datuin also helped out with the DLSU attack as they bagged the first set with a nine-point advantage.

Although both teams made a lot of errors in their services, De La Salle still emerged on top with their timely attacks. On the other hand, Lady Eagles Patricia Taganas and Rose Soriano struggled throughout the game as they could not deliver the sets served by teammate Karla Bello. In the end, it was the better performance of the Lady Spikers that gave them the second set, 25-21.

During the third set, the Taft-based squad was determined to crush their archrivals. True enough, Carla Llaguno to-gether with Hernandez and Santos turned out to be the killing machine who destroyed any hopes of an Ateneo comeback, ending the set at 25-10.

According to assistant coach Oliver Al-madro, there are still some things that the team has to improve in preparation for the Final Four. “Although our attack percentage is really impressive, we must still not forget the basics. We need to work harder on our reception and service. This will help us in our upcoming games,” the coach ended.

Lady Spikers grab solo leadership after UP win

Still bothered by a “board room” deci-sion from the league’s higher-ups, domina-tion was simply the word the Green Archers displayed last Sept. 11 when they demolished the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 100-70, at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Archers went surging ahead on their opponents from the get-go with the starting five of Joseph Yeo, Ryan Araña, TY Tang, JR Aquino, and Jun-Jun Cabatu contribut-ing a barrage of points as they raced to an early lead. The Taft-based cagers ended the first quarter in supreme fashion with a 32-12 lead from which the Falcons never recovered from.

“The boys vented their frustration in to-day’s ballgame,” said coach Franz Pumaren, referring to the UAAP Board’s decision to replay their second round match against the University of the East Red Warriors on Sept. 18 (see related article on page 13).

Ryan Araña led the Archers’ balanced scoring attack with 17 points. TY Tang and Joseph Yeo had 12 and 11 each. The Arch-ers edged the Falcons in the turnover points department, 37-28.

With De La Salle having controlled the match early, Pumaren had the luxury of putting in his bench players in the second half rotation. Rookies Kish Co and Lionel Rivera provided quality minutes as Co contributed 9 points while Rivera added 9 markers and 6 rebounds to the Green Archers, who led by as much as 35 points in the game.

The Archers will have the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UE Red Warriors as their remaining opponents in the tournament on Sept. 15 and 18 respectively. With Ateneo on the horizon, Pumaren is very cautious of

the Eagles. “The players are now responding to coach Norman Black’s system. Ateneo is completely a different team from the ones we faced in the first round.”

The win gave the Archers an 8-4 card and cemented their hold in the Final Four with an outside chance of barging into the top two for a twice-to-beat advantage. A win by the Archers to the Eagles (10-3) and the Warriors (10-3) would move them into a three-way tie for second with 10-4 record. The teams with the two higher quotients will meet in a playoff match as they battle each other for the last twice-to-beat advantage.

In their Sept.3 game, the Green Arch-ers made sure that off-court developments would not hinder their performance on-court as they came up with a 59-45 victory over the University of the Philippines Fight-ing Maroons at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Taft-based cagers started the game flat following the announcement that their 86-83 win over UE was reversed by the tech-nical committee. With De La Salle down by one at the end of the third, 40-39, and mo-mentum clearly on the Fighting Maroons’ side, the Archers doused any chances of a UP victory with four straight triples to start the final period. OJ Cua scored behind the arc while Joseph Yeo added two more on back-to-back fashions for a 48-40 count. And even with Mika Vainio scoring to cut the lead to six, diminutive guard TY Tang connected on another shot from the perimeter for a 51-42 cushion midway into the quarter.

Tang continued to deliver again as his six straight points - the last two, a jumper with 1:22 left - finished off the Fighting Maroons, the team chasing the Green Archers for the-

W ith an inconsistent first round behind them, the De La Salle Green Archers have put together a winning run to secure their Final Four slot as they put up convincing victories against the Adamson Falcons and UP Maroons.

CELINE HERNANDEZ AND JHOANNA KAY LEAL

PATRICK SALOMON

ARCHERS SECURE, SEE PAGE 13PHOTO BY ERIC SIY

PHOTO BY DIANE REYES

Closer to the goal. Rico Maierhoffer along with his gellow Green Archers are one step closer to defending their crown after displaying a specaular performance over the Adamson Falcons.

Spikers on a roll. The Lady Spikers cruised past the U.P. Maroons and grabbed their 10th win of the season.

S P O R T SVOL. XLVI NO. 4 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY 15 SEPTEMBER 2005

The LaSallian

GreenGallery

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Leong.Gloriani.Marchadesch