the construction of the approximated P5-mil-

lion Bu main façade facing camp simeon ola, the region V PnP office is expected to be finished by september this year. The façade will be the fifth gate in the main campus and by the time it is opened, it will be the main entrance to the university, while the other four will serve as exits, Architect Leo Del rosario, head planning and design section of the Physi-cal and Development Management office (PDMo) said. however, it is not yet cleared if the main gate will be opened only during special occasions in the university, or it will be the public’s daily entry. “The façade doesn’t only show the

work of art of the architect but the univer-sity’s iconic symbolism of excellence as well,” Del rosario said. using the blueprint of the structure, he explained that the four col-umns represent the four pillars of the univer-sity, i.e. scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The beam stands for the programs offered by the university, he added. Viewed from above, the Bu land-mark resembles the university logo. The ring stands for a unified Bicol region, and the six equal divisions represent the six provinces of the region. The burning torch stands for the wisdom and fire of knowledge of Buenos. Looking from the road level, the landmark resembles the Mayon Volcano, Del rosario expounded. “The plan may still change depend-

ing on the expenses and we might as well include a fountain if we could locate a water source for its maintenance,” he added. he further stated that the 5M bud-get for the project will only cover the first phase expenses of the construction, includ-ing the drainage, electrical, lighting, the con-crete gate and the side road. President Lauraya said that the main façade is the first aesthetic structure built in her term that would show off the university’s image of excellence.Neighbor’s say With the construction of the Bu main façade, the main entrance of Bicoluniversity

►page 2 | BU GATE

Aqueen who shall rule the universe may lose but

she will reclaim what is right-fully hers. Despite the contro-versies that almost stripped her crown for good, Maria Ve-nus raj is finally off to las Ve-gas, nevada, usa to represent the Philippines in the Ms. uni-verse pageant on august 23. raj, the crowned, de-

throned, and subsequently re-instated Bb. Pilipinas universe 2010 has successfully battled against the issues regarding ‘inconsistencies’ in her birth certificate. raj is a graduate of Bachelor of Communication arts major in Journalism of the Bicol university class of 2009. she also received latin honors (Cum laude).

Inconsistencies on March 6, raj was crowned Binibining Pilipinas-universe 2010 at the araneta Coliseum, along with Czarina Gatbonton and Krista Kleiner, who bagged the Binibining Pilipinas-world and Binibining Pilipinas-International titles respectively.

By Gerard francis ogad and Patricia Miguel

Feng Shui: site of new gate unluckyBy Alyssa Joselle Bañares

EVEN the sPot Chosen for the construction

of the new Bu gate did not escape the popular feng shui vibrations. the new Bu gate faces the main entrance of Camp simeon ola, the regional office of the Philippine national Police. an expert of the Chinese prac-tice said it is a feng shui teaching that two entrances must not be situated in front of each other because it invites bad luck. Doing so obstructs the flow of Chi (good luck in Chinese), eduard loquinario, an architect and feng shui practitioner said. ►page 5 | FENG SHUI►page 4 | RAJ C

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JeJeMONfeature | page 8

BU to host SCUAA 2010news | page 4

Frequent brownoutsglitch e-enrolmentanalysis | page 9

Lauraya says it’s her aesthetic legacy

BU awaits completion of P5-M main façade

By sheena ferrer

Raj off to Vegas for Ms. Universe tilt

FACE TO FACE. The proposed aesthetic legacy of President Fay Lauraya in a strategic location facing Camp Simeon Ola.(Photo by Francis Jerard Licup)

2news

Two ColleGes of BICol unI-

VersIty (Bu) integrated a new curriculum in the first semester of academic year 2010-2011. the College of Busi-ness economics and Manage-ment (CBeM) and the College of nursing (Cn) restructured their programs to come up with a revised 5-year Bachelor of science in accountancy (Bsa) Curriculum and a 4-year Bachelor of science in Mid-wifery (BsM) Course respec-tively. the Commission on higher education (CheD) is-sued the implementation of the said programs through CheD Memorandum 3 series of 2007 and no.14. accountancy stu-dents are now enjoined to pursue five years of rigorous academic requirements of the Bsa program while nursing students who are affiliated in the ladder curriculum is man-dated to have 37-39 units of Bs Midwifery course. “Most universities in our country are already offer-ing 5-year programs in their accountancy curriculum, which incorporates certain elements that support to im-prove the quality of educa-tion as far as the accountancy curriculum is concerned,” Pro-fessor Mark ng, proponent of the curriculum said.

ng remarked that they have been tackling the curriculum since 2007 upon the CheD Memorandum or-der. according to him, they have already conducted fea-sibility studies to consider the things they need in order to attain its desired outcomes. likewise, Dean emer-linda alcala of Cn said that ladder students will no longer enjoy their summer vacation and their semestral breaks be-cause of the added units from the new curricula. “CheD Memoran-dum order (CMo) no. 5 was changed by CMo no. 14 which greatly affected the ladder students in BuCn. aside from the 37-39 units of Midwifery course, they will take their summer affiliation after they finish level 3. they will fur-ther know nursing concepts by the use of this affiliation in Manila,” she added. the revised nursing curriculum was approved by the Board of reagents (Bor).

‘Alternative’ career path embedded within the revised five-year Bsa cur-riculum is the four-year Bach-elor of science in Managerial accounting (BsMa). ng said that the new program can give alterna-tives for accounting students who are not able to meet the academic requirements of the

accountancy curriculum. “CheD recommends that schools offering accoun-tancy as a course should offer the said degree within a five-year context, which is an al-ternative career path to those students who would not be able to meet the rigorous aca-demic requirements of the Bsa program.” ng elaborated that once a student fails the com-prehensive exam in account-ing, they can opt to pursue BsMa as a course. But if he passes the comprehensive exam for accounting students which is usually given a year after, the student can still go back in Bsa. on the other hand, once a student finishes the entire course of BsMa, he will be recognized as a Certified Management accountant (CMa) but he can no longer take the Certified Public ac-countant (CPa) Board exam. unlike in the previ-ous years, students only have two options-’transfer to other school’ or ‘shift to another course’.

Academic enhancement Dean alcala of Cn also said that the college is conducting battery exams and enhancement classes to equip its students all that they will need for the licensure ex-aminations.

“whether they are enrolled in the regular or lad-der curriculum, they are still obliged to attend their sum-mer classes in their first two years in college,” she men-tioned. as of press time, the college is also proposing the incorporation of the Doctor-ate Degree in Medicine in their programs. “the purpose of cre-ating this Doctorate Degree in Medicine is for giving Bi-colanos a chance to produce efficient physicians in our re-gion and to give them a qual-ity education at a lower cost,” alcala complimented. Dr. helen llenaresas, vice president for academic affairs (VPaa) affirmed that the university is gearing for the proposed integration of the degree in Medicine. “Putting up new cur-ricula is not that easy. It re-quires facilities and machines for a course to be credible. If the facilities next academic year will be ready, we can probably already add Medi-cine in the list of courses of-fered in Bu, ” she said. aside from the Doc-torate Degree in Medicine, Bachelor of science in Indus-trial Design is also on the pro-cess of approval for integra-tion in the university’s offered courses.

BS Accountancy, Nursing overhaul program curriculaBy Mark harris Lim

Knights decry ‘too small’ headquarters

By Michael Gallego and reynard Magtoto

With the renoVAtion of the Grandstand in

April, the Bicol university reserve officers training corps unit (Burotcu) lost its home, and was relocated to a room at the ear-ly and Late childhood opportunity Program (eLcoP) building as its new headquarters. The Burotc used to occupy the most of the ground floor and part of the sec-ond floor of the Grandstand since its estab-lishment in April 6, 1971. As the years passed, the room given to the unit became smaller, until it was finally moved to the tiny room in eLcoP. The office of the corps command-er and staff, Department of Military science and tactics office, and the Armory, were all squeezed in the room. “The new headquarters is too nar-row for the training of officers and cadets,” corps commander Janine Miña, Bu Knights (official name of Burotc) said. When the unit held its office at the grandstand, good camaraderie among all classes transpired, resulting to an excellent performance. The present headquarters can-not hold the population of rotc cadets, she added.challenge Because of the relocation, the Bu-rotcu’s five-year streak as the most out-standing rotc unit in the Bicol region may be at stake. According to Prof. rolando Llona, Bu college of industrial technology (cit) nstP coordinator and one of the rotc instructors said it is a major loss for the re-gional Annual Administrative Performance evaluation (rAAPe), since a large percentage is dedicated to a unit’s headquarters. however, with the ardour of a true Knight, corp commander Miña promised that even if it will be hard for them to train the officers with the new headquarters, the unit will still strive to be the rAAPe champion. Lacking a decent lecture area, the Burotcu devised a plan on how they will cope with the situation. companies “A”, “B”, and “c” are designated as one group, and the rest with another. While the first group marches and practices drills, the second will have lecture and discussion. Then the two groups trade places after an allotted time. The cramped space hinders the of-ficers to work to their maximum efficiency, especially during training. “it’s hard for the cadets, but harder for the officers who lead and manage them,” Miña said. The Knights have a nil chance to get their former barracks back since the grand-stand is now under the jurisdiction of the institute of Physical education, sports, and recreation (iPesr), Llona said. According to Prof. Marilou Bor-ja, iPesr director, she wrote a letter to the President stating that the rotc unit will be transferred to another headquarters due to the grandstand renovation. The Knights expressed their dire need to have a decent office for lectures and trainings. “They must have their rotc build-ing and own budget,” Borja said. Miña said there is a proposal to build a permanent building for the cadets which will be located near the Pavilion, but the nstP office does not have a budget for it. “The supposed rotc building will have the nstP on the second floor. The budget will be 13 million pesos. The layout is just a proposal and will wait for approval,” ivy Jensen Jacob, nstP lecturer said in behalf of nstP Director rowena Zoilo who is on leave. As of press time, Miña said that they have requested for another room in the eLcoP building to extend their office. (see related photo on the next page)

and camp simeon ola will be directly op-posite each other. Meanwhile some person-nel in the camp said this set-up might cause serious traffic jams, especially because the road between the two gates is the national highway. “i understand that Bu wanted to ensure the security of its students provided that our PnP officers can look after them but the safety of the motorists must have also been considered. even a highway patrol officer can do nothing with the serious traffic jam it will create,” chief superintendent el-izer Bron, PnP V said. Bron said that though the con-struction of the facade speaks of the region’s identity, Bu still has to have a concrete ratio-nale and back-up plan that will support its proposal. A PnP officer shared that the camp ola used to have two main entrances which were replaced by the present main en-trance of the camp. one was located in front of the college of Arts and Letters while the other was in front of the Bu General Admin Building. These gates were replaced because Bu too, had opened gates in front of those of camp ola’s.

now, for the third time around, Bu gate will again face the camp’s gate, the PnP officer who requested not to be named said. Bron, in support to the claim of his personnel also remarked that in the feng shui belief, Bu’s architectural plan for the facade is not advised for it may attract bad luck for both institutions (see related story on page 1)

Defense Architect Del rosario said that the members of the Board of regents (Bor) are the ones who proposed the project and the PDMo personnel just followed orders. “i am just following the admin’s order and it is their prerogative to place the façade in front of the camp, or build it in front of any institution because there is no law or building code saying that it is prohib-ited or condemned,” Architect Del rosario defended. he added that those who oppose the plan should have aired their sentiments during his presentation of the drafted project in front of the members of the Board of re-gents, the President, and other concerned of-ficers of the university. he parried allegation that the admin did not consult the univer-sity’s security officer regarding the project’s planning and bidding process. “it is not my responsibility to pres-ent the plan to the security officer solely be-cause they are expected to be present during the presentation but they didn’t come,” Del rosario said. Meanwhile, President Lauraya said there was no point in considering the side on the issue of camp ola because it is a separate institution from the university. trees down some 20 trees along the path from cAL to the Gen. Admin Building were cut down to give space for the construction of

the new gate, the constructors said. The uni-versitarian sought for answers to questions regarding the legality of this action. Jerry B. Advicuto, chief of forest resources conservation Division of Albay, said that the administration of an institution has the right to do whatever it plans to the university’s resources given that the institu-tion’s development is its primary concern. in the situation of Bu, this rule applies, he said. he cited section 3 of Presidential Decree no. 953 which states, “ Any person who cuts, destroys, damages or injures, natu-rally growing or planted trees of any kind, school premises or in any other public ground or place except when the cutting, destroying, damaging or injuring is necessary for public safety or the pruning thereof is necessary to enhance beauty, and only upon the approval of the duly authorized representative of the head of agency or political subdivision hav-

◄ page 1 | BU GATE

► page 10| BU GATE

REPLACEMENT. Some 20 trees were cut down for the construction of a path that stretches from the CAL building to the General Admin building(Photo by Francis Jerard Licup)

3news

2nd BU President dies at 86By Arianne Labayo

A lIfe well-lIVeD off-sets hIs DeMIse.

to students, he was just known as the 2nd President of Bicol university (Bu), but to the faculty and personnel who had the chance to work with him be-fore, he was more than that. the Bu community paid tribute to the late retired Judge aquilino P. Bonto during his burial mass and necrological services held on June 28 at the st. Gregory the Great Cathedral, old albay, legazpi City. the for-mer president passed away of kidney cancer on June 22 at the age of 86. Bonto was appointed Bu president on May 9, 1980, took his oath of office on May 12, and assumed position on May 13. he succeeded ricardo arcilla, one of the university’s founders. on January 7, 1986, he was given permanent appoint-ment by the former President of the Philippines, ferdinand e. Marcos. he tendered his cour-tesy resignation following the proclamation of President Corazon C. aquino in 1986, but remained in his post in compli-

ance with a Ministry of educa-tion, Culture, and sports (MeCs) memorandum. on July 30, 1986, Judge Bonto was reappointed to the post by MeCs Minister lourdes r. quisumbing. the reappointment stated that his term expires on January 7, 1992.

Term of office as Bu president, Bonto was known for his fair and just treatment to all. During his term, organizational changes were made to achieve greater effi-ciency and effectiveness. he pur-sued the establishment of the Bu extension Program in Metro Manila, the Bu Development foundation, and the regional Institute of fishery technology designed to offer a strengthened diploma in fisheries technology. significant increase of curricular offerings from 23 to 32 was made possible and the five-year Perspective Develop-ment Plan with Bu becoming a Center for excellence in higher education was crafted. he also collaborated with the Philippine Council for agriculture and resources re-search who directed the univer-sity research Program to priori-

tize coco-based farming system and socio-economics. “one of his greatest ac-complishments is the empow-erment of deans and directors in the institution. he influenced the entire PasuC (Philippine as-sociation of state universities and Colleges) to share the power of deans and directors and make decision making decentralized,” stated Professor felipe Jose Per-alta, one of the late president’s colleagues. Bonto established link-ages between the Bu research and statistics Center and key government agencies and in-stitutions like the fiber Industry Development authority (fIDa), national economic Develop-ment authority (neDa), Ministry of agriculture and university of the Philippines (uP) los Baños during his time. he signed a Memoran-dum of agreement between Bu and the Bureau of forest Devel-opment (BfD) that made avail-able the parcel of public forest land for the BfD-Bu upland agri-culture and watershed Develop-ment Project. the project served as the university’s forest/ water-shed laboratory for instruction

and research purposes. In his administration, the extension service Center undertook projects along infor-mation dissemination, short-term training and non-formal education, special support, action-cum-research, and staff development to transfer new knowledge and useful tech-nology to out-of-school youth, farmers, unemployed adults, small entrepreneurs and change agents in Bicol region.

Iron-man During his term, Bonto was consistent and unshakeable amidst problems besetting the university. “he is very strict. he considers Bu as a courtroom. he would pound the table with his hand like a gavel during confer-ences,” Prof. Peralta detailed. Despite his position, the late president remained well-grounded and down-to-earth. he would walk from his home on emilio Jacinto st., near De Vera Institute of technology to Bu everyday. he was feared by many for his straightforward manners, but he was well-respected and

loved for his actions, words and deeds. “I remember he would tell those who did not attend the flag ceremony to report to his office not later than 24 hours and explain the reason why they were absent. then he would yell, ‘if you can’t do that, submit your resignation letters!’” Peralta re-lated.

Unsevered ties Bonto’s contributions to the university did not stop even after his retirement. he became the legal adviser of the succeed-ing administrations. Because of his brilliance as a lawyer and judge, his successors continued to consult him about adminis-trative and legal matters con-cerning the institution. and until his death, Judge Bonto was a counselor and mentor of incumbent Presi-dent fay lea Patria lauraya. at this point, the biog-raphy of former President Bonto is already closed. But it ended on a note of completion, rather than tragedy.

USC reviews fund appropriations, forms external auditing groupBy Michael angelo Gallego

BASeD on reVieWs conducted by the

university student council (usc) and the office of student services (oss) this school year, most financial reports submitted to their office by the different college/univer-sity Based organizations (cBo/uBo) are

either faulty or poorly prepared. “The usc and oss will intensify monitoring and training of the different stu-dent organizations to help them in manag-ing their funds which are collected from the students,” usc chairperson Daisy Lleno said. The council and the oss will launch the financial Management train-ing (fMt) in cooperation with the college of Business, economics, and Management (cBeM) to train officers of the proper mon-etary management and how to craft well-accounted and well-written financial state-ments, Lleno disclosed. Prof. Glenn narvaez, oss dean, sent a request to the Bicol university presi-dent regarding the training scheme. he ex-presses the need for it in order to have an ‘organized financial reporting’, compared to the muddled presentations of the organiza-tions in the previous years. “since they collect fees from the students, they need to be transparent and responsible enough to be accountable for it,” Lleno added.

Prof. Mark ng of the Accountancy Department of cBeM will be the resource speaker for the training. This is a Basic Ac-countancy 101 training course that will give a ‘hands-on’ or practical approach on finan-cial accounting to student leaders ng will also be responsible for recruiting students who will compose the external auditing body that the usc envi-sions to create. They will undergo rigid train-ing under the university’s Junior Philippine institute of Accountants (JPiA). Mark ian Garbo, incumbent usc auditor will be the chairman of the new auditing body. The usc’s internal funding will be audited by the new task force to prove the council’s grave desire to implement the pro-gram, Lleno said.

Financial assistance Meanwhile, the usc may subsidize expenses or allowance of Bu students who shall represent the university in a competi-tion or convention upon tendering a formal request to the council. A set of criteria will still be considered of course, Lleno stated.

A subsidy of P10, 000 to every csc shall now be granted. in addition, the csc’s planned activities or events may also receive a grant, provided that their proposals will be approved by the usc. All uBos and cBos are also en-titled for the usc-sponsoring just minus the five-digit supporting funds.

Year-plan The usc seeks to revive its publica-tion, sandigan. Their newsletter is supposed to contain the council’s accomplishment re-port for every academic year. other major activities slated in the council’s calendar are the 8th students Gov-ernment training (sGt), the annual sep-tember festival and the 3rd Bu Parliament on January. At the end of the academic year, the usc will recognize the Most Accomplished organization among accredited student groups in the university, Lleno said. tribute to the Bueños, a kick-off party for the grad-uating students, is also anticipated.

DISPLACED. The BU-ROTC now oc-cupies the small room at the ELCOP building as its new headquarters.(Photo by Christian Antiquerra)

FINAL SALUTE. BU community renders its final hymn during the late 2nd presi-dent’s necrological service on June 28.(Photo by Editha Aileen Mijares)

4news

BU to host Reg’l SCUAA 2010 Athletes gear to keep champ title

ThE VICtors wIll strIVe to seCure the toP spot again, especially this year that their

home school will serve as the regional sports arena. host school Bicol university (Bu), as well as its representative athletes, are making grand preparations to defend their title against its rival schools in the up-coming state Colleges and universities athletes asso-ciation (sCuaa) meet on november 8-12. Being the overall champion in the previous years, Bu is still confident that its athletes will keep the streak alive. aside from Bu, there are other seven state col-leges and universities that will participate in the sCuaa meet namely: Catanduanes state College (CsC), Partido state university (Psu),Camarines norte state College (CnsC), Dr. emilio B. espinosa sr. Memorial state College of agriculture and technology (DeBesMsCat), Central Bicol state university in agriculture (CBsua), and last year’s host, Camarines sur Polytechnic College (CsPC). “as this year’s host, the Bu administration

ameliorates the facilities and equipment to be used in the games. the athletes are up for intensive training,” Prof. Marilou Borja, Bu-Institute of Physical education, sports, and recreation (IPesr) director said. During the sCuaa meet, each suite will pro-vide its own equipment. the IPesr itself will purchase new equipment such as soccer balls and other sports paraphernalia to be used in the Bu-lympics and sCuaa meet.

host’s preparation Bu’s turn of hosting the regional meet was sup-posed to be last academic year, but CsPC requested to host the sCuaa meet in honor of their outgoing presi-dent, Prof. alan Diaz, university sports coordinator said. Bu then focused on its 40th foundation anniversary. “In sCuaa, presidents of the participating state Colleges and universities draw lots to determine which will be the first, next, and last to host the meet, then it is followed in a cycle,”

By reynard Magtoto

◄page 4 | RAJ however, on March 29,barely a month after her coronation, raj was dethroned by the Binibining Pilipi-nas Charities, Inc. (BPCI), after “discovering inconsisten-cies contained in her birth records, in contrast to her personal account of her birth.” BPCI claims that raj was accounted being born in Doha, qatar and was a product of wedlock, as op-posed to what was written on her birth certificate that stated her being born in the Philippines by filipino par-ents. Prior to her dethronement, BPCI lawyers met with the beauty queen and informed her of the tragic news. as accounted by raj, she was presented with two options – to resign or be dethroned. Determined as she was, she refused to answer and sign any papers and de-cided to seek legal advice instead. she was replaced by then Binibining Pilipinas-2nd runner up helen nicolette henson.

Support the BPCI’s decision caused uproar among fili-pino supporters, including fans from other countries, which encouraged raj to fight for her crown. her fol-lowers rendered online petitions, signature campaigns, facebook fan pages, blogs, and demand letters to BPCI and even to the Miss universe organization (Muo) as a protest to BPCI’s pronouncement. In an interview with the Buzz, raj said, “yes, [I will fight for it because] I deserve the crown. sobrang sakit lang na sinasabi nila na disqualified ako because I was born out of wedlock. Kung may inconsistencies, sana lang from the very beginning sinabi na sana nila [Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc.] para hindi na ako umasa. hindi malinaw why I was dethroned.” even government figures expressed their will to help raj with her predicament. Justice secretary leila de lima, former senator loren legarda, representative liza Maza of Gabriela, albay Governor Joey salceda and Dante Jimenez of Volunteers against Crime and Corrup-tion (VaCC) deplored the decision made by the Binibin-ing Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI). on the social networking site facebook, thou-sands of her friends and fans expressed frustration and anger at the pageant organizer’s decision to take back the crown from raj, which sparked the creation of the Petition for Venus raj to remain as Bb. Pilipinas-universe 2010 fan page.

Reinstatement for “humanitarian” reasons, BPCI finally took back their decision on april 10, allowing raj to reclaim her title, with this sudden turn out she must obtain a valid Philippine passport not later than June this year and that corrections on her birth certificate must be made. on May 19, raj, with the help of her lawyer, atty. Gigi Martinez, successfully got her valid Philippine passport from the Department of foreign affairs (Dfa). the Dfa stated that raj is a filipino citizen, as supported by the “right of blood” principle, a basic right in the Philippine Constitution which bestows upon a person’s citizenship of her father and mother regardless of where the person is born. Based on this constitutional principle, along with the interviews and the documents presented by raj, the Dfa decided to grant her a pass-port. raj is the first dethroned Bb. Pilipinas titlist to have been reinstated. other dethroned Bb. Pilipinas ti-tlists in the past were anjanette abayari (Bb. Pilipinas-universe, 1991), tisha silang (Bb. Pilipinas-universe, 1 9 9 8 ) , and Janelle Bautista ( B b . Pi l ip inas- universe, 1999). abayari, sil- a n g and Bautista were d e -throned due to is-sues concerning their citizenship – both abayari and Bautista are us citizens while silang is a Canadian.

Indebted at this point, raj want-ed to extend her gratitude to the people who constantly sup-

ported her all throughout her career. “I believe that my victory is a result of collective prayers, assistance and guidance from her parents, relatives and friends,” raj told the universitarian. “first, I would like to thank Mama for always be-ing there for me and for doing her best to raise me. sec-ond, to my sisters who are my biggest fans,” she said. “I’d like to thank also all my supporters even those I do not know personally, for praying for me and believing in what I can do. and to my friends, especially Mau, Dunhill, Bubbles and Bem, for showing their un-ending support in all my endeavours and for always let-ting me know that I can always cry on their shoulders when things go wrong,” the beauty queen shared. Venus also recognized the people who honed her as a beauty queen. “there are a lot of people who helped me be-come who I am right now: my talent scouts who believed in my capacity and improved my weak points; my talent scout from Bato who jumpstarted my career as a beauty queen. I also have a talent scout in naga who pushed me to join Miss Phil. earth and Bb. Pilipinas. and of course my supporters and friends in legazpi who never got tired of pushing me to reach my goals,” she added. “to all the people who supported me and who are continuously supporting me in this new journey, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you won’t stop praying for me.I will do my best to make you all proud again. salamat po saindo gabos,” she stated in her facebook page.

Down to earth raj had lived in a nipa hut made of wood, bam-boo and anahaw leaves with no electricity in the middle of a sprawling rice field in the rural town of Bato, Ca-marines sur for more than 20 years. walking on a rice paddy dike was her early training for walking on fashion runways. the youngest of five children, raj started joining

local beauty pageants when she was 17 years old, as well as oratorical contests at san Vicente high school. Maria lourdes Pili, her english teacher, served as her coach for these oratorical contests. Prior to winning the Ms. universe crown, she was already a titlist in a national pageant when she was crowned as Ms. Philippines earth- eco tourism 2008. Dur-ing her college years, she was hailed Ms. College of arts and letters 2007 and became the 1st runner-up Bicol university 2007. she became Ms. Bicolandia 2007 2nd runner-up and was the Ms. Kaogma tourism 2007. with her winnings in major contests, she started to buy land on installment basis for her mother.

Conquering the universe It’s all set for Venus to represent the Philippines in the Miss universe 2010 beauty pageant which will be held at the Mandalay Bay events Center in Mandalay Bay resort and Casino in las Vegas, nevada on august 23. raj and the other reigning beauties are cur-rently attending seminars to help them improve their public speaking, language, catwalk, make-up and poise, as sponsored by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc (BPCI). raj said that she had gone through a lot of trou-ble and shed tears when she was dethroned. But she also revealed that she has already surpassed all the troubles she went through. observers expressed apprehension that raj may experience difficulties with the Miss universe orga-nization due to the problems encountered in her coun-try. however, raj believed that she will not encoun-ter so, since the issue has been settled in the Philippines. she also added that the issue was a blessing in disguise in terms of media mileage among candidates for the Miss universe pageant. raj left on august 4, proudly bearing the Philip-pine flag and wearing the true Pinay beauty.

►page 10 | SCUAA

GRAND RENOVATION. The newly renovated grand stand awaits the 2010 Regional SCUAA slated on November.(Photo by Christian Antiquerra)

sources:www.wikipedia.comwww.abscbnnews.comwww.inq7.net

5opinion

BU speaks: what will it be under P-Noy?compiled by: Bryan Anthony Liwag

after all the political propaganda thrown against him during the campaign period of the May 2010 elections, President Benigno simeon “P-noy” Cojuangco aquino III promised to uplift the economic status of all filipinos through exterminating the shadows of corruption in his administra-tion.

his inauguration as the 15th President of the republic of the Philippines on June 30 was deemed by the fiipinos as a new page in the history of the beloved motherland.

ThE BICoL UNIVERSITARIAN asked the Bu community about their insights of how the aquino administration will be.

“I foresee a brighter future. Noynoy will pursue what his parents had started. Although, he is facing a great challenge because of the things left undone by the former president, I believe that he can make it all the way and make our country become one of the first world countries.”

- Marvie TamayoEconomics student

“I hope he can walk the talk, but I know it’s hard for him because of the hindrances and undone things left by the previous administration, but because of his honesty and more esteemed credibility [according to SWS survey as of now], I know he can contribute a lot.” - Prof. Liza B. Alvarado

College of Business Economics and Management“I want to give him a chance to prove himself. In time of political black propaganda, I will give him the benefit of the doubt but he must also face the fair public proceedings.” - Dandee M. Bitancor

PHilces President, Environmental Envoy

“The Philippines will be more produc-tive than it was during the previous administration.” - Darlyn Arcinue

1st year Economics student, CBEM

“Just like the previous president, Noynoy will face controversies that would make the people hate him. I think Noynoy could contribute for the progress of our county, but not all people would trust him.” - Iana Bianca Narvaez

1st year Economics student, CBEM

“The Philippines today is doomed by poverty and economic crisis. But through Noynoy, with him and in him, I still believe a true leader was born to serve the Filipinos with all sincer-ity. He is a leader who sees the im-portance of each individual.” - B.A. Liwag

Vice President for Production, UFO

Iana Bianca Narvaez1st year Economics student, CBEM

“In my opinion, true success does not depend on the president alone but on everybody’s cooperation.”

Francis CargulloCSC Vice President , CS

“He’s a great leader. He started exposing the wrongdoings of the previous administration. It will con-tribute to an effective governance and excellent economic growth.”

Mary Ann Burabod4th year, BEED

“I hope his administration is better than the previous.”

Vermon Timbas President, Chemical Science Society

“Maybe the people will abuse his being undecisive.”

Rey Anthony OstriaAssociate Editor,Budyong

“We can only expect the same re-sults as with the pass admin from P-noy if we won’t join to be part of the solution. Apathy had us dying, apathy cures nothing, and apathy needs to die now.”

Prof. Cecil Respicio, IPESR

“He will focus on health and edu-cation. With regards the economy, there is no assurance of progres-siveness.”

StUDeNtS’LOUNGe? will this space be yours?

this column is open to all Bu students. send your contributions to unibe.online@gmail.com. limit your article to 300-500 words.Chosen contribution is subject to editing for

space and clarity. It will be published in our next issue.Indicate your name, course and year, college and a brief description of yourself.

6EDITORIAL

it’s crazy how people would

go crazy over crazy things. it’s funny hearing a friend say she’s head-over-heels in love with Daniel radcliffe, and that she has a theme song for him, “i Knew i Loved You (Before i Met You)”. some years back, it’s amusing how people would flock on the sidewalks to buy “Meteor Garden” or “Boys over flow-ers” memorabilia. Just last year, K-pop invaded the Philippines which even resulted to a local version, “P-pop”. i remember how i almost hated riding in a jeepney because the only song i heard everytime was, “nobody but You”. i could not believe how the world mourned over the death of Michael Jackson. i admit i’m crazy too. i will admit that i dream to be just like Lois Lane, a hard-core journalist and the love interest of superman (i know you are keeping something crazy too). All these are but some of the countless madness in this world that i’ve witnessed in 19 years. The Philippines indeed is no exception. i was in Manila the day former President cory Aquino died. i witnessed how the metropolis was prepared for the commemoration of her demise. i saw how the avenues, posts and buildings were immediately clad with yellow ribbons. The atmosphere was really strange. in every corner i went, there’s always something about cory. even the national dailies have changed their masthead colors into yellow for awhile. The yellow fever began. That fever even triggered President noynoy Aquino’s bid for presidency. it was all because of the people’s madness. he was forced to say “yes” to an offer he never wished to take. former President cory deserves that kind of commemoration, being the country’s icon of democracy. What noynoy decided to do after her mother’s

death was the result of illogical philosophy of the masses. experience-wise, he wasn’t a pro. it was really mad. it was just like presenting a special number unprepared just because nobody was left to do it, or the one who was tasked did not show up. noynoy though had taken the brave mandate. election came and he received the blessing of the people. he’s the People’s President they say. nine out of 10 filipinos trust President noynoy, the July 2010 Pulse Asia’s survey revealed. it was the high-est rating recorded since Pulse Asia inc. started its trusts surveys in 1999. This is quite notable. it was way too different from the ratings GMA received while she was in office. A lot of desperate filipinos believe that noynoy has to be the ‘best’ president the country has got. in fact, dur-ing his sonA, tessie Daza, wife of samar rep. raul Daza paraded in her yellow neck-to-toe outfit and greeted the media with details about her terno. she even had her fingernails painted in black and yellow accented with the Aquino signature rib-bon. “P-noy is the greatest president. his victory emanated from above,” she said. Well, that is too much of an exaggeration. filipinos are becoming too fanatic. With regards the water short-age in Manila lately, a resident of tondo said, “Baka sinasabutahe na si noynoy.” GMA’s legacy of dirty politics must have traumatized the filipinos too much that in times of dearth like this, the blame will always be hers. This is a plus for noynoy

but he better act fast and quench the people’s thirst for good public governance. it is never wise to test the patience of the people. especially not that of the filipino people. The Yellow fever will eventually die down if he fails to meet the expecta-tions of the masses. he has accepted the agony of being the successor of the country’s political quandaries. he is tasked to follow his martyred

parents’ footsteps; more so, he is expected to surpass their steps. Another madness of the filipinos is when they hate, they really condemn. When they condemn, they really abhor. Arroyo is a living proof of the people’s madness. noynoy may follow the same fate if he failed the expectations of the people. Majority of the voting public decided to put noynoy where he is right now. now, there’s no option left but for noynoy and the country to move forward. he has the next six year to maintain his saintly image and prove that he is indeed the People’s president, or he has it to prove that the people have been crazy enough electing him as the chief executive. A lot more of crazy incidents have happened in the Philippines. There goes the ‘zero crime rate’ every time Man-ny Pacquiao has a boxing match. People over-reacted about Willie revillame’s deci-sion to leave the defunct noontime show Wowowee. Well, i’m glad he quit. even President Aquino had been a subject for sanity check. During the heat of the campaign season last May, an al-leged black propaganda from the naciona-lista Party came out that accused noynoy of being mentally disturbed. i am learning to enjoy watch-ing crazy occurrences unfold before me. Perhaps i’m getting used to it that it doesn’t bother me anymore. Much more, i’m starting to convince myself that the moment we question our sanity means we have sound minds because we still care.

sArAh B. MorAn

daybreakinklingswarning to madness

thirtY fiVe Minutes. That’s all it took for

President Benigno “P-noy” Aquino iii to unveil a laundry list of anomalies that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo got herself into dur-ing her nine years of tenure. in that 35 minutes too, Aquino earned 29 applauses and made a his-tory of not having militant groups outside the Batasang Pambansa who burn his effigies and bawl for his ouster. it was something different. scarier. While it took Aquino only 35 minutes to summarize the former president’s felonies to the people, it posted a greater challenge for him to prove himself as a better President. too much had been said in his sonA, but also too less. in his sonA, he detailed the squan-dering of the public coffers under the Arroyo administration, misappropriation of calam-ity funds for GMA’s district in Pampanga; too much importation of rice that were only left to rot in warehouses (while 4 million filipinos do not eat three times a day); misallocation of mo-tor vehicle user’s charges for infrastructure proj-ects of the DPWh; napocor being slumped in debt after the government (in preparation for the 2010 election),forced the corporation to sell elec-tricity at a loss; and the extravagant grants given to the members of the board of trustees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and sewerage system (MWss) despite its substandard leadership. in the P1.5-trillion budget for 2010, P949.2-billion had been released and only P591.4-billion is remained. of this, P300 billon was already allotted for automatic appropriations that means only P191.4 billion is left for the last five months of the year. This enumeration reflects what the present president has on his shoulders right now. But in his speech, he failed to concretely identify what he will do to expunge all traces of GMA’s mess. he did not give ‘hard-headed’ solutions to the existing problems. notice too, that Aquino did not men-tion anything about hacienda Luisita, the 6,000-hectare land owned by the cojuangco family. not even once did he mention about agricultural reform or immediate relief for the farmers and farm workers. rep. rafael Mariano of the Anak-Pawis was reportedly barred from entering the session hall unless he ditched his salakot with the words, “true land reform now”. “he did not mention anything about land reform or immediate relief for the people, purely economic rhetoric,” said Axel Pinpin, sec-retary general of the Katipunan ng mga samah-ang Magbubukid sa timog Katagalugan after the President’s sonA. As a leader who advocates for genuine change, Aquino must exhume all causes of public doubt. Answer everything, including the issue on hacienda Luisita. Give straightforward answers. hit the bull’s-eye. While Aquino delivers his first sonA at the Batasang Pambansa, GMA was in hong Kong, reportedly to accompany his husband for a medical check-up. But apparently, she flew off to escape from humiliation from Aquino’s sonA. in the same way, his sonA could also be the perfect avenue for Aquino to concretely answer and finally settle the issue about haci-enda Luisita. But he didn’t. What GMA did was explainable, she’s known for escaping when controversies about her are at their peak of discussion. now, does noynoy plan to do the same? Many might have overlooked this detail during his sonA, but just the same, he still has the next six years to answer and endure the mob. he cannot escape.

No Escape

The Bicol Universitarian Editorial Board and Staff AY 2010-2011EDITOR IN CHIEF sarah B. Moran ASSOCIATE EDITOR JyreVI Mae a. fernanDeZ MANAGING EDITOR taMar C. antonIo SE-

NIOR EDITOR arlene Joy P. DerIlo ONLINE CONTENT EDITOR nICo P. arBoleDa GRAPHICS EDITOR MIKhaIl D. ChaVeZ WRITERS GerarD franCIs oGaD, alyssa Joselle BaÑares, aMaBelle loreMIa, sheena ferrer, MarK harrIs lIM, ruther flores, JoVIC yee, anGelBert VIllena, reynarD MaGtoto, MIChael anGelo GalleGo, arIanne laBayo,

PatrICIa MIGuel, Jennylyn oanZon, Bryan anthony lIwaG CARTOONISTS raul DIaZ Jr, lou XaVIer lauraya, nICK ManGaMPo Jr, Jonathan PaPasIn, arVIll VIllaMor WEBMASTERS MarK lawrenCe santIaGo, JulIus faune PHOTO-

JOURNALISTS eDItha aIleen MIJares, franCIs JerarD lICuP, ChrIstIan antIquIera PUBLIC RELATIONS STAFF MarK anIel, sushMIta BalInDan, IrIsh BerMas, IVy CasCante, VeVIe VIa GaleMBa, Jessa Mae JarIlla, PatrIXIa santos TECHNICAL

ADVISER Prof. felIPe Jose Peralta | Office at 2F BUCAL Building, Legazpi City http://www.unibeonline.com

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opinion

7JYreVi MAe A. fernAnDeZ

ratedPG

PerseveranceBrowsing through the microblogging website tumblr, i came across a photograph of a young boy picking up lit-tered plastic bottles after President Benigno Aquino iii’s first state of the nation Address outside congress. There were prob-ably two options why he was

doing it; it’s either he’s an environ-mentalist, or he’s collect-ing these bottles to be taken and sold

to the nearest junkshop so that he could have some-thing to eat for dinner. i believe it’s the latter. in the photo’s little way, it created a commotion of the same pro-portion among the filipino followers of the said blog. it’s another sign of poverty in the country. Wasn’t the boy supposed to be learning new

things at school, having fun and be meeting new friends? he is supposed to be having a normal childhood. But no, he’s busy toiling to provide for his empty stomach. But come to think of it, is poverty something that should hinder one from gaining access to quality education? i think not. This is the very reason why public schools and state universities exist; to give quality education to the poor and deserving iskolars ng Bayan. These schools are highly subsidized by the government; the Department of education having the biggest budget allocation. These efforts make education available to those belonging

to the low income bracket. sometimes it’s only a matter of perseverance. if you tend to go Juan tamad with your antics, success will seem to be an unattainable, impossible dream. take the Philippines’ representative for Miss universe, Venus raj, as an example. she came from a poor family, but she studied hard and strived to get a college degree. she even managed to graduate with Latin honors (cum Laude). And there are so much more like Ate Venus, who strived their way to success. even if you don’t

have enough resources, scholarships are available for the poor but deserving. in Albay, the local government offers the Albay higher education contribu-tion scheme (Ahecs), which targets to produce a college graduate for every family in the province.

nico P. ArBoLeDA

absoluteinsanity

tAMAr c. Antonio

iCUsee

‘Flushing’ lightsIf I aM the PresIDent, then prob-

ably you would not be reading this haphazard column as of this moment because by then, I am al-ready delivering my first state of the nation’s address (sona) at the Bu Commencement Grounds. But since our ambiguous reality reminds me that I am not the President, I would just utilize this column to let our P-noy be aware of the problems faced by our beloved institution. first, I’ll let him know that our comfort rooms have been spared of proper sanitation and sufficient water supply for four years and that I opted to mention only four years because that is the

time since I became a student of this institution. I will let him know that even though our university strived to be in the con-fines of excellence by incorporating new programs and courses and boost-ing our monetary foundation, still,

we are made uncomfortable in our comfort rooms. It is no longer pecu-liar that when we pass by in the Crs of our colleges, the stinky smell of ‘unflushed’ toilet bowls lurks in our nostrils. when we are confronted with a bloody sight of napkins lying on the floors of our Crs, we stare blankly on its surfaces and after a lapse of judgment, we abandon the comforting place and content ourselves with an unsatisfied urinary bladder. If he argues that we are just very indolent to flush our toilet

bowls, then I’ll let him be cognizant of the fact that most of the time, only two or three drops of water are flowing from our faucets. secondly, I’ll let him know that some of our classrooms are still devoid of the complete number of chairs and tables and boards, and that when rain comes, it also rains inside our classrooms. I’ll convince him to allot more funds to develop the dire condition of our educational institutions and to promote the non-smoking campaign of our public schools by living as an example. It’ll be great to know that his lungs are cleared of the hazardous chemical substance, nicotine, as he leads our people to a smoke-free environ-ment. on the other hand, I’ll also enlighten him on the present status of our college publications. I’ll let him know that most of our student journalists do not have their own publication offices and that they even resort to sharing offices with other organizations.

ArLene JoY P. DeriLo

scarecrowPauper in a mansion

When issues on

skidding global economy came about in 2006, south-ern Luzon international Airport had already been planned. Prior to this, there had been a proposal by cong. Diosdado “Dato” Ar-royo (son of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) of Bicol international Airport in Labmanan, camarines sur. however, reports re-vealed that in early 2008, the sangguniang Panglungsod of naga city in camarines sur adopted a resolution reject-ing support for the Bicol international Airport in Albay due to the economic situation. soon, the talk pivoted to relocation of do-mestic Legazpi city Airport which was first proposed to be put up at Barangay Bariis in Legazpi city and Baran-

gay Balangibang in Polangui town. however, neither Bariis nor Balangibang nod at the proposal. At press time, Japan international cooperation Agency (JicA) chose Barangay Alobo as the relocation site and is now materializing the plan. surprised by the full-swing innovation of the agricultural lands in Baran-gay Alobo (90 percent of the land area) to supplement the growing numbers of growth areas in Albay, i suddenly wonder how displaced resi-dents would go about a new start. surely, the local government did not foresee Legazpi city Airport as a feasible infrastructure for an international operation. if they did, there is no need relocating the airport which will affect three barangays in Albay: Alobo, Burgos and

Mabini. i bet authorities have taken into consideration the necessary measures, but they seem to miss the effects of Mayon volcano eruptions in commercial flights. They sure have thought of the probabilities to arrive at this point. What will make you wonder is the inconsistency of the plan. southern Luzon international Airport would actually spell a boom in economy, tourism and alike. This is only a figure of Bicol developing seaports and upgrading airports, years back and now. That is what local government is flaunt-ing- boost in growth areas in Albay. or maybe downplay to conceal the real score of

Bicol status as the second poorest region in the Philip-pines. following the devel-opment of agricultural lands to industrial lands, is the unveiling of resettlement and rehabilitation offset of which the government is taking into account. But when questions on alternatives and assurance from the government arise, brush them aside for a mo-ment because even authori-ties are yet tight-tongued. safer to say, evidence is not yet on hand. Pity, are those who knew more that they take ad-vantage of the little-knowing. Bicol is boasting seaports and airports as ‘drivers of growth’ but little do they know that

Adios patria adorada

the nuMBer of filipino skilled workers leaving

the country to search for greener pastures abroad has got out of proportion, after key government and private employees, i.e. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical services Administration (Pagasa) weather forecasters and Philip-pine Airlines (PAL) pilots, left their jobs at the risk of the public. As of today, a total of 25 PAL pilots and 27 weather forecasters (includ-ing PAGAsA chief nathaniel cruz) have already left the country, and more are expected to follow in the coming years. Although steps have been made to avoid further damage, these can only manage to dampen the fire. for jobs that require certain skills and so much from the employees, higher wages are expected for them in re-turn. You don’t pay the people who warn the entire archipelago of an imminent typhoon a salary just shy of Php 40,000. These are skilled scientists who have master’s and doctor’s degrees in Meteorol-ogy, not ordinary office clerks who does paperwork all day. Because of this, PAGAsA’s weather forecasting was the first to suffer. nobody caught notice of last month’s typhoon Basyang, which led to the 70 reported deaths. surely, minimum wage for fly-ing a Boeing 747 3000 feet in the air from Manila to Acapulco on a regular basis could be ground for human rights viola-tion, but still a Php 100,000 monthly salary (or lower when assigned at PAL’s domestic line, Air Philippines) is not enough compensation for them. in Michael Moore’s documen-tary on the us recession, capitalism, A Love story, us pilots too, face the same wage problems. in fact, they earn less than PAL pilots at around $15,000 to $20,000 per annum, or Php 62,000 to Php 83,000 per month. They have other jobs on the side like waitressing and donating plasma just to suffice the higher standard of living there. A veteran pilot said the only reason pilots stay in the pro-fession is because they love their careers, and management takes advantage of it. This may or may not be the case with PAL, but we are dealing with the same enemy here – the greediness of the airline company executives. one would bet that these pilots and weathermen would rather be ceo or a member of the board of directors in a multinational company, a member of the MWss board of directors living luxuri-ously at the posh La Mesa heights, or a quadrillionaire senator or congressman who seem to never lose money.

►page 10 | PERSEVERANCE

►page 10 | FLUSHING

►page 10 | PAUPER

opinion

8in-depth

By ruther flores

MAY DALAWAnG DA-hiLAn KunG

BAKit may mga pang-estudyan-teng pahayagan. una, para mahasa ang potensyal ng mga batang pery-odista na maging responsable at kritikal na mga mamamayan. Pan-galawa, at ang mas mahalaga, ang maging epektibong instrumento ng malayang pamamahayag sa kampus at maging tagapaglingkod sa mga kapwa-estudyante sa pamamagitan ng panulat at dibuho. Malamang ay sapat na ang dalawang semestre para ido-kumento ang lahat na kaganapan sa unibersidad. Kung ‘hard-core’ ang manunulat, iyong tipong punong-puno ng idealismo, kan-yang isususulat ang tungkol sa mga mahahalagang pangyayari sa lipunan na nakakaapekto hindi lamang sa kanya bilang mag-aaral kundi bilang isang mamayan ng kanyang bansa. isa sa nakakataba ng puso, ay ang kasibikan ng mga batang manunulat na magsulat ng balita kahit na alam nilang isang mapaghamong propesyon ang ka-nilang pinasok. iyan ang batang peryodista, walang dudang alam niya ang kanyang trabaho ay di dapat naaantala sapagkat tulad ng laway, napapanis din ang balita.

‘Press do not delay’ Maging ang mga pahaya-gang pang-kampus ay nakakaranas din ng mga balakid sa kanilang tra-baho. isa sa mga problema ng mga

publikasyong ito ang madalas na di paglabas sa takdang panahon ng kanilang isyu. Ang mga dahilan ng pagkahuling ito ay mauugat sa mga nagkakailang suliraning internal at external. sa Bicol university (Bu), mayroong labing-dalawang pang-kampus na pahayagan. Apat sa mga publikasyon ang naitala ng unibe na walang sariling opisina. sa mga opisina sanang ito nararapat na pagtrabahuhan ang mga balita, lathalain at opinion na kanilang isinusulat. Ang mga pahayagang ito ay, Vital signs ng college of nursing (cn); cassipi ng college of social sciences and Philosophy (cssP); Gearcast ng college of en-gineering (ceng), The olympian ng institute of Physical education, sports and recreation (iPesr). Ang Gearcast at cassipi ay pansamantalang nakikigamit ng opisina ng kanilang college stu-dent council (csc). “Wala kaming privacy lalo na pag may meeting kasi halo-halo lang sa office,” ayon kay evan fu-cal, punong patnugot ng Gearcast. Ani pa ni carmela chua, punong patnugot ng cassipi, na-pakahirap ng operasyon dahil ma-hirap din lipunin ang mga kasapi ng pub kapag walang opisina. Kakulangan din sa mga akmang kagamitan ang isa sa mga suliranin ng mga estudyan-teng manunulat. halos lahat sa mga publikasyong ito ay wala ring

kompyuter na magagamit tuwing may presswork. Kung may opisina man, maaaring ito ay hubad na kahit simpleng computer ay wala. Kung pwede nga lang na kahit old model, basta hindi sira, papatusin na. subalit wala nga talaga yatang maibigay sa pobreng publikasyon. nakakatuwang isipin na ang kompyuter na ginanagamit ng scientia ay napakalumang modelo na rin at malapit nang mamaalam samantalang ang kanilang kole-hiyo ay sikat dahil sa ‘upgraded’ na teknolohiya. sa ganitong mga pag-kakataon, nagiging for ‘charity pur-poses’ ang mga personal na laptop ng ilang miyembro ng publikasyon dahil sa kawalan ng sapat na kag-amitan. Kung nagkakataong hindi sapat ang oras para habulin ang deadline for printing, mag-damag na nagbababad sa opisina ang mangilan-ngilang staff mata-pos lang ang isang tabloid at kung umalma man si manong guard, sa kung kanino mang boarding house ang bagsak.

Usaping pondo nakasaad sa republic Act 7079 o campus Journalism Act of 1991 na ang pondo para sa mga pang-estudyanteng publikasyon ay maaaring manggaling sa apropri-yasyon mula sa paaralan o mula sa koleksyon galing sa mga mag-aaral. sa Bu, ipinapatupad ang pangala-

wa. iba’t iba ang halaga ng publication fee sa mga kolehiyo de-pende sa dami ng populasyon dito. Pinaka-mura ang P28 ng Gearcast kung saan ang ceng ay may ma-higit 3,000 mag-aaral. Pinakama-taas ang sa The olympian sapagkat sila ay mayroon lamang mahigit 300 na estudyante. Ang mg pondong ito ay manu-manong kinokolekta ng mga miyembro ng pahayagan mula sa kanilang mga kapwa estudyante tuwing enrolment. Ang pondong ito ang tanging pinagkukunan upang mapanatiling buhay ang publikasyon. Kung masisiguro ang pondong ito, marahil ay mababa-wasan ang mga suliranin ng pub-likasyon sa kanilang operasyon. samantala, hindi rin na-man maikakaila ang mga proble-mang internal ang sanhi ng pagka-kaantala ng publikasyon. Ayon kina Michael es-cote ng scientia at Julius faune ng The coverall ng college of indus-trial technology (cit) problema nila ang ilang iresponsable at di aktibong ka-miyembro. Marahil ay di mawawala sa isang organisasyon ang ilang pabayang kasapi. ngunit hindi kaya kung nakakatanggap din sila ng tamang suporta at gabay ay siseryosohin naman nila ang ka-nilang tungkulin? ito ay maaaring totoo, pero hindi maaaring sa lahat (ito ay suhestiyon lamang).

tugon sa suliranin hindi mga prominen-teng tao sa kampus ang mga nagta-tarabaho para sa mga publikasyong pang-estudyante. sa katotohanan, isa sila sa mga may pinakasawing palad sa mga organisasyon sa un-ibersidad. Walang nakalaan na pon-do mula sa administrasyon, wala ring subsidiyang natatanggap. Kaya nanawagan ang mga estudyanteng nasa publikasyon na unawain sana ang kalagayan ng kanilang piniling landasin. ito man ay hindi para sa pansariling interes bagkus sa ika-bubuti ng nakakarami. sa kabila nito, nararapat lamang na manindigan ang mga batang peryodista sa kanilang si-numpaang tungkulin. sa kabila ng lahat, sila ang inaasahan ng mga mag-aaral na maghatid ng mga im-pormasyon sa tunay na kalagayan ng komunidad at mag-impluwen-sya sa kanilang makilahok sa mga usaping panlipunan. hindi sapat ang mga na-sabing balakid upang mamatay ang apoy sa mga pluma ng mga mag-aaral na ito. Wala mang computer, nandiyan ang kanilang mga utak at kamay na di masisira ng kalumaan o kawalan ng pondo. Wala mang opisina, nandiyan ang buong mun-do para isakatuparan ang respons-able at malayang pamamahayag. Panahon man ng tagla-gas, patuloy na mamumukadkad ang mga diwang nag-aalab.

Lathalain: Silip sa kalagayan ng mga pang-estudyanteng publikasyon sa BUni Jovic Maurice Yee

Frequent brownouts glitch e-enrolment

BICoL unIVersIty (Bu) stu-dents blamed frequent

brownouts as the primary cause of their delayed enrolment in the second year of implementation of the electronic enrol-ment system. students attributed the lack of contingency plans on the part of the ad-ministration as contributory to the enrol-ment setback. helen llenaresas, Vice President for academic affairs (VPaa), identified the extension of the enrolment period as the administration’s contingency plan for the frequent brownouts. several colleges have their own generators to address to the impending brownouts, she said. the albay electric Cooperative (aleCo) meanwhile denied being totally responsible for the interruptions during the enrolment period. engr. aramil r. sanchez, depart-ment manager of the technical services Department of aleCo, rebutted that the administration should have prepared tangible contingency plans to avoid de-lays in their transactions and activities. aramil furthered that they notify their clients through radio stations in case of scheduled brownouts thus they expect them to be prepared to address it. when asked if they give formal notice to Bu during their brownouts, he said that they only give notifications on big load consumers such as malls. Bu is considered a public build-ing and is not yet considered as a big load consumer though it has its own primary

metering. he also noted that Bu and other establishments are expected to have their own contingency plans to avoid delays in their transactions and activities. In an attempt of the Bicol uni-versitarian to get the side of the office of the university registrar, Ms. Corazon Ba-zar, distanced herself from inquiries say-ing the office is busy preparing for the In-ternational standards organization (Iso) accreditation. she mentioned that as of press time, her office has not yet received any report regarding the enrollment. the problem of the internet connection should be addressed by the system pro-vider, she uttered.

Enrolment assistance In the light of the said enrolment interruptions, the university student Council (usC) devised their own enrol-ment assistance Program (eaP) to assist the students in their registration to the university. alexis Joyce Baldon, usC secre-tary General and Project head of eaP, said that the program aims to provide simple assistance that the council can give to the students. It also seeks to support and push the electronic enrollment system. “we were advised by the admin-istration to provide simple assistance in-stead of having expensive pamphlets for information dissemination,” Baldon com-mented. College student councils were coordinated to further achieve the aims of eaP. summer meetings were held re-garding the plans and preparations.

usC Chairperson Daisy lleno avowed that some of the CsCs already had enrollment plans and eaP only served as reinforcement to the specific plans of some of the colleges. she also mentioned that the usC is innocent regarding the systems provid-er contract/s by the administration. all CsCs, including satellite cam-puses, were involved in the program and though Polangui Campus had an earlier enrollment period, they still participated in the program. the usC also established a text hotline during the entire period of enrol-ment. CsCs, on the other hand, were in-structed to put up an assistance desk in their colleges to address to the queries of the students.

Students’ feedbacks Mixed responses were obtained from Bu students as regards the electron-ic enrolment system. some were content-ed with the outcome of the process and some complained of its inefficiency. sarah Pauline namia, an aB eng-lish student, described the enrolment as chaotic. according to her, the [enrolment] should have been started much earlier to avoid the successive interruptions. first year students from CBeM were also disappointed with how the process became disorganized because of the frequent brownouts. they had to come back again the next day but there was no assurance of smooth registration then, they said. on the other hand, flored Me-dina, a Journalism student appraised the enrolment as fast-paced. he said that the particular enrolment was so far, conve-nient. Clarence Mapa, public informa-tion officer of usC, similarly backed the enrolment as successful only that the number of students make the process slow. the June 2010 electronic en-

rolment is the university’s second year of implementing the school Informa-tion system (sIs). It is the integration of the electronic system to Bu’s enrolment scheme.

To the future the students identified other reasons of delayed enrolment as: sched-ules that are not strictly followed and im-plemented, late employees, bias among the enrollment facilitators, and rude at-titude from some of the employees with direct contact to the students. with the goal of promoting ex-cellence in this academic institution, Bu must seek to establish a good impression to the community. the impression the institution gives to incoming freshmen every year are some of the impressions that must be considered as the university seeks for Iso accreditation. and though Bu is seen as an aca-demic giant in the country with all of its achievers and professionals, it must still be noted that improvements in every as-pect draws more potentials and more op-portunities for excellence. amidst the negative comments, and complaints about the new enroll-ment system in B.u., it will be ridiculous to try and revert back to the old-school manner of enrollment. still, the univer-sity should weigh the pros and cons of the new implemented system and the benefits of the old style concerning other matters of a student’s academic life. Many will still be enrolling in the university. Many of them might fall vic-tims to the disorganized system of enroll-ment. and many more complaints will be heard and reactions will be seen. the enrollment system has im-proved but the improvement must not stop from substituting white forms with Cors, and replacing papers and pens with computers.(with a report from An-gelbert Villena)

Analysis:Where do we stand now?

Taglagas

wITh shaKInG hanDs, teary eyes, and quivering lips,

aubrey, a first year Bs Chemistry student absorbed her teacher’s offensive words with a heavy heart. her achilles heel, spelling words the right way, has finally turned against her. she hated the subject very much, including the professor, which even caused her to flunk the subject. au-brey is just one of the many individuals, young and old alike who are becoming accustomed to the proliferation of the Jejemons. Jejemon, with the ‘scientific name’ Jejemonus filipinensis, is basically a variation of homo sapiens originating in the asia Pacific Island nation, the Phil-ippines. Defined by urbandictionary.com, a Jejemon is anyone with low tolerance in correct punctuation, spelling and gram-mar. It is coined by joining “jeje” (from hehe) and “mon” from the cartoon Poke-mon meaning monster. their language is called “Jeje-nese” and ‘Jejebet’, a mixture of alpha-numeric and special characters as their alphabet in communication. some of their popular terms are “eow phfowz” which means “hello po”; “Pew0h” in behalf of “pero”; “kxe” for “kasi”, etc. their laugh is spelled “jejeje”, and sometimes they tend to use numbers in place of letters. this makes their print messages quite hard to comprehend. In terms of fashion statement, a Jejemon can be identified with their rainbow glasses and colorful shirts, unusual caps and accessories. some raise their brows as they see Jejemons in campus. Jeje-mons may, at times, become laugh-ing stocks and center of gossip, but those who are certified fanatics are not deterred from adopting the fad.

Marcial Bitancor, Jr., also a fresh-man, sees jejemon as a way of self-expression. Influenced by different kind of media, he felt interested to be one thus he followed the trend.

Different points of view s t u d e n t s , educators, parents, and other sectors of the society have dif-ferent points of view regarding this whim. the Department of education (Deped) cited that the use of Jeje-mon language affects the students’ academic performance by distort-ing language, spelling, pronun-ciations, grammar and even the use of punctuations. this has a greater negative impact when it comes to understanding and communicating. Prof. roger ador, a General Psychology professor in Bicol uni-versity College of social sciences and Philosophy (CssP), stated that the main problem is its effect on the literacy of stu-dents. It tends to affect their mastery of the language but in a negative way, he said. “howev-

er, it is just like a dress, a form of fashion, it will soon pass by,” he said. on the other hand, for Jean Paul-lete M. salalima, Commission on higher education (CheD) officer-in-charge, Pro-grams and standards, the Jejemon fad is not beneficial. she explained that even though the Jejemon phenomenon is one of the youth’s issues today, there are a lot more concerns to be attended aside from it. “Communication is the only pos-sible means that we could transfer our culture. what kind of generation will we be creating?” Prof. Glenton o. Guiriba, Department Chairman of the sociology Department reacted on Jejemons. according to Prof. Guiriba, Jeje-mons are part of the short-lived culture

which the young generation pro-duced and cre-ated. It is part of the popu-lar culture. It is part of the

changes of language the generation used to have as means of communication and labels of understanding. “yet, it will not last. tomorrow, there will be a new form of language,” he reiterated. so, do we need to remove our phones or oppose the trend? surely, many will protest. But then again, it is in our little hands that lays the proper han-dling and use of our phones.

The clash between Jejemons and Jeje-busters there will always be those who will strongly oppose the norm. the anti-Jejemon, aka Jejebusters will do every-thing in their power to not let them take over the world. they hold everything against the way of the Jejemon. “Marasapa na jejemon yan,” laughingly stated Jurisse estipona, from the College of science (Cs) while she and her friends glanced at a group of Jejemons strolling around the campus.

even so- c ia l net-

working sites facebook and twitter have become avenues of Jejemon and Jeje-buster ‘death matches’. Jejebusters claim that jejemons have low Iq and live in squatter areas, while Jejemons react that Jejebusters are too judgmental and over-rated. Jejemons argue that there is nothing wrong with following this new fashion of communication and get up. fanatics of the trend said they do not give a damn on whatever other people would think.

Change of mind Meanwhile, aubrey, who was once fond of adopting the fashion state-ment and language, has now opted to get back to her usual manner of commu-nicating and dressing up. the incident in the classroom had been so traumatic that she had decided to quit her being Jeje-mon. the truth remains that the Jeje-mon phenomenon will pass eventually. this is just a mere repetition of history. years, or probably months from now, an-other trend of communication or fashion statement will replace Jejemon, just as it has replaced the “emo fever”. remem-

ber, the introduction of the social networking site facebook in

the Philippines made “friendster” passé.

what will come next,

we never know but e x p e c t more.

Fancy with distorted words and sticky capsBy Amabelle Loremia and Jennylyn oanzon

9feature

ing jurisdiction therein.”

Students’ Perceptions Bu students too, have mixed point of views regarding the main facade construction. “i don’t see anything bad with the construction because the new location for the entrance gate is reasonably ideal. And i think the professors and the students will have a more structured entrance and tight security,” orson Mike Privaldos, a student from cAL said. Alexis Joyce Baldon, secretary General of the university student council,

said that the admin is only doing its respon-sibility in serving the students and they are giving what is due for them. When others positively view the outcome, some have seen not so good ef-fects. “They should have used the money to put up classrooms and comfort rooms,” Jerick nolasco, a nursing student said. evan fucal, editor-in-chief of The Gearcast (Bu-ceng) said, “i can say that it is just for luxury and not a necessity for the university because we already have four gates on the main campus alone. They can just spend the money on other facilities; im-prove the library services or buy new books for the students.

Diaz explained. Bu allotted at least P10-million as budget for the sCuaa meet. five-million pesos will be used for the renovation of the Grandstand. a million and a half is allotted for the host-ing, including rooms that will serve as quarters of the eight suites. a budget of P1.6 M is for the participation of 292 Bu athletes and officials, including the train-ing and actual allowances, food, and oth-er needs. another 1.5 M will be allocated for the improvement of facilities includ-ing the comfort rooms. an allotment of P 69,000 is given for the purchase of new equipment. Borja expounded that the bud-get for hosting, participation, improve-ment of facilities, and purchase of new equipment still awaits the approval of the president.

Training assistance Mr. arciño Jasmin, a former member of the Philippine team in ath-letics, shares his time training the Bu

athletes. he is a former Pe instructor in Bu and also helped train athletes in the past. according to Prof. Diaz, some athletes have already been spotted to participate in the sCuaa meet while the rest of the athletes will be selected dur-ing the Bu-lympics. these athletes have already started training during their respective free periods, usually after classes in the afternoon. Martin Balaybo, gold medalist in athletics and running events, and a grad-uating student of Mechanical technol-ogy, is one of the chosen athletes who already started training for the sCuaa meet. “I jog every day in the oval and sometimes, at ligñon hill,” Balaybo said.

Grandstand renovation Prof. Diaz clarified that the ren-ovation of the grandstand is actually scheduled in 2010 which coincided with Bu hosting the sCuaa meet in the same year. eight rooms will be added in the grandstand – six rooms on the first floor and two rooms on the second floor.

alfred hodreal, foreman, said that the renovation is a 120-day contract, equivalent to four months. the renova-tion started last april and is expected to end this July. hence, the grandstand can already be used by IPesr in august for the Bu-lympics. “the interior is already done, we just [need to] put some tiles on some rooms,” hodreal said. according to him, the comfort rooms are already done and they will just add dividers.the grandstand will have a gate in front of the stairs. there will be a door in both sides while the final colors are light green and forest green.

Pool’s water system Meanwhile, Borja expressed that they still have to rehabilitate the contaminated water system of the uni-versity swimming pool. eddie a. Madraso, in-charge of maintenance of the swimming pool, said that the water coming out from the dug-well has been contaminated since ty-phoon reming in 2006, but they’ve been using chlorine to cure the contamination. however, on this year, the contamination just worsened, he said.

“It is advised that the rehabilita-tion be done before the sCuaa,” Madraso explained. Madraso said that Prof. Borja proposed to construct a deep well to replace the dug-well. he agreed to con-struct a deep well because it can pro-duce cleaner water and can sustain not only the IPesr but to some units in the university as well. “however, there is no sched-ule and budget for the construction of the deep well. It can cost an estimated amount of P 100,000 because it is drilled deeper than the dug-well which cost 1.5 million pesos due to expensive machine used,” he said. Complacent but guarded Borja stated her faith that the Bu athletes will retain their title as cham-pions. “Bu athletes are not threatened since they have the advantages. these are the facilities, support from the ad-ministration, hard training and determi-nation,” she defended. Balaybo, a bet for athletics said he is not threatened much, and he is very excited because his classmates can wit-ness his performance in november.

◄page 1 | FENG SHUI “Chi flows straight, so opposite gateways prevent its circulation. Good vi-brations escape through the large open-ings,” he explained. Believers of feng shui deem it impor-tant that the flow of the Chi should not be hindered, and best to have it flow through a meandering path rather than a straight line. loquinario added that, feng shui is also associated to architecture,

specifically, sustainable architecture. this form of architecture seeks to minimize negative environmental impact built by enhancing the efficiency and modera-tion in the use of energy materials. Con-sequently, architecture must tread lightly on earth and uses resources wisely. feng shui supporters believe that this ancient Chinese system of aes-thetics using the laws of astronomy and geography helps improve one’s life by receiving positive Chi. feng shui is popu-lar in the Philippines especially to those who love their fate to be predicted.

◄page 2 | BU GATE

◄page 4 | SCUAA

I’ll avow to him that our publication have been struggling for four decades with the country’s lowest publication fee of 12 pesos and that we are not even blessed to have our own computer. I’ll tell him that the valuable 12 pesos paid by a Bu student goes with the wind when we pay a tabloid issue costing 15 pesos. In that way, he’ll be dumbfounded by the notion that our publication always defies the law of equivalent exchange. 12 is equal to 15 when definitely it isn’t. and lastly, I’ll let him know that this column was written by a very underprivileged citizen who aspires to occupy his presidential seat 20 years from now. he would be delighted to realize that amidst living in a nation bounded by corruption and avarice, a young blood is still determined to be a positive catalyst. Jose rizal, andres Bonifacio, Gregorio del Pilar and the oth-ers would surely rejoice in their graves if they have found out that the 52 mil-lion young breeds of our generation will still be a part of the burning flame that they left for our keeping a hundreds of years ago. rekindling and defying odds in the light of moral decadence. never to apathy!

narrowing it down, Bicol university also offers several college and university scholarships for students who excel in academics, music, arts, campus journalism, etc. for more information on scholarships and loans, you may ask for assistance from the kind people at the office of student services (oss), located at the Bu Main campus, beside the university student council (usc) office.

◄page 7 | FLUSHING

◄page 7 | PERSEVERANCE

◄page 7 | PAUPER

FiNANCiAL RePORtAcADeMic YeAr 2009-2010

(2nd semester)

CASh iNFLOWremaining Balance from 1st semester P 9, 777.05Pub fee collection (2nd semester) P 164, 252.00totAL P 174, 029.05

CASh OUtFLOWovernight Press works P 1, 920.75transportation P 770.001st issue release P 120, 000.00hArAPAn P 2, 053.00Wallnews P 3, 580.00Partial Payment, 2nd issue release (1st semester of A.Y. -2011) P 25, 800.00ceGP Press conference (3 participants) P 17, 000.00tOtAL P 171, 123.75

CASh iNFLOW P 174, 029.05CASh OUtFLOW P 171, 123.75remaining Balance P 2, 905.30

Prepared by:

tAMAR C. ANtONiOManaging editor

10news

the angle of building a slum is yet un-folding. Maybe one thing the residents must understand is the demand of modernity for fast-paced innovation no matter how risky the consequences might be. The government expects high that they do understand or if not, they will understand. And assuming they do or they would really, everything will come along. even if they do not, still plans must be pursued. Who would not want, airports or seaports or even bigger infrastruc-tures, if they could really invite tourists? But they seem to force us to accept that along progress, if need be, we will sacri-fice constituents. it is more like you are living in a mansion but you’re grooming yourself like a pauper.

FIRST PHASE. The 5-million peso budget will cover the first phase of the new BU gate construction.(Photo by Francis Jerard Licup)

11lampoon

Just in D’ Kutitob RepublicPagsisimulani Justine Jane Kutitob

NGAYONG n a k a -p a g -

tapos na ng kanyang pag-aaral sa Beyubs si Kuya Justin, ako na ang dakilang tagapag-mana ng kwarto niya sa boarding house at ng kanyang column sa unibê (nag-apply na-man ako syempre, at feeling ko extra-points nung nalaman ng editors na kapatid ko si Justin K). Labis akong natutuwa sapagkat isa na akong ganap na kolehiyala. hindi na ako ang bata na laging tumatakbo kay Kuya tuwing may nagbubully sa akin o sa tuwing may ipapax-ray akong suitor ko-kung bading ba siya or hindi. Kahit pa inatake na naman ako ng insomnia nung first night ng school year, maaga pa rin akong nagising at nag-ayos para sa unang araw ng pasukan. excited ako eh. it’s my first day sa Beyubs. Kailangan kong maging cheza. for those who don’t know kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng cheza, well, it means “beautiful”.=) habang naglalakad ako papuntang Beyubs, napansin kong mayroon pa ring po-litical advertisements na nakadikit sa ibang pader ng em’s Barrio. naalala ko bigla ang nakaraang automated elections. Parang ka-hapon lang nang naglaban-laban ang iba’t ibang kulay – walang binatbat ang Power rangers! Bigla ko na lang naisip na dapat pala’y tinanggal na ng mga loyalists ng mga pulitiko ang mga advertisements nila. Porke nanalo na sila, wala na silang “ker” na tang-galin ang kanilang mga kalat. isang malaking bahagi ng ating kasaysayan ang naganap na 2010 elections dahil automated na ito. Pero sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam kung mabuti ba iyon o hindi. Ang naaalala ko na lang, alas-nuebe umalis sina kuya sa bahay tapos nakauwi ng halos alas-kwatro na ng hapon. hindi ko lang alam kung ganon ba talaga yun katagal, kasi hindi pa ako bumoto ngayon, eh. Labing-anim na taong gulang pa lamang ako. sana lang pag ako’y boboto na, maka-uwi kami ng alas tres kung alas-nuebe kami ng umaga aalis. At least may improve-ment na one hour, di ba? Patuloy pa sana ang pagde-day-dream k o

nang napansin kong paunti-unti nang napa-pasukan ng buhangin ang sapatos ko. Agad ko itong tinanggal at nilinisan sa mismong kinatatayuan ko, at hindi ko rin napansing may tao palang papalapit na hindi rin tumit-ingin sa daanan. Blag! nagliparan ang mga bitbit ko, pati na ang sapatos kong tinatanggalan ng buhangin. “sorry ha, nagmamadali kasi ako,” sabi ng kyut na nakabangga ko, sabay alok ng kamay niya para tulungan akong makatayo. “sori talaga.” natameme ako. napa-smile nalang ako habang tinitingnan ko siyang tumakbo palayo, ni-hindi ko na nga inisip na hindi niya ako tinulungang pulutin ang mga gamit ko. sa wakas, may crush na ako! tatawagin ko siyang Mr. t-square. na-amaze talaga ako nung tumakbo siya papalayo. simpatikong-simpatiko siya sa t-square na naka-sabit sa kanyang balikat, para siyang ninja. Walang-wala sina naruto at sasuke sa kagwapuhan niya. hindi nawala ang ngiti sa ak-ing mukha kahit pa nakarating na ako sa classroom. Lima pa lang kami doon nang dumating ako. May isang nakatutok sa cell-phone, may isang nagbabasa ng libro, may isang nagdo-drowing, at ang isang mukhang tuhod ay agad naman akong sinalubong ng, “hi!” “Ang ganda ng buhok mo,” sabi nya. “Ako nga pala si Lucrezia, Lu for short.” “salamat, Lu. salon de estudyante lang yan, gusto mo samahan kita dun some time? Ako nga pala si Justine Jane,” ang sabi kong nakangiti, habang naghahanap ng mauupuan. sapilitan nalang akong umupo sa tabi ni Lu at nakipagkwentuhan tungkol sa buhay hayskul, bakit ito ang kursong kinuha namin, si Mr. t-square atbp. Ang saya niya naman palang kausap. isang oras na ang lumipas nang na-pansin kong wala pa rin ang aming prof. Ano ba naman yan. excited pa naman ako kanina tapos hindi naman pala siya papasok. nagsi-tayuan na ang mga kaklase ko, pupunta na sa kabilang silid para sa sunod na subject. sa aming pagkadismaya, hindi rin

pumasok ang ibang prof para sa umagang yun. nagpaalam na ako kay Lu para ku-

main ng pananghalian sa tindahan nina ate Pie. Malapit kasi sa boarding house ko. umupo ako sa isang sulok, wala pa kasi ang mga boardmates ko kaya wala ako kasamang kumain ng pananghalian. Bigla ko nanamang naisip si Mr. t-square. Ano kaya ang pangalan niya? Anong year na kaya siya? naaalala niya pa kaya ako? Kilig moments to the max! habang patuloy na na-

dadagdagan ang mga tanong sa isip ko, bigla akong napalingon sa mga bumibili. si Mr. t-sQuAre! Dito rin pala siya kumakain. saan kaya siya nagboboard? Ang kyut niya talaga, para siyang real-life anime. nagsmile siya sa direksyon ko at napa-smile

din ako. tiningnan ko ang bakanteng upuan sa harap ko. Waaaa! sana dito siya

umupo. “Jane! Andito ka

pala,” sabi ng lalaking hindi

ko namalayang nakatayo sa tabi ko. “Pa-share ng

table ah.” Biglang umupo ang boardmate kong si kuya Louie sa upuan na ilalaan ko sana kay Mr. t-square. nakakainis naman.

sayang.

nang matapos ang araw, isa lang sa apat kong dapat na klase ang may sumi-pot na prof. Pero siguro nga kasi first day of school pa lang, lahat ay may hangover pa ng summer. naisipan namin ni Lu na umupo muna sa sikat na centri. nakukwento sa akin ni kuya na madalas daw silang mag-date dito ni ate/kuya cris. sabi niya pa nga, na-papalibutan pa raw ito noon ng mga kainan kaya lagi silang nandito. Kaso nalipat na ito doon sa talipapa (ang tawag namin ni Lu sa lugar na iyon) dahil sa bagong ginagawa na centralized food stalls. habang nagtatawanan kami ni Lu, agad na napansin ko ang mala-anime na hu-gis ni Mr. t-square na papalapit sa amin. Ano ang gagawin ko? Magsmile kaya ako, magpa-tweetums? o kunwari hindi ko siya nakita? Waaa! Justine Jane Kutitob, relax ka lang. “Bebe gurl, sorry kanina ha. nag-mamadali akong bumalik sa b-haws ko at naiwan ko ang mascara ko! Ako pala si Mau-ricio, pero mas bet kong Maui nalang tawag mo sa’kin. chakabells kasi kung Mauricio. Kung Maui naman, o diba, bonggacious to the max!,” wika ni Maui/Mauricio. Miss t-square pala siya. Gumuho ang lahat ng pina-pangarap ko. Blag!

sayang ka, ang gwapo mo pa na-man. ito ang unang sumagi sa aking isipan, at bigla ko na namang naalala si ate/kuya cris. Wala na silang ibang dinulot sa mga Kutitob kung hindi sugat sa puso. hindi ko alam kung matagal na akong natulala, pero laking pasasalamat ko sa paniniko ni Lu sa akin. “Ah, wala ‘yun,” ang aking nasam-bit, sabay pilit na ngiti. “Ako pala si Jus-tine Jane, pero Jane ang madalas na tawag sakin.” “nice to meet you, Justine! ‘Yun tawag ko sa’yo ha? Parang ang gwapo mo kasi kung lalaki ka,” pabiro niyang sinabi habang umupo siya sa tabi ko. “’nga pala, kanina nung kumakain ka, may kasama kang lalaki, anu name niya? cutie kasi.” “si Kuya Louie ‘yun. Maniwala ka sa’kin, hindi kayo talo,” ang pabiro ko ring sagot sa kanya, sabay tawa. ---J.J.K.

P.s: nickname din pala ni Kuya Justin ang JK. Ako naman si JJ para sa kanya.

COMIC relief

By nick Mangampo Jr.

By Jonathan Papasin

By nick Mangampo Jr.

cartoon by Lou Xavier Lauraya

ThumbsuckerPAALAm

“ L i m a n g taon. Apat na lipat

ng boarding house. Tat-long campus na nililipatan

tuwing may klase. Dalawang naging jowa. Isang naka-MU.

Isang diploma. Paalam, beyubs!”

By Justin Kutitob

LiMANG tAon. hin-di ako maka-

paniwalang limang taon na ang nakalipas mula nang ako’y pumasok sa beyubs. Li-mang taon na mula ng malasin ako sa mga boarding house na tinirahan ko at karmahin dahil sa pangkikick-back ko. Limang taon. Laking pasasalamat ko nga sa mga editors ng unibe kasi pinagbigyan pa nila ako ng pag-kakataon na magpaalam ng ma-tino sainyo, at nang mapakilala na ang aking nakababatang kapatid na si JJ. sa totoo lang, akala ko ay hindi na ako aabot sa puntong ito. Akala ko magiging regular columnist na ako ng unibe kasi hindi na ako makaka-gradweyt. Akalain mo yun? Graduate na ako! hindi madali ang engineering, kaya laking pasasalamat ko sa gabay at inspirasyon na binigay sa’kin ng Diyos at ng aking mga magulang. siyempre salamat din kay chris (ang aking ex-Applepie). hindi man naging happy ending ang kwento naming dalawa, ki-nikilig pa rin ako sa tuwing maaalala ang kwento ng apple-flavored refresh na bu-mihag sa aking puso. he’s one of my best mentors. tinuruan niya akong maging mature lalung-lalo na when it comes to decision-making. Ang daming nangyari sa Bu sa limang taon ko rito. naaalala ko nung tuluyan nang i-abolish ang triBueños. naging saksi ako sa mga pagpipiket at pakikipaglaban ng mga campus journalists dito sa Bu para isulong ang free campus journalism. Kasama ako noon sa daan-daang estudyanteng nagluksa at sumi-gaw ng hustisya dahil sa pagka-paslang sa student activist na si cris hugo. Pero aaminin ko, naki-join lang na-man talaga ako noon para maging in. Pero matapos ang libing, naintindihan ko na rin sa wakas ang mga prinsipyong pilit niyang isinusulong noon. hindi nga nararapat na ang mga iyon ay makasama sa kanya sa hu-kay. sana muling mabuhay dito sa Bu ang kanyang mga adbokasiya sa pamamagitan ng mga bagong student leaders. Anyway, baka ma-confuse kayo. si chris (Applepie) ay iba kay cris hugo. Theme song ko na nga siguro ang “only re-minds Me of You” dahil sa tuwing maaalala ko si cris hugo, bumabalik ang mga alaala ng aking Applepie. Pero ngayon tanggap ko na talaga, na ang kaso naming dalawa ay isang forbidden love. Pareho kaming may adam’s apple. isa rin ako noon sa mga madalas tumambay sa lilim ng dakilang centree (na abandunado na ngayon) habang kumakain ng fishball, lugaw at shake. sa lilim ng punong iyon ay nasaksihan ko din ang iba’t ibang kwento katulad ng mga estudyanteng doon nagligawan, doon naging mag-on, at doon din mismo nagbreak. Perfect! iba nga talaga ang hiwaga ng punong iyon. sayang lang at hindi sa centree ang naging unang pagtatagpo namin ni Applepie, kundi doon sa Yes canteen (na may iba-ibang pan-galan). siya nga pala, lagi akong nasa cen-tree noon tuwing masasagap ko ang bali-tang may nasusunog na naman na building sa Bu. Matanong lang, nahuli na ba yung arsonist na yun? Baka pag nabasa niya ito ay ang bahay na namin ang kanyang isunod. (Arsonist, kung nababasa mo to, pwedeng yung dating boarding house ko nalang sa eM’s ang sunugin mo? Parang dragon kasi ang landlady ko dun). sa kabila ng lahat ng kamalasang naranasan ko dahil sa aking balat sa puwet, proud pa rin akong sa Bu ako nagkolehiyo. Bawat taon, ang daming pumapasa sa mga board exams. ngayong taon nga, anim ang placers namin. At akalain mong galing sa Bu ang topnotcher sa cPA Board exam na si ivan rhett Macabeo! napakaraming stu-dent achievers mula sa Bu, regional, national at maging international. hindi ko man sila mapangalanan, talagang magagaling naman

ang mga Bueños- ma r am-ing ibubu-ga with or without rec-ognition. nais kong i-congratulate ang lahat ng batchmates ko, lalo na ang mga with honors. sa wakas, graduate na kami sa exams, board-works, at kung anu-anu pang kaarte-han sa buhay estudyante. Yehey! Pero natatakot din ako. Mahirap nang maghanap ng trabaho sa mga pana-hong ito. hay, di bale na, gwapo na-man at di hamak na ma-appeal sa mga kababaihan (pati mga kalalakihan) kaya makakahanap din ako nyan. Mamimiss ko si Dragon Lady Guard, kahit lagi niya ako sinisigawan noon kapag may klase kami sa csB4. Mamimiss ko ang mga prof kng walang ibang alam na grade kundi 1, 3 at 5. Mamimiss ko ang pagsususulat dito sa unibe. Dito naging kontrobersyal ang buhay ko at minahal (yata) ng mga tao. Mamimiss ko rin ang Daraga campus. Doon kasi yung iba kong minors nung first and second year ako. naaalala ko, nilalakad-lakad lang namin mula Daraga papuntang main campus at main campus papuntang cenG (sayang kasi ng pama-sahe). At isa pa, panahon rin yun para maka-pag-quality time kami ng una kong ex, si ni-cole. ngayon ko pa lang siya pinangalanan dito sa kolum ko matapos ang limang taong pagkikwento ko ng buhay sa Bu. naghalos-isang taon din kami. Mami-miss ko din siya, kahit matagal na kaming wala. Babae siya,

kung nagtataka ka. Babae naman talaga ang gusto ko. nagkataon lang na may identity crisis ako nung panahon namin ni chris. Gusto kong sumubok ng bago- at nagustu-han ko naman. May isa pa akong mamimiss – si Anne. hindi man naging kami, maaalala ko ang lahat ng masasaya at malulungkot naming pinagsamahan. naging sobrang close kami matapos ang break-up namin ni chris. Kung nagtataka ka ulit, babae si Anne. Marami pa akong gustong mara-nasan sa Beyubs, kaso natapos na ang oras

ko. Limang taon. Apat na lipat ng board-ing house. tatlong campus na nililipatan tuwing may klase. Dalawang naging jowa. isang naka-Mu. isang diploma. Paalam, beyubs!

Ps: siya nga pala, ang kapatid kong si JJ (Justine Jane) ay mag-aaral na rin sa beyubs. siyempre, matalino yun, mana sa akin. sabi ko, mag-apply din siya sa unibe para may balita pa rin ako sainyo. sige, hanggang sa muli! J.K.