White & Blue

White & Blue White & Blue is the official student publication of Saint Louis University, Baguio City We're more than just a paper.
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๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!Hey there, Louisians! Ready to ignite the creativity within and serve the dazzling truth? This is yo...
02/09/2024

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!

Hey there, Louisians! Ready to ignite the creativity within and serve the dazzling truth? This is your moment to spark up your imagination with White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University.

Layers upon layers, brushstrokes upon brushstrokes, and smears upon smears! Join us as we turn your ideas into intricate weaves of expression as we dive into the world of cartooning! Let us turn complex issues and bring stories to life in ways words cannot express!

Visit us at our booths in Diego Silang Lobby (Main Campus) and Fr. Seraphin Devesse Lobby (Maryheights Campus) from August 30 to September 05. Don't miss the chance to be part of something extraordinary!

White & Blue has always been and will always be more than just a paper.

Link for the application:
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5

๐€๐ง ๐š๐›๐จ๐๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ฅ๐ž๐ ๐š๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ, ๐š ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐š๐ง๐ฒatop mountains and hills, where the air is cold and sweet.a growing city lies, where...
01/09/2024

๐€๐ง ๐š๐›๐จ๐๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ฅ๐ž๐ ๐š๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ, ๐š ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐š๐ง๐ฒ

atop mountains and hills, where the air is cold and sweet.
a growing city lies, where earth and the skies meet.
pine trees whisper secrets amidst the chilly breeze, as the sun peeks through a curtain of fog over the dancing trees.

this is a land brimming with vibrant culture and historyโ€”filled with hope and creativity, marked by resilience and solidarity.
a place where locals distinguished by camaraderie reside, and where dreamers on a journey come to seek guidance from the wise.

to people from all walks of life who visit for leisure or a chance to grow, the city becomes a home they will forever know.

the summer capital, a city where memories are made unforgettable;
where people find comfort in the cool embrace, and where bonds are forged as warm as a fireplace.

the city of pines, where paths intertwine,
will always be imprinted in heart and mind.

an abode of legaciesโ€” Baguio, a home to many.

By Jim Clark Abella
Layout by: Shennah Dulay
โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Today, Baguio City celebrates its 115th Founding Anniversary in tribute to the city's rich history and cultural heritage since its declaration as a chartered city on September 1, 1909. As the City of Pines, Baguio stands as a place of growth, resilience, creativity, and solidarity.

This day commemorates not just the founding of a city, but also the birth of a heartwarming community. With the city's cool mountain air, scenic landscapes, and festive spirit, Baguio City continues to captivate the hearts of many.

White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University, joins in the celebration of the 115th Foundation Day of Baguio City. Agbiag iti umili ti Baguio!

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!Hey there, Louisians! Ready to ignite the creativity within and serve the dazzling truth? This is yo...
31/08/2024

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!

Hey there, Louisians! Ready to ignite the creativity within and serve the dazzling truth? This is your moment to spark up your imagination with White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University.

If you look at the world through a lens, then photography is your ideal outlet. Here, every click encapsulates the truth, power, and life story. Your photos have the power to speak without saying a word, capturing the core of life as it blooms. Join us, and let your camera be the eye through which the crowd sees and feels the world.

Visit us at our booths in Diego Silang Lobby (Main Campus) and Fr. Seraphin Devesse Lobby (Maryheights Campus) from August 30 to September 05. Don't miss the chance to be part of something extraordinary!

White & Blue has always been and will always be more than just a paper.

Link for the application:
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5

31/08/2024

Are you ready to share your words that can spark change, capture every concern with your lenses, light up every character with your brushes, indulge your senses with design, or use your voice to ignite conversations and inspire others?

White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University, is once again opening its doors for your talent to shine!

You may visit us at our booths in the Diego Silang Lobby (Main Campus) and Fr. Seraphin Devesse Lobby (Maryheights Campus) or register online until September 5.

Be a part of delivering the stories to the Louisians. Together, let us prove that we are more than just a paper.

Application Link: https://forms.gle/xf4GXpkpnC22FqsF6

Voiceover: Harold Iverson Soriano
Scriptwriters: Bea De Leon and Candise Ocampo
Videographers: Raphael Domingo, Romar Joshua Lopez, and Mhorgan Manaois
Video Editor: Mhorgan Manaois

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!Hey there, Louisians! Ready to ignite the creativity within and serve the dazzling truth? This is yo...
30/08/2024

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!

Hey there, Louisians! Ready to ignite the creativity within and serve the dazzling truth? This is your moment to spark up your imagination with White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University.

Are you equipped to catch the latest news? Court-ready for the hottest update on sports? Willing to pour your heart into writing features, entertainment, and literature? Be part of our Writing department! Here's your chance to let your voice be heard! So, grab that pen, unleash your ideas, and let's make change!

Visit us at our booths in Diego Silang Lobby (Main Campus) and Fr. Seraphin Devesse Lobby (Maryheights Campus) from August 30 to September 05. Don't miss the chance to be part of something extraordinary!

White & Blue has always been and will always be more than just a paper.

Link for the application:
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5
https://forms.gle/dbMcVW4WWAteUz1v5

๐——๐—ผ๐—ปโ€™๐˜ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€!As webs of lies suffocate the nation and the masses gasp for the truth, the press serves as a b...
30/08/2024

๐——๐—ผ๐—ปโ€™๐˜ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€!

As webs of lies suffocate the nation and the masses gasp for the truth, the press serves as a beacon of information. When tragedy strikes and lives are at stake, the press risks the frontlines. And when tyranny looms over the republic, the press stands firm in defending democracy.

Though the pursuit of truth may be obstructed by censorship and persecution, the peopleโ€™s desire for transparency will always overpower the networks of deception that aim to manipulate and control the country. From tireless investigations, unwavering courage, and unyielding spirit, the press speaks for the voiceless and illuminates the darkness, ensuring that power is held accountable and that justice prevails.

Today marks the National Press Freedom Day, commemorating the significance of the freedom of the press and celebrating the birth of the โ€œFather of Philippine Journalism,โ€ Marcelo H. Del Pilar, who wrote under the pen name โ€œPlaridel.โ€ His efforts to expose the injustices and oppression faced by the Filipinos, even at the threat of death, laid the groundwork for the pressโ€™s vital role in todayโ€™s society, inspiring journalists to continue his legacy.

Words by: Josiah Jeshua Bruno
Layout by: Jhenel Cao

โ€”โ€”โ€”

White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University, stands in solidarity with journalists in the Philippines and even abroad in preserving a press that is free and independent. As members of the fourth pillar of democracy, it is crucial to remain steadfast in our mission to publicize the truth and serve as a shield against lies and ignorance.

๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜„, ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!To all aspiring campus journalists, White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint ...
29/08/2024

๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜„, ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€!

To all aspiring campus journalists, White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University is looking for staff writers, photojournalists, layout artists, cartoonists, videographers, and broadcasters.

On-site registration starts tomorrow, running from August 30 to September 5. Visit us at the Diego Silang Lobby and Fr. Seraphin Devesse Plaza, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm!

You can also register online through the link below:
https://forms.gle/xf4GXpkpnC22FqsF6
https://forms.gle/xf4GXpkpnC22FqsF6
https://forms.gle/xf4GXpkpnC22FqsF6

In White & Blue, we are more than just a paper.

Layout by: Jhenel Cao

๐——๐—ผ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ & ๐—•๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ, ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜€๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†?Does your s...
28/08/2024

๐——๐—ผ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ & ๐—•๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ, ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜€๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†?

Does your spark lead you to become a staff writer, photojournalist, layout artist, cartoonist, videographer, or broadcaster of White & Blue? Come visit us this August 30 to September 5 at the Diego Silang Lobby and Fr. Seraphin Devesse Plaza and set your spark alight.

For online registration, click the link below:
https://forms.gle/xf4GXpkpnC22FqsF6

Together, we are more than just a paper.

๐——๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ผ ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ ๐˜€๐—ฎ ๐——๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ผMula sa dugo ng mga mandirigmang walang takot, na sumulong sa agos ng mga pagsubok sa ating bayang sini...
26/08/2024

๐——๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ผ ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ ๐˜€๐—ฎ ๐——๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ผ

Mula sa dugo ng mga mandirigmang walang takot, na sumulong sa agos ng mga pagsubok sa ating bayang sinilangan, isinilang ang lathala ng ating kalayaan. Saksi ang sansinukob sa kanilang mga sakripisyo, ang mga oras na meron tayo ngayon ay handog ng kanilang walang kapantay na katapangan.

Sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga walang pag-iimbot na gawa, nananatiling buhay ang diwa ng kabayanihan sa bawat isa sa atin, na nagpapaalala na ang tunay na kabayanihan ay hindi lamang matatagpuan sa mga pahina ng kasaysayan, kundi sa puso ng mga taong pinipiling maglingkod para sa inang bayan.

Ligawan natin ang magandang bukas habang ang oras ay tumatakbo at lumilipas. Ang bawat hakbang na ating tatahakin ay daan patungo sa pangarap na kanilang ipinaglaban. Mula sa dugong bumuhos, tayong mga iniwang tagapagmana ay tinuruan ng tunay na kahulugan ng sakripisyo.

Sa mga matang walang nakikita at sa dilim ay nangangapa, sila ang araw kung saan liwanag ang siya nating utang. Sila ang nagbigay ng pag-asa, upang mabawi ang mga inagaw na sandaling pinagkait ng kasamaan. Ang kanilang buhay ay hindi nasayang; bagkus, ito'y naging lathala ng ating kasaysayan, nagpapatuloy sa bawat tibok ng ating puso, dugo mula sa dugo.

Ni Zhiann Remnor Sagubo
Illustration by Justine Lucas

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”

Habang pinararangalan natin ang mga kahanga-hangang gawa ng ating mga bayani, ang White&Blue ay buong pusong naninindigan, ipinagdiriwang at kinikilala ang napakaraming bayani na, sa kabila ng lahat ng pagsubok, ay nagtagumpay laban sa kahirapan. Sa kanilang katapangan, nasasalamin natin ang tibay at lakas ng ating bayan.

Sa diwang ito, ipinaaabot ng publikasyon ang pinakamalalim na paggalang sa mga hindi madalas mapansin ngunit mahalagang bayani ng ating araw-araw na buhay, mga tsuper ng pampublikong sasakyan, mga manggagawang pangkalusugan, mga g**o, at lahat ng Pilipinong sa kanilang tahimik at matatag na paraan ay nagiging tagapagligtas sa bawat araw.

๐๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐‚๐š๐ญ๐š๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Œ๐จ๐๐ž๐ซ๐ง ๐…๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐‘๐ž๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งโ€œIโ€™d rather die a meaningful death than live a meaningless life.โ€Benign...
21/08/2024

๐๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐‚๐š๐ญ๐š๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Œ๐จ๐๐ž๐ซ๐ง ๐…๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐‘๐ž๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

โ€œIโ€™d rather die a meaningful death than live a meaningless life.โ€

Benigno โ€œNinoyโ€ Aquino Jr.โ€™s journey from a young journalist and politician to a nationโ€™s martyr is one of courage in the face of oppression. Known as a โ€œman in a hurry,โ€ Ninoyโ€™s political career began at an early age, soon becoming the youngest mayor, vice-governor, governor, and senator in Philippine history. As his career progressed, he soon emerged as a prominent figure in the fight against the Marcos dictatorship.

Being one of the vocal critics of Marcosโ€™ regime, Ninoy was arrested and imprisoned for seven years under martial law. During his time in prison, while subjected to solitary confinement, his health deteriorated; yet he remained steadfast in his principlesโ€”determined in his fight for Philippine democracy.

In 1980, Ninoy's imprisonment ended after he suffered a heart attack, leading to his release and permission to travel to the United States for medical treatment. Although Ninoyโ€™s life in self-exile was peaceful, he could not ignore the plight of his fellow Filipinos suffering under dictatorship. Despite his family's objections and being fully aware of the risks, he decided to return to the Philippines in 1983. Tragically, Ninoy was shot dead upon his arrival at the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983, shocking the nation.

Ninoyโ€™s death ignited the fire for the People Power Revolution, a peaceful uprising that eventually led to the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986 and the rise of a democratic Philippines.

โ€œThe Filipino is worth dying for,โ€ Ninoyโ€™s words continue to inspire generations to uphold genuine democracy and solidarity. His legacy serves as a reminder that the fight for freedom is worth any sacrifice.

By Jim Clark Abella
Illustration by Arens Licoben
___________________________

White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University, stands united with the people in honoring the legacy of the late Senator Benigno โ€œNinoyโ€ S. Aquino Jr.. His values continue to serve as a guiding beacon for Filipinos in their enduring commitment to upholding democracy.

HAPPENING NOW: First-year School of Medicine (SOM) students gather at Fr. Francis Gevers Hall for general orientations t...
17/08/2024

HAPPENING NOW: First-year School of Medicine (SOM) students gather at Fr. Francis Gevers Hall for general orientations today, August 17.

Photo by: Rouize Pancho

Saint Louis University (SLU) Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) released the schedules of school orientations...
16/08/2024

Saint Louis University (SLU) Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) released the schedules of school orientations for August 19-22.

Orientations for the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing, and Information Studies (SAMCIS) will be held at the Devesse Audio Visual Room (AVR) from August 19-20.

Meanwhile, orientations for the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA), School of Nursing, Allied Health, and Biological Sciences (SONAHBS), and School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) will be held at Fr. Francis Gevers Hall, Silang Building and Fr. Joseph Van Den Daelen, Center for Culture and the Arts (CCA) Theater from August 19-20 for SEA, August 19-22 for SONAHBS, and August 21-22 for STELA.

See the shared post for more information.

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) first-year students gather for their general orienta...
15/08/2024

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) first-year students gather for their general orientation at the Fr. Joseph Van den Daelen, CICM, Center for Culture and the Arts (CCA) Theater today, August 15.

In line with this, the general orientations for first-year and new students for undergraduate and graduate programs are scheduled until next week, August 19.

The schedule of the general orientations can be accessed through this link:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LVimtEJNnSecGyCW/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Photos by Chanice Guitang and Maxin Musni

14/08/2024

๐‹๐Ž๐”๐ˆ๐’๐ˆ๐€๐๐’ ๐”๐๐‚๐‹๐Ž๐’๐„: Itโ€™s that time of the year again where another academic year unfolds. As we step into this chapter, we invite you to prepare yourselves to meet Louisians around Saint Louis University's Main and Maryheight campuses to ask, โ€œLouisian, what do you look forward to this academic year?โ€

Reporter: Candise Ocampo
Interviewers: Bea De Leon, Candise Ocampo, and Julie Sorza
Videographers: Raphael Domingo, Romar Joshua Lopez, and Mhorgan Manaois
Video Editors: Raphael Domingo and Mhorgan Manaois

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: First-year and transfer students from the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing and Information St...
14/08/2024

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: First-year and transfer students from the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing and Information Studies (SAMCIS) assemble at the Fr. Francis Gevers Hall today, August 14.

This is the third day of the week-long general orientation for undergraduate programs.

Visit this link to check other program's schedule for the general orientation: https://www.facebook.com/share/Rkwo2pGqEBTNEy9f/

Photos by Matt Sanio

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: Students from the School of Nursing, Allied Health, and Biological Sciences (SONAHBS) and School of Engin...
13/08/2024

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: Students from the School of Nursing, Allied Health, and Biological Sciences (SONAHBS) and School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) kick off their academic year with a Freshmen Orientation at the Fr. Francis Gevers, CICM Hall and Fr. Joseph Van den Daelen, CICM, CCA Theater, respectively, today, August 13.

Among the participants are freshmen from BS Biology of SONAHBS and BS Architecture, BS Chemical Engineering, BS Electrical Engineering, and BS Mining Engineering of SEA.

The remaining scheduled orientation for the different programs can be found in this link: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?id=100064346370331&story_fbid=898565765631628

Photos by Romar Lopez

๐‹๐Ž๐Ž๐Š: As Saint Louis University (SLU) opens its doors for the first day of classes, Louisians are set to embark on anoth...
13/08/2024

๐‹๐Ž๐Ž๐Š: As Saint Louis University (SLU) opens its doors for the first day of classes, Louisians are set to embark on another journey this Academic Year (A.Y.) 2024-2025.

โ€œWe are very delighted to have you all on board. May you enjoy your stay, and may you embrace your genuine Louisian identity,โ€ Rev. Fr. Gilbert Sales, CICM stated in a video posted in SLUโ€™s official page.

On the other hand, activities for freshmen are anticipated, including a week-long general orientation for undergraduate and postgraduate first-year students scheduled from August 10-19.

Moreover, various Welcome Booths awaits first-years arranged by SLU and university-wide organizations to guide and support freshmen located at designated areas in the Main Campus and Maryheights Campus.

by: Keziah Tingga-an
Photos by: Mhorgan Manaois and Rouize Pancho

๐”๐ง๐ข๐ฏ-๐ฐ๐ข๐๐ž ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ ๐ž โ€˜๐…๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ ๐…๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญโ€™ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐œ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐’๐‹๐” ๐š๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐ฅ๐ž๐œ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ž๐ฌSeveral university-wide or...
12/08/2024

๐”๐ง๐ข๐ฏ-๐ฐ๐ข๐๐ž ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ ๐ž โ€˜๐…๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ ๐…๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญโ€™ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐œ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐’๐‹๐” ๐š๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐ฅ๐ž๐œ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ž๐ฌ

Several university-wide organizations amplified student concerns during a โ€˜First Day Fightโ€™ protest at the Saint Louis University Main Gate earlier today, August 12.

โ€œHindi maitatangging tuloy-tuloy at patong-patong ang mga problemang ibinibigay ng administrasyon sa atin. Mula sa pagtaas ng tuition fee, sa red-tagging, sa kakulangan ng safe spaces sa loob ng pamantasan, at sa bawat alituntunin na nagpapahirap sa atin, sumasalamin lamang ito na binibigyan tayo ng SLU ng neo-liberal na edukasyon at ipinapakita na ang pamantasan natin ay isang mala-pyudal at mala-kolonyal na nagsapraktika rito sa SLU,โ€ stated Ralph Lagamia, spokesperson of Bahaghari SLU, during the protest.

Among the progressive groups for the said protest are Bahaghari SLU, Anakbayan SLU, Democratic Alliance of Students (DASIG), and Innabuyog Gabriela Youth (IGY) SLU.

๐‘ฌ๐’๐’“๐’๐’๐’๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’•, ๐‘ป๐‘ถ๐‘ญ๐‘ฐ, ๐‘ซ๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐‘ช๐’๐’…๐’† ๐‘ท๐’๐’๐’Š๐’„๐’š ๐’„๐’๐’๐’„๐’†๐’“๐’๐’”
During the protest, Lagamia highlighted the grievances faced by Lousians during the enrollment, demanding concrete solutions from the administration.

โ€œBilang mga mag-aaral, hinihimok namin na magpaliwanag ang administrasyon ng Unibersidad ng San Louis sa mga naging patong-patong na problema at suliranin na kinaharap sa enrollment dahil sa kapabayaan at kapalpakan nito na magbigay ng konkretong solusyon upang tugunan ang mga hinaing ng bawat estudyante sa dati nang bulok na sitwasyon ng enrollment,โ€ Lagamia said.

With their chant, โ€œEdukasyon, edukasyon, karapatan ng mamamayan,โ€ the Bahaghari SLU spokesperson also pointed out the right to education amid the seven percent Tuition and Other School Fees Increase (TOFI) under the โ€œcarry-over schemeโ€ for this Academic Year 2024-2025.

โ€œSa pagtaas ng tuition and other fees natin, sumasalamin lamang ito na nagkakaroon ng neo-liberal na pagpapatakbo sa loob ng ating paaralanโ€ฆ Dahil sa ganitong alituntunin ng SLUโ€“sa pagtaas nila ng matrikulaโ€“nawawalan ng privilege ang mga estudyante na mag-aral,โ€ stated Lagamia.

โ€œImbes na karapatan nating mga estudyante na makapag-aral nang libreโ€“dahil โ€˜yun naman ang karapatan natin at โ€˜yun ang dapat nasa atinโ€“[ay] nagkakaroon ng mga ganitong pagtaas ng tuition fee,โ€ he added.

Following the recently revised Dress Code Policy released by the SLU Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS), Lagamia shared his opinion, elucidating that it still hinders their means of self-expression.

โ€œNarinig kami ng administrasyon at binigyan ng ganitong kalayaan para i-express ang sarili namin sa kasuotan naming nakaayos sa SOGIE. Pero, hindi pa rin ibig sabihin nito na tunay โ€˜yung kalayaan namin dahil nandiyan pa rin โ€˜yung Dress Code Policy,โ€ he said in an interview.

Further, Lagamia urged fellow Louisians to organize, mobilize, and fight for the fundamental rights of the student body.

by Keziah Mae Tingga-an
Photos by Chanice Guitang

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: Freshmen from the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) take part in this yearโ€™s week-long general...
12/08/2024

๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช: Freshmen from the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) take part in this yearโ€™s week-long general orientation at the Center for Culture and the Arts (CCA) Theater today, August 12.

Both the CCA Theater and Fr. Francis Gevers Hall are being utilized for the week-long freshmen orientations due to the ongoing renovation at the customary Prince Bernhard Gymnasium.

The dates for freshmen and transfer students orientation can be found in this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/2kCkQ5HeWXYscu6f/?mibextid=oFDknk

Photos by: Romar Lopez

๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช๐—ฆ ๐—จ๐—ฃ๐——๐—”๐—ง๐—˜ | Saint Louis University (SLU) Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) has recently released an update...
09/08/2024

๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช๐—ฆ ๐—จ๐—ฃ๐——๐—”๐—ง๐—˜ | Saint Louis University (SLU) Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) has recently released an updated set of guidelines for the students in line with the university dress code policy today, August 9.

Prior to the release, an incident transpired between a student and OSAS regarding transvesting last May 17, prompting revisions on the previously outdated policy.

In the updated code, it is stated that โ€œLearners engaged in school activities ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ฟ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป, provided that the attire shall be in congruence with the attire appropriate for the serious academic work expected on a typical school dayโ€ฆโ€

Mrs. Triceayn Prestousa, OSAS Director, explained that the dress code policy evolved from principle of regularity to the principle of equality, acceptance, and inclusivity, considering the commitment of the university for genuine and inclusive development.

"Taking into consideration the Universityโ€™s commitment to genuine and inclusive development, the interpretation of the basic policies on the Dress Code Policy has evolved from the principle of regularity to the principle of equality, acceptance, and inclusivity," the OSAS Director stated.

Further, refer to the attached file for other specific guidelines on SLUโ€™s Dress Code Policy.

Link to the revised dress code policy (accessible via SLU institutional email): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JPXxPQ1t2ua3kfsTifkA7aGUS5-c6lOe/view?usp=drivesdk

by Keziah Tingga-an

๐Š๐€๐’๐€๐Œ๐€/๐’๐’๐‚ ๐€๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฆ๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐œ๐ž ๐ซ๐ž๐ข๐ฆ๐›๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ; ๐„๐ฑ๐ž๐‚๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ฌ ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งTwo years since the Academic Year 2022-2023 ended...
06/08/2024

๐Š๐€๐’๐€๐Œ๐€/๐’๐’๐‚ ๐€๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฆ๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐œ๐ž ๐ซ๐ž๐ข๐ฆ๐›๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ; ๐„๐ฑ๐ž๐‚๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ฌ ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

Two years since the Academic Year 2022-2023 ended, Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng Mag-aaral/Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/SSC) School Assemblies raised concerns regarding issues on the budget release system and the pending reimbursement requests set out for specific projects of the previous term.

In a Facebook statement posted last July 18, former KASAMA/SSC School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) Assembly Governor Josh Andrei Guevarra pointed out the sluggish progress and updates in resolving the situation.

โ€œWe are writing to express our deep concern regarding the long-standing issue of reimbursements for expenses incurred during the implementation of several projects from previous terms of the School Assemblies. Despite repeated requests and reminders, there has been little to no progress in resolving this matter, which is highly disconcerting,โ€ the statement read.

According to Guevarra, he was prompted to publish the FB post due to not being granted a meeting with the Executive Committee during the short term despite several arrangements as well as the lack of updates for the pending reimbursement request.

Moreover, the former KASAMA/SSC SEA Assembly governor explained that despite being compliant, the prolonged request appears to lack follow-ups from ExeCom, indicating that the issue may be occurring internally.

โ€œโ€˜Di ko alam kung ano [ang] nangyayari sa buong system internally since nagco-comply lang kami sa mga hinihinging requirementsโ€ฆ Last time kasi [ay] pumunta ako personally sa Office of Finance and Office of Internal Audit, nalaman ko roon na wala raw sa table โ€˜yung papers ng iba naming projects wherein, ang sabi sa amin last time ng ExeCom [ay] andoon na raw,โ€ Guevarra stated during a Messenger-based interview.

โ€œConcerning lang din na itanong sa akin ng Office of Audit na โ€˜Bakit ngayon mo lang โ€˜to na-bring up?โ€™ so, parang ang dating sa akin [ay] walang constant follow-ups na nangyayari from the ExeCom or kung sino [ang] nagsu-submit ng papers namin,โ€ he added.

Following the issue, in a recent consultation with the Office of the Internal Auditor, KASAMA/SSC Executive Committee President for A.Y. 2023-2024 Ashli Sophia de Castro shared that they reached a resolution in addressing the problem, provided that the requirements must be met.

โ€œThey were told that the university will be accepting scanned copies for reimbursements, whether they were processed during the previous term or the current term, given that they were activities conducted during the previous term. Also, they still had to comply with other requirements aside from the receipts (scanned or physical). According to them as well, this was communicated to Josh already when he visited their office,โ€ said de Castro.

๐——๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ผ, ๐—š๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—พ๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐˜€; ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ปโ€™๐˜€ ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†

During a Messenger-based interview, de Castro identified the factors for the prolonged reimbursement request, specifying the administrationโ€™s decision to change its previous policy on the submission of receipts in 2023 as well as the transactions with what might have been non-BIR registered stores.

โ€œItโ€™s entirely due to the communicated change in policy from last term (2022-2023). The university previously allowed scanned copies of receipts and also e-signatures during the pandemic, but upon backtracking, they reverted back to physical copies and signatures in early 2023,โ€ de Castro stated. โ€œIt didnโ€™t help that there were also problems encountered in identifying whether or not the stores some offices transacted with were BIR-registered.โ€

Along with this, Guevarra furthered that they were notified late regarding the policy change.

โ€œLately [lang] nasabi sa amin na need pala ng physical receipts, kung kailan wala na kaming ma-provide, since ang tagal na natapos noong projects,โ€ Guevarra stated during a separate Messenger-based interview.

In line with this, de Castro shared that the School Assemblies were prompted to submit reimbursement requests due to the delay in their budget requests.

โ€œThe process of budget requests in the council is rigorous as it isโ€ฆ Besides, they only had to resort to reimbursement as their initial budget requests were not released on time, both due to the ridiculous bureaucracy within the admin and the incomplete requirements submitted by the officers, but so much more emphasis on the former,โ€ de Castro stated.

Per the issue, Guevarra illustrated instances that complicated the implementation of some projects due to discrepancies in the budget release during his term.

โ€œNasabihan kasi kami na for release na โ€˜yung budget noong isang project namin, โ€˜yung Peryahan. Since maraming meeting at consultation with COA ang naganap, akala namin [na] okay na, [na] matatanggap na namin [โ€˜yung budget]. Pero, nagulat na lang kami na โ€˜di pa rin na-releaseโ€ฆ Doon na namin nalaman na biglang need ng physical copy [ng receipts],โ€ Guevarra shared.

โ€œOther projects kasi namin includes cash prizes and honorarium. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin naibibigay sa mga recipients since wala pang nare-release na budgetโ€ฆ Actually, marami kaming projects noong term ko na hindi nag-push through kasi walang budget na dumadating kahit na-approved naman na sa Budget Defenseโ€”laging reimbursements ang nangyayari,โ€ he added.

Conversely, prior to addressing the issue, de Castro underscored the situation not to be a matter of pointing fingers between the parties involved.

โ€œThe last thing I want is for this situation to turn into a competition of which office committed the most mistakes,โ€ de Castro emphasized.

๐—”๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—น๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐˜€

In an interview, outgoing KASAMA/SSC Adviser Engr. Erwin C. Posadas shared his sentiments regarding the matter, mentioning the challenging acquisition of the original copies as a possible setback leading to the situation and expressing his side on the lack of follow-ups from the parties involved when the problem surfaced.

โ€œI told them, โ€˜You have to abide by the requirements of COA,โ€™ but the problem was they donโ€™t have the original copyโ€ฆ [but] they have a photocopy. So, since they have the photocopy, I told them if that would suffice, and from then, I didnโ€™t hear anything about whatโ€™s going on with the reimbursement,โ€ he said.

โ€œI feel sad when this problem dragged on, I was not anymore asked [for] help [from] or approached in order to solve the problemโ€ฆ Kasi pwede rin naman sig**o akong makiusap kung talagang walang magawa ang ExeCom, walang magawa ang COAโ€ฆ So, ako na mismo โ€˜yung lalapit sa Audit na, โ€˜Pwede bang tulungan natin sila kasi talagang nawala na โ€˜yung original receipt?โ€™ parang ganoโ€™n,โ€ Engr. Posadas added.

Subsequent to the issue, Engr. Posadas stated that he had already communicated with the Office of the Internal Audit and agreed to submit the needed requirements to address the reimbursement processing.

โ€œI hope by this time, they will be able to provide all the necessary documents, whether photocopy or not, and the Audit will be very helpful enough to help them, the KASAMA/SSC, to settle, once and for all, this problem,โ€ he said.

When asked how such circumstances would be avoided, he stressed the importance of consulting the organizationโ€™s adviser to help address concerns and issues.

โ€œItโ€™s always best to approach the adviser, and then the adviser will have to do something about itโ€ฆ During our time there was no problem, there were no problems, and there will actually be no problems if it was done in a manner that i-approach nila โ€˜yung father or mother nilaโ€ฆ This is my last advisorship in the KASAMA/SSC, and I hope the next adviser will beโ€”will have that kind of heart and desire to help the students,โ€ Engr. Posadas emphasized.

As of writing, Engr. Posadas is getting regular updates from the people and parties involved regarding the matter.

Despite several attempts, White & Blue was not able to obtain a statement from the SLU administration.

by Angelica Christine Reyes, Faith Revaรฑo, and Keziah Mae Tingga-an

๐€๐ญ๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐‘๐จ๐›๐ซ๐ž๐๐จ ๐ž๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐€๐‚๐”๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ฌ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ค๐ž๐ฒ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ž ๐š๐๐๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌTo commence the second day...
25/07/2024

๐€๐ญ๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐‘๐จ๐›๐ซ๐ž๐๐จ ๐ž๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐€๐‚๐”๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ฌ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ค๐ž๐ฒ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ž ๐š๐๐๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ

To commence the second day of the Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines, Inc. (ACUP) first-ever youth gathering, Atty. Maria Leonor โ€œLeniโ€ Robredo, Chairperson and President of Angat Buhay and Former Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, addressed various topics on youth empowerment and social transformation at the Fr. Joseph Van Den Daelen Center for Culture and the Arts Theater yesterday, July 24.

Following the theme โ€œTayo-tayo: the youthโ€™s involvement in synodality and social transformation,โ€ Atty. Robredo, as the keynote speaker, highlighted topics such as progressive learning, youth empowerment, economic growth, and sustainable practices.

Moreover, the keynote address was followed by an open forum where the audience composed of student leaders and organizations representing the different ACUP participating schools, among which was Saint Louis University (SLU), were given the opportunity to raise questions.

๐‘ท๐’“๐’๐’ˆ๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’”๐’Š๐’—๐’† ๐’๐’—๐’†๐’“ ๐’•๐’“๐’‚๐’…๐’Š๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’๐’‚๐’: ๐’‚ ๐’˜๐’‚๐’š ๐’•๐’ ๐’†๐’๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’† ๐’†๐’…๐’–๐’„๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’๐’‚๐’ ๐’”๐’š๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’Ž๐’”

Drawing on her experiences abroad, Atty. Robredo shared her insights on the ineffectiveness of traditional learning methods and advocated for a more progressive approach that fosters critical thinking, aiming to enhance educational systems.

โ€œโ€˜Yung tingin ko na maganda roon [education in the US] sa kanila โ€˜yung tinitignan nila โ€˜yung education from a more holistic standpoint. Hindi lang siya โ€˜yung academics and kung titignan natin โ€˜yung how they are faring, mukhang maganda siyang standpoint in the sense na nadedevelop natin na โ€˜yung mga bata mas confident na magcontribute to social change,โ€ Atty. Robredo said.

โ€œYung rigidity sa atin, parang nawawala โ€˜yung confidence ng mga kabataan, napupushback, kasi parang โ€˜yung mindset natin, โ€˜Wala pa tayong boses kasi bata pa tayo.โ€™ Pero โ€˜pag mas binigyan ng espasyo โ€˜yung mga bata na mahalaga โ€˜yung boses nila, mas confident sila. Para sa kanila lagi siyang bahagi ng pag-aaral na binibigyan โ€˜yung mga estudyante na lumawak โ€˜yung horizon and matuto outside the classroom,โ€ she added.

Further, she emphasized the importance of schools providing spaces and opportunities for young people to engage using the US education system as an example, where students have lighter course loads, allowing them greater time to participate in causes they are passionate about.

โ€œDahil ganoโ€™n โ€˜yung sistema, maraming pagkakataon for them to involve themselves in causes and advocacies they are passionate about and โ€˜yung pag-involve na โ€˜yon binibigyan ng malaking value. Sa atin kasi parang very academic lahat. โ€˜Yung Asian perspective punong-puno talaga. Parang andoon โ€˜yung rigidity na parang โ€˜yung involvement sa community tinitignan siya as a requirement nalang. โ€˜Yung rigidity, hindi siya nagbibigay ng parang innovativeness at creativity tapos โ€˜yung sinasabi kanina na โ€˜yung ishshape-up โ€˜yung system dahil โ€˜yung mindset sa atin parati [ay] sumusunod [sa] kung ano โ€˜yung requirement,โ€ she said.

Aside from discussing topics related to the educational system, Atty. Robredo also addressed queries regarding economic growth and sustainability, explaining that addressing the root causes of societal inequities is essential before discussing sustainability initiatives.

๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’‘๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐’š๐’๐’–๐’•๐’‰ ๐’Š๐’๐’—๐’๐’๐’—๐’†๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’• ๐’Š๐’ ๐’‘๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’”๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐’Š๐’”๐’”๐’–๐’†๐’”

During the open forum, Atty. Robrebo encouraged the students to focus on the things that need to be done instead of being overwhelmed by the problems from a macro level point of view as a response to a question regarding possible actions other than raising awareness to contribute to the alleviation of the crisis on making education inclusive for all in the country.

โ€œโ€˜Drown out the noise,โ€™ kasi there is so much that needs to be done, and para sa โ€˜kin, just look for the spaces that are available for us and fill out those spaces. Parang donโ€™t imagine that you can change the world โ€“ lahat tayo may ambisyon to change the world โ€˜di ba pero โ€˜pag tinignan natin kasi from a very macro-level, parang everything is hopeless already,โ€ Atty. Robredo said.

Moreover, the Former Vice President urged school administrators to also take part in standing against social concerns as a stepping stone in protecting students, most especially those who participate in social causes in response to a student leader who raised concerns about the safety of students who volunteer for social justice programs, and are subjected to red tagging.

โ€œHalimbawa, issues on the environment, issues on social justice, issues on gender, mining. Ako, โ€˜pag ang paaralan mas aktibo sa pag-advocate ng issues na โ€˜to, parang it becomes second nature to the students so sa โ€˜kin sig**o โ€˜yong advice ko sa mga eskwelahan [ay] parang alisin โ€˜yong mindset na โ€˜pag sinasalungat natin โ€˜yong gobyerno, kapag sinasalungat natin โ€˜yong status quo, masama tayo,โ€ she said.

โ€œโ€˜Yong manahimik parang nagiging contributory ka sa injustices โ€˜di ba? So para sa โ€˜kin, dahil marami namang representatives ng schools dito, pag-usapan โ€˜yong issues that students are passionate about. Pag-usapan and provide a space where students are given safe spaces to discuss these advocacies,โ€ she added.

Following the keynote address of Atty. Robredo, Prof. Joselito C. Gutierrez, PhD, Executive Assistant of the University President, presented a list of activities done by the university in accordance with Pope Francisโ€™ Laudato Si and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Among these activities were the establishment of the Saint Louis University United Nations Sustainable Development Group (SLU UNSDG) Center, the incorporation of solar panels to buildings within the campus, and the construction of a sewage treatment plant and water refilling stations.

By Faith Revaรฑo and Angelica Christine Reyes
Photos by Micko Nieves, Romar Joshua Lopez, Rouize Pancho, and Villamor Dumlao

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