The Cordilleran Scholar

14/11/2024

| 𝑶𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤

While a corporation may project a polished image, the reality behind the scenes is often far more complex. In today’s corporate landscape, as companies grow in success and influence, they also encounter—and oftentimes conceal—serious internal issues.

The recent tragic death of Robin Esguerra, an SM employee, who fell into an unprotected freight elevator shaft due to a structural flaw in the building, has sparked a wave of public outrage. A full day after the incident, at past 4 PM on November 3, SM City Baguio released a brief statement expressing condolences, but it lacked any real information regarding the cause of the incident or the steps being taken to prevent similar accidents. The delayed response from the company only heightened concerns, as people questioned whether the safety and well-being of other employees were also at risk. This devastating incident highlights the hidden costs of corporate negligence and the need for better employee protection and transparency.

Esguerra’s death was not just the result of a mechanical failure; it was the consequence of a catastrophic lapse in safety protocols in a public space frequented by thousands of people every day. This critical malfunction undoubtedly raises the public concern of whether or not proper safety measures are in place for the staff and mall visitors. While tragedies such as these demand transparency and empathy, SM City Baguio failed to offer an immediate public statement or acknowledgment of the loss. The lack of answers from SM City Baguio, coupled with their delayed statement, only adds to the growing suspicion that the corporation may be trying to hide the truth or avoid public scrutiny.

As corporations grow, they often prioritize projecting a polished public image. It is because of this that issues shared on the Glassdoor website by employees of SM supermalls, such as poor working conditions, low wages, and inadequate safety measures, go unaddressed. Despite working full-time, many employees struggle with low wages and insufficient benefits, often barely able to meet the rising costs of living. For some like Robin, these issues go beyond financial strain, pointing to a lack of attention to basic safety and well-being.

The public trust is fragile. Corporations like SM City Baguio, who serve thousands of people daily, have an obligation to maintain safe environments and treat their workers with respect. The tragic loss of a worker’s life should be met with an immediate response: a commitment to transparency, an assurance that safety measures will be reviewed, and most importantly, support for the worker’s family. Anything less would be a failure in corporate responsibility.

Corporate silence in the face of such a tragedy is not an option. It is an abdication of responsibility that only deepens the pain for those affected. The public deserves answers, and employees deserve justice.

As consumers, we have significant power to influence change in these corporations. By choosing to support companies that prioritize employee well-being and ethical practices, we can encourage a shift toward fairer treatment across industries. The growing popularity of fair trade, employee-owned businesses, and socially responsible companies demonstrates that consumers are increasingly holding corporations accountable. Through our purchases, we send a clear message that the treatment of employees matters—and that the people behind the products and services deserve respect, safety, and dignity.

By advocating for fair labor practices and supporting ethical businesses, we can work toward a more just and equitable economy for everyone. While large corporations may present a seamless public image, it is essential that we listen to the voices of their employees—because a truly just society values the lives of those who make it run.

🖋️ 𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘢 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘯, 𝘊𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢
🖌️ 𝘙𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘰

11/11/2024

| 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔

𝐍𝐂𝐄 2024 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 31,000

31,636 aspiring students will vie for 1,860 slots across 16 Philippine Science High School (PSHS) campuses during the National Competitive Examination (NCE) this November 16, 2024.

The number of examinees has doubled since last year’s NCE, in which only the top 15,000 qualifiers based on applicants’ PNG (Predicted NCE Grade) were eligible to take the exam.

To qualify, applicants must have a grade of at least 85% in Science and Mathematics or be part of the top 10% of their batch, must be a Filipino citizen with no pending applications to immigrate, and must not have previously applied for admission to PSHS.

✒️ 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘻𝘢 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴
📸 𝘡𝘩𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢

Sources:
1. Ronda, R. A. (2024, November 3). ‘31,000 to take science high school exam.’ Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/04/2397447/31000-take-science-high-school-exam

2. Philippine Science High School System. (2023, September 18). Attention all parents and incoming Grade 7 students SY 2024-2025! 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡. https://pshs.edu.ph/attention-all-parents-and-incoming-grade-7-students-sy-2024-2025

17/10/2024

| 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬

We recently celebrated Employees’ Day last October 15th, 2024—a day dedicated to recognizing the hard work of the people who not only shape our future, but also our character. In the words of John Keating from Dead Poets Society, “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits to sustain life. But poetry, romance, love: these are what we stay alive for.” While school prepares us for our future careers, it teaches us something more, and those are the deeper values of life—it’s our teachers and staff who guide us in learning both.

Employees’ Day isn’t solely about celebrating the people who help us pass our exams or make career choices, it’s about honoring those who instill in us life lessons that extend beyond textbooks. Our teachers challenge us to solve hard problems, but they also teach us about empathy, resilience, and the importance of perseverance. Beyond the classroom, the staff play a role just as crucial. They model both kindness and the value of community, reminding us of the connections we build and the people who help us along the way.

As scholars, we should be reminded this employees’ day that while our faculty and staff may prepare us for careers related to STEM, they also give us the tools to live life fully—to appreciate the poetry, romance, and love that make it all worthwhile, and that’s something to be grateful for.

✒️ 𝘙𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘴
📸 𝘠𝘰𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘤, 𝘗𝘚𝘏𝘚-𝘊𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘍𝘉 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘛𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘑𝘳.
🖌 𝘡𝘩𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢, 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘶

16/10/2024

| 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨, 𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧

Philippine Science High School - Cordillera Administrative Region (PSHS-CARC) scholars educated alongside their campus teachers in the STEM promotion and National Competitive Exam (NCE) caravan conducted across eight municipalities in Mountain Province last Sept. 26–27, 2024.

Grade 12 scholars Joash Romero, David Sa-ao, and Jan Sagudin led the participation of the CARC community in line with their Service, Creativity, Action, and Leadership (SCALE) activity, gathering student volunteers from grades 9, 11, and 12 to assist in the promotional activities.

“We wanted to help out the kids to love STEM and want them to be able to apply for Pisay,” said Sagudin.

The project incited student involvement among CARC scholars, allowing for the application of skills taught throughout the years, as well as further instilling the Pisay core values of integrity, excellence, and most especially service to the nation.

Sa-ao, Romero, and Sagudin headed the Physics segment of the promotional program, wherein they trained the student volunteers to teach Newton's Laws of Motion through the creation of balloon-powered cars.

Other activities were also taught and conducted in the program, such as circuitry, microscope-handling, and an investigative project that highlighted critical-thinking skills.

The program consisted of lessons in biology, chemistry, and physics, focused on inspiring grade 5 and 6 learners from different elementary schools in the municipalities of Barlig, Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Sabangan, Sadanga, Sagada, and Tadian to pursue science-based education, as well as apply for an education at PSHS-CARC.

✒️ 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘳
📸 𝘡𝘩𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢

29/09/2024

| 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆

𝐓𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫

"𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚, 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨." Mythology stirred to life as Greek gods, Norse heroes, and the Divine walked amongst mortals. What had once been everyday corridors became sacred ground, trembling under the footsteps of the worshiped long past. In gleaming crowns and flowing robes, Batch 2027 transformed their English assessment into something far greater—a living, breathing parade of legends. And for a moment, we seemed to dwell in the worlds Homer and Ovid had etched into eternity.

The excitement had been building for weeks, electric and contagious. The Greek Fest was not just a typical school project; it was a rite of passage. Students were tasked with embodying deities and mythological figures from various cultures, presenting their chosen characters in a live performance. Soon, it dominated every conversation in Batch 2027. Selecting one was also no easy feat, it was as if they weren’t merely choosing characters—they were choosing which aspects of themselves they wished to magnify. They learned lines, practiced their motions and in a sense developed their understanding of heroism, morality, and the human experience.

Consider Yael Solimen from Photon, who didn’t settle for the familiar pantheon of Greek or Filipino deities. “Everyone was choosing the same gods,” she shared. “But I wanted something different—Amaterasu, the Japanese goddess of the sun.” A story of light and rebirth mirrored Yael’s own journey, stepping out of the ordinary into something radiant and new. In a sea of Olympians, Yael stood apart, much like the sun goddess herself—a symbol of renewal, power, and independence.

Soon enough, the gods were ready to walk among us and Friday, September 20th saw the culmination of this pilgrimage. Eighty-nine students, garbed in their own creations, were on an exploration of one’s self, seeking to merge the human with the otherworldly. And as they paraded through the halls, the lines between fiction and reality blurred into something magical.
The performances were nothing short of exhilarating. The gods came alive, demanding the audience’s full attention. While every student brought something unique to the stage, a few stood out, not just for their talent but for the way they became their characters. And these select few were awarded as the Best Performers. Ryzen L. Sagantiyoc captivated as a standout in Gluon. In Graviton, Shomara Belle C. Fabia and Rian Crystel N. Padilla wove their myths with power and grace. Meanwhile in Photon, Yael Ianna A. Solimen shone with intensity and depth, her performance nothing short of mesmerizing.

As the day came to an end, the gods shed their crowns and robes, returning to their mortal forms. Yet, something had shifted. For a day, they had stepped into the shoes of immortals and carried the weight of the heavens. Now, as the final traces faded, a question lingered in the air: Where does man end and myth begin?

Maybe the line between us and the gods is thinner than we think. Perhaps we’re all striving for our own kind of immortality, each in our own way. After all, what truly separates the lowly from the primordial?

Perhaps, in the end, a god is just a man in ruins—waiting for the moment to rise again.

✒️ 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘢 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯
📸 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘻𝘶𝘯
🖌 𝘡𝘩𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢, 𝘈𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘪

26/09/2024

| 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔
𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹

The Office of Civil Defense conducted the Third Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) as the first earthquake drill of the school year on campus today, September 26, 2024 at 9 in the morning.

According to the Office of Civil Defense, the drill aims to strengthen the coordination and communication of institutions, and raise preparedness for earthquakes.

📸 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚 𝑌𝑜ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑎𝑐
✍️ 𝐴𝑣𝑖𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑖

23/09/2024

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐢 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐒, 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

In a plenary session hosted on Sept. 21, the Philippine Science High School - Cordillera Administrative Region Campus (PSHS-CARC) collaborated with the Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Amaki Super Science High School (SSH) in Japan with the aim of strengthening cross-cultural ties and research development between the two institutions.

Mr. Leo Dacumos, former assistant research teacher at the Kurashiki Amaki SSH and a Science and Technology Research (STR) teacher at PSHS-CARC, formally opened the session at 1 p.m., followed by welcoming remarks from Mr. Shiyuuichi Nakadachi, a physics and research teacher from the Kurashiki Amaki SSH.

Kanna Ao and Kaue Sakurako, students from the partnered school, presented a brief overview of school life in their institution, including their school uniform, curricula, facilities, and extracurriculars, followed by Thomas Leung and Aydin Evangelista, scholars from CARC, who presented Pisay from the viewpoint of an average scholar, putting emphasis on the importance of STR.

In the breakout sessions facilitated by teachers from CARC, students from both institutions introduced themselves and shared a brief outline of their respective research interests; moreover, the students were also given time to get to know each other in conversations outside of research.

After the parallel sessions, Mr. Shogo Fujiie, principal of the Kurashiki Amaki SSH, formally closed the event by giving a speech praising the dedication involved in the cross-cultural exchange of schools that recognize scientific development.

SSH is a designation authorized by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to high schools prioritizing education in science, technology, and mathematics (STEM).

The joint session is the first out of two meetings between Kurashiki Amaki SSH and PSHS-CARC—the next one, a research colloquium, will be held on October 5, 2024.

21/09/2024

| 𝑶𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥

It is ironic and depressing to see that Philippine history repeats itself—to see how the Filipino people are still unable to break away from the decades of rust of the country’s “golden era”.

On this day, 52 years ago, dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. signed Proclamation No. 1081. Two days later, on September 23, 1972, a broadcast aired wherein the former president announced the militarized state of the Philippines as countermeasures for the supposed threat of communist rebellion—a television segment the Filipino people were forced to be familiar with for 14 years and decades more. Today, protesters mark the anniversary of the truly historic event through their attempt to march down the Mendiola Bridge, voicing their concerns on the worsening state of human rights and corruption in the current Philippine society governed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., popularly known as Bongbong Marcos.

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑵𝒐. 1081

It is not new information that my country, in its entirety, is most known for its pitiful history of continuous abuse. The centuries of damage has proved to yield irrevocable effects on the countrymen, so much so that a large portion of the Philippine community seem to be desensitized and ignorant to the perpetuating cycle we see today due to its normalization—wherein, for example, Martial Law victims get reduced to mere statistics.

What started as a deed to prevent disorder within the country declined into a means to abuse the power of one’s position, leading the nation from democracy towards fascism, and beginning an unwritten dynasty. The image of martial law in the Philippines appears as a scramble of government thievery, not only severely of the people’s money, but also equally severely of civilian rights and free press among others.

𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒚𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔

The Marcoses have been a legendary name in both national and international political history. This can be attributed to their long track record of human rights violations, including warrantless arrests, torture, murder, massacre, media censorship, and robbery.

Despite the family’s exile, wherein they smuggled a portion of the plundered billions of pesos to Hawaii, they were able to reestablish themselves within the political field of the Philippines. Through their propaganda of country coin, some spent on Imelda’s designer shoes, they somehow managed to once again grab the position of the president of the Philippines.

𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒔 𝑸𝒖𝒐

The Filipino people have been damned by their own.

The protests on this very day, criticizing the substandard work of the dictator’s son, speaks volumes on the family’s pathetic attempt to erase what they have done. It is because of the current state of the Philippines that we internalize the phrase “never forget, never again”.

Every single year, we are once again reminded of the challenges the countrymen have faced, the lives that were sacrificed, and the very moment where the Filipino people realized that we, too, are deserving of freedom. I, the current generation, and generations to follow, are indebted to all the Filipinos who have fought to pass on the truth of those who lived and died as victims. Though seemingly impossible given the countless of molded memories, we must still continue to combat the revision of our history and take the responsibility of repeating to ourselves and others the known facts of this anniversary.

The Philippines breaks away from its historical cycle once each and every individual sharing a place in the nation recognizes and admits that true gold does not tarnish.

🖋️ 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘳
🖌️ 𝘈𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘪

13/09/2024

| 𝑶𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲

In Cordilleran parlance, “sipat” is only the precursor to peace-making, but for almost forty years, we’ve treated it as a conclusive resolution—an excuse that only sidelines the region's hefty burdens and its clamber towards autonomy.

September 13, 2024 marks the 38th anniversary of the 1986 Sipat Peace Accord between the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) led by Fr. Conrado Balweg and the national government under the administration of former President Corazon Aquino. This prompted the signing of Executive Order 220, which created the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

While the blares of peace accord commemoration resound the conversations in the 1986 Sipat Talks and reglow the forged peace between the Cordillera People's Liberation Army and the Republic of the Philippines, genuine self-determination goes beyond the establishment of an administrative Cordillera region.

“Sipat” means "peace agreement" and is a commencing act before tribes formally enter a peace pact. In every sense of the word, it is only an initial step as CAR is supposed to be a transitory structure towards an autonomous Cordillera region.

Aspirations for autonomy root in the actualization of Cordillera’s problems, and serve as a wake-up call to all onlookers that beyond the glint of tourism campaigns, indigenous groups have been silenced and coerced into subordination. Dressed as the lawful strategy for economic boost, the peaks of Cordilleras continue to be blunted by the irrevocable act of misuse, a heavy burden that prompts the necessity to reexamine peace and what it means to be a region that is peaceful.

In asking for autonomy, Cordillera is not seeking a secession or a complete outlawing to separate itself from the country. Conversations recognizing the necessity of autonomy before fruition is just the region’s first step to undoing a decades-long abuse, where indigenous land is faulted by industrial pursuits such as mining, local resources are degraded to the point of ruin, and the people are disturbed by the unlawful seizure of what is theirs.

Cordilleran autonomy is not anti-patriotism; in every sense it upholds the nation’s heart of democracy.

In tangible steps to autonomy, Cordillera secures its core identity and cultural heritage, and bolsters its walls against the grasp of industrial exploitation.

While it is comfortable to look back at the past and to commemorate efforts in retrospect, the ceaseless scramble for self-autonomy must be the bigger spotlight here. The meaning of peace should not have stopped at the liberation from ceasefire and a recognition of mutual partnership between state and region brought by the Sipat Peace Accord, but rather, must be materialized in genuine efforts from the central government to grant the pleas of Cordillerans for self-governance—efforts toward autonomy must not be tethered to the backseat, even almost forty years after the exchange of tokens between the two warring parties.

✒️ 𝘡𝘩𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢
🖌 𝘙𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘰

12/09/2024

| 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆
𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀

In the early days of the Philippine Science High School - CAR Campus (Karsi), the air was thick with a persistent odor that seeped into classrooms. Once located near a landfill, the site was notorious for the smell of garbage—a constant challenge that greeted students and staff.

Despite these difficult conditions, the school remained steadfast in its mission to educate young scholars, and today, the former wasteland has been transformed into a lush educational environment. 16 years later, young scholars can study and play in the comfort of a fresh school atmosphere as they are nurtured to be the future scientists of the country.

As we celebrate Karsi's legacy of excellence, we acknowledge its journey and the dedicated people behind its success. From its initial location in San Vicente to its permanent lot in Irisan, Karsi has risen to new heights. Despite its small land area, about 1.6 hectares, and initial struggles, Karsi has thrived because of the committed teachers, faculty, students, and administrators who trusted, believed, and contributed to its beautiful tapestry and existence.

Every achievement of Karsi is a testament of the community that lies in its heart; and each success of a scholar is a reflection of the love and dedication that define it.

✍️ 𝐾𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑎 𝐴𝑑𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑣𝑖𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑖
🎨 𝐴𝑣𝑖𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑖

01/09/2024

| 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲

“𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘦-𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩.
𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘦.”

This lyric from the Baguio Hymn captures an idyllic vision of the city—a place where nature and serenity meld effortlessly. However, this Baguio Day, it is crucial to contrast this poetic imagery with the realities faced by the once-charming city nestled among the pine.

The Baguio Hymn paints a picture of a highland paradise, where fresh air and sunshine filtering through pine trees promise an escape from urban life. But beneath this picturesque dream lies a city grappling with rapid urbanization, pollution, and the strain of its growing popularity. While in promising “verdant hills oft kissed by clouds of pearl” the hymn conjures images of lush, unspoiled landscapes where clouds caress emerald peaks, the Summer Capital’s hills stand in contrast to the crowded streets and choking smoke that now mar the city’s charm.

However, despite these challenges, there is a wave of community efforts to heal the scars of overdevelopment and influx of tourists. Initiatives from citizens and organizations to preserve green spaces and reduce pollution are underway to protect the peaceful haven the Baguio Hymn celebrates.

While we commemorate the founding anniversary of our locality, and the rich, verdant history it heaves on its back, it is important to uphold a collective advocacy to protect its present, and to solidify its place as a city that deserves to exist free from exploitation. As the hymn goes, “Our Eden, dreams and gift of the Creator.” This Baguio Day, we must celebrate the ongoing efforts to protect this paradise bestowed upon us, and work towards reclaiming the pine-sifted sunshine and invigorating breeze we sing about in our hymn.

✍️: 𝐾𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑎 𝐴𝑑𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑛
🎨: 𝑅𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜

31/08/2024

| 𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

Pisay-CARC celebrates Buwan ng Wika on August 30, 2024 with the theme “Filipino: Wikang Mapagpalaya.”

📸 Zhyan Advincula, Paulan Gozun, Yohan Pinlac

30/08/2024

| 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 - 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲

In the picture of everyday life, language might seem like a simple, unnoticed thread, but it is the very pen that wrote our nation to life—no matter how unceremonious this fact is, Filipinos must recognize it as a vital truth to the country. From the litany of “panitikan” that pieced Filipinos together to the “salawikain” that lit our darkest moments with ancestral wisdom, the Filipino language has not merely painted a culture and a history—it has crafted the mosaic of our nation.

This year's theme, “Wikang Filipino, Wikang Mapagpalaya”, challenges us to see our national language not merely as a simple collection of words bounded by semantics, but a canvas of freedom, painted with the blood and sacrifices of those who dared to dream of a self-determined nation. Through one common language, every Filipino is given equal opportunity to speak, to fight for their rights, and to take their rightful place in the nation, harboring through word and gesture what it means to be courageous. Through language, we do not merely say or speak; we declare in utmost dignity our identity as a nation that persists despite struggle.

✍️: Paulan Gozun
🎨: Zhyan Advincula, Juleana Conlu

26/06/2024

𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩

𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝘼𝙏𝘼𝙂 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮, 𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥-𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙩-𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚.

Last June 19, 2024, Vice President Sara Duterte tendered her resignation as Member of the Cabinet, Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), and Vice Chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). According to Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil, Duterte declined to give a reason for her decision.

On the same day of her resignation, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that the Philippines ranked second to the last in terms of creative thinking among 64 nations in its latest assessment. The country’s mean score of 14 was below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average standard of 33. Just in the latest 2022 PISA results, the Philippines ranked as the sixth lowest among the 81 countries, showing a great lag in reading comprehension, mathematics, and science.

Despite these problems, VP Duterte assured that her resignation was one out of genuine concern. "Mga kababayan ang aking pagbibitiw ay hindi lulan ng kahinaan kundi dala ng tunay na malasakit para sa ating mga g**o at kabataang Pilipino," Duterte said in a DepEd press conference.

Congested classrooms, a shortfall in learning resource, a resistance to acclimate with an increasingly technological world, stripping the classroom walls off of visual aid—these have been the frames in the education sector under Sara Duterte, a product of stacking blunders that fruit from an ineffective cognition of the nation’s educational scene, and a lacking effort to rebuild it from the dusts of the pandemic or to lift the problems that heave on the nation’s students even before her term. From her inception as DepEd secretary, Duterte was unfit for the post.

The continuous dismal results in global benchmarking tests exposes the gaping rot in our nation’s educational system. Education has always been seen to be at the crucial heart of national development, but unlike advanced economies, the Philippines lacks the tangible cogs that seek to rewire the system purporting a long ongoing educational crisis.

Besides the lax regard for education, Duterte’s position in the sector has little-to-no strategic value to buff her up in the 2028 presidential elections, especially given that Filipinos and the Congress have held her confidential funds—those supposedly used for DepEd—to scrutiny. On top of being an act of faux willingness, tendering her resignation from the Marcos cabinet is an act of line-drawing, a severing of the sutures in the UniTeam alliance to propel her up the national polls for presidency.

It is, again, an act of political intramurals.

UniTeam’s purport of unity unravels as national perils continue to tighten. If from the outset, President Marcos Jr. had appointed someone versed in the educational field as Secretary, then we would not have the two-year turmoil that beset education further away from the promises of progress.

Sara Duterte, who is supposed to be the linchpin bridging the gaps in our education, has stepped down from a duty—one that is fundamental in relieving the burdens weighing down on the children of our country. Her “tunay na malasakit” (genuine concern) should not be misconstrued as empathy for the educational sector. Her departure from the DepEd post, and her faulty action during her term, is just a prime example of how education has always been tethered to the backseat of this country’s priorities in nation building.

Supposedly, the classroom is a sacred space for the growth of children into individuals capable of trekking their own paths—it is a space for the mind’s formation, and in it happens the youth’s comprehension of the world around them. Here they mold their opinions and spin them into advocacies, it is the salient stage that sets them up before they enter the curtains of further learning.

And yet, despite the country's expectation from its children to be the tunnel-end hope, the dark burrows of the nation’s educational crisis continue to deepen with inaction.

Serious concerns in education must be met with consolidated efforts, ones initiated by the department itself. The government can no longer purport flimsy advocacies and thinly-constructed programs in hopes that the image of progress in education be met with genuine laud from the nation. It is high time that fixing education be at the forefront of our priorities, where in recognizing that education is the foundation for national development, DepEd constructs cemented steps that aim to brace students in a fast paced world. A head start from the government is needed in order to start chasing the lag behind the rest of the globe.

The unseating of Duterte can be seen in a better light: the Department of Education is not latched on to the mere basis of name, it is temporarily dislodged from UniTeam’s political tactics. As of yet, no hands have yet dashed to the air in reclamation of the Secretary of Education post, only the nation can hope it is someone appointed on the basis of willingness, not just worth.

The impending Secretary must be someone who recognizes the critical piece that education plays in the jigsaw of national progress, one that would seek to enlighten the youth—embodying, much like the torchlight in the Department’s official seal, the vitality and spirit needed to unyoke children from the burdens of a flawed educational sphere.

Else, if we play into more political intramurals, the torchlight of education may die down with running in fruitless lapses, where the country is further soldered in a dynamic of incompetent leaders expecting a more competent population—an image of hypocrisy we should no longer want.

The Cordilleran Scholar - TCS