EDITORIAL: PAGSIPAT SA TUNAY NA SALARIN

Front page, Buwan ng Wika Ispesyal na Isyu! 🙂 Nahaggard ako sa isyu na ito, pero marami rin namang natanggap na mga positive comments!

[BUWAN NG WIKA ISPESYAL NA ISYU EDITORIAL 15-16]

Sa kasalukuyang henerasyon kung saan mas pinagtutuunan ng pansin ang wastong paggamit ng “rin” at “din,” at kung saan mas malaking usapin ang teknikalidad – maling termino, maling balarila, maling pagtatambal ng isang wika sa isa pang wika – ang nararapat sigurong mas patingkarin na usapin ay ang ating sensibilidad sa pag-unawa sa mga lenggwahe.

Primarya pa rin dapat na intindihin ang kasaysayan, yakapin ang katangian, at mahalin ang pinagmulan nang sinasalita nating wika, bago tiyakin ang lubos na pagpapakahusay sa teknikalidad nito.

COLUMN: WE ARE NAMELESS AND ALL NAMES ARE OURS

[COLUMN FOR 2ND TABLOID ’15-’16]

Three years ago, in that one fateful day of February, I heard a long-forgotten story of a nameless hero.

My auntie, my mother’s eldest sister alive, finely narrates the story and brought me back on the spate of united and principled people’s uprising against the state.

It was about a brave man, he was my mother’s brother, eldest among the 13 siblings of the De Leon-Sinque family.

Auntie said he was hard-headed, impulsive, and cunning – she described him in the harshest words that she knew.

One day, the family discovered he became part of the revolutionary movement. It was during the pre-martial law era. He became a Commander of an armed revolutionary group.

EDITORIAL: THE QUESTION OF ORIENTATION

The Nexus, the official student publication of College of Arts, Scienes, and Education (CASEd), Holy Angel Univesity.

[EDITORIAL FOR 1ST TABLOID ISSUE 15-16]

Surely, a potent key to every nation’s progress is its intellectual citizens – of which education is a major factor to produce critical minds.

Recalling the Philippine education programs and reforms in history, from the late president Marcos’ Education Act of 1982 up to President Aquino’s K to 12 Basic Education Program and Roadmap for Public Higher Education Reform (RPHER) – the straightforward question would arise: Are the aims of these educational systems toward addressing the primary needs of our nation?

Two years ago after K-12 has been implemented, there’s an unending debate about the content and repercussions of the said education reform.

Concerned teachers and lawmakers filed petitions for the suspension of K-12 believing that it has “no nationalist and pro-Filipino orientation” which is “contrary to the requirements of Article XIV, Sections 2 and 3 of the Philippine Constitution.”

Moreover, militant youth and students call for its junking and stressing that K to 12 is patterned “after the interest of foreign industries while the Philippines is still in the hiatus of backward and illusive national industrialization,” as National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) President Sarah Jane I. Elago  said.

Meanwhile, the government would claim that we are K-12 ready, “We’ve already spent on this, and we’ve been working on this for the last 5 years…” as Education Secretary Armin Luistro said.

But in truth, we believe that the point of debate should not be about whether we are K-12 ready or not. This is already the question of the program’s orientation: for, to, and by the Filipinos or not? 

PRESSURE COOKER

The Nexus, the official student publication of College of Arts, Scienes, and Education (CASEd), Holy Angel Univesity.

[LAMPOON COLUMN NI ARONG (cartoon ng Nexus) FOR 2ND TABLOID ISSUE ’15-’16] 

Ilang araw na rin akong walang ginagawa kundi matulog. Ilang gabi na rin akong nakaharap sa laptop, nakatitig sa monitor at nagtatangkang tapusin ang tambak na mga sulatin kahit noong isang linggo pa ang deadline ko.

Salamat sa habagat, nagkaroon ako ng instant bakasyon. Malamig. Masarap matulog. Nakakatamad. Yun nga lang, hindi ako produktibo – marami akong tinulugang panahon at pagkakataon.

Ilang araw ko na ring nararamdaman ang nararamdaman ko ngayon, hindi ko alam kung katamaran ba o writer’s block lang, pero wala naman talagang matatawag na ganon, kaya siguro nga, katamaran lang.

AKALAIN MO, NANALO YUNG SIKLO NG MGA TULA NI LESTER! :)

PAMIYABE 15: Pamanuli, Pamanyulung, The Regional Creative Writing Workshop and Fellowship. Kasama sa larawan ang mga sister kong idol na makata, sina Sir Jerry Gracio at Sir Mark Angeles. Nakakataba ng puso ang mga komento nila sa tula ko. Maka’cry po. Chos!

[Nailathala sa The Nexus 1st tabloid 15-16]

CASEd STUDE, PROF TOPS CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

By: Joselito Salazar, Jr.

During PAMIYABE 2015: The Regional Creative Writing Workshop and Fellowship, The Nexus Literary Editor, Lester May D. Castillo won as 2nd Best Panelists’ Choice Award for her cycle of poems entitled “Taglagas.”

Also, Sir Lawdenmarc Decamora, a CASEd professor, won as 3rd Best Panelists’ Choice Award for his collection of poems entitled “FX Tadhana.” Castillo and Decamora were both all-star fellows.

The four-day worshop with its theme “Pamanuli, Pamanyulung” was held at Gintung Pakpak Ecopark, Arayat, Pampanga last April 8-11, 2015.

The panelists were in the circle of multi-awarded writers namely Jun Cruz “Amang” Reyes, Eros Atalia, Jerry Gracio, Mark Angeles, Dong Abay, and Mildred Crisostomo.

PAMIYABE fellows consists of 10 all-star fellows and 5 first time fellows coming from the province of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac, respectively. ###

COLUMN: ONE DEATH IS TOO MANY

[COLUMN FOR 1st TABLOID ’15-’16]

Kristel,

Two years ago, you disturbed our sweet comfort within the four corners of our schools.

Today, some are still saying “Depressed siya pero maraming paraan para ma’solusyonan problema niya”, “Masyado siyang emosyonal.” And endless cynical remarks as if they truly experience how it is to be at your shoes.

Your death brought a massive impact nationwide; it tapped the passivity of students, triggered and shaken the administrators, and reminded various student leaders and councils of their primary task – to uphold and protect students’ rights and welfare.

When you decided to take your life after you cannot pay your tuition fee and the University of the Philippines – Manila administration forced you to file a leave of absence (LOA), I can say, it was not suicide at all.