When we think of roads, we think of the carriageway – the space devoted for motorized vehicles. We do not immediately associate pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle lanes as indispensable parts of the road system. These fixtures are the first to go whenever government expands the carriageway to accommodate the increasing number of motorized vehicles, most notably, private cars. 

In 2014 when the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) expanded MacArthur Highway from two lanes to 4 lanes, it gutted existing sidewalks to add the two lanes. The logic of this action, perhaps the prevailing idea among government planners and engineers, is that carriageway widening eases the passage of motorized vehicles.

The truth, however counter-intuitive, accomplishes the opposite: carriageway widening will ease the passage of motorized vehicles to a certain extent, until induced demand for cars overruns the new carriageway and creates another cycle of vehicular congestion. Meanwhile, without alternative mobility infrastructure like pedestrian sidewalks and protected bicycle lanes, commuters are stuck in this congestion. 

According to the DPWH 2012 Highway Safety Design Standards, a standard road is composed of carriageways and road shoulders. The number of lanes and the width per lane of carriageways depend on the type of road. A standard road should also have shoulders to reduce accidents. The manual, however, lacks a clear standard for the mandatory provision of pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle lanes. While there are several mentions of sidewalks and bicycle lanes in the manual, these fixtures are not required to be constructed as standard designs of our road system. In other words, provisions for sidewalks and bicycle lanes are merely optional, “where warranted and where road space is available,” according to the manual. 

Further, the DPWH Design Guidelines, Criteria and Standards 2015 on Highway Design (Volume 4) provides that construction of pedestrian sidewalks is on a case-to-case basis. “Ordinarily, little or no provision is made for pedestrian use of highways. Justification of sidewalks in rural areas depend upon the volume of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.” (READ: WATCH: Cagayan police officers draw pedestrian lane made of chalk)

This lack of prescribed necessity, and the consequent absence of standards, make pedestrians and bikers second-class road users. They partake only of crumbs from the mobility table. Further, the burden of constructing pedestrian sidewalks and protected bicycle lanes falls to local governments, contributing to wide differences in the design and materials used, that is if sidewalk construction gets attention at all. One notices this in traveling from one city to another, or even from within one city: sidewalks and bicycle lanes in gentrified Maginhawa Street and Tomas Morato Avenue are different from other areas within Quezon City, if they exist at all; and pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle lanes are present in some cities, but absent in others. (READ: Pedestrian musings: The destruction of mobility in the metro)

“Complete streets” policy 

Roads are indispensable infrastructure for mobility. They should be constructed in such ways that they are useful for everyone, regardless of age, ability, income, or mode of transportation. Thus, the “complete streets” policy is introduced to enable the safe use of roads for all kinds of users, whether pedestrians, bikers, drivers, or commuters. 

There is no single concept of what “complete streets” should look like. But generally, it can be characterized by this non-exhaustive list of infrastructure elements, namely: 

1. Appropriate widths for pedestrian sidewalks and accessible curb ramps for children and persons with disability, preferably at-grade or at street-level 

2. Street furniture such as bicycle parking racks, pedestrian-scale lighting, protected benches, and street vegetation 

3. Protected network of bicycle lanes, preferably at-grade and in rubber paint to prevent skidding, bicycle tracks, and route signages 

4. On-street car parking in local roads, on-street bicycle parking, and loading zones 

5. Appropriately sized vehicle lanes; speed bumps, humps, or other devices to alert the driver and force them to slow down; raised medians; exclusive bus lanes; and standard-sized road shoulders 

6. High-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, bicycle boxes at intersections, and a variety of signals (i.e., pedestrian countdown timers, bicycle signals, etc.) 

Better transport leadership 

Transportation is defined as the movement of people and goods from an origin to a destination. The key principle in this definition is the “movement of people and goods.” It does not say “movement of vehicles.” Thus, our government planners and engineers must strive to move people and goods, using whatever efficient and effective modes or means available. 

The 2017 National Transport Plan (NTP) approved by the National Economic Development Authority affirms this principle. Section 4 of the NTP states: “Environment-friendly transport systems shall be supported in order to promote environmental sustainability and protection... Non-motorized means to achieve inclusive mobility and accessibility shall include transit- oriented development, prioritization of pedestrians, provision of support facilities that mainstream gender considerations, and inclusion of green ways network, i.e., elevated walkways, covered walkways, sidewalks and bike lanes.” 

For its part, DPWH says that a system is already being proposed for EDSA: an elevated bicycle lane combined with pedestrian walkway. The initiative is a welcome development. DPWH, however, has yet to review and approve the proposed design. (READ: #WalkEDSA: 9 things I learned from walking the length of EDSA)

Every day, millions of people travel to their work or school located in areas other than the immediate vicinity of their homes. The travel and commute cost money, time, and effort. These constraints impose a limit on the city’s level of productivity. It can be said that the city’s productivity depends on the availability of short, affordable, and comfortable modes of transportation. It is therefore imperative for our planners and engineers to mainstream non-motorized modes in the mix of competing road uses. – Rappler.com 

Jayson Edward San Juan is a licensed urban planner and an advocate of people-centered urban design, with a focus on inclusive mobility and the role of institutions in transportation. He took his MA in Urban and Regional Planning in the University of the Philippines. Any opinion stated in this piece is his, and does not necessarily reflect the position of the organizations to which he is affiliated.

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – “Ang akun banwa yara sa nawum sing tienda (The face of our hometown is mirrored by our public market),” said Ilongga poet and artist Kristine Buenavista, one of the founders of Artivism Iloilo, as she reflected on their recent activity at Barotac Viejo’s Public Market.

Buenavista was born and raised in Barotac Viejo. In December 2019, Buenavista and a group of young Ilonggo artists immersed themselves in the locale’s culture for Artivism Iloilo’s “Marka Merkado” – an initiative that seeks to empower local market vendors and small entrepreneurs through art and other programs. The event culminates with the painting of a handful of murals that pay tribute to the town’s humble artisans.

A portmanteau of “art” and “activism,” Artivism Iloilo was first established in 2017, with the support of the British Council. Since then, the organization has partnered with various local government units, non-governmental organizations, and artists’ groups to make its advocacy possible: Bring art closer to the masses.

"We paint walls to break walls," is how Artivism co-founder and Ilonggo painter Marrz Capanang summarizes the vision of their initiative. They aim to champion public spaces as meaningful venues for art and expression, away from often restrictive and exclusive galleries and museums.  

“Artivism was made to raise awareness of pressing social issues through different forms of art,” explained Buenavista. “Mainly murals, complemented by other expressions like musical performances, poetry, and more. We also design community-based workshops, contests, and open sharing sessions with the communities.”

In its third year, Artivism Iloilo partnered with the local government of Barotac Viejo to mount the endeavor, as part of the municipality’s annual Patubas Festival – the town’s harvest festival and town fiesta held in late December every year.

‘Vulnerable public markets’

Buenavista and Capanang shared that they deliberately chose Barotac Viejo Public Market to be their group’s new blank canvas in a bid to keep “traditional marketplaces alive.”

Iloilo’s bucolic rural towns have seen rapid business growth this past year or so. Large national grocery store chains are putting up franchises in the town proper of a handful of strategic municipalities, competing with community public markets for customers and gradually putting most local vendors out of business.

“As new and bigger businesses are coming into this small town [of Barotac Viejo], we hope that through showcasing the oldest and still active vendors of our community on the walls of the market, people will be reminded of the essence of the merkado: Ilonggo families directly receiving every peso we share or pay,” explained Buenavista.

“Public markets are more than just a place to buy things,” Capanang added. “It contributes a lot in shaping our local culture – from trade to food to livelihood to community. Newer, bigger businesses are coming into the town, and it makes the small vendors and small enterprises anxious, overlooked, and vulnerable.”

Artivism Iloilo sees local market vendors as unnoticed bearers of Ilonggo tradition, unappreciated despite their indelible contribution to their community’s culture and customs.

“Local vendors have been keeping the traditional market alive. Some of them have spent almost their whole lives trading inside these marketplaces. We love highlighting the seemingly unseen and unheard of with the hope that it brings awareness,” Buenavista told Rappler.

Late last year, one the first murals completed under “Marka Merkado” quickly went viral on social media: The portrait and story of 75-year-old Nang Maria, a vendor of local delicacies and kakanin (rice treats), also the town’s foremost maker of ibus– the Ilonggo favorite of sweetened sticky rice wrapped in palm or buri leaves–resonated with plenty of people online.

“To us, [Nang Maria] signifies the daily commitment of our local vendors to wake up and contribute in the local economy and the dignified lives of their families. Moreover, we admire her silent way of keeping our native delicacies alive,” related Buenavista. 

“She and the few remaining kakanin vendors in the public market are our own culinary culture bearers. She has also taught other younger women how to make these old-time favorites so they can have their source of income,” she added.

The other murals included a portrait of Barotac Viejo's oldest manuglab-as or fishmonger Lola Denia; and a tribute to the town's nostalgic salesman of classic Pinoy toys like tiradors and jolens Lolo Rudy, who's become a part of most of the town's treasured childhood among others. All of these murals can be seen on various walls inside the Barotac Viejo Public Market complex.

Among the artists Capanang and Buenavista collaborated with were Marge Chavez, Noel Epalan Noel Jr., Tiko Batiller, Yoyoy Timbad, Isaac Bravo, Sasha Cabais, Jayce Batu Boco, Mart Abela, Margaux Blas, Therese Faith Brasileño, Natsuki Dicar, Philline Dicar, Ra'z Salvarita, Elle Divine, Pam Reyes, Marvin Monfort, Ron Matthews Espinosa, Llywyllynn Timbad, Red Haraya, Kyla Buenavista, Angel Faith Balincuacas, and Jecko Magallon.

Accessible art

“When we imagined and envisioned Artivism Iloilo, our goal was to bring art beyond the usual avenues such as galleries and museums. We feel that art is meant for everyone no matter what walk of life they are in,” explained Buenavista.

“Overall, we feel that public markets should not be undermined as venues for cultural and artistic activities. We hope that collectively, we are able to reflect on how we can support our local produce and kasimanwas (fellow townsfolk)," she added.

Aside from the mural painting activities, other highlights of Marka Merkado held last year from December 17 to 18 were community-centered contests such as Pimp My Trike, a Degamo Cooking Contest, Inukay Upcycled Fashion, and Pitik Photography Exhibit, as well as talks about zero waste living and entrepreneurship, and a two-day mini concert at the heart of the market.

The murals that are part of Artivism's Marka Merkado are set to be up at the Barotac Viejo Public Market indefinitely, with the support of the municipality's Mayor Nielo Tupas. 

Artivism Iloilo said it seeks more collaborative projects in the future, in its goal to make art accessible to all. – Rappler.com

Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay is a Rappler Mover based in Iloilo. He reports mostly on the local cultural community and art scene.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Over 3 million people came out to take part in the annual Fiesta Señor and Sinulog Festival in Cebu City on Sunday, January 19, and Cebu Movers were assigned to walk the streets to find the most interesting stories from this year's participants.

Standing out in the crowd, for instance, were Carmela Redoble and Lester Atillo with their child in full Sto. Niño attire.

The family of 3 makes it a point to join every celebration of Sinulog as part of their vows to the Holy Child. 

Lester himself made the costume for his son, starting with a crown when his son was only a year old in 2017, and whipping up the full attire this year. 

Their child was supposed to be the couple's second, until tragedy struck and they lost their first-born. 

This tragic loss, however, did not hinder Carmela and Lester from keeping their faith to the Sto. Niño. Instead, they took the love they couldn’t give to their lost child and showed it instead through their devotion.

The couple believes that it was the Sto. Niño who granted them their second child. They thus made sure to be part of every Fiesta Señor celebration from then on.

“Panata namo ni sa Sto. Niño ug sa among anak na wala na, na ipadayon ang love nga wala na namo nahatag sa iyaha,” Redoble said.

(This is our vow to the Sto. Niño and to our child who's no longer here – that we should continue the love we weren't able to give our child.)

Here’s what other devotees prayed for during this year’s Sinulog celebration, as gathered by our Cebu movers for MovePH's #StoryOfTheNation campaign:

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines– From donating reusable boxes to using scratch paper to wrap items, several groups and individuals took extra care to help the survivors of the Taal Volcano eruption by going zero waste in their efforts.

Following the eruption of the Taal Volcano that began on January 12, donations came pouring in for evacuees. (READ: #ReliefPH: Help communities affected by Taal Volcano eruption)

But this also triggered another problem, as used plastic bottles and bags may start building up in evacuation centers. (READ: Why we can’t let our guard down on Taal Volcano)

The Environmental Management Bureau of Calabarzon warned that donating a lot of bottled water may lead to a garbage disposal problem in the near future, especially if the eruption of the Taal Volcano and the consequent rehabilitation will take several months or years.

Seeing the need to do their part to help those affected, many organizations championing the zero waste lifestyle started helping Taal eruption survivors by leading eco-friendly donation drives. 

Stans for a cause

Among the organizations leading these eco-friendly donation drives is Hola, Roha – a group of stans dedicated to K-pop group Astro. Acknowledging that plastic usage should be minimized, they wrapped donated items in scratch paper bags and eco bags for the survivors of the Taal eruption.

“Waste production has played a huge part in climate change,” Hola, Roha told Rappler. “We believe that taking care of the environment should start in our own ways.”

Hola, Roha accomplished its first donation on January 21, giving away ready-to-eat food, blankets, medicines, and personal hygiene goods to the families affected.

Hola, Roha is currently collecting donations. Send them a direct message on Twitter if you’re interested in helping.

HOLAROHA TAAL DONATIONS

All relief goods are packed (50 bags) and ready to be dropped off at evacuation centers.

We minimized the use of plastic hence the paper bags made from scratch papers and eco bags.

We will post a notice abt the face masks soon.

Thank you! pic.twitter.com/hGDL1HjvBi

— ʜᴏʟᴀ, ʀᴏʜᴀ (@holaroha) January 17, 2020

Meanwhile, Beach Born – a small business specializing in handcrafted hair and skin care products – manufactured and donated shampoo bars for Taal Volcano eruption survivors in a bid to ditch sachets.

“It’s a vicious parasitic cycle. Plastic pollution contributes to climate change, a disaster happens, more plastic is sent for relief,” said Beach Born president Sarah Tirona. 

“We were just troubled with the amount of single-use plastic going to relief centers which is why we decided to donate our shampoo bars,” she added.

The business wasn’t alone in this endeavor. Beach Born supporters answered the company's call for donations, gathering both funds and relief goods for those affected. 

On January 15, Beach Born announced that 50% of its web sales and other monetary donations will be used to purchase feeds and other items needed by PAWS Philippines and Philippine Pet Birth Control Center Foundation (PPBCC) as they lead relief and rescue operations for affected animals.

Beach Born  donated different goods, ranging from their own hygiene products like shampoo bars, to food and practical items such as beddings and masks.

Beach Born is still raising funds to help animals affected by the Taal eruption. Those interested to donate may send a direct message to Beach Born’s Instagram account or give their donations via their website.

View this post on Instagram

Today’s trip was to the @ppbccfoundation If you have access to #Tobradex and #Ornipural, pls bring to the PPBCC at 155 Boni Ave, Plainview, Mandaluyong. Pls swipe for other immediate needs. The horses are in dire need of your help Thank you #bangonbatangas #taaleruption2020 #reliefph

A post shared by BeachBorn Viber: 09189856391 (@beachbornph) on Jan 22, 2020 at 3:50am PST

Finding ways to reuse

Hoping to strengthen their relief operations, Casa de Lorenzo Organic Products encouraged netizens to drop off reusable bottles, which they can fill up with soap for use of people affected by the Taal eruption.

“The empty bottles you’ll provide will not only be given a second purpose but will help our fellow kababayans in distress,” the organic store said in a Facebook post.

By January 21, they were able to refill and reuse over 1,000 bottles and supported 4 relief operations for affected communities.

“Bayanihan, malasakit, at pakikipagkapwa tao (Community cooperation, compassion, and charity) – all while being mindful of our impact to the environment. What we all did became part of an even bigger act of humanity by fellow Filipinos,” Casa de Lorenzo Organic Products said.

Service to the environment is one of Casa de Lorenzo’s commitments. 

“Being socially responsible, especially to the environment, is among the prime considerations of our work because we source our livelihood from nature,” said founder Russell Lorenzo.

“The bottom line here is we want to set an example to everybody to tirelessly keep on thinking of ways to be friendlier to our planet.... We know that the little things matter. Put them together with all the efforts like-minded individuals are doing, it will be pretty substantial,” he added.

Humans aren’t the only ones affected by this disaster. Using plastic for a cause, Lunchbox Diet also took an initiative to help our pawed survivor friends by encouraging their customers to drop off reusable plastic containers from their food delivery service in their office.

These food containers would then be donated to PETA Asia’s Taal relief operations and redistributed to the appropriate animal care centers.

While Lunchbox Diet has already completed its donation drive, you can still return their plastic containers to get them forwarded to a local junk shop. You can also donate plastic containers directly to PETA Asia.

Hey healthies!
.
We're collecting plastic food containers to donate to PETA Asia 's Taal relief.
The containers can be used as food containers for rescued animals.
.
Kindly give containers that are CLEAN and in GOOD CONDITION.
Our riders will gladly accept your donations whe… pic.twitter.com/Ddjuj4jEwB

— Lunchbox Diet (@Lunchboxdietph) January 15, 2020

Avoiding single-use plastics

Groups aren’t alone in trying to go zero waste in their relief efforts. Youtube chef Judy Ann Agoncillo shared her love for both the Taal eruption survivors and the environment by donating relief goods in reusable boxes.

“By using reusable boxes instead of plastic bags ang paglagyan natin ng ating mga tulong sa mga kababayan natin, sabay nating natutulungan mabawasan ang pagdagdag ng basura sa mga evacuation areas,” she said in an Instagram post on January 15.

(By using reusable boxes instead of plastic bags for the donations we’ll give to our fellow Filipinos, we get to help lessen the trash in our evacuation areas.)

The celebrity was able to donate these relief boxes  to 35 families.

View this post on Instagram

These reusable boxes will be sent to 35 families tom. Affected by the taal eruption.. because by using reusable boxes, instead of plastic bags ang paglagyan natin ng ating mga tulong sa mga kababayan natin .. sabay nating natutulungan mabawasan ang pagdagdag ng barusa sa mga evacuation areas.. sama sama tayong babangon para sa mga kababayan nating nangangailangan ng tulong at pagdamay. #kapitlang #taaltamanaplease

A post shared by Judy Ann Agoncillo (@officialjuday) on Jan 15, 2020 at 5:57am PST

Donating sustainable products is already a big step in helping survivors of the Taal eruption and getting a head start on a zero-waste lifestyle. 

The zero-waste lifestyle is often mentioned as one way to reduce plastic pollution, especially when the Philippines has become the third biggest source of plastic leaking into seas worldwide, just behind China and Indonesia, according to a widely-cited 2015 study on plastic waste. (READ: How an online community encourages Filipinos to try ‘buhay zero waste’)

When going zero waste, Tirona suggests taking small steps.

“It could be as simple as being conscious about what you add to your cart, and bringing your own bag or water bottle. Borrow or repurpose clothes, buy vintage. There are so many little things we can do. It might seem like a small gesture but if we all do our part the impact could be beautiful and outstanding,“ she said.

These are just some of the efforts being done by Filipinos, as they advocate for the environment while helping fellow Filipinos in need. Do you know of other relief efforts that try to go zero waste? Send them to MovePH! – Rappler.com

Lance Jabson is a Rappler intern. He is a Grade 11 student from La Salle Greenhills Senior High School.

Rappler is building a network of climate advocates, LGUs, corporations, NGOs, youth groups, and individuals for the #ManyWaysToZeroWaste campaign, a movement pushing for responsible ways to use and reduce plastic. Go here to know how you can help.

In complex emergencies and disaster response, sometimes good intentions are not enough. These situations require integrated response from various actors: government agencies, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, people’s organizations, and humanitarian organizations from the local and international community.

Imagine a situation where there is a lack of integration among these groups. That’s a disaster in a disaster. 

Chaos is not only limited to the impacts of disasters. More often than not, the large number of organizations with different mandates, vertical structures, policies, protocols, communication means, and feedback mechanisms can result in unprecedented operational problems. (READ: EXPLAINER: Who's supposed to be in charge during disasters?)

Filipino culture

The outpour of assistance in disaster situations is part of the Filipino culture of altruism – or pagmamalasakit and damayan. However, this outpour can only be significant if the assistance meets the real needs of the communities. 

With the use of different platforms of information sharing such as broadcast and social media, it is easier to disseminate updates on disaster events. But with the redundancy of information, this leads media to only focus attention on the most visible effects of disasters. They paint a picture of the situation on-scene, and while it is true, it is not true to all. Likewise, this information oftentimes misconstrues that authorities are always in need of assistance. (READ: [OPINION] Planning and preparation: Unglamorous, yet most critical, in disasters)

Several cases in past disasters suggest that organizations are really active and responsive in helping the most affected communities. However, in most of the cases, these organizations' assistance resulted in the duplication of efforts; surplus of resources; cost inefficiency; the job not fitting the technical skill or expertise; and unsafe operations where "freelancers" and volunteers are exposed to more harm. 

Thus, the real challenge in working with a large number of organizations for disaster response is ensuring that there is an on-scene management system that guarantees an integrated approach, where government and non-government agencies work together interdependently. There should be no competition between the government and non-government groups – only collaboration, coordination, and cooperation.

So how can organizations and volunteers maximize their good intentions?

The first essential and crucial step among organizations is to understand the elements of response in the Philippines. They need to understand that local chief executives are the officials responsible for setting priorities and providing guidance; that the emergency operations center (EOC) and response cluster are key for coordination on the operational level; and that the incident management team are for the command and control of incidents at the tactical level.

Organizations also need to recognize that at the onset of disasters, the primary responsibility emanates from the local level, and that the escalation of the augmentation of support relies on the coordination mechanisms of RA10121 or the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010. Most organizations want to immediately be on-ground to help, but this is not always necessary. For the effective and systematic management of incidents, they need to coordinate first with the EOC before going on-scene.

Coordination with the right authorities gives you access to the most recent reports and the over-all picture of what happened and what needs to be done. It is then your role to determine whether these identified needs are aligned with your mandate and that you can be mobilized for additional support. 

The common misconception when adhering to protocols and systems of government is that organizations will lose their identity or mandate. But this is not the case. The government acknowledges that it has no monopoly over disaster response in general, though organizations still need to recognize the authority and leadership of the government when managing incidents. After all, the overall responsibility is still on the “owner of the incident,” who is usually holding public office. Your public office is your public trust. (READ: Itogon Tragedy: Disaster response gone wrong)

Next, check in with the incident management team (IMT). The IMT ensures the safety of volunteers and organizations throughout the operations. It also recommends the assignment of resources based on the organizations' capability. 

The challenge when organizations “freelance" is that they only see what they want to see and help only when it is convenient. The IMT, however, looks at the entire picture. They know what resources are required, needed, and are already on-hand. The IMT also knows which locations need more assistance or is appropriate to your assistance.

Again, your organization will not lose its identity. The IMT will only lead you to where your capability fits the need. Once you are provided with a tactical assignment, implement the plan through the operations and provide feedback to the IMT for documentation purposes. 

Lastly and most importantly, don’t become a disaster tourist. You are there to help, so don’t expect disaster situations to be pretty. Expect the worst and plan your own safety measures as well. You also cannot take photos of evacuees, especially of children without parental permission, and post them on social media. Be aware of the data privacy law.

The spirit of bayanihan in the Philippines has always been stronger than any disaster, so let’s maximize it and make our good intentions count. – Rappler.com

Rachelle Anne L. Miranda has a Master's degree in Disaster Risk and Resilience from the Ateneo De Manila University. She advocates for systematizing disaster preparedness and response in the Philippines through the implementation of an Incident Command System. Her views and opinions in this article do not reflect the views and opinions of the organizations with which she is affiliated. 

MANILA, Philippines – There are countless stories and lessons to be found in books, enough for people to describe reading as dreaming with open eyes.

Books can be expensive and not everyone can afford to buy them. Public libraries can help address this problem but in the Philippines, libraries are few, intimidating, and not so accessible to poor communities. (READ: Filipinos barely know if there are libraries near their homes)

In Pandacan, the cultural group Samahang Sining at Kultura ng Pilipinas (SSKPil) and church-based New Covenant Prayer Community (NCPC) sought out barangay and youth leaders to create a solution. Why not establish mini-libraries in barangay centers, which are normally open to constituents the entire day? 

In early 2019, the two groups launched the Munting Aklatan sa Barangay (small community library) or MAB project with 9 barangays in Pandacan, a small historic district in Manila. 

The two groups solicited books in various fiction and non-fiction genres from friends and other people, and turned them over to Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and barangay officers so they can set up reading spaces in their respective barangay centers. 

The project aims to create a pool of barangay educators that will manage the libraries and organize learning activities. It hopes to encourage residents to walk in and read or borrow books for pleasure or reading requirements. 

Access to books, a human and legal right 

Teacher-librarian and award-winning author Zarah Gagatiga pointed out that underRepublic Act No. 7743, the Philippine government has to establish and fund city and municipal libraries as well as barangay reading centers. 

She added that grassroots access to libraries is part of Filipinos’ right to education and a tool to fight poverty. 

Gagatiga is the public relations officer of the Philippine Association of School Librarians and currently represents the library sector in the Philippine Board on Books for Young People. 

“A purpose of a library is to elevate the reading taste, open up new patterns of thinking, encourage us to imagine and see other worlds. Barangays need to see that having reading centers is valuable for economic growth. Information is economic power,” she explained. 

Gagatiga, who has been providing basic library system and maintenance training to the barangays involved in the MAB project, suggested that barangays should collect government publications like ordinances and make them accessible to everyone. 

“It’s important to know existing laws and policies. MAB can help make this information accessible to the barangays,” she said. 

She described MAB as an ambitious project– a global idea of library-building in a local setting. The challenge is to sustain it, which is why it is important to get the support of the local government units, she added. 

Barangay reading centers as a safe place for the community 

Before MAB, SSKPil was managing a community library in the patio of Pandacan’s Sto Niño Church in 2012. However, they had to close it in 2018 when the new church administration decided to use the space for another purpose.

Instead of donating the books to the district or city library, the NCPC proposed to distribute the books and shelves to barangays instead. 

Thus the idea of the MAB was born, bringing the library closer to the people. 

With members who are also barangay leaders, the groups were able to get the buy-in of 9 barangays including youth leaders. SSKPil will handle the acquisition of books and resource partners. NCPC will monitor and supervise the project, while barangay educators will manage the reading centers. 

Many of the barangays set up the reading spaces at the daycare section of their barangay hall. These are the barangays that participated: 870, 871, 872, 867, 859, 864, 836, 835 and 837. 

Through the MAB, SK Chair Joven Rivera said the youth can be empowered by what they learn and read.

“Magkakaroon ang mga kabataan ng ligtas na lugar kung saan puwede nilang ipakita kung ano ang meron sila(Our youth will have a safe place where they can cultivate their skills)," Rivera said.

NCPC member and barangay kagawad Juliet Romano agreed.  “My barangay beside the railroad tracks is home to many indigents. We have a program where we teach about 20 children good manners and conduct and the Word of God. A barangay reading center can be a good place for us to hold storytelling activities,” she said. 

Romano said the MAB project also represented hope.

“My barangay faces demolition because of a road-widening project. Life is challenging but I feel positive because we come up with inspiring projects,” she shared. “Nangangarap ako na darating ang panahon kung saan ang mga bata naman ang magiging guro sa susunod na henerasyon (I dream of a future where the children we teach now will someday become teachers themselves).” 

Encouraging children to love books 

In a 2018 study of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) released in 2019, the Philippines placed the lowest in reading comprehension among 79 countries. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Dismal PISA rankings: A wake-up call for Filipinos)

Barangay kagawad Marjorie Cardiño believed that lack of access to books and reading spaces was partly to blame for this.

“Our challenge is to encourage children to continue reading once they go home from school, instead of playing with gadgets,” she added. 

Cardiño shared that the MAB is organizing a calendar of fun learning activities for children in 2020 to encourage them to read. (READ: [OPINION] Raising the scores in reading comprehension through book clubs)

Small project with big potential 

SSKPil and NCPC are inviting partners to help support the needs of the project. Funds are needed to improve the administration and infrastructure of the libraries. Some barangays do not have bookcases, while others are able to provide only a desk and a few chairs for readers. 

"Our small community libraries should serve as wells of knowledge, a kind of informal education as well as a good source of leisure, for Pandacan residents. Through the MAB, books will now reach the hands of children and adults at the grassroots level of our communities," shared SSKPil Board Member Sixto Carlos. 

"MAB is a small project yet it has the potential to make a sustainable impact on our society. It can be replicated in other districts and cities," he added. 

To know more about this project, you may contact SSKPil at sskpil@gmail.com. You may also visit @SSKPilipinas on Facebook. – Rappler.com

Michelle Baena Ciriacruz is a blogger, communications professional, and volunteer leader in various causes involving animal welfare, environmental protection, and community development, among others.

Laws, and by extension lawmaking, requires information. Only when pertinent information is integrated with public needs can there be a proper law. Unwittingly, a vast majority of the laws in the Philippines either lack pertinent information due to external and internal communication barriers or does not extend fully to address public needs.

As a researcher myself, our daily activities center towards the term optimization. Was the desired end product achieved? Were there steps that needed improving? As the information gatherers of our society, it is our role to provide the public a clear picture of what it is that we have elucidated.

If we tell people that a man was the probable father of a child because we used 23 different short tandem repeats in our DNA to identify putative matches, the general public would not understand the importance of our work. But if we show them visual bands that match between father and child, then the story becomes easier to follow.

Lawmakers are not scientists. The greater proportion of our leaders are not even familiar with Taq polymerase and why it has become so commonplace in science. Due to this, lawmakers have to accept that it is their task to gather information from those who have an entire lifetime’s worth of information regarding certain fields of science – our experts. Failure to do this will only lead to social pandemonium, as shown during the Supreme Court’s ban of Bt eggplant and GM products in 2015, which was then repealed in 2016. (READ: The SC kills Bt talong, and takes down Philippine science as well)

Information sources – i.e. researchers, scientists, academicians – should not only be given plaques or national scientist titles, but must be heard and given a privileged position during lawmaking. Titles are not what drives our most passionate of scientists; it is dedication to our country. It is to my opinion that there should be a seat reserved for the academe in our legislative house. No, not a party list, and not a consultancy, but an actual seat reserved for experts. 

When we hear Filipino leaders mock the scientific community for asking for a bigger budget, they unwittingly cut off one of the critical factors in lawmaking, which is better quality information. Project NOAH, PHILVOCS, DA, DOH Dengvaxia – the signs are all there. The societal stigma resulting from this confusion has not aided the general public in being better informed. Instead it has become a Manichean system of being pro or against a political regime. (READ: 5 things to make PH a better place for scientists)

The political system in the Philippines, and in the entire world for that matter, is always in constant flux because of differing political will between leaders. However, the scientific system has always been steadfast – it is self-correcting, it is peer-reviewed, and it is empirical in nature. 

Science does not favor one political regime over the other. It does, however, equip any political regime with the capacity to target each societal problem objectively. – Rappler.com

Mr. Wilson F. Aala, Jr. obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biology and master’s degree in Genetics at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños. He became part of the Saba Mutagenomics Program, Coconut Genomics Program (Project IV), Rice Salinity Group, and International Network for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice at the International Rice Research Institute. He is currently a University Researcher I at the Philippine Genome Center – Mindanao Satellite Facility in Davao City, Mindanao. He specializes in plant biotechnology, genetics, and bioinformatics.

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – For 67-year-old devotee Emma Galindez-Zapanta, being the hermana mayor for this year’s Dinagyang Festival celebration was her way of giving back. 

Every year, the parish of San Jose de Placer gives an affluent Ilonggo couple the title of Dinagyang hermano y hermana mayor. 

They serve as stewards of sorts of the image of the Señor Santo Niño for the duration of the Dinagyang Festival, leading the 9 nights of novena mass at the parish of San Jose de Placer and taking care of other affairs and occasions related to the Santo Niño.

The Santo Niño of San Jose de Placer Church is a replica of the oldest Santo Niño image in the Philippines enshrined at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. (READ: Show of faith: Devotees thank Sto Niño for answered prayers during Sinulog 2020) 

Zapanta and husband Noel succeeded the couple Sarah and Rito Carlo Peña, prominent Ilonggos who served as the hermana y hermano mayor of the Dinagyang from 2018 to 2019. 

Humble beginnings

Coming from a humble background, the installation of the Zapantas marked a poignant turn in the history of Iloilo’s annual revelry in honor of the Santo Niño, as the trappings of the hermana and hermano are usually bestowed on well-off patriarchs and matriarchs of moneyed Ilonggo clans. 

Most notably, the first-ever Dinagyang hermano y hermana mayor were Dr Antonio and Rosa Ocondriz Caram, from a well-respected political family in Iloilo, who held the title and responsibility until 1975.

A retired employee of the University of San Agustin in Iloilo, Zapanta admitted that she was shocked and hesitant at first to accept the role, given their family’s modest resources, but with the reassurance and support of her close circle in the Parish of San Jose de Placer, she relented and wholeheartedly took on the duty.

She recounted that when Reverend Father Raymundo Edsel Alcayaga approached her for the role, she was shocked because she didn’t expect it at all. 

“I’m a long-time member of the Cofradia del Santo Niño de Cebu, but it never crossed my mind that I may be appointed the hermana mayor one day,” Zapanta said.

Zapanta said she wasn't prepared for the role but felt the call to do it. 

“But when you’re called on for such a responsibility, especially in the service of the Sto. Niño, refusing the honor is not an option. Thankfully, by God’s grace we’ve been able to fulfill our duty,” Zapanta said. (READ: IN PHOTOS: 2019 Dinagyang Festival) 

But instead of being caught completely off-guard by the honorable appointment, Zapanta took the once-in-a-lifetime responsibility that she considered a part of God’s serendipitous plans for her. 

Zapanta has been a loyal devotee of the Child Jesus for nearly 40 years. From 2012 to 2018, she also served as president of the Cofradia del Santo Niño de Cebu – Iloilo Chapter to share in the group’s primary mission in spreading the devotion to the Holy Child in the image of Señor Santo Niño.

Zapanta also worked in various local religious organizations such as the Catholic Women’s League and the Cofradia del Santo Rosario. 

Tracing the roots

Zapanta is the niece of the late Reverend Father Ambrosio Galindez, dubbed as the unimpeachable “Father of the Dinagyang.” 

Father Galindez, a highly respected clergyman, first received a replica of the image of the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu in 1968 – a gift from Father Sulpicio Enderes and a delegation of the Cofradia de Cebu.

This image, now enshrined at the San Jose Parish Church across Plaza Libertad, inspired the church and the local government to adopt an “Ati-Atihan” festival in Iloilo City in honor of the Santo Niño.

In 1977, after a decade of commemorating the festivity, the Iloilo City government and San Jose de Placer Parish decided to change the name of the festival in order to distinguish it from Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan.They called it “Dinagyang” as suggested by then broadcaster Pacifico Sudario, paving the way for the modern celebration observed every third Sunday of January today.

To pay tribute to Galindez for his invaluable contributions to the Ilonggo faith and culture, a monument dedicated to the late father was erected in front of the Plaza Libertad, a stone’s throw away from his former parish church. 

Saved by the Santo Niño

Zapanta said that her journey as a disciple of the Infant Jesus began in the early 1980s, when she regularly attended church services back when her uncle, Father Galindez, was still parish priest of the Parish of San Jose de Placer. 

However, in 1986, an unfortunate incident changed her devotion to the Santo Niño.

Zapanta’s then 5-year-old child was rushed to the hospital for experiencing difficulty in breathing. After a series of procedures and tests, her child was diagnosed with advance meningococcemia, a life-threatening rare blood infection.

She recounted that because her child was one of the first reported cases of meningococcemia in Iloilo during the mid-1980s, the doctors warned her that her child may only have 12 hours left to live even under intensive care.  

Vigilant and undaunted by the harrowing news, Zapanta decided to reach out to her brothers and sisters at the the Cofradia del Santo Niño for prayers for the health of her child, believing in the power of devotion to deliver her child from harm.

“I believe the Santo Niño has a soft spot for children and the sick," Zapanta said in Ilonggo.

Miraculously, her child survived the dreadful illness, showing signs of recovery after the first 12 hours in the hospital. 

Zapanta also shared that all her 3 children, in their early to late 30s, were also devotees of the Santo Niño and had families of their own.

Since the traumatic incident, she dedicated a large portion of her time serving out of  gratitude for granting her child a new lease on life.

“The divine Santo Niño has brought a lot of blessings into my life over the years. That’s why I have to give back tenfold, as thanksgiving for all the graces I’ve received,” she said.

The couple, represented by their son Bryan Noel during the rite, were officially installed as the hermana y hermano mayor of the Dinagyang during a turnover ceremony at the San Jose de Placer Parish Church on January 15.

As “elders” of the devotees of the Santo Niño, they will help in the activities of the parish  in line with the religious aspect of the 2020 edition of the festival. (READ: Over 130 homegrown films find home in Iloilo's regional film festival) 

Dubbed with the theme, “Perfect Vision: Celebrating the Ilonggo Spirit in Honor of Señor Sto. Niño,” this year’s Iloilo City Dinagyang Festival kicked off on Saturday, January 25, with revelry, festivities, and performances in honor of the image of the Child Jesus.

This year signals a return to old form of sorts for the much anticipated Dinagyang, as its organizers aim to rein back the focus of the celebration to the faith and devotion of the Ilonggos.

The highlight of the Dinagyang Festival is the ati tribes competition on Sunday, January 26, to be joined by 8 school-based tribes set to put on spectacular performances dedicated to the image of the Señor Santo Niño. – Rappler.com 

Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay is a Rappler Mover based in Iloilo. He reports mostly on the local cultural community and art scene.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine team won big at the Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad (SEAMO) held at the Gold Coast Convention Center, Australia, on Sunday, January 19. 

A total of 411 students from 18 different countries competed in the final written round of the competition. The Philippine contingent bagged a total of 29 medals. 

Below is the list of the Philippine awardees:

Gold Awardees:

• Felinwright Ninokyle Mesias – Salaman Central Elementary School 
• Joaquin Gabriel Malachi Antonio de Castro – Xavier School
• Oniluv Troy Tabujara – Ateneo de Manila Senior High School

 Silver Awardees:

• Ibarra Lee Coro – De La Salle Santiago Zobel School Philippines
• Hezekiah Etian Sagayaga – University Of The Philippines Integrated School 
• Angela Clare Lim Tan – Tarlac Living Faith Academy
• Miguel Justino Ladion – Paref Springdale School Cebu
• Juliana Elisha  Go – Tarlac Living Faith Academy 
• Sebastien Albert Osea Castro – Colegio San Agustin - Makati
• Daniel Dave Cruz – Pasig City Science High School 

Bronze awardees: 19

SEAMO is a unique assessment platform that has helped more than 50,000 students across 15 countries achieve Global Recognition in the field of mathematics since 2016. It has seen rapid growth over the past 3 years.

SEAMO's curriculum framework and testing methods is formulated based on the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Singapore’s 21st Century Core Competencies.

SEAMO’s emphasis on critical thinking skills encourages students to make connections between different concepts and think out of the box in order to be successful in school and in life. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines– The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is known for democratizing quality education. It also remains to be one of the bastions of student activism, evident through the rallies of PUP-based progressive organizations in and out of the campus.

The university celebrated its 115th founding anniversary last year. And as 2020 ushers in a new decade, PUP will be having a change in leadership with incumbent president, Dr. Emanuel de Guzman, completing his two consecutive terms that spanned 8 years.

Five distinguished PUP alumni are vying to be de Guzman’s successor. The PUP community met them in a public forum on Thursday, January 23. The PUP Board of Regents, the university’s highest decision-making body, will choose the next PUP president who must hit the ground running after President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the consolidated Senate and House bill granting national polytechnic university status to PUP. (READ: [OPINION] A National Polytechnic University?)

Among the biggest tasks of the incoming president is to budget and source funding for the university in light of this recent development.

Who are the five candidates in the running for PUP president? Get to know them here:

Theresita V. Atienza, DEM
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, National Defense College of the Philippines

Dr. Theresita V. Atienza is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the National Defense College of the Philippines. 

She graduated in 1980 from the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) with a bachelor's degree in Medical Technology. Atienza took her master's degree in Teaching at the Central Colleges of the Philippines (CCP) and received another master's degree in Technology Management from the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman. In 1997, she completed her PhD in Educational Management from the PUP Graduate School.

Atienza served as the chairperson of the PUP Department of Natural Sciences in 1998. She eventually became the dean of the PUP College of Science from 2001 to 2003, and 2013 to 2016. She also worked in PUP's Open University as a director in 2004. Earlier, in 1999, Atienza headed the  Academic Programs and was the chair of its Master in Public Administration program.

Atienza is also a member of the Senior Advisory Board of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Command and General Staff College (AFPCGSC), and the National Advisory Council of the Philippine Public Safety College since 2016. 

Atienza’s 2020-2024 vision for the university is titled, "PUP Reimagined: Shaping our future, sharing our sense of destiny”. It aims to “make PUP a premier university of employable graduates”, accompanied by her mission to “imbue a sense of shared purpose and the needed competencies for our own lives and contribute to the lives of others.”

She proposes an eight-point leadership agenda that will realize her vision to jumpstart education, ensure employability and social mobility of PUP’s graduates, harness innovative teaching methods and learning opportunities supported by technology, and enhance research capability to address societal issues.

Atienza also hopes to uphold a system of meritocracy among the faculty and personnel, maintain administrative structures ensuring competence and fiscal responsibility, and conduct monitoring and evaluation of university affairs to ensure transparency and accountability.

These efforts hope to lead to building PUP's reputation as a cultural and intellectual hub.

Atienza said that at the core of her agenda are four pillars involving activism, leadership, innovation, and ambition, as she seeks to push taking action for positive change and improving PUP’s ranking among other top educational institutions.

Rufo N. Bueza, DPA
Director and Head of Academic Programs, PUP Lopez, Quezon

Dr. Rufo Bueza has served the institution for over 25 years, earning him the PUP Gawad Katapatan award in 2019.

Bueza earned his bachelor's degree in Office Administration from PUP Lopez in 1991. He pursued a master's degree in Public Administration from the PUP Open University in 2009 and a doctorate degree for Public Administration in PUP’s Graduate School in 2016. Bueza is currently the Director of PUP Lopez, Quezon and the Head of its Academic Programs.

Bueza's research study on assessing the enhancement of the government operation system of other PUP campuses was published in the European Academic Research in February 2017.

Bueza envisions “one PUP, one community” that is geared towards the well-being of the community. His main goal is to alleviate poverty, and promote good health and well-being on top of infrastructure developments.

"We will empower PUPians as one community towards being responsible with their own health," said Bueza.

His vision emphasizes the need to promote unity and policy.  

“To support the vision, we have a mission [to have] globally competitive graduates, focused on sustaining the function, the instruction, doing research and publication, and extensions,” Bueza said.

He hopes to achieve his vision for PUP by developing globally competitive and socially responsible graduates, generating and disseminating knowledge through productive research relevant to the needs of viable development, and strengthening partnerships with other institutions for a sustainable future.

These primarily take inspiration from the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, which hope to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030.

Manuel M. Muhi, DTech
Vice President for Academic Affairs, PUP

Dr. Manuel Muhi is a registered Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Engineer and the Vice President for Academic Affairs in PUP. He also works as a licensed civil engineer and a professional engineering manager.

Muhi graduated with a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from PUP in 1988, and received his master's degree in Engineering from the Technological University of Delft - International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering in the Netherlands in 2000. He earned his PhD in Technology from the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) in 2008. 

Muhi also pursued a master's degree in Construction Management from PUP's Open University in 2004. In addition, he attended various programs in local learning institutions including UP Diliman, as well as schools abroad such as the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan and the Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore.

Muhi was the Chairperson of PUP's Department of Civil Engineering from 1996 to 2004. He became its Dean from 2006 to 2012. He eventually served as PUP’s Vice President for Research, Extension, Planning and Development from 2012 to 2015.

He has been PUP's Vice President for Academic Affairs since December 2015, and he concurrently served as the Executive Vice President from 2018 to 2019.

Aside from these, Muhi was a Board of Trustee of the Greater Metro Manila Habitat for Humanity Inc. from 1998 to 2001, and an associate member in the 7th Division of the National Research Council of the Philippines.

Muhi's bid for the PUP presidency is heavily geared towards pushing for the "national polytechnic university" status of the school.

If he becomes president, Muhi said he aims to make PUP a pioneering national polytechnic university in the 21st century.

"PUP will ensure inclusive, equitable, quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities through a re-engineered polytechnic education," Muhi said.

His vision for PUP is summarized in a 10-pillar agenda that hopes to empower academic and administrative leaders, pattern “responsive and innovative curricula and instruction,” and create a productive environment through the provision of state-of-the-art facilities, as well as the enhancement of the university’s learning management system.

Muhi also aims to increase opportunities for student engagement in local to global venues, provide trainings for employees, push for the production of research journals, the conduct of research conferences, and uphold global academic standards, among others.

At the heart of Muhi’s presidential bid is his vision to elevate PUP’s overall performance in an interconnected manner, where progress cuts across the university’s different stakeholders to achieve a national polytechnic university status.

Divina T. Pasumbal, PhD
College of Communication Dean, PUP

Dr. Divina Pasumbal is an associate professor and Dean of the PUP College of Communication. 

In 1986, she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication from PUP. She later obtained her master's degree and PhD in Communication from the University of the Philippines. 

Pasumbal has served PUP for almost 34 years. She became a director in various offices throughout her career, including the Public Affairs Office from 2002 to 2004 and 2009 to 2010, the Center for Peace and Poverty Alleviation Studies from 2012 to 2013, and the Ninoy Aquino Library and Learning Resource Center (NALLRC) from 2012 to 2017.

She was awarded Best Innovative Consolonian Research by the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research Innovations in 2012. She has also received numerous awards including the Lourdes L. Lontok-Cruz Special Award from the UP Center for Women’s Studies Foundation, Inc.

Pasumbal's vision is titled, "Para sa PUP (For PUP)" which aims to make the university a "learner-centered, faith-oriented, internationalized learning institution upholding strong Filipino identity."

She lays down four of her development goals to achieve this, namely: demonstrate fair and humane leadership; treasure human dignity and integrity of the community; transform the university into an institution deserving of a national polytechnic university status; and promote internationalization. 

Among the promises she offered to the PUP community are the modernization of university facilities and giving proper attention to the welfare of athletes, people with mental health concerns, learners with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

Pasumbal also hopes to revitalize the scholarship program for students and faculty, opening crash courses for administrators, and empowering faculty unions and associations. 

The dean also said that if ever elected as president, she’ll do her best to attain decent funding for the university, and imparted that "sincerity is key."

“Sisikapin nating magakaroon ng karagdagan at disenteng pondo na sapat sa pangangailangan ng PUP (We will try to get additional and decent funding fit for PUP's needs). Dialogue with honesty and sincerity is key,” said Pasumbal.

She also promised that there will be clean and honest governance especially in the PUP bids and awards committee and procurement office.

“Mahalaga din na maglagay ng tapat, malinis, at may kakayahang mamahala sa bids and awards committee at procurement office. Magiging transparent tayo sa ating financial system (It’s important to put competent, clean, and capable leaders in the bids and awards committee and procurement office. We have to be transparent in our financial system),” Pasumbal added.

Ma. Junithesmer D. Rosales, DEM
College of Education Dean, PUP

Dr. Ma. Junithesmer Rosales is the PUP's College of Education Dean. She has authored over 14 books on education, technical writing, developmental reading, and speech communication.

She completed her bachelor's degree in Education major in English from UST, where she also took her master's degree in English in 2003. She obtained her doctorate degree in Educational Management from PUP in 2010.

Rosales served as chairperson of the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education from 2010 to 2013. She was also PUP's Graduate School Associate Dean in 2014 and Dean in 2018.

Rosales’ 2020-2024 Vision for PUP is to become a “global polytechnic university” that is personally, intellectually, socially, and environmentally transformative.  

She emphasized the importance of personal transformation as she believes that an "educational institution’s best asset is its people."

“If you are managing an educational institution, we all know that the best assets are its people. Therefore, we should be able to transform our people from the students, the faculty, the employees, including its stakeholders and alumni,” said Rosales.

She believes that PUP should not only focus on tapping into enhancing its research and studies but it should also be able to transfer its knowledge to the people who need it.

“We should be able to produce more knowledge but it does not end with learning...It does not only end when we do research...We should be able to transfer our knowledge out there, to the people who actually need help coming from our own research,” Rosales said.

If chosen to be PUP’s next president, Rosales said that she hopes to highlight the importance of environmental transformation, pointing out the need to upgrade PUP’s facilities to make them conducive to the community. – Rappler.com 

Daniel Asido and Kristine Vega are the editor-in-chief and staff writer, respectively, of The Communicator, the official student publication of the PUP College of Communication. It is an autonomous publication that stands for and advocates truth, fairness, honesty, and integrity. Follow The Communicator’s coverage on Facebook and Twitter.

What extreme circumstance could have possibly compelled a 58-year-old farmer to take his own life?

That question has been nagging at me since I learned earlier this week that I will no longer see Mang Dante* when we go back to Nueva Ecija for our planned medical mission.

The first time I met Mang Dante was when I did an interview with him, along with two other farmers, prior to the event that Team Pilipinas sponsored for them last December. 

The second was during the event itself, the Maagang Pamasko para sa Magsasakang Pilipino, an early Christmas party that we threw for our beloved Nueva Ecija farmers who were severely affected by the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law early last year.

During those two occasions, I remembered one thing about Mang Dante. He had the saddest eyes I had ever seen.

I was not sure if it was due to the years of working like a horse tilling his land from sun-up to sun-down, and moonlighting as a construction worker – two backbreaking jobs that, sadly, both yield a meager income. 

Is it due to the incessant stress of having to feed, send to school, and financially support 5 children?

Together with his wife who works as a dressmaker, Mang Dante hoped that, through education, the next generation of their family would be able to break the shackles of extreme poverty that crippled them and the generations before them.

Is it because he could no longer work his beloved land after he had a stroke one and a half years ago, a condition which left him partially paralyzed?

Nobody really knows. But Mang Dante was a dignified man, who felt he was bonded to the precious farmland that he was used to working for so long.

Last December, when Mang Dante received his Noche Buena packages and other Christmas gifts (the same items that we brought for all 106 of our recipient-farmers), as well as a cash gift from a donor for his therapy, I witnessed a glimmer of happiness in his usually tired, dull eyes.

I mourn the fact that I will never see Mang Dante again. 

Aside from regret, there is that guilt that we were not able to do more for him, and the frustration of not having enough resources to alleviate our farmers’ suffering. The feeling that’s gripping me right now is resentment. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Plummeting rice prices: How will our rice farmers cope?)

The Philippines was the world's biggest rice importer in 2019 due to the lifting of quantitative restrictions on rice imports. We got that rank despite the fact that we are a predominantly agricultural country. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Duterte's ban on rice imports: Enough of these capricious policies)

Meanwhile, our local farmers went bankrupt. Some could not even sell their palay unless they offered it at an extremely low price. (READ: Rice tarrification: Birth pains force farmers' kids out of school)

The government was also able to get more than its estimated P10 billion in tariffs from these imports, yet when our local farmers struggled to make ends meet, they were offered loans and credit instead of sufficient grants and cash subsidies.

Hoping to be heard, farmers' groups submitted some 50,000 signatures for its petition to repeal the Rice Tarrification Law to the House of Representatives. But so far, there are hardly any plans to repeal, revise, or suspend the said law.

The government has been repeating promises to put an end to corruption, and stop rice cartels and other entities from manipulating rice prices. Until now, farmers continue to lose big-time to unscrupulous rice traders, smugglers, cartels, and hoarders. 

Finally, I resent how there are government officials who add insult to injury through their insensitive public pronouncements, such as “Baliw na baliw kayo sa research (You're going gaga over research),” and “Why eat galunggong if it’s too expensive?” 

There are also those whose insatiable greed drives them to buy rice and corn farms and convert them into subdivisions, without consideration of future generations that will be deprived of their staple food. 

If not for these kinds of power wielders, our farmers will not be as miserable as they are now. They will not be suffering as much. 

Mang Dante may even be alive today. 

Binhi ng pag-asa

Mang Dante’s story became our inspiration for the next Team Pilipinas project, tentatively titled Binhi ng Pag-asa. 

Our aim is to provide a lifeline to farmers who need moral and financial support until an actual solution is in sight. We want them to know that there is hope, and that there are people who would like to help. 

Plans are still tentative, but we would like to cover as many towns as our resources would allow. We plan to coordinate with the municipal agricultural offices, and distribute seeds and fertilizers to approximately 100 farmers from each town or two per barangay.

We plan to do this for each crop cycle, or 3 times a year. 

To this end, we would like to make an appeal to generous ninongs and ninangs, whether as individuals or as corporate sponsors, to pledge an estimated P1500 per year. 

Last Christmas, the municipal agricultural office of Talavera distributed free seeds, and we gave each farmer 2 bags of fertilizers at P250 per bag. Assuming this price is standard in all the areas covered, P1500 should be enough for one year’s supply of fertilizers.

We also hope to gather government officials, agricultural experts and NGOs in a forum to work together to share best practices – both in planting and in marketing – and share the forum’s recommendations to all interested farmers.

Finally, we would like to keep our promise to Mang Dante to return to Talavera with a medical and dental mission this March. 

Please email tiny_aquino@yahoo.com if you would like to volunteer your services for the medical mission this March. We will be needing doctors, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists, as well as civilian volunteers. We will also be needing various medicines and hygiene kits. 

For financial donations and pledges, please email tiny_aquino@yahoo.com. We will get in touch with you as soon as we’ve set up our accounts. – Rappler.com

*Note: Name has been changed per the daughter's request to hide her father's identity.

Lorelei Baldonado Aquino, 46, is a University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman alumna. She works as a freelance writer and an active volunteer for Team Pilipinas, a group established for those who want to do their own small share to be part of the solution to our country's myriad of problems. She is also the blogger behind Mom on a Mission.

MANILA, Philippines – Plastic pollution has many hazardous effects on the planet, and environmental documentary film The Story of Plastic delves deep into its roots to better understand the crisis that's affecting people all over the world. 

The Story of Plastic features environmental activists, educators, and journalists discussing the global plastic problem, as well as solutions created by countries most affected by waste.

Plastic in the Philippines

During an advanced screening of the documentary at the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute on Wednesday, January 22, The Story of Plastic Executive Producer Stiv Wilson recalled seeing the extent of the plastic problem when he visited the infamous Smokey Mountain landfill in Tondo, Manila. (READ: Smelly, sticky, wet: Making it work in the dumps of Tondo)

“At that moment, I resolved to make The Story of Plastic. I understood plastic as an ocean issue, but I didn’t understand it as a human rights issue, from a developing world standpoint,” said Wilson.

In a widely-cited 2015 report, the Philippines was listed as one of the top 3 contributors to plastic waste in the ocean.

In countries with high poverty rates such as the Philippines, buying sachets tends to be much cheaper for the public than buying a whole bottle. (READ: The problem with plastics: Stopping it 'at the source')

Aside from consumerism, The Story of Plastic also tackles the issue of trash being exported from Western countries to poorer Asian countries. (READ: Canada takes garbage back from Philippines, ending long dispute)

“The pollution that exists in developing countries is predicated on our lifestyle in the United States,” said Wilson. (READ: US waste driving global garbage glut – study)

Solutions and initiatives

All over the world, efforts are being done to help solve the problem

Dr Paul Connett, a highly respected environmentalist, praised San Fernando City, Pampanga for its initiative and ranked it among other notable zero-waste programs in Indonesia, India, Brazil, Colombia, and Italy. (READ: How going zero waste is addressing PH's plastic pollution)

Connett shared there were several strategies to implement zero-waste programs in communities such as establishment of recycling centers and reuse and repair facilities, and the banning of single-use plastics. (READ: Sachet away: What's lacking in our plastic laws?)

“We need positive examples at every conceivable level, so when people get the message, they have models to copy,” said Connett. “Zero waste is an idealistic goal, but you must approach it in a practical way.”

Connett also urged academics and universities to take an active role in zero-waste initiatives by studying and researching the most effective and appropriate strategies for their community.

Zero waste in UP

For UP Diliman, it is a challenge that they are willing to take on.

Dr Fidel Nemenzo, vice chancellor for research and development and one of the candidates for the next UP Diliman chancellor, shared how he wants the university to join the fight against plastic.

Among the efforts he proposed were encouraging students to bring their own utensils; issuing guidelines to cafeteria operators, food establishments, and caterers to minimize food waste and packaging; and installing a water fountain in every building. 

The vice chancellor plans on using a multidisciplinary approach in creating solutions. 

“We will challenge all the professors and all the disciplines to help address this problem...and think about the institutional governance mechanisms that are necessary for such a campaign,” Nemenzo said.

Nemenzo emphasized how students are also integral in understanding and communicating the plastic pollution crisis to other communities. (READ: IN PHOTOS: Filipino youth call for urgent action as global climate strike begins)

The message of the story

Von Hernandez, Global Coordinator for the Break Free From Plastic Movement, hopes that The Story of Plastic can help give audiences a better idea about the gravity of the problem.

“This is a tool that can help shape the public discourse on this issue, correct its myths, and at the same time, tell the real story of plastic,” he said. 

The advanced screening at the UP Film Institute was organized by Break Free From Plastic, alongside other environmental non-governmental organizations Greenpeace Philippines, Mother Earth Foundation PH, and No Burn Pilipinas.

The Story of Plastic will be screened in various film festivals throughout the year, and will be available to the public through online streaming services. Movie screenings may be conducted by signing up at the Story of Stuff website.

Watch the teaser for The Story of Plastic here:

– Rappler.com

Rappler is building a network of climate advocates, LGUs, corporations, NGOs, youth groups, and individuals for the #ManyWaysToZeroWaste campaign, a movement pushing for responsible ways to use and reduce plastic. Go here to know how you can help.

Dorothy Andrada is a Rappler mover from Roxas City, Capiz. She is currently based in Quezon City as a college freshman at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Rowena, from Salcedo in the Philippines, is a daycare worker at a local school. After she’s done with her day’s work, she comes home to care for her family. As a housewife, her care work takes a lot of time and literally means heavy lifting: “The heaviest housework is fetching water. It takes us 3 to 4 hours to go and get water because our water source is far. We have to go to the river and lift our own water cans.” 

Rowena and other women in Salcedo are constantly working at home and at their jobs, anxious about earning enough to keep kids in school, having enough money to survive, and being barely prepared for times of trouble such as disasters that regularly happen across Asia, the latest of which is the Taal volcano eruption in Philippines.

Lim Kok Thay, the highest-paid CEO in Malaysia, is one of the wealthiest men in the country. The billionaire, son to founder of Genting Group, builds his wealth on a portfolio of casinos, tourism, and oil investments. He adds to his wealth every year with his salary of US$ 68.6 million from two positions at Genting Bhd and Genting Malaysia Bhd. His earnings per minute are at least US$290. 

For a domestic care worker who struggles to get through the day, it would take 21,561 years to earn what Lim earns in a year. In turn, Lim would earn what a domestic worker earns in a year in just 10 minutes. Does that sound fair to the Rowenas of the world? (READ: Why many of the hungry are women)

Asia truly is a tale of two fortunes. While Asia’s billionaires wallow in wealth, it’s also home to the world’s largest population of those struggling to make ends meet – 1.2 billion people living in and near poverty. 831 billionaires in Asia and Pacific own 2,700 billion in wealth, which is more than 1.8 billion of us have. In the region, China has the most billionaires – 324, followed by India with 106.  

The problem is global, too. 4.6 billion of us have less wealth than the world’s 2,513 billionaires. That a few thrive while a majority strive hard for a decent living is a symptom of a global epidemic. In fact, most of us will struggle to make ends meet if we miss a paycheck due to sickness or family trouble; a clear sign of an economy and system that’s failing. Inequality that ails our economies is out of control and keeps growing, leaving billions behind, particularly women and girls. Of the estimated 67 million domestic workers worldwide, 80% are women. 

While many governments have committed to reducing inequalities, they are barely walking their talk. We must demand that they prioritize the needs of people who elected them over the profits and fortunes of a few at the top. By making sure businesses and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, our leaders can invest in our wellbeing now and for the future. The wealthy have gotten away with paying little either by using legal loopholes or illegally dodging taxes altogether. Asians believe that widespread corruption among leaders of nations and government service providers has stalemated the kind of progress that can benefit many. 

We know that when nations spend more of their resources earned through fair taxation on public services like schools, hospitals, social safety and other public services, the lives of millions, if not billions, significantly improve. For instance, taxing an additional 0.5% of the wealth of the richest 1% over 10 years and spending on public goods can create 117 million jobs in education, health, elderly care, and other sectors.  

We also have some examples from countries in Asia – Thailand, Philippines and elsewhere – where good policies implemented well have transformed the lives of millions, but there just aren’t enough. For the billionaires of the world, a high-quality education, great health care, and meeting all other needs is a birthright, but for the Rowenas, who are a majority in Asia, these rights are unmet, unfulfilled. And there lies the injustice.   

Oxfam’s report "Time to Care," launched at the World Economic Forum convened in Davos, shows how, despite the tremendous contribution women and girls make to running the global economy, their work is often unrecognized. Women and girls put in 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work each and every day – a contribution to the global economy of at least $10.8 trillion a year. (READ: More women prefer working than staying at home – ILO)

Governments can ease the burden of care workers drastically by investing public funds. Universal access to safe water, sanitation, energy, universal childcare, eldercare, and care for people with disabilities would go a long way towards improving their lives and creating opportunities for them to achieve a better tomorrow. 

Paid care workers are underpaid and undervalued. Domestic workers, nurses, child and elderly caregivers, those who work in hospitality, and others often don’t enjoy full labor rights or a decent wage enough to meet their needs. Governments must sign on and implement the International Labor Organizations Convention 189 to protect their rights.

Make no mistake. Care work is work that’s essential for our societies to survive, prosper, and grow. It is the hidden engine that runs our economies. Nurturing children, caring for the sick and elderly, and all the mundane household chores are critical necessities. It’s largely the burden of women and girls. Globally, 42% of women of working age are outside the paid labor force, compared with 6% of men, because of unpaid care responsibilities.

All women and girls have the right to a fair living wage. We must put an end to the wage-pay gap between men and women and end discrimination at work completely. Care workers need a voice at decision-making tables not only in governments but in their communities and places of work. Within businesses, women and girls are often relegated to low-paying jobs at the lowest end of value chains. For instance, in the seafood industry, women are limited to bottom-rung jobs like cleaning and packing. (READ: Women, the sea, and food security)

The contribution of care work by women and girls is more than thrice the contribution made by the entire global tech industry. And this figure is probably an underestimation as many forms of care work is invisible. We need to respect care work, recognize the role it plays in making our society function and reward care workers justly. We must, as a society, embrace care work as a duty of all – men, boys, women, and girls. 

We need to build a new story for a more humane economy where prosperity is shared, and it must show care work the respect it deserves. Our societies and cultures here in Asia have long placed care as a virtue of the highest order – caring for our people, our families, our kids, elders, neighbors, even those different to us. It’s high time we walk our values and put our money where our ideals are. – Rappler.com

Lan Mercado is the Regional Director for Oxfam in Asia. She is an activist and development worker, with over 30 years of experience working with civil society coalitions, environmental movements, and international women's rights organizations. 

MANILA, Philippines – It was a bittersweet feeling that residents had coming home to ash-ridden houses and starving pets that were forced to abandon following the sudden eruption of the Taal Volcano on January 12.  

After two weeks of uncertainty, several Batangueño evacuees finally returned to their homes Sunday morning, January 26, immediately after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) downgraded the Taal Volcano from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3.

The Batangas provincial government lifted lockdowns it earlier imposed on 12 cities and municipalities located within the volcano's 14-km danger zone. Residents from these areas were given the option to either return to their homes or stay in evacuation centers, said Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas in a media briefing. 

"Nakakainip na nakakapagod maghintay na makauwi. Parang kayo'y pagod na pagod kahit nakaupo lang.... Kaya nung sinabing makakauwi na, ang sarap ng feeling!" said a resident, who refused to be named.

(It's boring and it's tiring to be waiting to go home. You're exhausted even if you're not doing anything.... That's why when they said we could return home, it felt so good!)

Coming home did not automatically put an end to their difficulties.

Returning residents face the daunting task of removing the thick blanket of ash that has covered their neighborhood. They have to attend to household pets and livestock that they had to abandon in their rush to flee when the eruption started. (READ: How groups are saving stranded animals near Taal Volcano) 

"Kaya po kami nauwi dahil po ang aming alagang hayop, sayang naman po. Kung mamatay man ay wala naman pong mananagot do'n, eh di kung kami din lang po," Gulod resident Bonifacio Cortez said. (We would come home because we need to take care of our animals. If they die, no one else would be responsible for that but us.)

The threat of a hazardous eruption remains. Phivolcs warned returning residents to prepare for a quick and organized evacuation if the alert level rises again. 

This is something 63-year-old Melisia Manalo understood completely. In case a hazardous eruption occurs while they're home, she said they would be more prepared. 

“Kami ho’y mag-iipon ulit ng gamit at aahon ho ulit kami. Hindi matigas ang aming ulo dahil kaligtasan po ang habol namin,” Manalo added. (We will gather our possessions and evacuate again. We are not stubborn, we also want to prioritize our safety)

Despite the constant threat and cleaning up that needs to be done, many residents simply relish the semblance of normalcy that being home lends them. (READ: Some Batangas residents return home as Taal Volcano eases)

Below are a few photos taken during their much-awaited homecoming: 

– Rappler.com

In an era of misinformation, twisted half-truths, and downright lies, incorporating science into good governance is not just important, it is vital. Science, as an evidence-based discipline, sometimes feels at odds with the current political environment, which often seems to ignore evidence freely and whenever it is convenient.

I am a young American scientist who was fortunate enough to do marine mammal work in the Philippines with support from the Fulbright program. Unfortunately, I can attest to the fact that the pointed refusal to acknowledge facts, namely when they interfere with agendas or talking points, is, and has been, an international political trend. Not only is this frustrating, but it is downright dangerous. The denial of science and facts interferes with governments around the world being able to prepare for, mediate, and respond to crises like emerging epidemics, natural disasters, and climate change. 

Scientific conclusions have to be backed by carefully collected data. In many research circles, the running joke is that data doesn’t care about your feelings. This tends to become apparent at the worst of times – for example, the night before an undergraduate lab report is due, months into thesis preparation, or when you realize your experimental design is wrong at 3 am. But this seemingly cold indifference is in large part where science derives its strength. When done well, scientific conclusions are sound because they can stand alone, independent of the researchers that crafted them. 

In an ideal world, this would make science highly sought after in government. If multiple researchers who, as human beings, have their own set of biases even as they seek to limit them come to the same conclusions, those results can be trusted as apolitical. In this, science has the capacity to reach across ideological divides. One of its core principles is that scientific conclusions should be reproducible anywhere by anyone (if their funding hasn’t dried up).

Instead, the reaction to unfortunate scientific findings is often met with ridicule and scorn. I am immensely grateful that the United States has a long history of investing in scientific research through programs like the National Science Foundation. However, even just last week, President Trump ridiculed climate activists like Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate at the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling them “perennial prophets of doom” and “heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune tellers,” even when the broad consensus that climate change is real, caused by human activity, and dangerous is backed by heaps of evidence collected from around the globe. This moment is just one example of an alarming disconnect between scientific reality and political action. 

However, when coupled, science and policy can tackle monumental problems, including natural disasters. When predictions are sound and evacuations are planned and implemented before danger strikes, lives are saved. When they aren’t, the results can be catastrophic. With the ongoing Taal eruption, Phivolcs has had the difficult task of balancing risk assessment and the unfortunate reality that mass evacuations put people in difficult, distressing situations. Leaving homes, animals, and belongings behind, knowing they might be buried under a blanket of ash when you return, is far from easy. But if Phivolcs reduces warning levels too soon, thousands of people could be caught in the path of an incinerating pyroclastic flow or other volcanic hazard. In this, Phivolcs bears a great and difficult responsibility. (READ: Netizens defend Phivolcs amid criticisms)

Scientific organizations like Phivolcs often seem to get caught between the dueling questions of “What is going on?” and “Tell me what I want to hear.” But when scientific conclusions are listened to, even at their most dire, a necessary cooperation is forged between science and policy.

Natural disasters, many of which are being strengthened by climate change, remind us how fragile life can be. Typhoons, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and earthquakes are facts of life. Even when we don’t want them to strike, they will. There are scientists working around the world, around the clock, to keep us informed and safe. Understanding our world makes it a safer one, because in the face of disaster, the most important thing is that we are prepared. 

I have had the distinct privilege of working with many hard-working, dedicated Filipino scientists, and am even luckier to call them my friends and mentors. They deserve a seat at the decision-making table, just as scientists in the United States deserve it in our government. Science’s role in governance should be to inform and impact good political decision-making, and this can only be achieved by affording scientists respect and support, and that includes funding.

The globalized world often feels overwhelming, with new problems emerging faster than existing one’s can be solved. Scientists provide a path through the dark of misunderstanding, and as the new decade begins, governments around the world would do well to listen to them. Especially when it's not convenient. – Rappler.com

Timothy Gardner is an environmental scientist and marine mammal researcher from the United States. He was a US 2017-2018 Fulbright Scholar to the Philippines and conducted whale research with the NGO Balyena.org.

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – This year's Dinagyang Festival filled the streets of Iloilo City with revelry and vibrant performances as locals and tourists witnessed one of the country's grandest and most anticipated tourism events on Sunday, January 26.

In its early years, Dinagyang was a parish celebration where natives covered in ash danced in the streets, adopting the Ati-Atihan of Aklan. Now in its 52nd year, the celebration has evolved to feature joyous performers in colorful costumes, dancing to the beat of the drums while chanting "Hala Bira" with the crowd.

The annual Ilonggo festival is celebrated every 4th Sunday of January as a way to honor the Holy Child Jesus, referred to as Señor Sto Niño.

Dinagyang Festival is a mixture of culture and religion. Among the common themes of the performances during Dinagyang are the pagan rituals of the Ati tribe and the introduction of Catholicism, represented by relics of Señor Sto Niño in all forms and sizes.

Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc (IFFI), a new group of organizers, handled this year's Dinagyang Festival with the aim of reining back the focus of the festival to the faith and devotion of the Ilonggos. (READ: Devotee for 40 years: Iloilo's faithful steward is Dinagyang's hermana mayor)

The word "dinagyang" comes from the Hiligaynon term "dagyang" which means merrymaking. During the festival, revelers flock to the streets of Iloilo to dance, listen to local music, and relish the company of people from different cultures.

The highlight of the monthlong Dinagyang Festival is the Ati Tribe dance competition, where students form school-based tribes and conduct theatrical street performances. 

This year's theme was "Perfect Vision: Celebrating the Ilonggo Spirit in Honor of Señor Sto Niño." Hoping to change things up, IFFI set up an arena-type presentation of the tribe dances, giving the audience a 360-degree view of the performances during the Ati Tribe dance competition.

There were 4 stations where revelers can witness performances from every angle: the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, Iznart-Solis Street, Valeria-Ledesma Street, and Iloilo Central Market. 

Besting 7 other contingents, Tribu Paghidaet of La Paz National High School took home the top prize with their performance showing the evolution of faith in the island – from folk healing traditions to faithfulness to the Sto Niño.

Trailing after Tribu Paghidaet was Tribu Panayanon with their vibrant take on the conversion of the Ati tribe to Christianity through Sto Niño, as they gave thanks for their bountiful harvest. 

Meanwhile, Tribu Ilonganon of Jalandoni Memorial National High School and Tribu Salognon of Jaro National High School took 3rd and 4th place, respectively.

Tribu Dagatnon, with their performance depicting Ati healers and their rituals, got 5th place.

Here are some photos of this year's Dinagyang Festival:

– Rappler.com

Carl Don S. Berwin is a Rappler Mover and a SharePH ambassador in Iloilo City. He is also an Accountancy student at the University of the Philippines Visayas.

ALBAY, Philippines  –  The Women for Progress Movement in Albay, an association of women planters from Mayon Volcano in Albay, harvested 30 sacks of kamote (sweet potatoes) for Batangas evacuees displaced by the Taal Volcano eruption.

With the help of Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando Cabredo, women from the towns of Guinobatan, Oas, Polangui, Libon, Pio Duran, and Jovella said they would deliver the donation to evacuees of Agoncillo, Batangas on Wednesday, January 29. The town is located within the 7-km danger zone.

Though several evacuees have already returned to their homes after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) downgraded the Taal Volcano from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3, many Batangueños still remained in evacuation centers. Areas within a 7-km radius from the main crater are still off-limits for residents.

The women of Albay are not new to disasters having survived Mayon Volcano eruptions and strong typhoons like Tisoy and Ursula.  This was why Cabredo said the donation was a way for them to help people facing difficult circumstances they were already familiar with.

“The hardworking and generous women planters of Albay would love to bring hope and courage to the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption by donating fresh and newly harvested kamote,” Cabredo said.

The Women for Progress Movement was organized by former Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando Gonzalez in 2016. It is now headed by retired public school teacher Evelyn Ragos from Polangui General Comprehensive High School.  

The movement started as the Taranuman sa Barangay project, which was organized after Typhoon Nina hit Albay on December 25, 2016. Its aim is to provide a source of livelihood for women in Albay through planting vegetables and other root crops in backyards.

Since then, members of the movement have continued with the project, providing fresh vegetables in Albay's local markets, despite the  passing typhoons and the constant threat of the Mayon Volcano eruption. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines– Making a difference through their love for music, Xavier University (XU)-Ateneo de Cagayan took on the famous “Tala” dance challenge to call for donations for Taal eruption victims. 

In a video posted on Tuesday night, January 28, the XU community including faculty, staff and students danced to Sarah Geronimo’s iconic “Tala” to take on the challenge posed by the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

Spicing things up, XU used the dance challenge as a way to promote the university’s donation drive for those affected by the ongoing Taal Volcano eruption.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by the Taal Volcano eruption in the Philippines. It is in this spirit that we call on our community to share their time and treasure in the immediate relief and rehabilitation needed in the days ahead,” the university said in a Facebook post.

Those who wish to donate to XU’s relief drive may visit and drop off their donations at SSIAP Office at rm 106, Agriculture Building, XU Main Campus or deposit directly via:

Bank of the Philippines (BPI)
Account name: Xavier University
Account number: 9331013363
Swift code: BOPIPHMM
Routing number: CH005873

Donors are instructed to send a scanned copy or photo of their deposit slip to finance@xu.edu.ph and cc: xusacdev@gmail.com.

Encouraging others to continue the trend, XU challenged Ateneo de Naga University to do the #AteneoTalaDanceChallenge and nominate another Ateneo school to join the dance craze. 

Although Sarah's song was released in 2015, it resurged in popularity in 2019 after becoming the song of choice by members of the LGBTQ+ community, including drag queen and Sarah G impersonator Bench Hipolito. Celebrities, including Maine Mendoza and Darren Espanto, have also posted their covers of the dance. – Rappler.com

“I’m just turning off the alarms, babe,” he assured me when I spotted him holding his phone.

I was on top of him, naked. I kept going, but then I heard the beep of a video being recorded.

“STOP AND DELETE THAT VIDEO,” I told him.

“No, it’s okay. Just keep going,” he replied, continuing to film me.

I got off him. He then showed me that his camera roll and Deleted Files folder were now empty, but I still couldn’t respond. He slowly pushed me down the bed, kissing my neck, apologizing. At the same time, he was putting me back in a position where I could let him in and finish. Which he did, quite quickly.

After washing up, I could feel myself losing my grip, so I left the bedroom and went into a fit of hyperventilation and crying on my couch. 

When he finally came out, I asked him, “How many women have you done this to?”

He denied having done it before. He said it was his uncontrollable libido that made him do it. He knew my trauma from a similar experience, but my outright refusal to be filmed at that moment did not alarm him. (READ: [OPINION] Addressing privacy concerns to prevent sexual abuse)

On our first date, I was given a warning by a frequent customer of the bar to not go home with him because he films girls and shows the stuff to his friends. I went on dating him anyway, sticking to the principle of assuming someone’s innocence until proven otherwise.

As I gathered more intel after my own possible scandal, names of more girls came up, and the chilling truth could not have been more apparent: here was a person who got off on sharing his voyeuristic exploits with his fraternity – and getting away with it – and I let him into my home. (READ: Violence against women: Sex, power, abuse)

But this is not the jarring part of the story.

When you’re building a relationship, appearing in court to defend your honor is not something you prepare for. You think of the restaurants and beaches you’d bring him to; you think of the fights and the strategies you'd undertake for handling each other. No one thinks of keeping any sort of verbal or written exchanges to present to court. (READ: Cebu cops nab criminology student for threatening to post girl's nude pics)

This is also true when the relationship crashes and burns and you have to pick yourself up from the wreckage. You think instead of Friday nights with your friends, when you can get blackout drunk. You think of the apps you can swipe through for a rebound.

So when I drove down to the police station to finally file a report, I was unarmed.

They demanded a video. They demanded evidence of the distribution of the video. In law school, you would see this as due process, but as a woman who anticipated becoming part of Philippine jurisprudence, I couldn't help but wonder how dumb the men were who wrote this law. In the anti-voyeurism law, the mere act of recording without consent is already punishable (Section 4a, RA 9995), and spreading it and keeping it are different offenses – yet all require the presence of the video from the victim. (READ: Can the Philippine gov't protect you from revenge porn, hackers?)

How can the victim of a practiced voyeur have a copy of the video? How can the victim have access to the perpetrator’s database, hard drive, memory, or cloud? Must they demand it from the voyeur? Snatch their phones to see group chats of strangers feasting on their bodies?

The law is a soft shell, not a shield. I can’t imagine what kind of woman it can protect. One whose video is already out and viewed by the hundreds of thousands? Someone whose life could have been kept normal, but only if she had top tech assistance to hack her perpetrator's devices?

This isn’t the kind of breakup or end to dating that anyone imagines. Yet, as unimaginable as mine was, the fact that this man-child victimized many women and is still scot-free and swiping through dating apps shows the inadequacy of the law – an inadequacy based on recklessness, a product that lacked a woman’s input. 

I write this wanting to be the last victim, which was why I had contacted his family to make him seek psychological help, and had later filed a blotter. But if the law can’t provide me the space, let this be it. – Rappler.com

Isabel Cabal is a European Studies Masters student at the Ateneo De Manila University and a writer. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature from De La Salle University Manila.

MANILA, Philippines – Several schools took extra precautionary measures Friday, January 31, to protect its employees and students from the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV).

This move to prevent the spread of the virus came a day after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed thefirst case of nCoV in the country.   

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the confirmed patient was a 38-year-old woman who came from virus epicenter Wuhan and traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete before she was admitted to a government hospital in Manila. (READ: FAQs: Ano-ano ang alam natin tungkol sa 2019 novel coronavirus?) 

Close coordination 

In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it was in close coordination with DOH officials to implement health guidelines in schools, particularly on decisions for  lockdowns in specific communities. It also urged the schools to cooperate with DOH.

Currently, its efforts are focused on promoting awareness and precautionary measures in schools and their immediate communities, using the information materials from DOH.

“We will consolidate available information from official sources, and discuss further actions, measures and mechanisms for readiness and response,” DepEd assured. 

As of Friday, January 31, DOH added that the number of patients being monitored for 2019-nCoV climbed up to 31 from the 29 people cited by the DOH on Thursday. 

Of the 31, 25 were admitted to hospitals, 5 had been discharged but were still being strictly monitored, and one – a man with a preexisting illness – died but it had yet to be determined if he also had 2019-nCoV.

Due to the increasing number of confirmed cases and deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus that killed 212 people and infected over 8,000 worldwide as of early Friday, January 31.  

Reducing the risks

Meanwhile, to reduce the risk of infections, schools in Metro Manila and in some provinces took on the necessary steps to promote the antiseptic technique among students and employees. 

It provided hand sanitizers and rubbing alochol at the entrance of the building and in various counters inside the campus. 

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), practicing hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way to prevent infection. 

Temperature checks were also done at school entrances.

Face masks were also given to students in some public schools. In Araullo High School for example, face masks were distributed to the students by the Manila City local government. 

According to the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) and Philippine Hospital Infection Control Society (PHICS), face masks or surgical masks are designed to protect users from droplets and splashes that might cause possible infection. 

Both groups also reminded the public that masks are always worn colored side out. 

Below are some of the photos from different schools: 

Metro Manila 

Calabarzon 

Davao

– Rappler.com