2 NEWS // THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS
COVID-19 cases reach 22,366; MECQ Status extended until September 7 Andrew Dela Plana Last August 30, Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 22,366 new COVID-19 cases, the highest of all time since the start of pandemic, breaking another record for the fourth time in the month of August. As of September 1, the number of active cases is now at 140,949, overwhelming health facilities as well as healthcare workers based on the health ministry data while the number of total confirmed cases have risen to 2,003,955. The death toll also reached 33,533, after 86 more deaths were recorded. However, the number of recoveries increased by 18,754, making the total number of recoveries 1,829,473. DOH also said that all testing hubs were operational on Saturday, August 28, but two laboratories were not able to submit their data on time. "Based on data in the last 14 days, the 2 non-reporting labs contribute, on average, 0.1% of samples tested and 0.1% of positive individuals," the DOH said. The health department said COVID-19 cases in the country would continue to rise amid the presence of the highly transmissible Delta Variant, as many hospitals nationwide neared breaking
point due to the stream of virus patients. "We expect the number of cases will continue to increase in the coming days," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a public announcement. "Improving vaccination coverage, shortening the duration of detection to isolation, and compliance of people to community healthcare standards would really help us stop the transmission in communities," Vergeire continued. As Metro Manila will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until September 7, nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna will also be affected by the extension. "Some businesses can still operate at up to 50% on-site capacity, but restaurant dine-in, personal care services and religious activities are still prohibited in the capital region," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement. Only one consumer (authorized persons outside residences) per family will be allowed to go out within their city or municipality during the MECQ. [R]
Zarate on Commission on Audit and the Office of Ombudsman: “Follow the money trail” Andrew Dela Plana
Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate and Chairman Neri Colmenares urged the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Office of the Ombudsman to find traces of evidence of a possible corruption under President Duterte’s administration using the money trails of unused funds and savings. Zarate stressed that COA and the Ombudsman should dig deeper into the reason why agencies failed to utilized the allotted funds and the pattern of wanting to save allocations while in the COVID-19 pandemic. “We ask the Ombudsman and COA to follow the money trail of unused funds and savings to unearth corruption in the Duterte administration. This pattern of supposed inefficiency has become suspicious since Pres. Duterte does not divulge his yearly overall savings since he sat in office. It is anomalous that Congress is forced to approve the yearly budget without knowing the absorptive capacity of the receiving agencies that it will fund,” Zarate stated. In addition, Colmenares urged the COA and the Ombudsman to probe the the government's underspending and to dig deeper into the way agencies
have failed to fully utilize funds and their seeming preference to save allocations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Follow the savings! Follow the realignment and augmentation! Even if DBM says there is no actual savings because they have been realigned and spent, the COA and Ombudsman should still ask DBM the savings actually pooled before they were realigned and spent. They should not allow DBM to get away with it by the mere claim that they managed to spend it in the end,” Colmenares explained. DOH-COA disparity Last August 16, an emotional Health Secretary Francisco Duque III accused the Commission on Audit of destroying the “good image” of Department of Health with the release of an audit report which showed the embezzlement of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds. “Winarak ninyo kami. This is really unfair, unjust. This judgement has been handed down without giving DOH the full 60 days for us to give our reaction,” Duque said in a congressional hearing.
Duque also said that he and his fellow DOH officials have been losing sleep since the audit report made its way in the headlines. 1SAGIP Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta also questioned the COA for releasing the 2020 Annual Audit Report without waiting for the DOH to address the issues raised by audit examiners. COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo however, stressed that even before the 2020 Annual Audit Report was posted in the COA website, the audit team had numerous meetings with DOH officials to address the audit issues at the end of 2020. “The annual audit report is a requirement by law and must come out by June 30 of each year. Before an audit report is issued, there is a lot of due process constantly followed,” he said. COA then clarified that as of August 16, the auditing process has not yet been completed and the said commission is waiting for the documentations that would prove that the P45.89 billion out of the P67.32 billion transferred to partner agencies were legitimate and were used for procurement. [R]
NEWS
3
Philippines bags four medals from Tokyo 2020 Olympics; beats an all-time best record Lance Crisostomo
2020 Filipino Olympians made history as the Philippines achieved its personal best record in the Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held last July 23 to August 8. The Philippines bagged four medals; one gold medal from weightlifting and two silver medals plus one bronze medal from the boxing events - the most that the nation has brought home ever since joining the Olympics in 1924. Last July 23, Hidilyn Diaz bagged the gold medal for the 55kg division of the women’s weightlifting event by tallying an olympic record of 224 kgs cumulative score. 11 days later, Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio jabbed her way to bringing home the silver medal in the women’s featherweight
division which etched her to become the first Filipina boxer to become an olympic medalist. Two days after Petecio made history, Eumir Marcial punched his way through to get the bronze medal in the men’s middleweight division, securing the third medal of the Philippines reaching the personal best of the nation which it reached during the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Filipino pride Carlo Paalam dished out his powerful combinations two days later, August 5, to grab the silver medal in the men’s fly division to bring home the second silver medal of the Philippines for Tokyo 2020 and the fourth overall medal of the nation surpassing its personal best of three. Tokyo 2020 Olympics had its closing ceremony last August 8 wherein the next stop for the 2024 Olympics was revealed to be held at Paris, France. [R]
10th leg of Wanda Diamond League kicks off
Obiena breaks records, bags second place
Lance Crisostomo
MANILA, Philippines - Rise from a learning experience; come back with a bang. Filipino Olympian EJ Obiena broke his personal and the national record in the vault as he cleared 5.91m to secure second place in the Paris leg of the Wanda Diamond League at the Charley stadium in Paris on Saturday, August 28. Prior to the Paris leg, Obiena suffered a tough upset after finishing in 11th place in the men’s pole vault finals at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. EJ outperformed 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sam Kendricks by surpassing the 5.45m mark in two tries and acing the 5.55m, 5.65m, and 5.73m marks. As the competition narrowed down to three vaulters, American vaulter Christopher Nielsen failed to jump past the 5.91m and 5.96m marks, settling for
5.81m which Obiena managed to pass as well. After acing the 5.91m mark and failing to finish for the 5.96m and 6.01m marks, Obiena bowed down to Sweden’s Armand Duplantis, who managed to vault over the 5.96m and 6.01m marks respectively in one botch a piece. In the end, Obiena managed to secure second place with 5.91m while Nielsen bagged 3rd place with 5.81m, and Duplantis, the world record holder, brought home first place with 6.01m. "A second place finish at the Paris 2021 Diamond League, and a new national record and personal best of 5.91-m. Thank you, God!" Obiena expressed in his tweet. The height that Obiena cleared on his recent feat in Paris was 0.21m above his failed attempt at the Tokyo Olympics, 5.91m from 5.70m. [R]
PHOTO SOURCE RAPPLER
AUGUST 2021 //
4 NEWS // THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS
Maya-3 and Maya-4 reaches ISS; Maya-5 and Maya-6 underway Lance Crisostomo
After the successful launch of Maya-2 last February, the Philippines achieved another scientific leap as Maya-3 and Maya-4 were launched into the International Space Station (ISS) to provide researches and demonstrations to the ISS. The two satellites were launched from Kennedy Space Center - Florida, USA August 29 at around 3:14 p.m. Manila time aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 spaceship wherein both satellites acted as the payloads part for the Space X Commercial Resupply Mission-23 (SpX-23). Maya-3 and Maya-4 were built by scholars who are under the Space Science and Technology Proliferation through University Partnerships (STeP-UP), a graduate’s program, which is part of Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation, and Advancement (STAMINA4Space). With the measurements of 10 x 10 x 11.35 centimeters and a mass of 1.10 to 1.15 kilograms, the nanosatellites are set-off with the missions to demonstrate different technological advancements such as GPS employment, magnetic field
measurement, and image and video capturing. Eight scholars, who apparently are the first scholars of STeP-UP, Gladys Bajaro, Derick Canceran, Bryan Custodio, Lorilyn Daquioag, Christy Raterta, Judiel Reyes, Marielle Magbanua-Gregorio, and Renzo Wee built the satellites with fundings from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The scholars stated that Maya-3 and Maya-4 were based on the designs and features of the previous Mayas and they specifically pointed out that both Maya-3 and Maya-4 incorporated the heritage bus of Maya-1. “The Maya-3 and Maya4 CubeSats use the heritage bus of Maya-1 which was developed as part of the BIRDS-2 Project; Maya-3 and Maya4 incorporate enhancements from the previous design including improvements in the antenna board. They are mostly identical, only with a difference in a mission, that is, the Near-infrared camera which is mounted only on Maya-4,” scholars explained. BIRDS Project Principal
Investigator Dr. Mengu Cho added that the latest Mayas are the first applications of the BIRDS satellite bus in satellites produced outside of Japan. “Maya-3 and Maya-4 are the first examples of applying BIRDS satellite bus to abroad. I am delighted to see the DNA of the BIRDS program is inherited and evolves in developing countries,” Dr. Cho stated. On the other hand, STeP-UP project leader Paul Jason Co said that the creation of the latest Mayas proved that Filipinos can build satellites here in the country with the possibility of future collaborations between institutions. “The success of Maya-3 and Maya-4 will prove that CubeSats can be successfully built locally; the knowledge and experience gained from this endeavor can and will be shared to any other institutions through collaboration and cooperation,” Co stated. As Maya-3 and Maya-4 are just launched into the ISS, Maya-5 and Maya6 are already under development as the second batch of scholars from STeP-UP is currently making its move to build the successors of the current Mayas. [R]
Rheims launches Project Wi-Fi Renz Bautista The Lasallian Rheims launched Project Wi-Fi, a website project, as a way to promote, enrich and give importance to the Filipino language, August 11. The project was inspired from the statements of Dr. Juanito Cabanias and Prof. Xiao Chua during their respective Gawad Alab webinars to preserve and enrich the Filipino language. Grounded on the notion, "Wikang Filipino: Gamitin at Pagyamanin," the website consisted collections of different content from OPM, Filipino trivia, Filipino movies, theatrical dramas, and musicals performed using the Filipino language.
The content was spaced out to be posted per week starting from August 13 to build the students’ expectations towards the content. Project Wi-Fi Manager, John Czar Salaguinto, said that the project was to relive the experience of having a Buwan ng Wika event in ASJ. This is seconded by Rheims Chairman Lance Crisostomo saying that Project Wi-Fi's purposes are to showcase different artforms in the FIlipino language and to build a connection between the whole ASJ community and the Filipino culture and tradition that we are all grounded on. Meanwhile, Project Wi-Fi website designer, Kyzzia Pagui-
rigan, was very satisfied with the overall output despite the encountered problems for the website making as it seeks to appeal to visitors. “As a website designer, I encountered a handful of problems such as having to come up [with] different ways to make the visitor’s experience easier. Another problem was making the design itself. I wanted the site to be minimalistic while having to be pleasing to the eyes and as a result, I chose a black background so that the colors will pop out more,” Paguirigan said in an interview. For more information about Project Wi-Fi, you may visit https://sites.google.com/view/ konek-na-sa-wi-fi/home. [R]
AUGUST 2021 //
Training of future leaders
NEWS
5
LASO conducts Camp Kayumanggi Lance Crisostomo & Renz Bautista
The Lasallian Assembly of Student Officers (LASO) conducted an echo seminary entitled Camp Kayumanggi which was attended by 39 student-leaders from Grade School Higher Level up to Senior High School, August 28. LASO utilized Zoom Conferences as their main platform for conducting the camp where they recreated activities such as task completions and camp discussions rooted from different training-seminars that they have attended. In an interview, Aaron Barcelita, the head of camp communications, stated that the echo seminar was held to equip the student leaders with skills that would make them better student leaders with deeper understanding of what true leadership is.
“The purpose of Camp Kayumanggi is to enhance the students' understanding of leadership and to enhance their leadership skills. It was also [held] strengthen inter-grade relationships through their shared love for leadership,” Barcelita said. On the other hand, Barcelita added that before successfully conducting the camp, LASO experienced several problems along the way from conflicts with schedules and technical problems. “Some of the problems include the moving of the schedule from August 14 to 28 due to the schedule of the first quarter exams and product performance week, [and] technical problems [during the conference],” Barcelita explained. In an interview with the
senior high school participants, Leicorina Abillon, Grade 12 Miguel Febres class president, shared that the camp enabled her to have a better understanding of her role as a leader not just in her class alone but in the community as well. “After participating in the Camp Kayumanggi, I was enlightened more about my duties and responsibilities as the president of my section. I understand that being a leader in a group is a challenging task and that I needed to be more active,” Abillon said. With the success of the camp, LASO President Natasha Pascual said that there are future projects which are still in the planning and approval process that the student body must expect for the rest of the school year. [R]
The Lasallian Assembly of Student Officers (LASO) recently conducted their echo seminar - Camp Kayumanggi last August 28 to enhance students' understanding of leadership and to showcase their leadership skills through various activities. PHOTO SOURCE KENT COLOCADO
EDITORIAL BOARD School Year 2021-2022
Editor-in-Chief Lance Crisostomo Managing Editor/Layout Renz Bautista Writers Marielle Navarro, Andrew Dela Plana, Kyzzia Paguirigan, Trisha Ilar, Benedict Yalung, Zoeline Honrado, Lemmor Lataza, Ben Nivera Artists Marcus Buhain, Shawn Teves Cover Page Nina Dulce Contributor Mr. Lawrence Fernando Adviser Mr. Kent Bryan Colocado Vice Principal Ms. Victoria Gallardo Principal Mr. Richard Pineda School Consultant
Ms. Daisy Romero
ALERE FLAMMAM VERITATIS WE ARE OPEN FOR
CONTRIBUTORS! Submit your work at official.rheims@gmail.com
@Rheims2020 facebook.com/Rheims2020 official.rheims@gmail.com issuu.com/thelasallianrheims
6
OPINION
// THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS
SEARCHING FOR THE LIGHT OF HOPE FOR A BETTER PHILIPPINES EURUS
Lance Crisostomo Recently, the OCTA research revealed two projections regarding the rate of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The research projected that the daily rate of additional cases may reach 20,000 to 21,000 and that the total COVID-19 cases may reach the 2,000,000 mark before the end of August. Less than a week after the projections were made, the nation has tallied 19, 441 cases and 22,366 cases in two consecutive days which brought the total number to roughly 1.98 million cases. The numbers may seem high enough already, OCTA research suggests that the current rate of addition has not yet reached its peak as a downward trend is currently observed. Now the question remains, “is the currently imposed quarantine still effective?” and “is there still a light of hope for the Philippines?” For the longest time now, the nation has been under widespread lockdown. Almost every part of the nation is classified under ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, and MGCQ respectively. It started out fine as the virus was suppressed to minimal levels. However, the cases started to spike as three months after the implementation of quarantine reaching almost 40,000. Fourteen months from that time, quarantine protocols still persisted but almost 1.93 million cases were added to the tally sheet. More than 530 days into quarantine, still slow developments on the state of the nation are evident. From then until now, the quarantine classifications for various regions and provinces such as the NCR and CALABARZON were circling around. It started from ECQ down to MECQ then to GCQ and MGCQ and now, both are back to MECQ. With the dwindling supply of vaccines across the nation, the current state of the nation may go on for ages. To answer this long-term problem, a proposal was made recently detailing a shift from widespread to granular lockdown. It was proposed that
quarantine across the nation will be eased with specific communities and areas with high infection rates and infection clusters be placed in hard lockdown. People living in communities under hard lockdown won’t be able to go out of their homes, necessities will be delivered right at their doorstep, and they will all undergo the COVID-19 testing. The proposal rings a bell since it is similar to China’s COVID-zero approach wherein they took precautionary measures similar to what is proposed here in the country. The country also closed its borders so that the virus may be suppressed and eventually eliminated. This is a risky move. It is not just the lives of people who are placed at risk but also the economic state of the nation. Since borders are closed, economic trades from different parts of the world will be hindered. However, knowing China’s massive population and their strategies, the economic side of their nation may suffer a bit but a bounceback is surely on sight and sure. If we are to adopt the same system in the country, it will be very difficult. With the number of cases and the rapid surge of COVID spreading across the nation, it will take months to years to fully complete the process and take the spreading levels to the minimum. The nation doesn’t possess the financial capacity to sustain this kind of plan. With the budget at hand, it wouldn’t be able to last six months in this type of system. In addition to this, the supply of COVID vaccines and testing kits are not enough to cover the whole nation. Pushing this type of plan with the current state of the nation and its resources will be like the country digging its own grave. There is still hope for the nation. If the people would have discipline in following protocols, if the government would be more honest themselves, and if resources will be allocated wisely and efficiently - then we would have a fighting chance against COVID. It is time to set aside all unnecessary matters considered at hand and focus on this battle against COVID-19 because the remaining months of 2021 are very crucial and may dictate the future state of the Philippines. [R]
AUGUST 2021 //
Para 'san ba yung auditing na 'yan?
Unsung Heroes in the government Commission on Audit (COA) released multiple reports and flagged multiple government agencies and LGUs during the month of August. This sparked mixed reactions between involved people. This includes the infamous and emotional “winarak na ninyo kami” statement of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III over COA findings about the misused and unused funds worth Php. 67 billion. COA also flagged agencies such as OWWA over its nonexistent seller address and overpriced procuring process, Department of Agriculture over its unspent funds, and LGUs that have unnecessary spending processes and misappropriated funds. So, what is the purpose of auditing? Auditing, as defined in the accountancy field, is the unbiased examination and evaluation of the financial statements (such as the income statement and the statement of financial position) of the organization. Auditing takes consideration of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and certain standards depending on the nature of the branch of accounting used. In this case, COA audits the allocated budgets, instead of the financial statements of all government organizations since their operating cycle is not based on earning money. It is on how they utilize the budget given to them in virtue of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or the yearly national budget prepared by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the executive government. Section 2 of Article IX-D of the 1987
Dear editors,
Philippine Constitution mandates that the Commission on Audit shall have the power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle accounts pertaining to the to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned, or held by the government, or any of its divisions, affiliates, including all Government Owned or Controlled Corporations (GOCC). COA does not also provide report about the current budget and the disposition and utilization of funds and property. It also seeks information for all purchases of assets and projects, including the initial plans for its procurement. An example for this is COA flagging DOH for its plan to procure four laptops worth Php. 700,000. The specs, software, and programs for the laptops are lower than what I expect a laptop that is worth Php. 150,000. It was even not specified as to what are the purposes procuring the laptops. Another example is COA flagging the Philippine Ports Authority over the “unnecessary” construction of an infinity pool in San Fernando, La Union. State auditors mentioned that the funds which was used for the pool construction could be used in other projects which can impact greatly the organization and the Filipino people. Other notable examples I saw on the internet is an audit report made for Iligan City, Lanao del Norte last 2018, which includes 15 pcs. of hand soap priced at about Php. 117,000 and 2 pcs. of printers approximately worth Php. 180,000, which indicates blatant and obvious cases of corruption. President Duterte also made his statements to COA. One of these was to not
OPINION
7
RPTD
Renz Bautista
flag any concerned agencies and government units when COA releases its reports. This opposes the concept of the users of accounting information, the disclosure principle (Philippine Accounting Standards 32) and principles of government accounting. Since a government aims to service its people and constituents, reports about their performance should be open to the public. As an external user, we want to see the performance of these agencies and specifically, we want to see how our taxes are utilized and where does the budget go to. Section 3 of Article IX-D mentions that there will be no laws to be passed exempting any entity of the government or its subsidiary from the jurisdiction of the Commission on Audit. As such, any government official, including the President, cannot control the activities of the Commission on Audit. COA enables transparency, and meticulous analyzation of all accounts, assets, properties, expenses, and balances of the funds being used by all government agencies and government units. We consider these state auditors as the “unsung heroes” since they do their best to report what is truly happening with the money we provide through various taxes and the performance of all government organizations. These state auditors can be also attributed as people who can encourage government agencies and organizations to exercise good governance over its course of operations and ensure that we, as citizens of the Philippines, receive effective projects which are paid by our taxes. [R]
Letter to the Editor:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been vicious up until now as many lives are at risk and are taken away. With our financial resources and vaccine supplies depleting, a turn of events is really needed right now by any means. In this time wherein our cases may surpass two million anytime soon, I hope that a ray of light will soon show itself to give us a spark of hope that we will have a better future. May the situation be back to normal soon so that we may see each other again and be free from the chains of the online distance learning. Sincerely Yours, JM Grade 12 St. Mutien Marie August 30, 2021
8 OPINION // THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS
Ang Wikang pinagkaisa sa pagkakakiba-iba Wika, ang nagsisilbing tagapag-ugnay ng mga tao. Ito ay isang paraan upang maipakita nila ang kanilang pagkakakilanlan. Ang pagkakaroon ng isang Pambansang Wika ang naging hanggarin ni Pangulong Quezon upang mapagbuklod ang Pilipinas tungo sa pagsasarili nito. Sa kasalukuyan, ang wikang Filipino ay patuloy na pinagyayabong at pinapaunlad. Patuloy na lumalawak ang mga pagbabago sa wika habang dumadaan ang panahon; mula sa unang balarila na binuo ni Lope K. Santos na nakabase sa wikang Tagalog, hanggang sa pag-usbong ng mga salitang jejemon o mga literal na salin ng mga salita. Ang hamon sa atin ng wika ay kung paano ito magagamit upang mas mapalawak pa ang mga kaalaman ng mga mamayanan ukol sa iba’t-ibang mga bagay. Tumatak sa akin noong panahon na tumama ang
LEX TALK
Mr. Lawrence Fernando
bagyong Yolanda ay nahirapan tayong ipaliwanag ang ideya ng “storm surge” sa mga ordinaryong Pilipino. Hindi natin maaring masabi na ito’y isang “tsunami” dahil iba ang dahilan ng pamumuo nito. Dahil sa pananaliksik at kasaysayan, ating nalaman na may mga salita pala na sariling atin na ating maaring magamit. Ito ang “humbak” o ang mas tumatak na “daluyong.” Wika rin ang ginamit ng ating mga bayani upang mas lalong paalabin ang masidhing pagmamahal nila sa ating bayan. Nawa’y sa panahon kung kailan kakailanganin muli nating tumindig at lumban ay magamit natin ang ating wika at salita. Ang Wikang Filipino ay tunay ngang walang kahalintulad sa iba. Iba’t-ibang pinagmulan, porma at impluwensya ang siyang bumubuo rito. Sa pagkakaiba-ibang ito rin makukuha ang pagkakaisa na siyang sasalaminin ng bayan tungo sa isang magandang kinabukasan. [R]
DATA FROM PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
AUGUST 2021 //
FEATURES
National Heroes Day: A Day for All
9
Trisha Ilar & Lance Crisostomo
For centuries, we believed that a national hero was someone who has shed his blood for the country like Andres Bonifacio or Gregorio del Pilar or someone who used the power of pen and paper like Jose Rizal and other Propagandistas. However, as time passes by, a hero for one’s nation is not limited to people from the past. The evolution of time and society provides more situations and opportunities for people to show heroism in myriads of ways. The debate for having a national hero has been going on for ages. Some would say that Andres Bonifacio is the worthy one since he led the Katipuneros in the battle against the colonizers. Some would say it is Rizal since his write-ups were the reason for the revelation of the real situation of the country and of course, his popularity has been decorated for ages. Executive order No.75 dated March 28, 1993 provided a lot of pointers that would make the criteria for the selection of a national hero. Their concept of nation, their contributions to attain freedom, contributions to the quality and destiny of the nation, and their whole life that made them heroes - these are just some of the pointers given for the criteria. However, is the selection of a national hero still needed? Looking into our history books and the life stories of these people as narrated by historians, they became heroes for different reasons. Some may have fought with weapons, with their write-ups, with their minds, and with their contributions to the revolutionary plans - but one thing is for sure, their cumulative efforts paved the way for the nation to attain the freedom that we have been longing for centuries. Also, the selection of a national hero defies the fact that further debates may sprout as biases in the selection process alone would clearly be manifested. Another serious question may arise from this - are people only recognized as heroes of the nation once they die? Heroism is something subjective. The mere fact that you affected people’s lives in a positive way and you have helped people stand up amidst a negative situation may already be considered as a heroic act. Take for example Efren Peñaflorida. He, together with their group called Dynamic Teen Company, pioneered the pushcart classrooms dubbed as “Kariton Klasrum” that helped out-of-school youths to learn even if they aren’t receiving formal schooling. He and his team would go around Cavite City, particularly in the cemeteries and slum areas
National Heroes Day greeting from Philippine News Agency. to teach street children with some basic lessons such as reading, writing, counting, basic operations, and many more. Bringing with them their karitons field with books, chalks, boards, and other learning materials, Penaflorida and his team would set up a pseudo classroom in open spaces and start their teaching there. Through his initiative, he was able to provide the youth with the knowledge that could really help them have a better future. This initiative also helped the city to reach a point wherein gang memberships really went very low. With all of these, he was named as CNN Hero of the Year awardee in 2009. As a matter of fact, Penaflorida’s legacy didn’t end there as one of his beneficiaries, Cris Valdez, turned from being an abandoned child to becoming one of the people who followed Peñaflorida’s footsteps. With his initiative “Gifts of Hope” which reached hundreds of thousands of children, he was named as 2012 Children’s Peace Prize awardee. Let’s fast forward to the present time. With the surge in COVID cases and the continuous threats posed by the disease, several men and women coming from different fields came together to continue their service for the nation - our front liners. These people chose to serve the people even if the risks are too high. From the policemen to the politicians, garbage collectors, firefighters, doctors, and nurses - all of them chose to sacrifice their time with family, friends, and for themselves just to ensure that the community will be safe at all costs. Their dedication to their oath and calling truly pushed them to serve even if they
PHOTO SOURCE PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY
may lose their lives amidst this battle. Sadly, we have lost a lot of front liners, especially doctors, due to the virus. One of the notable stories that touched the hearts of people is the story of Dr. Romeo Greg Macasaet dubbed as one of the best anesthesiologists in the country by his colleagues. At the time that he was diagnosed with the virus and is near to passing, he sent a heartbreaking text message to his godson. “The feeling you get, aside from extreme pains all over, the difficulty of breathing and as if all life is being sucked from your body. They will be putting cutdown lines and central tubes on me anytime soon. If they intubate me and place me on a ventilator, then the game is almost over.” In this message alone, we can feel and imagine the pain that patients and front liners are exposed to. Clearly, these front liners are playing the defensive side of the game to protect themselves and the whole nation for a brighter tomorrow. He deserves a salute. This man is a hero. He served the nation until his very last breath. As we commemorate National Heroes Day, let us look up to the heroes of the past and of the present who are continuously inspiring us and helping us especially in these dark hours in the country. May the example they have provided the Filipino people ignite a spark within the hearts of each one to help others in their own little ways. It isn’t about glory or recognition but the mere fact that you are able to change the lives of others even in the smallest way, that alone could already make you a hero. [R]
PHOTO SOURCE MARCUS BUHAIN
12 features // THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS
COVID’s evolution: The Delta Variant Kyzzia Paguirigan
A few years have gone passed now since the start of the outbreak of the corona virus. Since then, the virus has evolved many times and now it has its latest evolution, the Delta Variant. But first here is a short recap on the numbers of COVID-19 cases here in the Philippines. According to the Department of Health (DOH), there is a total number of 2.003 million cases in which over 140.9 thousand cases are active and among these active cases, 96.1% are mild cases, 1.1% are asymptomatic, 1.03% are moderate, 1.2% are severe and 0.6% are critical. The Delta Variant was first reported in India last December 2020 and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Delta Variant has become the most dominant COVID-19 strain in the whole world, significantly more contagious than the original COVID-19 variant.
The first Delta Variant case in the Philippines was repored on May 11 where a 37-year-old male and a 58-year-old male was confirmed positive for the said variant by the Philippine Genome Center. These patients are now considered as recovered patients and are sent home to their respective hometowns. The Department of Health announced that the number of Delta Variant cases are over 1,200, but they have also announced that most of the affected patients have now recovered. In addition, the Department of Health has acknowledged that the enhanced lockdowns are no longer effective against the COVID virus. Undersecretary Maria Rosaria Vergeire said in her press briefing that “widespread lockdowns and restrictions appear to be no longer effective for our country,” and suggested that the lockdowns should be “downgraded” as it would be more effective and advantageous if they would do granular lockdowns and improve factors in PDITR (Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment and Reintegration). The Delta Variant is one of the most dangerous COVID-19 variants there is. It has a very high reproduction rate compared to other COVID-19 variants. With the increasing number of cases and WHO branding the Delta Variant as a Variant of Concern (VOC), we should take extra precaution and emphasize the importance of following health protocols mandated by the DOH. We, Filipinos, should continue observing 1-meter social distancing, wearing of facemasks, only going out for necessary reasons, and getting vaccinated against the COVID virus. [R] PHOTO SOURCE THE STRAITS TIMES
AUGUST 2021 //
FEATURES
13
He Who Shall Be Remembered Marielle Navarro
Our country has its heroes, needs. He left the country, but place. A seemingly endless battle and just this August 21, 2021, returned in 1983 when the situa- for the rights to live with no fear we remembered a certain man tion in the Philippines was getting of being punished severely for who sparked a fire in the hearts worse. With the support he had the slightest wrong move ended of many Filipinos in his time. gained in his time in the United with the nation celebrating a new Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. States, he found his way back to leader, Ninoy Aquino’s very own was a Filipino politician who the country despite the opposi- wife, Corazon Aquino. The Philwent down in our nation’s his- tion he experienced for it. ippines was rebuilt from a nation tory as the one who said the Before he could set foot ruled by a dictator to a democratfamous quote, “The Filipino is on the airport’s tarmac, he was ic country until this day. worth dying for.” Ironically, he then gunned down and died This could not have been died in the then-called Manila shortly after. His death was a possible if the sacrifices that led International Airport in 1983 shock to the country especial- us here were not made. Ninoy through an assassination after ly to his supporters who await- Aquino did not start the revoluhe had just gotten back from ed his arrival. But even so, the tion, but he did start something exile. We who have learned fire he ignited for the revolution else; a new hope. The people all about him in schools know did not go with him to the af- needed to know that someone him for this symbolic event terlife. Instead, it remained in big enough as him was willing to and how it sparked the begin- the hearts of many people who start a change even if it meant ning of a major change in our shared his ideology of a Philip- risking his life. As we come tocountry’s history, but what pines free from tyranny. gether as one to celebrate the exactly did he do to deserve so His death started a chain heroes of our country’s liberamuch recognition now? of events that eventually led to our tion, we can really see that the During that time, the country’s freedom from the dic- Filipino truly is worth dying former president, Ferdinand tator that caged it up in the first for. [R] Marcos, walled our society with unfair laws that overstepped human rights. The media was silenced and to a lot of people, it was a dark time where freedom was restrained and voices were not made to be heard. They needed someone to be a beacon of hope, and that is where Ninoy came into the limelight. He publicly took a stand against Marcos’ dictatorship and when the election was near, decided to rival him for presidency by starting his own political party. When the abolition of Congress happened, Ninoy was one of the first that was arrested and put on trial for charges against him. He was imprisoned for seven years, only finding refuge from the incarceration through a self-imposed exile in order to seek help for his medical The Lasallian Rheims's poster featuring Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. as commemoration of the Ninoy Aquino Day last August 21. FILE THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS
Altrinus Justine Benedict Yalung
There was a time when shadows shrouded an age, and that darkness held itself taut. Dost thou remember clearly, a wanderer druid. A black figure, imposing on a night where rain whipped against its billowing cape, a river of silk, jewels sewn into velvet braids. A look fitting a noble, but nay a druid. And before it stood a child, wailing and lashing in the storm. A pure and transparent young boy, but thou emotions have been dyed by evil. The druid cast its gaze down. The child saw, in pools of glimmering gems, fire and he stared at the druid's expression, features as if chiseled from stone. The boy felt it, felt the druid above him, a presence unbecoming a priest of old. It's untold what it saw in an expression, as stalks of flesh came down on the boy, and in the digits of rot gleaned a pendant; a ward. And simply, onwards it strode, towards the ripping storm, and its face did not change. The boy, at the end of the world, pondering this moment, cries into his hands, muttering prayers to gods unknown. There was a time when shadows shrouded this part of ruin, and the shadows held a king.
Hold On... It's a blurry, cold, and dim sight He prays for that glimpse of light In that tiny space, he is caught Crowded with negative thoughts Slowly, there came a swoosh of the wind Falter steps is heard behind Slowly, this creature shape-shifted Adapts his space and slowly drifted Then, it softly whispered something Those words...Hope it brings It carefully embraces him with its warmth Slowly, he smiled and hugged back with warmth "...Your battle scar" "Thank you for surviving this far." "Be strong. Try once again and see the light." There, good things suddenly came into sight He remembered that at the end of the day. Someone will call his name and will ask him to stay Someone will find him in his absence Someone will cherish his presence Now, his blurred vision cleared up He felt better and his hopes went up He stood up and ended his misery He decided to uncover this mystery
- Trisha Ilar
The Scarlet King
My king, lord of rot Fine silks pool at your feet Thine flesh the law of blood Thine bones are that of the Earth Walls gave way The oceans turned to ash Birth gave work as the earth shook Underneath the King's fell lash As we gaze into the crimson sky Fellow children, you and I We listen to the doom bells ring And all will fall to The Scarlet King
- Justine Benedict Yalung
Duplicity Behind narrow eyes and worn-down white Is a simple past and flickering light Underneath that skin adorned with scales Are souls that were left to tell no tales But stories are forgotten and turned to dust From sunrise to sunset, dawn to dusk The creature’s vibrance was banished away And in this exile, it lives the rest of its days Death was awarded to those who have passed While peace of mind travelled far and vast But beauty remains in the eye of the beholder The weather may warm, but some hearts grow colder
- Marielle Navarro