Volume LXXXVIIII, No. 7 • February 28, 2017 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines
Doubts cast on return of mandatory ROTC THE PRINCIPAL of the UST Senior High School (SHS) has expressed doubt over the revival of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, citing the unpredictability of President Rodrigo Duterte. “[I feel] nonchalant [about the matter]. I have come to the conclusion that we have a flipflopping government so there is
always the possibility that what is declared today is scrapped tomorrow,” Pilar Romero said in an interview with the Varsitarian. Romero’s statement came after President Duterte gave a go-signal last Feb. 7 to reinstate mandatory ROTC for grades 11 and 12 in public and private schools nationwide. Romero said she has no plans
of devising an ROTC curriculum for SHS students, adding that she sees no benefits from the compulsory training program. “I do not believe in it so I do not see any benefits,” she said. Cadet Col. Karla Guste, commander of the UST Golden Corps of Cadets, said the University’s Department of Military Science and Tactics
(DMST) is ready to coordinate with the senior high school should the program push through. Guste said the curriculum and program of instruction will be crafted by the DMST but must be approved by the UST-SHS administration. Lawyer Frederick Farolan, who ROTC PAGE 13
Mark Welson Chua
‘STOP SUMMARY KILLINGS’ By JOEL SEBASTIAN D. CRISTOBAL CATHOLICS converged at the Quirino Grandstand Parade Ground Saturday morning for “Walk for Life,” voicing their opposition against summary killings of drug suspects and the proposed revival of capital punishment in the country. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas called on the Duterte administration to uphold the “rule of law,” with the death toll in the government’s drug war reaching 7,000. “Ang kriminal ay dapat arestuhin, kasuhan, hatulan at ikulong upang iwasto ang pagkakamali. Dapat patunayan ang pagkakasala sa korte ng batas, hindi sa batas ng bala,” Villegas said in his message to the rallyists. Villegas urged members of the House of Representatives to “vote with conscience” on the death penalty bill. “Nananawagan po [kami] sa mga kongregista na bumoto sa kanilang konsensya. Ang [partidong] pulitika ay pansamantala,” he said. “We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill. It also increases the [number] of killers,” he added. FESTIVITY. A performer dances while holding an image of the Sto. Niño during the launch of the Pistang Tomas trade fair last Feb. 13. at the Quadricentennial Park. DEEJAE S. DUMLAO
‘Sound sexuality’ sought in HS curriculum By THEODORE JASON PATRICK K. ORTIZ and MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA ADMINISTRATORS of three high schools in the University will uphold Catholic moral teachings on sexuality amid the plan of the Department of Education (DepEd) to launch a reproductive health (RH) education curriculum. UST Senior High School (SHS) Principal Pilar Romero said the school wants to contribute to the formation of “sound sexuality” among students through subjects such as Fundamentals of Faith, Understanding Culture, Society and Politics and Hope Optimizing Physical Education. “[These subjects] will integrate formation in sound sexuality, grounded on the teachings of the Church and not simply reproductive health,” Romero said in an interview with the Varsitarian. The subjects will also foster awareness on social, moral, political and economic issues in the country, Romero said. SHS faculty members have been educated on the administration’s stand in line with the Catholic Church’s, and have
been urged to show this solidarity “in their words and actions within and outside the classroom,” she said. Junior High School (JHS) Principal Marishirl Tropicales said health education must be implemented by integrating sexuality and reproductive health topics in science, health, araling panlipunan (social studies) and Christian living subjects that would also be anchored on Catholic values. Education High School (EHS) Principal Loreto Sauz echoed Tropicales, saying the reproductive system is “already part of the science subject,” and could be integrated with health education and Christian living. Wilberto Lumaban, supervising instructor of Christian Living Education (CLE) in EHS, said the proposed curriculum must be modified according to the principles of the University. “Hindi naman kailangan sundin `yan — hook, line, and sinker. We have to fine-tune all of those in accordance to the Catholic principles that we are holding on to,” Lumaban said. The integration of topics in relation to RH education is placed under the “moral
aspect” of the CLE subject, Lumaban said. Lumaban also said EHS students were “still young” to be given concrete examples and concepts in RH education. “[B]uti kung college [students] `yan [who can] already process certain concepts and `yung nuances [ng] mga concepts na `yun [ay] madaling ipaliwanag [at] madali nilang maintindihan,” he said. Sauz and Lumaban said the DepEd has yet to release a curriculum for RH education. Romero, however, is opposed the idea entirely. “I do not believe in reproductive health because it tends to isolate reproduction from the totality of the human person,” Romero said. She also stood with EHS and JHS administrators in opposing the plan of the Department of Health to distribute condoms among high school students. Romero said the program was a “commodification of sex.” “It is tantamount to saying [that] it is all right to have sex whatever your status may be as long as you make sure that you will not be infected or the chance of pregnancy is reduced,” Romero said.
Summary killings PAGE 14
Senior High School seeks enrollment hike to 10,000 UST SENIOR High School (SHS) is set to double its enrolment to 10,000 students with the start of Grade 12 next academic year, raising some concern over the adequacy of facilities. SHS Faculty Club President Jonathan Geronimo called for better planning in anticipation of the increase in population of SHS students. “Unti-unti nang nagkakaroon ng pasilidad para sa mga estudyante natin lalo na sa susunod na taon na magkakaroon na ng Grade 12, pero kailangan [pa ring] planuhin nang maayos,” Geronimo told the Varsitarian. SHS faculty member Crizel Sicat said teachers have the option to use “alternative teaching opportunities,” which will require students to submit school work through field activities or online, because of the lack of classrooms. The SHS nearly reached its initial target of 5,000 students, enrolling a total of 4,910 students in July 2016. For Academic Year 2017-2018, the SHS expects 10,000 students to enroll in Grades 11 and 12. SHS Principal Pilar Romero said initial problems Enrollment PAGE 13