VOLUME XIX • ISSUE NO. 2NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015

HIMATI

Hatol ng Masa05 featureWorking Holiday06 culture

Checks and balances07 opinionSettlers assert com-pensation, relocation03 news

editorial

Pagsingil ng Pananagutan

02 HIMATI Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2 | NOV - DEC 2015

pinaslang na mamamahayag mula noong 1992 na kung saan 25 sa mga pagpatay ay naganap sa ilalim ng pa-nunungkulan ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III. Gayunpaman, 61% ng 77 na namatay ay nakatalaga sa usaping pu-litika, kasunod ang 43% na nakatutok sa usapin ng korapsyon.

Imbes na direktahan ang agarang pagresolba sa mga kaso ay ikinakaila pa ni Aquino ang aspektong pulitikal sa pagkakapaslang sa mga mamama-hayag; ‘di umano’y dahil lamang ito sa personal na away. Sa paglipas ng taon, mas lalong umiigting ang kultura ng impunity at ang kawalan ng panana-gutan ng gobyerno sa bansa.

Lantaran na ang direktang pa-nunupil ng gobyerno sa sektor na nakaatas na ibunyag sa taumbyan ang bulok at hungkag na sistema ng gobyerno at pulitika na umiiral sa bansa. Pinoprotektahan lamang nila ang interes ng mga naghaharing-uring nakaluklok na sa pamahalaan upa-ng patuloy na kamkamin ang pera ng bayan at pagsilbihan ang interes ng iilan.

Ngunit isa lamang ito sa mga maraming kaso ng inhustisyang na-kabitin pa sa ilalim ng administra-syong Aquino. Idagdag pa sa ma-habang listahan ang sampung taong inhustiya sa mga biktima ng masaker sa Hacienda Luisita, ang apat na taon na pagmasaker sa Kananga, Leyte; ang

sampung buwang pagpapanagot sa mga salarin sa sagupaan sa Mamasa-pano; at marami pang iba.

Patunay lamang na patung-pa-tong na ang kapabayaan ng adminis-trasyon sa bansa.

Sa pagkakabaon ng hustisya ay ang pagyabong pa sa mas maraming pagpatay at pagsupil sa mga karapa-tang pantao laban sa mga mamama-hayag, aktibista at iba pang mga in-dibidwal na patuloy na bumabalikwas sa lingkag na sistema ng pamahalaan.

Subalit patuloy pa rin ang pan-gangalampag natin sa nagbibin-gi-bingihang administrasyon sa pag-pataw ng hustisya at panagutan ang kanilang pagpapabaya sa bayan.

Hangga’t walang konkretong tugon at pananagutan mula sa admin-istrasyong Aquino sa ating panawagan ay mananatili tayong mulat sa tunay na kalagayan ng bansa. Higit kailan-man, ngayon na ang panahon ng pa-gkilos at pagbabalikwas.

Hindi mapapatid ang panawagan sa pananagutan. Hindi natitinag ang bawat mamamayan na labanan ang mapanupil na sistema ng pamaha-laan. Higit kailanman, hindi natatapos sa isang kamatayan ang pagbunyag sa katotohan at pagsulong sa tunay na

pagbabago sa lipunan.

Sa ika-anim na taon ng paggu-nita sa Ampatuan Massacre, patuloy pa rin ang malawakang

panawagan ng hustisya para sa mga biktima ng masaker at sa pagtigil sa kultura ng impunity.

Noong Nobyembre 23, karum-aldumal na pinaslang ang 58 na tao kasama ang 32 na mamamahayag sa Maguindanao. Nananatiling mabagal ang pagtugon sa kaso na hanggang ngayon ay wala pang nasasakdal mula sa 100 na mga akusado. Sa katunayan, pumanaw na si Andal Ampatuan Sr. noong Hulyo 28, at naghain na ng certificate of candidacy si Sajid Am-patuan para sa pagkamayor ng Shariff Aguak matapos makalaya nang mag-piyansa ng P11.6 milyon sa kasong murder.

Isa na ang PIlipinas sa mga pinakadelikadong bansa para sa mga mamamahayag, ngunit nagbubu-lag-bulagan pa rin ang administra-syong Aquino sa pagtugon sa kaso. Unti-unti nang binabaon sa limot ang hustisya at pananagutan para sa mga biktima, habang malaya pa rin ang mga may sala na karamihan ay mula sa mayayaman at makapangyarihang pamilya.

Dumarami pa ang bilang ng mga napaslang na mga mamamahayag sa patuloy na pagpapabaya ng gobyer-no. Ayon sa datos ng Committee to Protect Journalists o CPJ, 77 na ang

A.Y. 2015-2016

Sancia Novie PalmaEditor-in-Chief

Charlotte Dominique Cubero Assoc. Editor - Internal

Paulo Rizal Assoc. Editor - External

Noemi Lynne VistoManaging Editor

Nicole Joyce Mangaoang Circulation Manager

Rizia Jahziel PerezNews Editor

John Gilford DoquilaFeatures Editor

Kenneth Paul Senarillos Graphics Editor

Marga Immaculate MangaoPhoto Editor

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Monique Amethyst KapunanMary Nove Patangan

Rovie Ain ArienzaMonique Carillo

Danielle Faye MacasioKaren Audrey Girado

Erika San DiegoMarielle PagotoAime UmemuraAngelica Ching

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Writers

Al Sidi Czar MikhaIl AngeloVannessa Joy Homez

Jesse Lois IsraelSherwin Puntas

Cyrelle Juizan Illustrators and Cartoonists

Meagan WenceslaoRene Cajoles, Jr.

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DIBUHO NI SHERWIN PUNTAS

Alongside the demand to remove the police force, the UP Min SCs also raised the issue of the ongoing mili-tary presence in the campus during the Student Summit held on the same day.

The Ramos-Abueva Agreement of 1989 and the LFS-DND Agreement prohibit any military presence within the UP campuses unless they conduct searches which are approved by the concerned university authorities.

USC Councilor Neil Pindoy said that the USC is planning to arrange a meeting with the administration to discuss the issue.

“We want an assurance on when the military on campus will really leave. And as what they said, they (the administration) are still looking for a relocation site but we should still intensify our call for the expulsion of the mere presence of the military here in our university,” Pangalangan further added.

Settlers assert compensation, relocation

As the construction of DPWH road project at UP Mindan-ao-Manambulan Road started,

members of the Sitio 117 Bago Oshiro Farmers’ Association continue to as-sert their right to just relocation and proper compensation.

“The farmers wanted to assure that the administration will provide them the right amount of compen-sation to sustain their livelihood in the next years to come,” said Alfredo Logronio, the former president of the association, in an interview.

Logronio added that the settlers had withdrawn their resistance as they wait for the decision and reso-lution of the pending case filed in the court. The filed complaint stipulated that the administration failed to pro-vide resettlement.

Negotiation plans In a dialogue between the UP

Mindanao (UP Min) administration and the farmers conducted by the University Student Council (USC), the farmers already to the negotiation as long as the administration will comply the relocation and compensation.

Among the provisions discussed are the realignment of the sports complex, and the postponement of the construction process until relo-cation and compensation plans are finalized. These plans are yet to be discussed and presented to the set-tlers as the Technical Working Group (TWG) was not yet able to survey the

area. The body also agreed to create

a committee composed of represen-tatives from the administration, stu-dents and the settlers. This committee shall conduct and plan the immediate consultations without the involve-ment of the police to avoid tension.

Meanwhile, the USC presented the provisions to Chancellor Sylvia B. Concepcion to settle the ongoing dis-pute between the university and the Sitio 117 Farmer’s Association during the courtesy call of the Student Re-gent (SR) on October 23.

SR Mico Pangalangan proposed that the university should establish community affairs to maintain com-munity partnerships and to address the issue on land conflict. He iterat-ed that the administration should be open to consultations with the farm-ers and that the USC should also be acknowledged as mediators.

Chancellor Concepcion said that the construction will continue since the fund is with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) already, and that they have already laid out plans for the affected settlers.

UP Min administration is now planning the schedule for the campus development plan presentation to the representatives of the settlers and the students. They also identified differ-ent agencies and officials to facilitate the negotiation between the farmers and the admin. On the other hand,

ARIENZA & PAGOTO

SETTLERS RESISTS. Members of the Sitio 117 Bago Oshiro Farmers’ Association resist the construction of the DPWH road project last October 19, erupting a violence between them and the forces of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) at the UP Mindanao-Manambulan Road. 12 were arrested during the dispute. Photo by Paulo Rizal

UPMin SCs Call ForRemoval of Police Force

Negotiation resumes

the farmers have requested that the admin should present a written pro-posal of the campus plan which will be subjected to further study.

Last October 19, twelve members of the Sitio 117 Bago Oshiro Farmers’ Association were arrested after barri-

cading the area to stop the UP Mind-anao-Manambulan road construction project. The settlers were able to bail out with the sum of more than Php 175,000. The cases filed against them are grave coercion and direct assault.

The University Student Council (USC) called for the removal of police presence at the construc-

tion area in the UP Mindanao-Ma-nambulan Road.

The concern was raised during the courtesy call of Student Regent (SR) Miguel Pangalangan with Chan-cellor Sylvia Concepcion on October 22 at Gaisano Room, Administration Building.

“...We should see what’s wrong, see what we can do to improve our security measures without the stu-dents feeling harassed about the mat-ter.” SR Pangalangan said.

The UP Mindanao administration acknowledges the urgency to remove the police in the campus and that they will consider the proposition of the student council.

The police has been around the university since members of Sitio 117 Farmers’ Association resisted against the road construction of the Davao City-UP Sports Complex last October 19.

KAPUNAN & TANGARO

WALK-OUT On September 24, Students walked out of their classrooms to join the system-wide protest against the proposed P2.2billion budget decrease for 2016. This is the biggest reduction on the capital outlay under the Aquino administration Photo by Meagan Wenceslao

news 03HIMATINOV - DEC 2015 | Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2

news feature04 HIMATI Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2 | NOV - DEC 2015

Aiming to to foster partnerships with other countries, the Phil-ippines hosted the Asia-Pacif-

ic Economic Cooperation (APEC) for the second time since 1996. It is a re-gional economic forum composed of 21 countries or “independent econ-omies” that seeks to propagate free trade among countries within the Pa-cific Ocean coastline. With the theme “Building Inclusive Economies, Build-ing a Better World,” the administration claims that visitors from APEC econ-omies would witness for themselves the vibrancy of an inclusively-grow-ing Philippines.

Despite this annual occasion, the Philippine economy is still behind others. Still in its pre-industrialized level, the Philippines’ productive sec-tor has degraded since 1996.

According to the 2015 reports of IBON Foundation, 7 out of 10 Filipi-nos rate themselves ‘poor’. Aside from this, the number of farmers, fisher-folks, vendors, and domestic helpers, has reached 72 million. The increase reflects that the country’s continuous involvement in APEC is not a guaran-tee for sustainable economic growth.

“Igo-igo rapud akong dos-mil na sweldo kada bulan. May nalang maka-padala ko sa akong pamilya sa Pana-bo ug ginagmay.” Mia, an 18-year-old waitress, shared as she was asked about her monthly salary. She works in a carenderia from 4:30 in the morning to 7 o’clock in the evening every day.

Labor groups report that non-reg-ular workers take up the majority of the work force in the country. In fact, IBON reports show the worse state of labor in the Philippines despite the in-crease in the employment rate. An es-timate of at least 1 million Filipinos are underemployed while approximately 1.5 million are working part-time.

“Wala jud tay mahimo. Kay kung sa gobyerno ko mang-apply, palakas-ay man jud na. Kung naa kay parente, mas maayo. Masking ani kumpleto pa ang credentials, lisud man pud gani makasulod. May nalang diri sa private na kumpanya, naa pay benepisyo. Ang problema lang, magsugod ka sa gamay nga sweldo dayon magpaabot pa ka nga ma-regular,” Rey, a 43-year-old employee of a private trading corpo-ration, stated as he was asked about why he chose to work on a private company.

The economy of the country is still under the dominance of power-ful nations who advanced trade and investment liberalization. The eco-nomic landslide and the weakening state of production persist because the government has continued relying on foreign capitalist powers to thrust its very own growth instead of giving ample support to domestic industries and to the sector of agriculture.

The Youth under APEC“Hindi pa nailulunsad ang APEC

ngayong taon ay nararanasan na na-tin ang mga epekto ng mga nakaraang kasunduan dulot ng neoliberal eco-nomic policy lalung-lalo na sa pri-vatization na kung saan ipinapasasa mga kabataan at mga magulang ang responsibilidad na makapag-aral.” Angelynne Alapag, CHSS Chairperson asserts the effects of neoliberal eco-nomic policies to the youth and their education.

One of the apparent effects is the series of budget cuts in State Univer-sities and Colleges (SUCS) that forced SUCs to be self-sufficient through income-generating projects to cover expenses. Moreover, the synchroni-zation of the coun-try’s academic calendar for ‘ internaliza-tion’ en-a b l e s t h e e a s y e x -c h a n g e of students to and from our country that en-couraged Filipino students to leave the country to work, instead of serv-ing their fellow citizens. This would further lead to privatization and commercial-ization of education for econom-ic growth, rather than academic growth. These apparent schemes propagate the type of education that molds its students to become individuals fit to perform as parts of a work force that advanc-es neoliberal market economy, treating students as commodi-ties instead of individuals.

“Malinaw na ang nagig-ing layunin nitong APEC ay dahan-dahang alisin

sa gobyerno ang responsibilidad nito sa mamamayang Pilipino. Tinututulan ng USC ang APEC at globalist imperi-alization lalung-lalo na ang paggastos ng 10 bilyon para sa isang linggong event pero hindi nabigyang-aksyon ang mga biktima ng kalamidad at ang kahirapan ng bansa,” she added.

The country has been a member of APEC for twenty-six years—a span in which the gap between the rich and the struggling masses has only wid-ened. As foreign industries continue to infiltrate the Philippine market by the year, chances for local industries to thrive and flourish are eradicated through the neoliberal policies im-plemented in the country. As multi-national corporations rise and grow upon Philippine soil, land space for which their buildings must be built upon are further demanded; hence, an occupant, a family, a tribe would have to move out to the s t r e e t s b e c au s e t h e

space they have occupied

for decades will

be used by big corporations. APEC has given opportunities

for hundreds while closing doors for thousands, offering the Filipino peo-ple the greener pastures they have long wished for while turning them against their very own kin.

The disparity between classes is a microcosm of the contrasting condi-tion of the economic state of the Phil-ippines and of its neighboring econo-mies—the progress of other nations is materialized at our expense. The past twenty-six years is a proof that our involvement in the cooperation has only led the country to its downward spiral, in comparison with the others that were able to attain development under a system that does not fit the needs of the people in any way.

APEC remains to propagate the cloud of dream called “stabili-ty” in the coun- try. We have

b e c o m e t o o s t a g -n a n t f o r

the past t w e n -t y - s i x y e a r s ,

it’s about time we wake-up and veer a w a y f r o m t h e e a r l y s i g n s

o f slum-

ber.

APEC FOR A COSTPATANGAN & UMEMURA

DIBUHO NI AL SIDI CZAR MIKHAIL ANGELO

Muli ay nalalapit na ang pana-

hon kung kailan samu’t-saring pan-gako na naman ang ibubulong sa hangin ng mga nagmimith-ing makamit ang po-sisyon ng pagkapan-gulo. Panahon na naman ng pagban-dera ng mga kandi-dato sa kanilang mga plataporma. Sa ka-tunayan, may bilang na 130 sa pagkapres-idente at 90 sa pagka bise-presidente ang naghain ng kanilang kandidatura.

Ayon sa Artiku-

feature 05HIMATINOV - DEC 2015 | Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2

APEC FOR A COST CARILLO & SAN DIEGO

DIBUHO NI CYRELE JUIZAN

HATOL NG MASA

lo VII, Sec 2 ng 1987 Constitution, maidedeklarang opisyal na kan-didato ang isang indibidwal kung siya ay: a) isang natural born Fil-ipino, b) rehis-tradong botante, c) nakababasa at nakasusulat, d) 40 taong glang sa araw ng halalan, at e) isang residente ng Pilipinas sa loob ng 10 taon bago ang halalan. Subalit kung hindi sapat o angkop ang pinansyal na kakayah-an ng kandidato ay itinuturing sila na nuisance candidate.

Sa pagsala sa mga mga tatakbo ay kadalasan pang natitira ang mga sikat na pangalan mula sa mayayaman at makapangyarihang pamilya. Kung su-suriin, karamihan sa kanila ay kabil-ang sa mataas na sektor ng lipunan.

Una ang pambato ng Liberal Party na si Manuel Roxas II sa ilalim ng is-logan na “Ituloy ang Tuwid na Daan”. Ipagpapatuloy niya ang nasimulan na mga plataporma ng administrasyong Aquino laban sa kahirapan at kora-psyon.

Mula sa hacienderong angkan sa Negros Occidental si Roxas. Nag-mamay-ari ang kanilang pamilya ng malaking sugarcane fields sa Bago, Negros Occidental at ilan pang kalapit na bayan. Idagdag pa rito ang mga malalaking lupain at establisyemento na kanilag pag-aari gaya ng Gateway Mall sa Cubao, Quezon City at Araneta Colisuem.

Ikalawa ang kasalukuyang bise presidente na si Jejomar “Jojo” Binay sa ilalim ng United Nationalist Alliance. Sa kanyang plataporma, binabandera niya ang kanyang ‘kakayahan, karana-san, at magandang track record’ bilang alkalde ng Makati City.

Mula sa mahirap na pamilya sa Paco, Manila si Binay. Maaga siyang naulila sa edad na siyam, at lumaki na sa kanyang tiyo. Sa kanyang pag-sisilbi sa pamahalaan, humarap siya sa samu’t saring isyu ng korapsyon at pandaraya na nagdulot di ‘umano sa kanilang pagyaman. Naglabas ang Office of the Ombudsman ng batayan sa pagsampa ng graft charges laban sa kanya matapos ang balita ukol sa pagtanggap niya ng pera mula sa kick-backs mula sa mga ‘overpriced proj-ects’ sa Makati City na nagkakahalaga ng P232M mula noong 1999 hanggang 2001.

Ikatlo ang baguhang senador na si Grace Poe bilang independent candi-date na may islogan na “Walang Iwan-an sa Bagong Umaga”. Isinusulong niya ang sama-samang pag-angat ng masa at pag-unlad sa pamamagitan ng pa-gkilala sa minoridad at sa mga kabata-an na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nakakaahon sa kahirapan.

Mula sa pangangalaga ng sikat na pamilya si Poe matapos siyang am-punin ng mga artistang sina Fernan-do Poe, Jr at Susan Roces. Nabalot ng kontrobersiya ang kanyang pinang-galanginan, maging ang kanyang pagka-Pilipino nang maungkat ang kanyang panunumpa at paninirahan sa Estados Unidos.

Ikaapat ang muling tumatakbong si Miriam Defensor-Santiago sa ilalim

ng People’s Reform Party. Pinaglalaban nila ang paglabag ng ipinasang Bang-samoro Basic Law sa konstitusyon. Bukod dito nais din niyang tugunan ang problema ng mga Overseas Filipi-no Workers.

Mula sa mayamang angkan sa lungsod ng Iloilo si Defensor-Santi-ago. Kilala siya na may magandang track record bilang senadora at kri-tiko laban sa korapsyon ng gobyer-no. Subalit pinagtibay niya ang Com-prehensive Agrarian Reform Law o CARL nang maluklok bilang kalihim ng Agrarian Reform sa ilalim ng ad-ministrasyong Cory Aquino. Kalaunan nagbitiw sya ng pahayag na kailan-gang pagbawalan ang pangulo mula sa stock distribution option ng Hacienda Luisita.

Sa pagdeklara nila ng kandidatu-ra, dinedeklara rin nila ang kanilang pinanggalingan at mabuting karana-san. Pinapagalaw nila ang kapangyar-ihan ng pamilya at koneksyon upang mahimok ang taumbayan na iluklok sila bilang presidente. Isinasantabi na ang plataporma, nabahirang karana-san at kung ano ang tunay na hangarin sa pagtakbo.

Idagdag pa ang pangangailangan ng malaking pinansiya sa pagtakbo sa nasyonal na eleksyon kaya naman naging salik ang kakayahan ng mga kandidato na maglunsad ng kampanya at stratehiya upang mapalawak pa ang

kandidatura. Kung hindi naman ay naghahanap na sila ng mga kaaga-pay at kasangga upang maungusan ang ibang kalaban sa pagkapan-gulo. Bumabaling sila sa nga negosyante at panginoong may-lupa upang mapondohan ang kanilang kampa-nya.

G a y u n p a m a n , hindi maikakailang sinusulong nila ang sariling interes upang mapangalagaan ang mga iniingatang ya-man. Sa pagkakaluk-lok bilang president, hawak na rin niya ang pinakamataas

na posisyon sa bansa. Higit man na marapat lang na kolektibo ang mga desisyon at polisiyang ip-

apatupad, hin-di maikakailang pare-pareho rin ang pinanggalin-gan ng mga na-kaupo ngayon sa pamahalaan –

mga piling tao, negosyante, at pangi-noong may-lupa.

“Ang mga political party sa Pilipi-nas ay hindi na ganoon ka ‘reliable’ o ‘credible’ kasi every election, lahat ng partido sinasabi na ‘kami ang mag-dadala ng pagbabago’, ‘kami ang mag aahon sa inyo sa kahirapan’, etc. kung kaya’t kahit na may mga partylist ang mga kandidato natin, parang wala pa rin bagang konkreto at long-lasting na political, economic at social change.’’ saad ni Abdul Sissay ng Kabataan Par-tylist-SMR.

Ganoon pa man, nasa kamay ba nila ang magiging kinakabusan ng bayan? Hindi ba’t tayo ang may ka-kayahan na malayang bumoto, na nasa nakararami nakasalalay ang ma-giging takbo ng ating bansa?

Ang eksena ng ating pulitika ay patuloy na nagbabago, hindi naika-kahon sa isang pananaw lamang at hanggang ngayon ay nakaayon pa rin ang pamamalakad sa mga taong nais lamang ay matiyak na manatili sa kapangyarihan ng estado. Maging ma-talas at alisto tayo sa pagsuri at masi-gasig sa pagmatyag sa mga tatakbong lingkod bayan na tunay na magsusu-long ng pagbabago at kaunlaran. Tayo ang magiging hurado sa mga kandi-datong ito. Ibandila natin ang tamang hatol.

culture06 HIMATI Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2 | NOV - DEC 2015

We are moulded by a society wherein the Christmas sea-son is celebrated through

giving gifts, holding extravagant feasts, lavish spending and shopping. But for Christmas workers, like Mae*, the Christmas season is not only a season to be jolly, but also the season to earn money—to work for a way to feed the family.

Mae, twenty-years old and six months pregnant, has been a pa-rol vendor in Ma-a, Davao City since 2008. She helps in shredding bam-boo sticks to create ‘skeletons’ as base for the parol with her aunts. As em-ployees, they have been selling parols along the busy highway of Matina—not minding the ever unpredictable weather, the smoke coming from cars, and the dust in the air.

As early as September, Mae, just like the other parol makers, starts to gather the materials necessary to create the parols. Together with her aunts, she is tasked to start selling the parols by October.

“Ang patong lang man ang [maad-to sa] amo ani,” she stated.

For a 25-peso parol, she only gets 5 pesos.

“Pero sa mga December pa man ni mukusog.”She added. “Kung kaning mga gamay na star, mga 15 siguro ang mabaligya [kada adlaw], pero kaning mga dagko gamay lang.”

When there is no work in the pa-rol stalls, she contin-

ues to

toil for a living through her sari-sari store—a means to put food on a table for a family that is soon to be four.

As the holiday season starts, Mimi becomes a part of a labor force that makes Christmas symbols a source of their livelihood. These workers ren-der their services and labour during the yuletide season.

As seasonal workers, these holi-days pay an important role in provid-ing them an oppurtunity to earn more than the usual income they have in order to suffice the everyday needs of their respective families. Extra earnings give them the idea that it is indeed a season to be jolly, yet it takes roughly seven months to wait for it.

In an interview, parol makers and vendors revealed that they earn only Php8, 000 for the two to three month work. Furthermore, they stat-ed that the income may only be claimed during Christmas time. This amount is then made to last over the Christmas fes-tivities and for the other expenses needed y e a r-long.

IBON Foundation reported that there are 11.1 million unemployed or underemployed Filipinos striving to survive under the competitive and unstable market—the worst record in Philippine history.

Underemployment is considered a colossal problem in the Philippines due to the inability of the government to provide adequate and quality jobs for its people.

Other Filipinos have no choice but to work as contractuals, forced to renew their employment year after year, under a tenureship that is unse-cured. These contractuals are not al-lowed to join workers’ unions and do not get to enjoy basic employee ben-efits such as thirteenth-month pay and service-incentive leaves among others.

Their [workers] struggles – of trying to acquire decent meals ev-

ery day, of working hard to try to earn the meagre wage fit to suf-

fice their needs and expenses –are not as seasonal as the

holidays. Their struggle is every day and year-round, experienced not only by Mae, but of the 56 milllion

Filipinos who are living under extreme poverty, and of the 1.5

billion rural-dwellers in Asia who do not have access to

necessities such as safe drinking water and basic education, according to IBON Foundation.

Joblessness and underemployment are just few out-

comes of the a b s e n c e

of national industries in the country. The workforce is further exploited through the prioritization of foreign investors instigated by the neoliberal policies in the country, that compro-mise domestic and natonal industries.

This kind of system rooted from the post war era wherein the US as-sured market access for the Ameri-cans through free trade under the Bell Trade Act 1946. This provision guar-anteed US a special access to exploit the country’s natural resources, and to import products without pay, while the country’s industrial development was hampered and compromised.

This is further perpetuated by the government until today in order to serve the interest of the few and the powerful. This mirrors that the situa-tion of Mae is indeed a product of the longstanding history of the struggle of the workers under these oppressing provisions.

With the unstable working con-ditions in the country, workers have to wait for holiday seasons, like Christ-mas for them to generate income for their family needs. Worse, majority of the workers are forced to leave the country, to seek jobs that offer a bet-ter pay.

Mae admits how the season of Christmas helps her provide for the needs of her growing family.

She still deems the season of Christmas as a season to be jolly—when relatives come together and share the holiday’s festivities.

“Unsaon na lang kung walay Pas-ko,” Mae added as an afterthought.

*not her real name

MANGAOANG, VISTO & DOQUILA

Working Holiday

GRAPHICS BY KENNETH PAUL SENARILLOS

opinion 07HIMATINOV - DEC 2015 | Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2

With seven months left until the 2016 presidential elec-tions, candidates will again

subject us to the onslaught of promis-es of change and development, which will come only if enough ballots hold-ing their names are cast.

The people are hungry for change, and many see the elections as a way to effect change in our so-ciety. I hate to rain on your parade, but a new president will not save the Philippines.

A new president will not save the Philippines because the problem is in the structure itself; a structure that necessitates the ruling of the top one percent over the rest of the popula-tion. The freedom to choose means nothing if our options are limited to the same names all coming from the same wrung of people emerging from the top one percent.

But our law allows anyone re-gardless of financial status and ed-ucational background provided that they are natural-born citizens, reg-istered voters, at least 40 years old, and have lived in the Philippines for at least ten years.

But this is where it gets tricky—while our constitution is predomi-nantly egalitarian, this is not what the rest of the country is practicing.

I say this, necessarily because a candidate running for national office

has to have the machinery and the necessary connections to carry out the campaign. If he or she doesn’t, he/she allies himself/herself with businessmen and the elite who will expect favors if he/she wins. If he doesn’t, he just might end up as a nuisance candidate.

But say that we actually get to choose and elect a president who truly only wants to serve. Say that this ‘presidentiable’ comes from the masses and not the elite; Say that this candidate is actually planning to ef-fect radical changes such as, promis-ing to criminalize all forms of discre-tionary funds illegal for a start.

This immensely hypothetical candidate, with this one platform, wages war with the present admin-istration and its allies with utmost temerity. He/she has effectively con-demned himself to be the target of the bureaucrat capitalists that have

run this country and will not be planning to release it anytime soon. His/her candidacy will be blown to smithereens.

But say that this candidate is able to push through his/her candida-cy and even wins. However, mainly due to the fact that he/she was at war with everybody else, he/she runs in an independent ticket. This imaginary president might as well jump off from a cliff; chances are, he won’t get any-

thing done. For a president is bound by a

systems of checks and balances put in place. While it is true that the pres-ident wields great power due to the nature of his/her position, he/she is but one cog in the machine. A nec-essarily big and central cog, yes — but nevertheless will not be able to run a machine by itself.

For example, the president can-not act without the approval of the legislators and the judges The House of Representatives vote on impeach-ment cases filed and if a third of them approves, the president is stripped of immunity and will then be tried by the senate. In the creation of laws, a president may veto a bill but a two-thirds vote from the House shall ef-fectively allow the bill to pass into a law.

Dedicated the candidate may be towards catharsis, change is still not assured if he continues to operate under a system that strives to stay the same.

And amidst all of that, the mili-tary can always stage a coup d’etat.

Imagine flipping through the newly transformed Himati tabloid to be released on the second semester of

A.Y. 2015-2016. Let yourself be drawn by pages bathed in color, exuding the magnetic vibrancy no pair of human of eyes can resist, and witness Himati as it veers away from its usual—black and white that’s too binary and red that’s too easy to see.

This time, you will be able to leaf through a tabloid that will cater to the wants and interests of the student body. It will keep you up to date with the latest school activities as it pub-lishes entertaining articles on events such as torch night, freshmen night, and DULA--well written, prepared and served for your easy consump-tion--an attempt to make you relive the hype-of-a-night you had graced.

Keep yourself on the loop of with the latest trends and the most current buzz by subscribing to our twitter feed and facebook page, as we de-liver you what’s-hot-and-what’s-not, the-who’s-dating-who’s, the what-to-

wear-what-not-to-wear, and tips for coping up with the heartbreak.

Did I mention—stay informed on current issues by reading articles on budget cut and on why it is great, on the academic calendar shift and how it has given us four months of rest. Let us not tackle state abandonment and the inaccessibility of education under the “daang matuwid” because journalism “should be neutral”. Imag-ine yourself leafing through the pages of the new and transformed Himati. Imagine yourself ingesting all that.

Never mind the injustice that continues to take place in our own backyard—settlers about to move out of the occupation; Never mind the growing number of Lumad evacu-ees who have suffered under harsh military operations and are forced to seek refuge in a church camp located miles away from home; Never mind the story of Kristel Tejada, Rosana Sanfuego; Never mind the others whose names will remain unsung. Entertaining, light, neutral— take a

glance at everything we will never be.We will not be entertaining—not

while education continues to become a privilege instead of a right; not while higher education institutions contin-ue to hike fees; not while four million Filipino youth are out of school; not while students end their lives in the name of education.

We will not be light—not until the victims of the Ampatuan Massa-cre receive the justice they deserve; not while the culture of impunity continues to propagate under vari-ous administrations—perpetrators of killings and forced disappearances run around, loose, unpunished; not while journalists, student leaders, and activists are forced to live under fear from a system that squanders justice.

We will never be neutral—not while 23 million Filipinos live in ex-treme poverty, with less than fif-ty-two pesos in their pockets; not when 66 million struggle to provide food on the table from their 125 php daily wage. We will never be neutral

Checks and balancesDISSONANCE

PAULO RIZAL

CHARLOTTE CUBERO

Weaving realityVERISMO

as long as these issue exist and we will not be neutral as long as there is a side to take.

Just because you do not see evil and injustice happen doesn’t mean that it isn’t visible to the eyes of others. Lot of things have been going on and a lot of stories need to be told. Enter-taining, light, neutral—dear reader, we cannot afford to be that. You see, the paper is your reality. The words we heed are your calls—when we write, we are no longer our own.

INFOGRAPHIC BY ANGEL CAMPANERO

FRESHMEN NIGHT 2015. Photo by Amina Macapeges

M G A C H I S M I S N I U P C AT VO L U M E 1 | N O . 2

DULA 2015. Photo by Marga Mangao

MAIN LIB BANGAG ‘DI PASUDLAN. Isa sa mga naiungkat na problema noong Student Agenda ay ang issue sa pagbabawal sa pag gamit ng kuryente sa Main Library.

index08 HIMATI Vol. XIX • Issue No. 2 | NOV - DEC 2015

VA N H O M E Z

askhimatiKung bibigyan ka ng pag-

kakataon, sinong presiden-tial candidate ang iyong tatanungin? At ano ang

iyong tatanungin?

Malamig ba ang iyong pas-ko? Bakit?

2011-38***• Grace Poe. Ano ang ipagkakai-

ba ng iyong pamamahala sa Daang Matuwid? Anong mga plataporma na hindi isinulong ng dating administra-syon ang gagawin mong priyoridad?

• Opo. Malamig dahil tayo’y isang bansang tropikal kaya’t taglamig ang

Disyembre. Magiging mainit lang ito kung ika’y may kayakap pagsapit ng Noche Buena. Hanggang Pasko lang din kasi walang forever.

2015-10***• Mmmm para po ito sa lahat. Ang

tanong ko po ay: Sino sa mga presi-dential candidate ang iboboto mo at bakit? Pero hindi mo pwede piliin ang sarili mo.

• Aaaaaaam sa tingin ko po hindi naman, despite everything that’s hap-pening. Dahil choice mo naman po yun e, kung ano ang mas matimbang sayo at sa perspective mo sa buhay.

2014-82***• Miriam: hindi ba sya takot mama-

tay? *grin emoticon*• Mainit ang pasko ko po. sing init

ng katawan ko.

2013-95***• Binay: sa palagay mo ano ang

dapat gagawin mo para malinis ulit ang pangalan mo sa taong bayan?

• Hindi, kasi ang hot ko hahhhaha

2015-10***• Roxas. Why did you choose Leni

Robredo as your Vice Pres?• Hindi po kase may heater kami.

2012-****• Mirriam Santiago, gaano ka-ga-

go sa tingin mo ang ibang tao na tu-matakbo pagka-pangulo?

• Oo, malamig ang pasko ko... kasinlamig ng trato/pakikitungo ng ta-ong mahal ko sa kin sa panahong ito.

2015-****• Si Mar Roxas. Tatanungin ko

lang po kung sigurado na ba siya sa desisiyon niyang tatakbo bilang presi-dente sa 2016 election at itong isinusu-long niyang daang matuwid ay maisa-sakatuparan ba.

• Sa palagay ko, oo. Maliban sa malamig ang temperature sa pana-hong yan ay wala akong ibang maka-kasama kundi ang pamilya ko lamang. Hihi

2014-74*** • Binay. Kasing itim mo ba ang

plataporma at iyong pakay sa gobyer-no?

• Hindi, i-huhug ko sarili ko. Huhu. Letse walang nagmamahal sa akin. #foreveralone #walangforever

INFOGRAPHIC BY MELCHOR BUGOY