thebuweeklyjournal-blog

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ABOUT

“Sharing fair opinion for a right decision.”

This is an opinion and editorial blog of Ab Journalism class of Bicol University Group 1.The blog aims to share different views on current issues to the public in order for them to have an informed decision.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND

The BU Weekly Journal is composed of six columnist namely:Valerie Kate Alejo, Red Agan Andador, Venus Baranquel, Roselyn Huab, Elijah Mendoza and Fatima Rozen Mirabueno.

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EDITORIAL

False Confidence

For the present administration, finding the country in dire straits under its rule must’ve been a tough pill to swallow, so it sought refuge from all the ire by entering a state of denial.

As it seems, the government is struggling to acknowledge the stark reality that the Filipinos are bearing the weight of the soaring prices of commodities in the market, a consequence of the inflation rates recently hitting a historic high.

Despite the looming economic trouble, the administration has remained steadfast in assuring the public that there’s absolutely no reason to worry. However reassuring, such false confidence can be misleading.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in a press conference last September 7 said that the August 6.4% inflation rate is “nothing to be worried about,” and added that it isn’t “ridiculously high” as compared to past records, according to a report from Rappler.com.

He identified the limited supply of essential goods and its failure to meet the strong demand as the cause of the high inflation rates.

Similarly, in a report from Manila Bulletin last September 14, two of President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic managers said that the country is “not in a major crisis” and that the inflation level is only slightly above their target.

Like Roque, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno both said that the high inflation rate should not panic the public, likewise citing that the country had even higher rates in the past administrations.

While it is true that there have been much higher inflation rates recorded in the past,it is important to note that the inflation level is evaluated according to the inflation targets set and publicly announced by the Development Budget and Coordination Committee (DBCC).

For this year, the DBCC has set the inflation target from 2-4%.

Comparing the inflation rates in the past administrations with those at the present time can be best considered a coping mechanism intended to downplay the significant increase in the August inflation rates. Such a practice is not only irrational but also deceiving.

It gives the impression that the recent increase in inflation rates is insignificant, and dupes people into thinking it’s not a cause for alarm.

Still according to the same report, Dominguez said that the inflation may be a “serious problem to some people” but not a major crisis for the nation.

Truly, there are people who are affected by inflation-induced price changes far more than others. For instance, higher prices of commodities may be most detrimental to low-income workers, especially those with stagnant salaries.

But as the saying goes, one does not shed tears until he sees the coffin. The privileged will not understand what difference a measly increase in the inflation percentage may make in the lives of the poor.

The possibility of the inflation escalating into a bigger economic debacle should not, however, be ruled out. People generally assume that inflation is an indicator of an economic growth. While it does perform a role in it, it is not necessarily the case.

Ideally, this administration should drop the unnecessary pretense and instead focus on addressing the country’s economic issues, particularly the rising inflation rate.

There is no sense nor a need to mask something so tangible. It is here and it is obvious. In order to curb the rising inflation, this administration must do away with finger-pointing, give priority to the country’s economy, and implement the necessary economic policies.

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OPINION

Lies, the untold story

By Roselyn Huab

   Fear begets lies and lies consume you. Lie bears another lie until you have woven a web of it. In every person, in every life, there's a secret that lies behind each personality. But why do people lie and bury the truth? Choose to hide and live with secrets? Many of us don't understand them. Others will act harshly and immediately judge the person knowing not the story behind. People lie because they are afraid of what might be the result of the truth. Afraid of how destructive truth can be. Afraid to break and destroy the expectations and trust given to them by those people they love. And afraid to those prying eyes of the people around them who are just waiting for their flaws and mistakes to be used against them.

    Sometimes, when there are so much lies, you can't even figure out what's real or not, what to believe and what to ignore and you, yourself have been fooled and make - believe that the lies you've created are the truth. Somehow, you're like being trapped into a cell you created yourself. Scared to get out of it, for you know that the world outside will be much worse. 

    It's true that lies can fool people but you cannot fool yourself. It's hard to live in a world of lies knowing that someday, somehow, someone will find out the truth and all your lies will be put to an end. So all they can do is to pretend. Pretend to be happy even if they are not, pretend to be hurt even if the pain kills you and pretend to be alright but you're dying deep inside. It's really hard! Big or small, still lies are lies. You may be able to escape the truth in the mean time, but the truth will chase you no matter how fast you run. Somehow you must learn how to face your problem and its consequences for it not to cause and bear another one. It may be hard to confront but still the truth will prevail and only the truth can set us free. 

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OPINION

The Filipino Racism

By Red Agan Andador

Race matters to the extent that racial injustice persists. Racism is the discrimination towards another race. The experience of racism is nothing new among us Filipinos, nor it is not so simple. In our modern Filipino society, it’s not surprising that Filipinos display racial sentiments.

Most Filipinos are ignorant that it is currently in our society's system. Most people nowadays don't consider themselves racist. They live their day-to-day lives thinking that they don't discriminate other people. They are not aware that they're making racist comments and judgments on a daily basis.

Today, racism is only acknowledged to the extreme. You dislike people who look like they're from Arabic descent and generalize them all as terrorists? Racist. You call out black people for the sole reason that they're black? Racist. You feel disgusted when an Indiano comes near you? Racist. But, in reality, racism is everywhere.

Here in the Philippines, the problem of race tends to be folded into the language of class. The binary of white supremacy and black oppression are transmuted into the tension between the wealthy and the middle class versus the poor.

Once again, we see skin color continues to serve as a social difference and the sign of class inequality. This discrimination is derived from the amount of melanin your skin. Light skinned tend to be endowed with considerable cultural capital regardless of their actual economic standing. The lightness of their skin serves as their calling card. Darker skinned become famous precisely by poking fun at their appearance, unless they are well-paid indios, think of Nancy Binay.

From the standpoint of beauty, what do we consider a handsome man or a beautiful woman? A light-skinned Filipino will be called, respectively “mestiza or mestizo”. A dark-skinned person with more or less good feature may be called “good-looking kaya lang maitim”. These racist acts are almost always portrayed on media. This has happened so many times in Filipino Television. Shows usually patronize the white as the rich and condemn the dark as the poor.

Indeed, it is difficult to imagine any one of any social class preferring to look darker rather than lighter, to have a flatter rather than a straighter nose. Judging from the billboards that populate in Manila, light skin continues to be the horizon of popular aesthetic aspiration, whereas darkness brings only ridicule or, at best, indifference.

Why does race continue to be like this? And why does it even matter?

I think the main reason for this, is colonial mentality. Thinking that foreign talents and products are always the good, the better, and the best, and that the local ones are of poor or no quality at all. It is bad enough that there is a possibility that it become a norm in society, more so if people tolerate this kind of behavior.

Filipinos have also seen to be looking down one's own racial identity as obvious as it would create an idea that other racial identities are better than that of the Filipinos when they do not even like their own identity and prefer to idolize others instead. The fact that differentiating ‘us’ from ‘them’ based on our constructed view of race and seeing the ‘them’ as inferior.

Just because of how other people look different from us Filipinos does not give the right to degrade them or treat as if they’re like others. Do we look down on others for reasons of race? Although, hearing some Filipinos do so.

When we read of racial disturbances in other lands, we are being more than a little absurd when we have feelings of self-righteousness as a result. It is wicked and stupid enough for one people to look down on another, it is more stupid for a people to look down on it itself, to do both. And that is exactly what we do.

Some of the common stereotyping I've seen are that if you’re Chinese, you’re selfish especially when it comes to money. If you’re an Indian, you’re smelly and you only eat curry. If you’re "Black" looking, you are defined as an African. If you’re from Mindanao, you’re a terrorist or a Muslim. If you're white though they'll immediately think you’re American.

The substantiality here is that it is human to note differences and likenesses. People of different races, cultures, and religions are viewed with suspicion instinctively.

As was pointed out earlier, this racism thing, weakens the bond uniting Philippine society into a cohesive whole. It easily leads us to overlook possibilities in people just because of their appearance or descent. It leads us to have an almost servile attitude towards other people. It leads us to be less self-confident as a people, for how can a people be truly self-confident.

I believe it is time we eliminate it by educating in the minds of our people and change our attitudes, not by adopting this kind of spirit, but by realizing the truth that we are all Filipinos, that as a people we have no inborn inferiority, that we have the same inborn potentialities as other people, that what we are and what we shall become depends under God, on what we make of ourselves.

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OPINION

Adulthood

By Valerie Kate Alejo

Adulthood is a stage whereas an individual grows beyond the value of time. He is considered as a person with a legal age, and not a minor anymore.  It is the stage where a person grows and matures. A difficult stage where being independent is obliged, required and needed. It is the stage of life that cannot be control.

They say “there is no permanent in this world except change.” Change indeed is hard. It’s accepting what should and not happen. From a simple child, a person grows into his/her adult stage. Changes physically and mentally begins and can be strongly observed. There are a lot of changes in the body, the height, and the way we cope and interact with our family, friends and relatives.

Some becomes blind between their definitions of adulthood. They think they can do all the things they want without any control and without any restrictions. They are being eaten by the concept of the build in the society. Instead of being the holder and hope of the future, others become rebels and do the things in their own will.

A person learns his or her lessons in life by contemplating with the right and wrong deeds. By interacting with different people with different attitudes. A person can be considered as an adult is he is responsible enough in his life’s decisions and plans. He can make his own decision without relying to the others. He is responsible enough and is self-sufficient.

A person can be called and considered an adult when he already turn 18 years old. In that kind of way, he is mature enough to know the right and wrong. He is mature enough to accept the difficulties and challenges of life that he should pass by.

He can decide on who to owe, who to vote in an election, what to choose between the wants and needs and who to love. Adulthood is the stage where a person learns the important aspects of life. It is the stage where he learn how to value the little things, the simple gestures and the efforts of every individual around him. It’s about focusing in the things you want and the things you dreamed of.

Adulthood is not that easy. Kids are excited to be an adult in order to accomplish their dreams and wants in life but when you became an adult, there are a lot of things that will run on your mind. Others want to go back in the past and be a kid again. In order for them to experience full happiness and joyous deeds in life. In order to not feel the word “stress”

Adulthood is the most nervous, full of doubts stage and a bit exciting part of a person’s life. Challenges may occur but all of it will just pass by just like a wind. Adulthood is the stage where an individual gets to learn more and more, experience more and more in order to be a well-behaved, mature person.

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OPINION

Worthy or not?

By Fatima Rozen Mirabueno

The recent resignation of PCOO Undersecretary Mocha Uson made headlines on the national televisions, broadsheets and even on social media. It receives different reactions from the public but most people are happy about her resignation. 

The controversial blogger-turned-public official has been involved to various controversies mostly questioning her credibility as PCOO Usec. Philippine Information Agency(PIA) Chief Harold Clavite once asked for the resignation of Uson on a facebook post last August.He also stated that Uson spoil the efforts of the government workers to be “responsible sharers of information.”From a Vera file post, Uson once wrote on her column in the Philippine Star that “When all else fails, we can only rely on facts.” Given this statement, Vera File contradicted this statement emphasizing that Uson,  has a long history of disregarded facts. Despite all of the issue and controversies, Uson stand firm on her post as PCOO Usec. The news that she filed resignation letter to the president last October 3, makes everyone asks what could be the reason for her resignation. It was when she announced her desire to run as senator for the 2019 mid-term elections that made it clear to the public the reason for her resignation.

Many of the allies of the president, of whom are new faces in the Philippine politics express their intentions for a senatorial post for the 2019 mid-terms elections, as the filing of candidacy will now start this October, many were even seen on tarpaulins and billboards along the roads, a pre-mature campaign from these aspirants that clearly suggests their intentions in the coming elections. It is evident from these aspirants that they were using their connection to the president, some are seeking for the endorsement of the president on the coming elections. The president has a wide reach and strong influence to the public that may be the reason why these aspirants were wanting the president at their back. The president has a habit of giving back to the people who have helped him, most especially during the presidential elections and the mid-term elections might be one of the best time to ‘give back’.

As the mid-term election for 2019 is coming, it is the time for us, voters to be vigilant on what is happening around us in order for us to avoid falling to false-political propagandas. It also important that before voting for a certain candidate we must know their background and track record in public service, what they have accomplished as officials.Let us always remember that the we have a power to choose and with great power comes great responsibility to choose which of these aspirants is worthy of the post.

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OPINION

Love is Ageless or not?

By Elijah Mendoza

The LGBT Community became the center of attention in various social media platforms caused by the by a “campaign” that distributed posters in the Central Oregon Pride that claims that North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) was sponsoring the event along with the Human Dignity Coalition, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group in Bend, Oregon.

The posters featured photo of a 10-year-old drag kid, Desmond Napoles and captions that says “BRING THE KIDS! XOXO!” that basically promotes Pedophilia. Desmond’s mother, who runs Desmond’s social media, took to Instagram where Desmond has over 75,000 followers to disavow the poster. “THIS IS DISGUSTING!” the caption reads. “I am offended, angry, and yes, hurt. If you see these signs, please tear them down immediately.”

Pedophiles are rebranding themselves as “MAPs” or “Minor Attracted Persons” in an effort to gain acceptance and be included into the LGBTQ+ community, according to several reports from LGBTnews sites.

According to Urban Dictionary, the blanket term MAP includes infantophiles (infants), pedophiles (pre-pubescent children), hebephiles (pubescent children), and ephebophiles (post-pubescent children). Some MAPs also refer to themselves as NOMAPs or “Non-Offending Minor Attracted Persons”.

These pedophiles seek to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community, even going so far as to make a “Pride” flag for Gay Pride Month, but the flag appears to be a hoax just like the posters that were widely spread in the recent Pride March.

In connection with the pedophilia, the most malicious campaign came in 2016, when a faction of 4Chan users attempted to create a false movement to include the letter “P,” for pedosexuals, into the LGBTQ+ acronym. What’s chilling about this campaign is the planning and patience the organizers exhibited when putting it together.

The campaign began with a thread about tricking LGBT activists into supporting pedophiles. These “PsyOps” campaigns are usually aimed at tricking (“redpilling”) people into seeing “reality.”  Several users chimed in with their ideas of how to make and promote the poster, which originally included the tagline “Love Is Ageless.”

Ethan Edwards, a cofounder of the group “Virtuous Pedophiles”, advocates against acceptance of pedophilia and monitors the movements of groups like NAMBLA online. He says he hasn’t seen any attempts on their end to integrate with the LGBTQ+ community. “Perhaps there is some genuine pedophile somewhere pushing this new rainbow flag. Maybe a few others are trying to infiltrate LGBT+ groups by the backdoor, but I haven't seen any evidence of this in a group setting.”

That hasn’t stopped some well-meaning LGBTQ+ people from speaking out against this alleged movement. Attitude, a UK-based gay mag, ran a story on the supposed “MAPS” Pride flag, which, again, is a hoax. It’s completely understandable why one might exercise an abundance of caution by calling this out, but it still validates a false premise that this is part of some larger movement.

It’s also worth noting that oppression of LGBTQ+ people in the modern day relies on the falsehood that queer people are child predators. In Russia, for example, Vladimir Putin said in 2014 that gay people would be safe at the Sochi Winter Olympics so long as they “leave kids alone.” It’s a not-so-subtle reminder that people often invoke the safety of children when trying to legislate against the LGBTQ+ community. To be clear, no LGBT organization has ever come out in favor of child molestation. Furthermore, this attempt to link homosexuality to pedophilia was rooted in bigotry, not statistics.

But obvious troll campaigns like these, while they do invoke that reality, must be dealt with on a different level. Our current political climate is an example of what happens when we assume every argument, no matter how ridiculous or odious, has merit and must be met halfway.

What happened in Oregon, is the offending party’s goal: to paint a picture in which LGBTQ+ people are having an internal debate over where pedophiles fit into the community. It’s a debate that, at the moment, is not happening on any meaningful scale. The response should not necessarily be to ignore it.

The LGBTQ+ community must have a firm stand regarding this widely talked about issue, for them not to be stigmatized and criticized. Pedophiles changing their name into Minor Attracted Persons seems to follow in the liberal trend of rebranding things by giving them more “politically correct” names, but hopefully, this doesn’t come to a point that pedophilia will be normalized nor taint the image of the LGBTQ+ community.

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OPINION

Now you see it, now you learn

By Venus Baranquel

The fast staccato of Ranma ½’s opening music stuck in my head when I thought of the cartoon or anime of my childhood. When I was a child, I did not have the right to have the power of our television’s remote control. My mom did. And guess what? She loves animes and all its martial arts, fights, and energies. I think this circumstance is related to who I am now. What we saw and watched as a child have a connection to the attitudes we possessed as we grow up.

Ranma ½ is a story of the cursed Ranma Saotome and his engaged life with Akane Tendo. Ranma was cursed to be a girl every time he was drenched by cold water, and he went back to being a boy with the use of hot water. His father also have the same condition but he transforms as a panda. They suffered from this curse by falling in the cursed springs in China while practicing martial arts.

Almost all of this anime’s characters are martial arts practitioners and I believe that that is the reason why my mother loves this show, aside from it being very humorous. Since it is a story of the engaged life of Ranma and Akane, it also have a twinge of romance in it, but not very direct for they do not want the fixed engagement in the first place. Despite all of this, their protection and value of each other is shown on the problems and combat fights throughout the plot of the story as they start their seemingly slow blooming love.

Come to think of it, there is no concrete life lesson that can be gleaned in this anime. But this anime’s sole purpose is of entertainment. It surely entertained my mom, and me, as well. Because of my mom’s fancy, I grew up watching shows full of actions and fights instead of the “girly” shows. I believe that this is the reason why I have brusque or manly attitudes and not all characters that a “feminine” lady should have.

Having this trait is not a bad thing. It sure helps me in facing emotional and mental problems in life. It taught me that once there is a problem, I do not have all the time in the world to sit on a corner and cry. Instead, I should think of something that can help me solve the situation just like what all anime characters do on their own world.

I will not regret watching this kind of shows for a television show that can guarantee entertainment and give you a strong resolve as you grow up is a big yes for anyone’s childhood.