Deception?

I was almost too convinced to vote “Yes” in the upcoming UP System-wide referendum next next week.

Why? Well, it would be because even though my academics eats nine-tenths of my time almost everytime, I still have eyes and I am not blind to the posters I’ve seen around the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) grounds regarding the “Defend the OSR” campaign. I was most definitely not blind to the protests held both here in Manila and in Diliman regarding the supposed threat to the Office of the Student Regent (OSR), the sole representation of UP students to the Board of Regents (BOR). This threat is none other than the upcoming referendum. This was what they were calling ‘the obstacle’ to the selection of the new Student Regent (SR) and ultimately to UP student representation and rights.

If you attended the Centennial Lantern Parade last december, students protesting this joined the parade and even had their “moment” in front of Quezon Hall, where the lanterns where presented to the judges. Back then, even though they were really an eyesore, I thought the Lantern Parade would not have been complete without any protest.

Now, these protest have campaigned for a “Yes” vote in the referendum, which according to them, would save the OSR from being vacant in case the “No” votes win or a quota of 50% + 1 was not reached. And you see, in UP, with the BOR being the highest policy-making body, no representation could also mean another possible Tuition Fee Increase (TFI) or another commercialization plan. And that would be scary.

See, I think even though my patriotism and love for current events have continued to lose its spark within me, I still have enough left to be disturbed whenever things like this happen. I unconsciously get information about what’s happening by reading posters, listening briefly to protest speeches, reading placards held up high by activists, etc. This keeps me updated on the issue.

Now, I think what UP has that other schools like Ateneo don’t is that issues like this is not as boring as you think it would always be. Sometimes, an issue is just too cool that even I, with two biology 30 exams tomorrow, would not even resist making a blog entry about it. Sometimes, it just gets better and more exciting.

The posters I read and the portest I heard could be pretty much summed up by: “Defend the OSR by voting yes to the referendum or else we will lose the office and the office would be vacant.”

With this in mind, I was so sure that I would not ignore next next week’s referendum and even convince my classmates to vote. After all, it is our social responsibility. And since I think many would come with me to vote since we are now facing a possible Med TFI, which we were not informed about and which makes us very, very angry. Really.

But see, the twist in the story happened because I still haven’t quit the Medicine Student Council’s (MSC) e-group even though I already resigned from my volunteered position last semester. And this is the reason why I was able to get a new face to the “Defend the OSR” issue.

One person emailed what I think is a blog entry that details things that happened, which I think proponents of the “Defend the OSR” campaign have biasedly mentioned. I won’t really go into the details, but the email presented a very interesting twist to the story: Apparently, a ‘no’ vote in the referendum was not necessarily a threat to the OSR, but only rather a threat to the existing Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS), which a General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) use to select the new SR.

This is big. This is really big.

See, it turns out that a ‘yes’ vote to the referendum would just mean that the student population agrees to the existing CRSRS and that selection of a new SR can proceed. A ‘no’ vote would just mean that the student population disagrees with the existing CRSRS and that ammendments should be made to it so as to eventually subject it to a new referendum. It would not mean, however, that the OSR would be vacant for, according to the letter I read from the e-group which was a reply from VP for Legal Affairs Theodore Te, the law abhors vacuum in government positions. The OSR is a government position and, therefore, if the referendum decides that the existing CRSRS is not fit as basis for the selection of the new SR, the incumbent SR would have to stay in position. If in any case the incumbent resigns or had the need to leave the office, the previous CRSRS would be used to select a new SR.

So what’s the point? This just means that the “Defend the OSR” campaign for students to vote yes in the referendum to prevent the OSR from being vacant was VERY fallacious and misleading. It was not telling the students the real implication of their vote, especially because the OSR, after all, was in no way threatened to be vacant.

And that’s just the beginning. Apparently, the current SR also ignored the proposed ammendments to the CRSRS that student councils presented in the GASC held last year. The ammendments included a grade requirement for the SR, a “one vote per college” policy, which allows each UP unit to have the number of votes they are entitled to proportional to their size, and removal of a certain organization that is an alliance of only a number of student councils in UP as partner of the OSR. Just a note, I agree with theses ammendments.

The point is, some people think that the CRSRS or the process of how students are able to get a new SR has its flaws, which should be ammended. Now, if this is so, then you’d expect that some people would vote ‘no’ to the referendum in case they knew that this would allow ammendments to the CRSRS. But, if you tell the same people that if they vote other than ‘yes’ in the referendum, the OSR would be left vacant and student representation would be impaired, they would most definitely change their minds. Even though what you said was false.

And, that, my friend, would be a deception.

Even the report in The Manila Collegian about the said issue was either VERY biased or too uninformed of the other side of the story. The article, “OSR referendum to be Conducted System-Wide,” clearly had either just on source or a number of sources that had the same point of view. Now, I know with two years of journalism that this is both bad especially for a news report. I know that the Manila Kule has almost always been leftist, but, seriously, does it have to be this biased or uninformed? That article proved to me that not everything you read gives you the big picture. Some, like this article, give you just half.

See. Isn’t it exciting that as early as in the University-level we can clearly see examples of how people can deceive other people into doing something? And in real life too! I thought I could only experience this on TV! But no, some UP students just had to disappoint me and taint my admiration of this supposed benchmark for excellence.

I don’t know if it was intentional to prevent ammendments in the CRSRS or if the same people in the “Defend the OSR” campaign just really wrongly believed that the OSR was in deep shit once the referendum fails. I do hope it was not intentional.

If it was just a matter of people believing something wrong, then people just didn’t bother to ask for what would really legally happen and that they just made assumptions. That would be sick. Seriously. All those sincere effort to campaign for something that no one bothered to verify? That’s stupid. I can quote Pito here saying: “After all, you can be SINCERELY wrong.”

With this, I’d take back what I typed and hope rather that it WAS intentional. At least, they won’t be stupid and our reputation of having intelligence won't be tainted. Although, they’d be UP students that have BAD motives.

So now, I feel great that I’d be voting a big ‘no’ in that upcoming referendum.

100

I know, I know. Last Cinemalaya season pa 'tong film na 'to. Pero wala kasi akong time noon. Buti na nga lang at "sumikat" siya at eventually mapapanood mo na sa sine at pirated DVDs eh because I really wanted to watch this film ever since I read its synopsis from the cinemalaya site last year.

First, Mylene Dizon for the lead role was perhaps the first best thing that the makers of this film came up with. She was perfect. As in. Sobrang bagay. Tapos hindi lang naman basta-bastang artista rin si Mylene (unlike artistas of today) at magalng talaga siya. So picking her for the role was excellent. Kasi sobrang bagay.

Kahit Kay Tessie Tomas nagalingan ako. Her acting was way different from her acting on television programs.

100 was beautiful. It successfully tells the audience of how life is too short to be wasted on crying over spilled milk. I think this is why it won as audience choice - because it hits you where it should. It tries to give you a movie as an answer to the infamous question of "how will you live your life/what will you do if you're about to die in (insert time span here)?"

After all, many people would answer the question by enumerating the things they soooo want to do so this movie gives you a glimpse of what it's like and how it feels since many fail to realize that the essence of the question relies on how prepared you are to leave this world. The struggle of wanting to do something is more often shadowed by the pain of the expected death. This film, shows how bravery, and acceptance, can let you have a good farewell to the world.

It also shows the essence of family ties in the Filipino culture.

The concept of the post-its was also brilliant. After all, if it's in a post-it and it's not a message, it's more often than not, a "thing-to-do." Thus, it immediately drives the point and adds cuteness to the film. Haha.

The film, however, succumbed into being dragging a few times and it lacked a few more interesting twists that could have made the film better.

ACET at UPCAT

my mom is so anxious now. nagtake kasi kapatid ko sa ateneo at UP. ang bunso kong kapatid. so last na siya. at grabe naman ang susundan niya noh! tatlong UP! haha. deh. i know she'll pass. at hindi talaga ito ang point ko sa post na to.

ANG POINT: nakalista na rin kaya bilang isang "PEAK" season ang paglabas ng entrance exam results ng big three (aka UP, Ateno, at La Salle)? Kasi di ba kapag pumasa ka, automatic blowout yan! kahit nga sa sarili mo lang eh. ako sobrang nagsplurge sa pagkain nun nung pumasa ko sa tatlo. haha. tapos atenistas at la salista pa yung mga yan so malamang big time spending with the clan or something. haha. tapos kahit sa UP ka lang naman pumasa at kunwari dukha ka rin, dahil nakapada ka, i'm sure magcecelebrate ka! kaya pwedeng-pwede talaga siya bilang peak season ng businesses eh.

hay nako, pag ako nagpatayo ng business, magbibigay ako ng discount sa mga UP, ateneo at la salle passers. I'm sure kikita ako. LOL.

At oo, ineemphasize ko na big THREE lang kasi inaaway ako ng isang taga-UST sa isa kong post. as in. feeling. sa cheerdance lang naman magaling. deh joke lang! Go Uste! Wooh! (Ayan aawayin na naman ako pag may usteng nakabasa nito. joke lang po ah! :P)

Para Kay B: O Kung Paano Dinevastate ng Pag-Ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa Atin

“Me quota ang pag-ibig. Sa bawat limang umiibig, isa lang ang magiging maligaya. Ang iba, iibig sa di sila iniibig. O iibig nang di natututo. O iibig sa wala. O di iibig kailanman… Pero merong isa sa lima, harangan man ng kulog, ng mga ganid, ng lindol at ng teknolohiya, mahahanap niya ang kanyang mahal. Siya lang ang magiging maligaya.”

Aamin ako. Nakalimutan ko na kung paano gumawa ng isang review – mapa film o book review man. Reviewer, pwede pa. Lalo na sa embryology (pero wag mo nang tangkain kasi babagsak ka pa rin naman lalu na kung Dr. Co ang Lab at Lec prof mo). Alam kong may handout si ma’am Jamasali na binigay samin nung Eng Jorun days at na nakatago yun sa kahon ko ng Pisay stuff pero nakakatamad talagang halungkatin. Isa pa, hindi naman to graded. At ginagawa ko lang to bilang pasasalamat.

Pasasalamat kay Mervyn kasi yung libro na “Para Kay B: O Kung Paano Dinevastate ng Pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 Sa Atin”, ang unang nobela ng batikang scriptwriter na si Ricky Lee, yung pinili niya na iregalo sa akin mula sa aking wish list. Seryoso, gusto ko talaga ng bagong shirt. DALAWANG bagong shirt. Pero dahil yung libro yung pinili mo wala akong choice. At buti na lang kasi gusto talaga ng utak ko (gusto ng puso ko ng shirt! At green na sapatos!!) na libro ang makuha ko ngayong pasko kasi di tulad ni Cheska na nagpapakanerdo at basa nang basa ng kung anu-anong libro, tumigil na ko sa pagiging bibliophile (tama ba? Yan yung tawag sa book lover di ba? Pwede ring bibliophilic… hahahahaha). Kung anu mang dahilan, hindi ko na alam. Kaya salamat Mervyn. :)

At pasasalamat din kay Ricky Lee. Seryoso, nakalimutan ko na siya yung nagsulat ng “Si Tatang, Si Freddie…” na pinag-aralan naming short story sa Hum1 (sori Ma’am Joson!). ang alam ko lang, kilala ko yung pangalan niya. At tumatak sa isip ko ang bawat titik ng apelyido niya (kasi kailangan kong tandaan na iba siya kay Ricky Lo. Hahaha). Isang malaking salamat na kasing taas ng bahay namin (haha. Hindi pala masyadong mataas..) dahil binuhay mo ulit yung pagkahilig ko sa libro. At sa kwento. Pinaalala mo saking ang paggawa ng kwento nga pala ang FIRST LOVE ko.

(At na nagtataksil ako ngayon sa first love ko dahil Medicine ang kalive-in ko ngayon imbis na siya. Sori first love. Pramis, mas masaya ako sa piling mo.)

Ayokong simulan ang review na to (nagsisimula pa lang?! ang haba na nung na-type ko ah!) nang hindi ko isinasalba ang sarili ko. Kasi naman, title pa lang: “Para Kay B: O Kung Paano Dinevastate ng Pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 Sa Atin” tunog cheesy na di ba?? At salungat iyan sa image ko! Hehe. Pero nakalimutan ko na rin talaga kung bakit ginusto kong basahin ang librong to. Siguro epekto ng James Morrison songs na pinarinig sakin ni Ricky. O kaya ni Kuya Jem, yung president naming sa YFC. O kaya dahil matagal na, matagal na matagal na, nung huli akong sumulat ng love story na galing sa puso. At matagal ko na ring ginugusto magsulat ulit.

Kung ano pa man, marahil ang pinakahinangaan ko sa librong ito ay yung teorya ng manunulat sa pag-ibig. Ipagkalandakan mo ba namang 1 out of 5 lang ang magiging masaya sa pag-ibig kung hindi mo ba naman makuha ang atensiyon ng sandamukal na tao. Marami pa namang emo ngayon. Kaya kung may unang dapat purihin, yun yun.

Nung una akala ko talaga makabagbag damdaming love story ang mababasa ko. Yung tipong pang telenovela yung effect sayo pero maganda yung plot at pagkakasulat. Yung tipo siya ng libro na iiyakan ni Dane at magugustuhan ng sobra ni Nico. Yung tipo na malayo sa personalidad ko. At umaasa pa ako noong sinimulan ko siyang basahin na ganun nga.

At pakiramdam ko yun yung maganda sa libro. Hindi ko sigurado kung magugustuhan siya ng lahat pero sigurado ako na lahat may mararamdaman. Masyadong magaling ang pagkakagawa sa kanya ni Ricky Lee na para siyang nagtatype ng katotohanan at tunay na buhay. At dun sa pagiging realistic niya, makakahanap ka ng isa o dalawang bagay na makakarelate ka o kaya’y ginusto o ginugusto mong makarelate ka.

Hindi. Hindi siya mababaw. Kasing lalim siya ng malamang na pinagmulan nung ideya ni Ricky Lee tungkol sa quota ng pag-ibig.

Story wise, matutuwa ka.

Sa bagsak ng salita at maingat na pagakakalagay ng ideya at konsepto sa mismong binabasa mo, hahanga ka. Alam mong hindi basta-basta ang sumusulat.

Sa paghabi ng mga ideyolohiyang pulitikal sa isang bonggang love story, hihilingin mong ikaw na lang nagsulat nito.

Kung ikaw rin yung taong katulad ko na mahilig sa kakaibang plots, sasamba ka.

Kung ikaw yung mahilig sa mga malalalim na characters na maganda ang pagkakadevelop, tatalon ang puso mo.

At kung hindi ka pa umiibig, dahil dito, gugustuhin mo. Kahit pa may quota.

“Somewhere in the city, a guy tells a girl I love you, and the girl answers back I love you too. Sigurado ba sila?”