Posts published during December, 2006

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December 8, 2006

I love innards

Mass Comm students helping make the CMC lantern and belen

Seeing students from different organizations, even the freshmen, volunteer to help make the lantern and belen for Mass Comm, is quite inspiring, for student council members like me. I wish there are more ways and opportunities for more student involvement in such activities. It’s just that we’re so used to forcing and pleading for people to attend college assemblies, it always felt like nobody cared about college affairs.

This year’s Lantern Parade won’t seem to be too different from last year’s. Different colleges will have individual stationary booths where their lanterns are to be displayed. In other words, there won’t be much of a parade except for the Fine Arts lanterns. I don’t know how it will turn out. Last year, due to “austerity measures” the University administration said there won’t be a lantern parade contest. So our college didn’t make a lantern nor prepare for a presentation. It was quite a bore. It also was rather disappointing for me, especially because my first lantern parade experience in UP was really fun. We really paraded a giant “TV” and smaller “TV” lanterns around the academic oval and we even had a presentation at Quezon Hall. And we practiced for a few days for that. I always expected Lantern Parades to be like that every year, hence my disappointment.

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After spending an hour at the University Hotel’s gym, I was planning to walk straight back to Mass Comm. But I just had to succumb to the smell of grilled innards at a stall in front of Ilang-Ilang. It’s been a long time since I had isaw and atay and such. At that time, nothing would’ve beaten eating 20 sticks of assorted chicken and pork innards in solitude.

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December 6, 2006

They want it so bad

I really find it very astounding how badly our congressmen want to change our Constitution. Imagine, the insensitivity of shortcutting all the procedures, in a time when part of our country is just reeling from a terrible calamity, all in the middle of the night while everyone else is sleeping. Unbelievable. And they will be back at it by this afternoon. I wonder how things will turn out. These are the times I’m actually counting on the opposition to represent all those who dissent this incredulously dubious feat.

I have not against a systematic overhaul of our political system. But if these congressmen will be the same parliamentarians in the new order–then, there is no new order. This, aside from other less discussed issues within the proposed amendments, is what makes me oppose Charter Change, as proposed by the House of Representatives.

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During high school, whenever Speaker Jose de Venecia would be present at class gatherings, he would be made to talk, and when you make him talk, all he talks about are the virtues of a parliamentary form of government. When we had a class outing at their Pangasinan estate, he talked to us over merienda and, yes, he talked about the parliamentary form of government, aside from propping up the candidacy of President Gloria Arroyo. This was three years ago. And even when I browse through newspaper archives at the main library (for amusement, I’m weird like that), it appears that Mr. de Venecia has been at it for more than a decade.

Sometimes I’d force myself to suspend all doubts and believe that all his efforts are indeed selfless acts for the country. But, I’m sorry, I just can’t. Apologies to my friend and high school classmate for these dissenting opinion and such against his father.

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December 4, 2006

Pasko 2006 sa UP

To start of the Christmas season in the University of the Philippines – Diliman, the Administration hosted a free concert and fireworks display. It was fantastic. The chorale and the orchestra from the College of Music were at their best. Everybody was singing along to the Christmas tunes. The atmosphere was really festive. It feels really great to be part of the UP community during these occasions.

The lights at Quezon Hall are slightly better this year too.

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December 3, 2006

Kule repression at Y-Speak

Tonight’s episode of Studio 23′s Y-Speak was about media and the role of the youth in media. A segment of the show tackled campus press freedom and they took on the case of the Philippine Collegian or Kule. Kule hasn’t been published for months now because the university administration is witholding its funds from the editorial board. The issue is greatly tackled at Kule’s website, and I’ve posted a blog entry about it here. [Sorry for the bad quality of the video. My Studio 23 signal is very noisy. The audio is okay, though.]

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December 2, 2006

Philippine Contingent at 2006 Asiad

Let us also pray for and wish our Filipino athletes well in this year’s Asian Games in Doha, Qatar! This is a video clip of the Philippine contingent’s entrance during the parade of nations in the Opening Ceremonies last night.

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Bagyong Reming

Residents of Metro Manila may be thankful typhoon Reming barely caused damage to life and property in the metro, but it is very unfortunate how the typhoon took hundreds of lives and millions worth of property in Bicol.

Here are video clips of reports from tonight’s late night newscasts from GMA 7 and ABS-CBN 2 regarding the destruction and tragedy that Typhoon Reming (Durian) brought upon the provinces of Bicol.

ABS-CBN’s Bandila provided some information as to how some of us may help the victims of this calamity (through their network’s own foundation, of course).

Of course, while millions of Bicolanos are suffering the aftermath of the typhoon, we shall not expect our Congressmen to do anything substantial than to busy themselves with ramming their much desired Charter Change down everyone’s throats this week, while our President takes care of her sick husband at some posh Manila hospital.

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December 1, 2006

Trapo spins, huh?

The controversial Tuition and Other Fee Increases proposal in the University of the Philippines is to be tackled by the Board of Regents on December 15, Friday–right after the annual Oblation Run and a little before the annual Lantern Parade, probably in a bid to distract students from participating in such an important meeting.

Some UP tuition increase supporters love heralding Winnie Monsod and her pro-ToFI (Tuition & Other Fee Increases) columns in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Today I came across the UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) Chairperson’s reaction to her latest column where she ridiculed the anti-ToFI rally last week. Part of it read:

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