Perspectives Archives

Jul122020 No Comments

Coercion to silence

art by TCHEKY NICOLE D. CABRERA/ THE FLAME ON JULY 10, the House of Representatives shocked the entire nation when 70 of its lawmakers denied ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise. Not only is this move another massive blow on press freedom in the country, but it also shows that there is no place for any critical discourse under Duterte’s administration. As Filipinos continue to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, they turn to television, radio, and social media as sources of information and entertainment. With ABS-CBN now off the airwaves, however, people find themselves feeling even more lost and isolated. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano contended that the subsequent ABS-CBN shutdown is not at all an issue of press freedom, especially since the media giant continues to a

May62020 No Comments

Misplaced priorities

Perspectives

art by ELLA MARIE MERCADO / THE FLAME THE PEOPLE behind the afternoon shows, the journalists, the general public who depend on news in this time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the 11,000 employees at risk of losing their jobs were all dismayed when ABS-CBN went off the air on May 5 following the cease and desist order filed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) against the broadcast giant. Despite the ongoing health crisis, with 10,004 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 658 deaths nationwide as of May 6, the administration decided to bring ABS-CBN’s operations to a halt. With everyone in their homes due to the enhanced community quarantine that has been in effect since March 17, the general public’s only access to information is the television, radio

Jun42019 No Comments

Ignite your flame

Perspectives

by JULIA MARI T. ORNEDO Campus journalism is its own reward. Working in a student publication offers little prestige and even less money, yet the Flame has been kept alive for over half a century by generations of Artlets who cared more about journalism and serving the Faculty rather than what they can get out of it. At the Flame, we are not motivated to do our best work by a hefty compensation or the promise of prominence. Instead, what keeps us going is the sight of Artlets eager to grab their copies of our issues as soon as they land in newsstands, students who reach out to us to know when or how they can obtain copies of the latest issue or Dapitan, and the fulfillment of seeing our hard work published, whether online or in print. There are legions of campus journalists a

Jun42019 No Comments

Detox? Detox.

Perspectives

by MARK JOSEPH B. FERNANDEZ Social media and the internet are the latest trends for entertainment and leisure—being able to binge watch films, listen to popular music, and do other activities with just a steady connection and gadget in hand are especially enjoyable for millennials and Generation Z. Now, people can feel relaxation within the palm of their hands, literally. It is also observable that even members of older generations experience the benefits of these platforms in terms of communication and connecting with others. But it is also known that social media can be overwhelming and toxic when used all the time. It can be a major source of stress and dilemma, which is why the phrase “social media detox” was popularized. Social media detox is a movement wherein the per

Jun42019 No Comments

The dormant persona

Perspectives

by DANEA PATRICIA T. VILOG There is something about art that seems to draw people to underestimate its aesthetic value for surface-level beauty and discount its ability to preserve a culture of underlying politics that everyone seems very pumped up to openly debate on these days. The artist I was a decade ago cared for none of that and instead paid more attention to aesthetics over anything else. I don't remember when I first picked up a pencil and decided that the hobby I'd be pouring most of my skills on would be absently scratching graphite on paper, but I knew I could never shake it off, even if I wanted to. Art will always find me, apparently. I entered a formal art school six years ago. The idealistic fool that I was thought I was going to flourish with the pitiful a

Jun42019 No Comments

Hold on, Artlets

Perspectives

by FATE EMERALD M. COLOBONG We entered this University, this Faculty, as curious and excited freshmen with no thoughts other than the need to explore this new world called our college life. But as we adapted, as we got to know our group of friends, created our college identities, and discovered all the intricate details of our desires and ambitions, we dared to dream of what we could accomplish after college, of the endless absolutes of what we will become. Some people—a rare few—actually stay true to their freshman dreams, while the rest of us find new dreams in other pursuits or settle for what life gives us and fall into a routine. To euphemize, we go with the flow. We began to build relationships with different people, found family in friendships. We learned to settle for

Jun42019 No Comments

Tinangay, tinatangay, at tatangayin pa

Perspectives

by ALI IAN MARCELINO V. BIONG ‘Di talaga ako maplanong tao. Medyo huli na nang mapag-isipan ko kung saan ba ako mag-aaral. Nagkataon, ang dalawang ate ko’y parehong Tomasino. Onting tanong-tanong, onting research, at ayun—may dream school na ‘ko: UST. Ang totoo, ang pagka-hindi ko maplanong tao ay mas akma sa katotohanang ‘di ako sigurado kung ano ang pangarap ko talaga. Sumasabay lang ako sa agos ng buhay, at matagal-tagal na rin akong nagpatangay. Noong grade six, nahuli ako ng titser kong nagseselpon; pinagyayabang ko kasi sa tropa ko ang drawing kong samurai. Dinampot ni Sir Dulay mula sa kamay ko ang gadyet at agad nakita ang malabong litrato ng isang mandirigmang Hapones, may kabayo pa sa gilid. “Bumalik ka mamayang alas dos, sa faculty room,” aniya. Bilang bagong

Jun42019 No Comments

In Motion

Perspectives

by CORHEINNE JOYCE B. COLENDRES I have always had everything planned. I knew what I wanted to do since the beginning; I had a planner that detailed my entire day and how I should go through it, I rarely made split-second decisions because I have had everything laid out since dawn broke in. I had a lot of things figured out until the time’s ticking reminded me that we are nearing the end of a journey. I know that I am one of the many people who have not quite figured out what to do once we exit the Arch. There is a choice to take up a master’s degree, or perhaps, I can build my way up toward becoming a corporate slave. I can also take a much-needed rest, around one or two months. The possibilities have become endless, and as a person who has planned out her entire life, this is ne

Jun42019 No Comments

Graduating from a Catholic university

Perspectives

by KRISTELLA DANIELLE S. BOO “Okay, you lead the prayer!” I bet you have heard this request—more of a demand—a lot of times from your relatives. When you ask why you should, they would respond, “Because you are studying in UST.” It is not that I do not want to lead the people in putting themselves in the presence of the Lord, but it is the fact that I do not understand why they would automatically equate studying in a Catholic institution to merely learning how to pray. Four years of stay in the university has changed my views toward Catholic schools. Back when I was in high school, when I was studying in a “semi-private, semi-public” school, I had a few acquaintances from a Catholic school in our province who shared with me how tiring their morning routines were. They als

Jun42019 No Comments

A little is enough

Perspectives

by REYANNE LOUISSE AMPONG Each one of us faces victories and setbacks in life and we have different ways to celebrate them or deal with them. There are times when you just feel like everything is going downhill and there are also times when a wave of sadness suddenly hits you out of nowhere. In trying times, a rush of courage flows within you that you suddenly believe you can face whatever it is that is hurdling you back. Scintilla—a spark, hint, or trace; a very small amount of something. When I was thinking of my column name, I just knew this had to be it because, for me, just a little spark of hope is enough to continue ahead and brave the things that I have to face. I am a firm believer that we all have our seasons to bloom and to fall. It is a never-ending cycle, but t