Perspectives Archives

Oct262020 No Comments

Woke rich kids will save PH

By Shana Angela S. Cervania “Walang pera sa Journalism!” has always been exclaimed over and over again not only by many Journalism professors in my three years in UST, but also by other journalists I had the chance of interviewing. I remember a former journo, who owns a business now, said something along the lines of, “Naku, mahirap ’yan sa suweldo sa industriya. Buti na lang asawa ko [insert high-paying profession] kundi, ’di namin mapapaaral mga anak namin.” There have been similar anecdotes of journalists qutting the industry, whether a newbie or a veteran, to go for the safety net that corporate work offers. While the exhilarating newsroom, especially when there is breaking news or the deadline for the printing of newspapers is breathing down everyone’s neck, gets

Oct262020 No Comments

The Artlet badge of honor

Perspectives

By MARIA CECILIA O. PAGDANGANAN It is always the same comment, just phrased differently. You would tell an older relative that you are pursuing an AB degree and they would probably berate you because to them, there is no money in the liberal arts. Scroll through social media and you would most definitely see posts claiming that the Faculty of Arts and Letters is inferior to the other colleges in the University. After all, what is the point of chasing your dreams when there is no money in it? It is almost as if it is shameful to call oneself an Artlet, especially since it is a label that bears such a stigma. I remember visiting my senior high school earlier this year when I ran into my former teacher. Since I studied Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) during senio

Oct262020 No Comments

Like Water for Consumption

Perspectives

By LORRAINE C. SUAREZ It is a bright Sunday afternoon. At this time, most people are either lounging at home or strolling about. Everyone seems to enjoy their activities; it is, after all, a weekend, and there is also good weather to boot. As for me, I find myself yet to be awake despite the late hour. However, I have my own reasons. As unlikely as it may sound, this reason has something to do with water shortage. I had forgotten exactly when it started, but I remember that it began in the middle of this school year's first semester. First came the water supply rotations. As someone who traveled to school in the morning, took classes in the afternoon, and arrived home in the evening, I was around the house very little, and I had to find out by experience when the wat

Oct262020 No Comments

Are you hungry?

Perspectives

By THERIZ LIZEL R. SILVANO Hungry for many things is what we are as students. Our body is like a vehicle that needs to be filled up with several commodities—information, sustenance, passion, solace, love, and other things that we find enjoyable and valuable enough to make us satisfied. We yearn for information as much as we yearn for food to stay alive. With this, I say, we are always hungry. When we’re hungry, we don’t only search for a place to devour our cravings, but we also seek for a place where we can be comfortable. Being at ease provides us to think freely, with no pressure and distraction from others, which is the same with gaining knowledge. Isn’t obtaining knowledge comparable to developing our curiosity? In a recent study, researchers from the United Kingdom and

Oct262020 No Comments

Dress right or no right

Perspectives

By ISABELL ANDREA M. PINE The Faculty of Arts and Letters is known to be one of the most liberal colleges at the University of Santo Tomas. This culture of liberalism is something I believe to be one of the many beauties and privileges in becoming an Artlet. Ever since I enrolled in UST, it has been my goal to be accepted in this college and to be part of the Artlet community. I knew that UST would be a more conservative university unlike other universities because of its established Catholic identity, so to me, the Faculty of Arts and Letters is a breath of fresh air within a very strict and imposing system. Unlike other colleges, there is a sense of compromise between the students and the faculty, especially when it comes to the dress code. The students are free to express the

Oct262020 No Comments

‘Til I get there

Perspectives

By PEACH ARIANNA MANOS I have always wanted to be a journalist even before I knew what Journalism is all about. I used to believe that my talent in writing could get me by in the field that I chose and I just have to be creative enough to provide something for my readers, but that all changed now that I’m older and already halfway through college, taking up a degree in Journalism. I wish I could tell my younger self that it isn’t just about writing—that there is a bigger world of truths and ideologies than just fictional stories and love poems. In my two years with The Flame, I have learned that Journalism is more than the classes I take on a daily basis and the grammar lessons with writing lead quizzes I have in my majors. Journalism is staying up all night to edit articles,

Jul122020 No Comments

Coercion to silence

Perspectives

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