B1 B7

Guinness World Record. Craig Glenday measures the height of Junrey

Balawing at Sindangan Rural Health Center.

Community holds pro-life rally

Walk for Life. Students and faculty from Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc., residents, faith-based groups,

and the clergy carry placards with life-affirming slogans around the town center.

Sindanganon listed shortest living man SSC lines up

projects

SJCSI hires

nine teachers

T o cope with the in-

crease in enrolment

this school year and to

handle the student publi-

cations, Saint Joseph Col-

lege of Sindangan, Inc.–

High School employed

eight full-time and one

part-time high school

teachers.

A Guinness World Record

M ore than two thou-

sand students and

faculty from Saint Joseph

College of Sindangan, Inc.,

townsfolk, members of

faith-based groups from

neighboring towns, and

the clergy converged for

the Walk for Life and fo-

rum at the gym, June 29.

W hat Junrey Balawing—a Sindanganon teenager from Brgy. Imelda—lacks in

height, he makes up for in fame.

A boost to the cause of life

Fretzell A. Actub, IV-San

Lorenzo Ruiz adviser, teaches

physics and mathematics.

Actub has a diploma in

electrical engineering technology

(2006) and a bachelor‘s degree in

engineering technology manage-

ment (2008) from Mindanao State

University–Iligan Institute of

Technology, Iligan City.

Lourdes A. Amit, III-St.

Augustine adviser, graduated with

a degree in secondary education,

major in mathematics (2004),

from Jose Rizal Memorial State

University, Katipunan, Zambo-

anga del Norte .

Teachers A6

El Obrero Vol. V ▪ No. 1

June–September 2011

The official student publication of Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc.–High School, National Highway, Poblacion, Sindangan, 7112 Zamboanga del Norte, Region IX

“Writing is prayer.”

Community Maumag

in our midst

A8

Littéraire Interview

Mayor Nilo Sy:

A Josephian

leader B3

Littéraire Travelogue The Camelot

of Africa

MatchPoint

Champs

for the

nth time

C4

Littéraire Review

Hispano–

Philippine

Stories

E ffective Aug. 19, the

school was renamed

Saint Joseph College of

Sindangan, Inc. (SJCSI). Per Securities and Ex-

change Commission (SEC) regis-

tration, SJCSI uses hereafter its

official amended corporate name.

The amended articles of

incorporation of SJCSI were

adopted by the board of directors

and members on June 7, 2010,

and approved by SEC on Aug. 19,

2011.

The logo was redesigned to

show the amended name and the

year of establishment. (PR)

Welcome to SJCSI!!

The participants carried

placards with life-affirming slo-

gans and messages of opposition

to the reproductive health and

divorce bills as they went around

the town center at 9 a.m.

The pro-lifers then pro-

ceeded to the SJCSI gym for the

program and forum.

Richard Aliser, a religious

studies teacher, led the Rosary for

Life and the praying of the Oratio

Imperata for the rejection of the

RH Bill.

During the forum, Msgr.

Jose R. Manguiran, D.D., tackled

on the stand of the church on the

controversy caused by the pro-

posed reproductive health and

divorce bills.

Jan Louenn Lumanta, an

economics instructor and law stu-

dent, lambasted corruption in the

government, not the population

growth, as the cause of poverty.

Dr. April Lopez dealt with

the side effects of using artificial

methods to deliberately prevent

pregnancy.

Two families also shared

their experiences in testimonies to

the value of life and family.

Msgr. Enrico Montano,

V.F., a priest from Saint Joseph

The Worker Parish of Sindangan,

concluded the event with a prayer

and mass singing.

The other participants

came from the parish groups of

Siayan, Leon Postigo, and Brgy.

Siare.(Cynthia K. J. Nazario)

Balawing was officially

certified by the Guinness World

Records as the shortest living man

in the world at .5993 m tall when

he turned 18 on June 12.

Balawing broke the record

of Khagendra Thapa Magar of

Nepal who is 0.67 m tall.

From his looks, Balawing

may be mistaken for an infant but

he is the eldest of four siblings

from a Subanen family.

According to Reynaldo

Balawing, a blacksmith, his son

stopped growing in his first year.

His speech is stunted and

his conversations are only short

phrases. His condition prevents

him from attending school.

Balawing mostly stays at

home under the care of Concep-

cion, his mother. He needs assis-

tance to move around because he

cannot stand for a long time.

Balawing was always sick

at age two, and the doctors could

not find any medical remedy.

The Guinness team, led by

editor-in-chief Craig Glenday,

measured Balawing six times both

vertically and horizontally before

handing him a framed certificate

at Sindangan Municipal Hall.

―While we need to main-

tain a scientific, dispassionate

approach to documenting record

claimants, it is impossible not

to be moved by the plight of

these incredible, brave human

beings,‖ said Glenday.

(Judee B. Garsuta)

T he Supreme Student

Council, through the

leadership of Reymund

Danielle U. Jugalbot, has

lined up several projects

for this school year.

The council had recently

bought eight trash bins and put

them along the corridor. A mirror

was installed in each restroom.

SSC also repaired the per-

petual banner for the overall

champion of the intramural meet.

For its major projects, SSC

plans to construct benches under

the trees and a covered walkway

from the entrance to the admini-

stration building to protect the

students and faculty from inclem-

ent weather.

Since both undertakings

require financing, the council is

negotiating with the administra-

tion for financing counterpart.

According to Michael Ma-

salta, the newly appointed adviser,

he expects good governance,

transparency, and useful projects

for the students‘ benefit.

(Pamela Mennet V. Llorente)

Scribes to join

press confab

F ourteen staff members

of El Obrero and Ang

Manggagawa will attend

the Provincial Schools

Press Conference in Di-

polog City, Nov. 16–18.

The student journalists will

attend the lectures, discussions,

and workshop sessions; and com-

pete in the individual writing

events and photojournalism in

both English and Filipino media.

The delegation from Saint

Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc.

will include Mara Aubrey Sistine

Scribes A6

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2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

Faculty undergo multi-intel training

Scribes reap writing, broadcasting plum

Cooperative learning. Maria Rizalie Enoy, a science teacher, monitors

her groups of students while they complete the writing task.

Student population. A comparison of the enrolment during the past six

school years reveals an annual rise in the number of students.

Campus Ministry visits Tigbao

Enrolment

up by 6%

T wenty-three student writers of El Obrero participated and won awards in the an-

nual campus journalism seminar–workshop organized by the Zamboanga del Norte

Press Club (ZNPC) at Sindangan National Agricultural School (SNAS) gym, July 23–24.

H igh school teachers and college instructors participated in the seminar–workshop

on differentiated instruction at the audio-visual room, July 1 and 5.

A round 20 high school and college Campus Ministry

(CM) volunteers visited Brgy. Tigbao during their

first outreach program for this school year, June 2.

Dr. Rosalinda Baloria, vice

-president for academic affairs of

Saint Vincent‘s College, dis-

cussed differentiated teaching and

assessments based on the multiple

intelligences theory by Dr. How-

ard Gardner.

The faculty worked on the

learning style inventory, multiple

intelligences survey, and R. Sten-

berg processing preferences.

On the second day, Maria

Rizalie D. Enoy, a science

teacher, demonstrated on the proc-

ess of observation.

Participants were the 15

pre-selected freshmen who com-

pleted their group writing tasks

and presented their output.

Br. Rufinus Palen, FP, a

religious studies teacher, pre-

sented an integrated lesson on the

10 Commandments.

Elmira L. Colicol, an Eng-

lish instructor, presented a lesson

on idiomatic expressions to 15 pre

-selected college students.

They worked in groups and

displayed their posters with the

literal interpretation of the idioms

for the other groups to figure out

the idiomatic expressions.

Elizabeth A. Soledad, a

mathematics teacher and guidance

counselor, gave a lesson plan on

the cause-effect relationship.

Rhiza Mae T. Casalem, a

Filipino teacher, incorporated a

Hiligaynon epic with a contempo-

rary song for her lesson plan.

Jessril Ruales, a socio-

anthro instructor, discussed the

different social groups.

Emerald A. Soledad from

the business marketing depart-

ment explained a lesson with vari-

ous activities on advertising.

Ranie Jamila, a physical

education (MAPEH) teacher, pro-

vided a lesson plan on the benefits

of physical fitness on health and

the person‘s well-being.

Maria Fatima M. Calizar,

computer laboratory in-charge,

discussed the development of

computing devices.

(Zekaina Rose F. Siasico)

The two-day training was

composed of a lecture–workshop

series on the different aspects of

campus journalism given by the

members of the press club.

The topics included media

law and ethics; news, editorial,

feature, and sports writing; copy-

reading and headline writing, edi-

torial cartooning, photojourna-

lism, and radio broadcasting.

After each lecture, all par-

ticipants wrote an article based

on the given title or subject and in

the medium of their choice.

Reymund D. U. Jugalbot

was awarded as the best anchor

for radio broadcasting while

the team composed of Yanessa S.

Naval, Donalyn E. Aquino, Janine

T. Jalosjos, Fruitelyn Apple A.

Gamulo, and Mara Aubrey Sistine

L. Escoreal was named as the best

advertisement for radio.

In the individual writing

events–English category, Escoreal

bagged the second place in news

writing; William Andrew G. Bu-

laqueña won third places in edito-

rial and sports writing; and Cyn-

thia Kareen J. Nazario landed

third place in copyreading and

headline writing.

In the Filipino category,

Joelan M. Tongco grabbed the

second place in sports writing

while Francis J.T. Fuertes won the

third place in editorial cartooning.

For the group category, the

scribes‘ entry (Ora et Labora) got

the third place for photojourna-

lism and layout–English.

The 206 participants came

from Saint Joseph College of Sin-

dangan, Inc., SNAS, and the na-

tional high schools of Sindangan,

Siare, Siayan, Maras, Natividad,

Gunyan, and Sibuco.

The journalistic writing

seminar is a regular activity of the

club to help budding campus jour-

nalists hone their writing skills in

preparation for the schools press

conference from the division up to

the regional and national levels.

According to Rosemarie

Patangan–Miranda, president of

the ZNPC, the club has been do-

ing their outreach program for

more than two decades already;

and a number of successful pro-

fessionals are grateful of the train-

ing for inspiring them to read and

cultivate their passion for writing.

This year‘s seminar-

workshop was the first time since

the 1980s when the pupils from

Sindangan Pilot Demonstration

School and Mandih Central

School also competed in the dif-

ferent writing events.

The training was endorsed

by the Department of Education

and the American Embassy in

Manila, which provided the cash

prizes and trophies.

(William A. G. Bulaqueña)

Community outreach program

SJCSI celebrates Nutri Month

Annual journalism seminar-workshop

Egg relay contest. Roli V. Redoble (L) passes a hard-boiled egg to Mark

Bryan G. Resuento (R) only with the spoon in their mouth.

SJCSI–HS Enrolment (2006–2011) S aint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc.–High School

observed the annual Nutrition Month in July with

various activities relevant to the theme “Isulong ang

Breastfeeding: Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo.”

S aint Joseph College of

Sindangan, Inc.–High

School enrolled 721 stu-

dents, or 6 percent higher

than the previous school

year enrolment.

The data gathered from

Cristina S. Bajalan, principal, also

revealed a consistent increase in

enrolment during the past five

school years.

Out of the 721 students,

336 are male and 385 are female,

representing 46.6 percent and 53.4

percent, respectively

The breakdown per year

level is as follows:

Freshmen, 208; sopho-

mores, 202; juniors, 148; and sen-

iors, 163.

According to Bajalan,

―SJCSI refrains from advertising

but relies on the word-of-mouth

endorsement by the alumni whose

children are also enrolled here.‖

―We also have transferees

from nearby towns and a consid-

erable number of new students

from Bacungan and Siayan,‖ she

added.

The Education Service

Contracting (ESC) agreement

between the government and the

school grants scholarship to 383

students, 115 of them are fresh-

men, who opted to pursue secon-

dary education at a private school.

ESC covers the tuition of

each grantee for four years, but

the students pay the differential.

Seventy-two students avail

of the Education Voucher System

(EVS), which will be phased out

in March 2014.

(Pamela Mennet V. Llorente)

They distributed snacks,

toys, and school supplies to pre-

school children. The goods were

donated by students last March.

According to Carol C.

Salimbagat, head of the CM, the

day care teachers were grateful

since the pencils, pad papers, and

bags would be needed for the

opening of classes.

The outreach program was

organized in coordination with the

college and high school student

councils.

The CM has already lined

up activities for this school year.

The volunteers held their commu-

nity building and facilitating

seminars and inter-school leader-

ship training in June–August.

Aside from the regular

mass every Wednesday and first

Friday of the month, the CM also

organizes the recollections for

students enrolled in the different

religious studies courses and re-

treat for the seniors.

The CM also spearheads

the Feast of the Nativity of the

Blessed Virgin Mary every Sept.

8 as well as the opening and cul-

minating activities for the Month

of Rosary in October.

The CM slated its Abot

Alay sa Bilanggo, a visit to the

prisoners at the municipal jail in

Brgy. Misoc, on Oct. 30.

For the second half of the

school year, the CM will sponsor

the mass for the Immaculate Con-

ception, Handog Pamasko, and

teachers‘ retreat set before the

Christmas break.

In 2012, CM will conduct

the retreat for college students.

(Reymund D. U. Jugalbot)

E El Obrero │June–September 2011 A2 News

A parade around the town

center kicked off the celebration

on July 2. An opening program

then followed where students pre-

sented their different talents.

In the essay writing con-

test, 24 students developed an

essay on this year‘s theme. Fila

R. Dagomo, editor-in-chief of El

Obrero, won the first prize for her

write-up.

For the slogan and poster-

making contests, both top prizes

went to Elda Mae P. Honungan

and her group of junior students.

Sidney Rico T. Rebollido,

a senior, outdid the other seven

contestants in the extemporaneous

speaking contest in Filipino.

During the culminating

activity on July 29, the students

sold fruits, vegetables, and food-

stuff in their respective stalls.

Parlor games were also

held. The St. Theresians won

both Maria Went to Town and egg

relay races; St. Rita students,

Vietnam War; and St. Christopher

students, straw planting contest.

Loryl Pelaez, IV-Rita, fin-

ished first in the banana-eating

contest while Mark Ryan Salim-

bagat, IV-St. Agnes, ate all the

pan de sal faster than the other

students.

In the Nutri Quiz, three

students from each section com-

posed a team. IV-St. Rita team of

William Andrew G. Bulaqueña,

Janine Claire T. Jalosjos, and Jas-

min Rose A. Castillon amassed

the most number of points from

the three sets of questions.

During the closing pro-

gram, the newly formed dance

troupe made their debut during

the intermission.

(Fruitelyn Apple A. Gamulo)

School Year

N

um

ber

of

Stu

den

ts

SJCSI holds annual literary–musical night

DepEd joins drive for Palawan River

News Briefs Compiled by the News Bureau

―Habanera Botolena.” The seniors perform their award-winning folk

dance during the literary–musical night at the college gym.

Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa. Ana Camille Pona leads the singing of

“SJCSI Hymn” during the culminating program.

DSWD marks Disability Week

T he Office of the Municipal Social Welfare and Devel-

opment initiated the observance of the 33rd National

Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week

with activities for the differently abled, July 17–23.

During the week-long cele-

bration, the OMSWD headed by

Yolanda B. Saile installed stream-

ers with the theme ―Making the

Rights Real for Filipinos with

Disabilities‖ in conspicuous

places in the town.

A free medical consulta-

tion for people with disability

(PWD) was held at the municipal

outdoor stage while the dental

mission was conducted at Sindan-

gan District Hospital.

Jose M. Maraguinot, a

visually impaired Sindanganon

who now works as a manpower

development officer at the Area

Vocational Rehabilitation Center

in Zamboanga City, was the guest

speaker during the program and

forum on July 21.

Maraguinot, the elected

president of Sindangan Associa-

tion of PWD, stressed the need to

promote the rights of the differ-

ently abled citizens and their par-

ticipation in mainstream society.

In the provincial celebra-

tion held in Dipolog City on July

22, Elsie Balawing, a visually

impaired pupil at Sindangan Pilot

Demonstration School, defeated

other contestants with her singing

rendition during the Talentadong

Zanortehanong PWD contest.

By virtue of Presidential

Proclamation No. 361, series of

2002, as amended by Administra-

tive Order 35, every third week of

July is declared as the NDPR

Week to encourage the participa-

tion of PWDs in the political and

public life.

(Sidney Rico T. Rebollido)

Promoting the rights of PWDs

New7Wonders of Nature

SJCSI observes Buwan ng Wika

T he Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park has made it to the 28 official

finalists for the global search of New7Wonders of Nature. As of press time, the

Palawan River is one of the fastest growing entries based on the weekly voting trends.

Br. Armin Luistro, FSC,

secretary of the Department of

Education, supported Presidential

Proclamation No. 182 entitled

―Declaring a National and Inter-

national Campaign for the Puerto

Princesa Underground River as

One of the Seven Wonders of

Nature‖ when he issued a memo-

randum on July 7.

In his memo, Secretary

Luistro encourages the whole de-

partment to conduct activities and

other initiatives to support the

nationwide voting campaign.

―As a nation, what we lack

in material wealth, we compensate

with the richness of our natural

resources; hence, we should take

advantage of this by putting our

country on top of the world,‖ ac-

cording to Luistro.

The Saint Paul‘s Subterra-

nean River National Park is lo-

cated 50 km north of Puerto Prin-

cesa City, the capital of Palawan.

The park has a karst land-

scape, an irregular limestone re-

gion of sinkholes, underground

river, and caverns.

The main feature of the

park is the 8.2-km-long navigable

underground Cabayugan River

that winds through a cave before

flowing directly into the disputed

South China Sea or the ―West

Philippine Sea.‖

The river includes major

formations of stalactites and sta-

lagmites, and several large cham-

bers. The lower portion of the

river is subject to tidal influences.

At the mouth of the cave, a

clear lagoon is framed by old trees

growing right to the water's edge.

Monkeys, large monitor lizards,

and squirrels dwell at the beach

near the cave.

Over 10 million salanga-

nes (cave swallows) and bats live

in the cave. They contribute to

the exceptional biodiversity

within the river.

Biological studies are still

going on to determine if the un-

derground river is one of the most

complex, if not the most, karstic

systems in the world. The site

contains a full ―mountain-to-sea‖

ecosystem and has some of the

most important forests in Asia.

The underground river was

the world's longest until the dis-

covery of subterranean river in the

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

It was inscribed by the

United Nations Educational, Sci-

entific and Cultural Organization

as a World Heritage Site on Dec.

4, 1999.

To vote for Palawan River,

text PPUR to 2861 (all networks).

You may log on to www.

new7wonders.com and register to

choose Puerto Princesa Under-

ground River as your entry.

(William A. G. Bulaqueña)

Literary–Musical Night Tally

E News A3 June–September 2011 │El Obrero

I t was a showcase of Josephian talents in acoustics and vocals, literary arts and public

speaking, and terpsichorean skills.

P ursuant to Presidential Proclamation 1041, series of

1997, Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc.–High

School celebrated the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa in Au-

gust.

SJCSI fetes

Nativity of Mary Saint Joseph College of

Sindangan, Inc. commemorated

the Feast of the Nativity of the

Blessed Virgin Mary at the school

grotto, Sept. 8.

The Rev. Nathaniele A.

Denlaoso officiated the holy mass

to celebrate one of the oldest

Marian solemnities and one of the

cardinal feasts of the liturgical

devotion to Saint Mary.

The Society of Mary–

Sindangan Chapter is headed by

Alan Caboverde while the SOM–

SJCSI Chapter is led by Edralin

M. Deleña.

SJCSI organizes

dance troupe The Saint Joseph College

of Sindangan, Inc.–High School

recently set up its dance troupe

and opened its membership to all

dance enthusiast Josephians.

Ranie Jamila, a physical

education teacher, is the choreog-

rapher–trainer and adviser.

Fire razes seven shops Seven business establish-

ments were burned down when a

fire hit the Phase 6 of the Sindan-

gan Public Market, July 22.

Estimated damage to prop-

erty was around P3 million. Arson

was ruled out by the Bureau of

Fire Protection.

Aside from the eatery,

where the fire originated, a PCSO

lotto outlet, two optical clinics, a

storehouse, a pawnshop, and a

hardware shop were also gutted

down.

SJCSI held the slogan and

poster-making contest on Aug. 8

to mark the first week of the

month-long celebration.

The poster designed by

Reger Ed A. Caperig, Kathleen

Mae E. Pormento, and Clint A.

Morito of II-St. Christopher was

adjudged as the most relevant to

the theme ―Ang Filipino ay Wi-

kang Panlahat, Ilaw at Lakas sa

Tuwid na Landas.‖

The III-St. Therese team

represented by Fila R. Dagomo,

Mary Grace J. Parilla, and Meryl

Aurece R. Enriquez won the slo-

gan-making contest.

For the culminating activ-

ity on Aug. 26, SJCSI held for

the first time the Tagisan ng Ta-

lino at the gym.

All 14 class sections were

represented by three students each

who went through the three levels

of quizzes about the national lan-

guage and Philippine literature.

The IV-St. Rita team com-

posed of William Andrew G. Bu-

laqueña, Janine Claire T. Jalosjos,

and Yanessa S. Naval led with 71

points, followed by IV-St. Agnes

and III-St. Therese with 62 and 60

points, respectively.

Also held on the last day

was the talumpati contest where

the oratorical pieces were cen-

tered on the importance of the

national language.

The panel of judges,

chaired by Josephine Sanghilan

from Sindangan National High

School, declared Geraldson A.

Crispo of IV-St. Rita as the best

orator.

Each year level staged a

balagtasan. The participants de-

bated on different topics related to

the national language and Filipino

traditions.

(Jasmin Rose A. Castillon)

In the literary events, Pam-

ela Mennet V. Llorente, I-St.

Mary, was adjudged the best ora-

tor with her interpretation of the

theme: ―Shine as Light in the

World.‖

Reymund Danielle U. Ju-

galbot, senior; and Joyce Nicole

T. Jalosjos, sophomore, tied for

the second place. Jarrah Sophia B.

Saile, junior, was the third placer.

Meldrid B. Baculpo, also

from I-St. Mary, retold the story

of ―Little Red Riding Hood‖ that

gave the freshmen their second

win that evening.

Sidney Rico T. Rebollido,

senior; and Choly Marie A. Pad-

ayao, junior, were the second and

The annual literary–

musical night on Sept. 9 capped

the week-long 2011 Intramural

Meet.

For the musical category,

the juniors won both the acoustics

and vocal solo contests.

The acoustics group was

composed of Marc Caen C.

Aricheta, flute and beatbox; Judee

B. Garsuta, Anna Camille Pona,

and John Mark Dalogdog, vocals;

Franz Angelo Labadan and Heron

Dumajel, guitars; and Meryl

Aurece Enriquez, keyboard.

Garsuta outdid Ryan G.

Barrogo, a senior and previous

year‘s winner, with her rendition

of ―Sana’y Wala ng Wakas.‖

third placers, respectively.

For the balak contest, Billy

Jun C. Albilda, II-St. Elizabeth,

delivered his award-winning piece

on ―Ang Imong Pagsubang Hi-

moang Dan-ag sa Kalibutan.‖

Rhoian Erl Cabrera, senior;

and Kaiser Ed S. Bayawa, junior,

were the second and third placers.

It was a big night for the

seniors who earlier on that day

topped the 2011 Intramural Meet

Medal Tally, 27–25–9.

For the dance category, the

seniors swayed their way to a

grand slam in the four events:

ballroom dance, folk dance, group

impersonation, and hip-hop.

(Cynthia Kareen J. Nazario)

Contests/Year Levels I II III IV

Musical

Acoustics 2 2 1 2

Vocal Solo * 3 1 2

Literary

Oration 1 2 3 2

Storytelling 1 * 3 2

Balak * 1 3 2

Dance

Group Impersonation * 2 3 1

Folk Dance 2 3 2 1

Ballroom Dance * 2 3 1

Hip-Hop * 3 2 1

Ranking * 3 2 1

Fila R. Dagomo filadagomo@yahoo.com

Brain pincers Crabs in the bucket

Many people have ob-

served live crabs in the market

that often compete with each other

to get out from their basket. Ven-

dors do not pay much attention to

these crabs when they try to es-

cape from their confines because

it would take some crazy luck if

one could get out without being

pulled back by the others.

Actually crabs are not en-

vious of each other; they just want

to be free. However, after this

observation one particular human

behavior is named after these poor

animals.

When someone gets very

successful, some people envy and

even ruin the reputation for their

own satisfaction. This way of

thinking is best described by the

phrase ―if I can‘t have it, neither

can you.‖

The same is true among

students especially those who are

competing for top honors. There

is more to the timeless sibling

rivalry in the classroom. A stu-

dent gets bullied for being the

smartest, the most popular, or the

most congenial in the batch.

Politicians are no different

either. If they failed their election

promises, they would blame their

constituents for not helping them.

Could this be a reason why

our country is not progressive?

The greatness of a country is a

collective achievement of its peo-

ple. If Filipinos keep on bickering

and trampling each other, this

country will never be great unless

its people are productive and uni-

fied with long-term goals.

Unlike the crabs who sabo-

tage their freedom to escape from

the boiling pot, Filipino can better

do the opposite. If someone is

very successful, why can we not

ask not to be left behind? Why

can he not bring us with him or

teach us what to do?

The crabs‘ untimely collec-

tive demise from sabotaging each

other is a valuable lesson for us

all. We all want to escape from

the harsh reality of our day-to-day

existence, but we remain stuck in

this dire situation.

There is no doubt we are

competitive as a people, yet we

are envious and short-sighted. As

the Haitian proverb goes, we are

no different from the crab that

walks too far only to fall into the

pot.

Or are we simply like the

crab, according to the comic play-

wright Aristophanes, that cannot

be taught to walk straight?

F ilipinos are often said to have an attitude called crab

mentality. Even though this is a universal attitude,

we strongly associate ourselves with it because we truly

understand this part of our humanity.

Opinion

Columnists: Donalyn E. Aquino • William Andrew G. Bulaqueña

Fila R. Dagomo • Mara Aubrey Sistine L. Escoreal

Judee B. Garsuta • Janine Claire T. Jalosjos

Commentator: Sidney Rico T. Rebollido

Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc.–High School

National Highway, Poblacion, Sindangan

7112 Zamboanga del Norte, Region IX

Tel/Fax: +63-65-224-2204

Email: el.obrero@ovi.com

W e are grateful to Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz

for allowing us to use images of his work for El

Obrero and Ang Manggagawa’s nameplate.

St. Joseph The Worker, a bronze sculpture, shows Joseph who is hard at work as a

carpenter nailing two boards together that form the shape of a cross. It foreshadows the

crucifixion of his Son (www.sculpturebytps.com). A1: Edralin M. Deleña; Guinness World Records. A2: Jerome E. Ochavo; Reginald Clement S. Pondoc.

A3: Gilbert B. Lamayo. A8: Municipal Planning and Development Office; Sindangan–Facoma.

B1: SJCSI Alumni Office; R.C.S. Pondoc; Kevin G. Siasico. B2: Department of Tourism; Agence France-

Presse. B3: G.B. Lamayo. B4–B5: Kim Batula; Facoma; GWR. B6: NCCA; Central Book Supply, Inc. B7: Co-

lumbia; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. B8: Associated Press; G.B. Lamayo.

C1: G.B. Lamayo; Dr. Amiel Caspillo. C3: Philippine Rugby Federation Union; Philippine Football Fed-

eration. C4: G.B. Lamayo; Mary Astrid P. Taco.

Photo Credits

Editorial Board Fila R. Dagomo Editor-in-Chief • Donalyn E. Aquino Associate Editor (Internal)

Judee B. Garsuta Associate Editor (External) • Janine Claire T. Jalosjos Managing Editor (Admin)

Mara Aubrey Sistine L. Escoreal Managing Editor (Finance)

Administration Gilbert B. Lamayo, MAELT Technical Advisor

Engr. Leonor A. Labadan, MPA Consultant • Cristina S. Bajalan, MAEd. Principal

Alfreda B. Calamba, Ed.D. Executive Vice-President

El Obrero is published semi-annually by Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc.–High School.

Opinions expressed in El Obrero are solely those of the writers‘ and do not necessarily reflect the views of

SJCSI, and do not imply endorsement thereof. El Obrero owns the copyright of all contents of this publica-

tion unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2011 El Obrero

“Writing is prayer.”

El Obrero

A4 El Obrero│June–September 2011

Commentaries

RH Bill: Anti-life, anti-Filipinos

T he Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of the

Philippines (CBCP) says the Reproductive

Health (RH) Bill is not just a Catholic issue but

―a major attack on authentic human values

and on Filipino cultural values regarding hu-

man life that all of us have cherished since time

immemorial.‖ The pastoral letter entitled ―Choosing Life, Rejecting the

RH Bill‖ also reiterates the call of the Catholic Church against

the controversial bill, saying that it is anti-life and anti-Filipino.

―Advocates contend that the RH Bill promotes reproduc-

tive health. The RH Bill certainly does not. It does not protect

the health of the sacred human life that is being formed or born.

The very name ‗contraceptive‘ already reveals the anti-life na-

ture of the means that the RH Bill promotes. These artificial

means are fatal to human life, either preventing it from fruition

or actually destroying it,‖ part of the four-page pastoral letter

reads.

Likewise, the CBCP contradicts the claims of RH sup-

porters that contraception will stop overpopulation, which re-

sults to poverty.

―Our own government statistical office has concluded

that there is no overpopulation in the Philippines but only the

over-concentration of population in a number of urban cen-

ters… . The causes of our poverty are flawed philosophies of

development, misguided economic policies, greed, corruption,

social inequities, lack of access to education, poor economic

and social services, poor infrastructure, etc.,‖ the letter says.

The bill proposes for a large-scale government funding

on artificial contraceptives.

9/11: 10 years on

W here were you 10 years ago? Most of us were still in diapers when four commercial

airliners were hijacked by 19 terrorists from the

Islamist militant group Al-Qaeda. Two of the planes were

slammed into the World Trade Center, one into The Pentagon,

and the other crashed in a field in Shanksville, PA. Osama bin

Laden, its leader, initially denied involvement, but the group

later claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Of the nearly 3,000 people killed, 20 Filipinos perished—

18 in the twin towers and two on board the planes.

Unknown to our innocent minds, the events on that fate-

ful day have changed the world. Our parents have lived

through the horrors of the news about the two ongoing wars

waged against terrorism. Filipino soldiers were deployed

briefly in Iraq for the ―Coalition of the Willing.‖ Angelo dela

Cruz, a Filipino truck driver, was kidnapped but spared from

beheading when the Philippine government gave in to the mili-

tant‘s demand on the withdrawal of troops stationed in Iraq.

Through the years, we heard about the notorious Guan-

tanamo Bay; the execution of the infamous Saddam Hussein;

torture in Abu Graib; terrorist attacks in Madrid, London, and

Mumbai; and the recent manhunt of bin Laden.

We enriched our vocabulary with terms like Taliban,

―invisible‖ weapons of mass destruction, war on terror, jihad,

fatwa, mujahideen, airport scanner, and so on. We expanded

our knowledge of geography: Afghanistan as the first country

alphabetically, Abbottabad, and all other places ending in –bad

or –stan, etc.

A decade later, we realized why the coordinated attacks

happened in the United States of America and the use of United

and American airliners on the symbols of economic power,

military might, and perhaps of democracy or world supremacy.

Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited US support of Israel, the pres-

ence of US troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as

motives for the attacks.

As a consequence, many countries have strengthened

their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement

powers.

The Filipinos have to be vigilant because the risk of at-

tack is not a question of why but of when because we are the

haven of the Islamist, fundamentalist, and terrorist Abu Sayyaf

Group.

ISSN 2243-8319

Vol. V ▪ No. 1

June–September 2011

The RH Bill Controversy Francis Joseph T. Fuertes

W e recently conducted a survey to all 163 seniors about their preferred colleges or

universities as well as the courses they are planning to take up. However, only 102

questionnaires were returned and included in the tabulation.

Mara A.S.L. Escoreal mara.escoreal@ovi.com

The piggy pen

Survey Quo vadis?

The loss of innocence

A loss of innocence is a common theme in literature

and pop culture. Often seen as an integral part of

coming of age, it does not make Josephian students a cut

above the rest.

the consequences. But there is

still time to redeem ourselves and

earn our teachers‘ trust again.

First, let us show some

consideration for other students

by keeping our classroom as spick

and span as it was in the morning

when we arrived. Besides, it

would not hurt to pick up trash

and dispose of it properly.

Second, let us follow the

rules for order and harmony espe-

cially in a Catholic institution like

ours.

Finally, let us all grow up

and be responsible students and

citizens.

We may have passed a bad

period lately, but let us make that

experience widen our awareness

of the ―evil, painful, and suffer-

ing‖ to finally move on with our

respective lives.

On the first few days of the

school year, some students

showed off their best attitudes in

order to impress their teachers.

They came up with eye-catching

works to leave the teachers

amazed at their abilities.

In return, the teachers gave

good grades. Some of them even

considered their students like

barkadas—thus students could

easily approach them in times of

problems.

Without hesitations, the

teachers gave their students a lot

of chances in submitting their

projects and even to the point of

extending deadlines to be more

considerate.

When it comes to our

school rules and regulations, each

one of us is supposed to obedi-

ently follow them. Most of the

students are indeed steadfast.

Older students tend to be more

behaved.

Unfortunately, as they say,

some good things never last. In

just a few weeks, some students

began to be unruly to the point of

making the classroom resemble to

a zoo filled with wild animals.

Others simply did not care at all.

In fact, some teachers

started to suffer from their stu-

dents‘ disobedience. The once

friendly teachers became strict

and would scold students harshly

and often.

On the other hand, the stu-

dents have gone wild in different

ways. They broke more rules; and

the supposed-to-be model senior

students were no longer in the

right path.

After classes, most of the

classrooms were topsy-turvy and

littered with trash. The college

instructors who later use them

complained of the untidy class-

rooms that were no longer condu-

cive for learning.

To tell you the truth, we,

Josephians, have grown disre-

spectful not only to our teachers

but also to other students. Some

schoolmates are stubborn and

would skip their classes especially

after lunch.

Teachers are not the only

ones who are getting strict but

also our dear principal who just

cannot be lax in controlling these

shenanigans.

Let‘s face it—we all know

that these stupidities are done on

purpose for sheer enjoyment for

ourselves without even knowing

Donalyn E. Aquino donalyn.aquino1996@yahoo.com

Signs Philippine progress

Ora et Labora writes 30

S aint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc. has for

quite some time now adopted Ora et Labora—

the motto of the Benedictine Confederation—as

its motto, too. Even the student publication, which

had been in existence for only a few years until it

was printed for the last time two years ago, was

also named after it. With the re-launching of our student publication, we

have corrected the misnomer once and for all. We need to

change our nameplate to achieve the perfect identification

because identity creation is not just an occasional activity

but a permanent one.

We have chosen a new name that best represents

Saint Joseph College of Sindangan that is named after Jo-

seph the Worker: the patron saint of families, fathers, ex-

pectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and

buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and working people in gen-

eral. The nameplate has to be a distinct Josephian identity

that reflects the Catholic nature as well as the aspirations

of the institution. Thus, El Obrero was born.

It is also fitting that the maiden issue of the official

Filipino student publication carry the same translated

nameplate. Ang Manggagawa will be published simulta-

neously with El Obrero to provide another avenue of ex-

pression for those students who prefer the other medium.

Besides being among the few secondary schools in

Sindangan and the neighboring towns not having a Fili-

pino student paper, SJCSI was encouraged to establish it

in line with the campus journalism programs of both high

school and college levels.

Consequently, the college students will also release

the maiden issue of The Staff this first semester. Still con-

sistent with the Josephian identity, the tabloid and the oc-

casional magazine releases will be named as such as a trib-

ute to Saint Joseph‘s staff that bore the lily blossoms—the

image found in the core of SJCSI logo—as the legend

goes.

El Obrero is not just a change of name. And nei-

ther is Ang Manggagawa a mere translation of that Span-

ish phrase. Rather it marks the ushering in of a new era in

campus journalism at SJCSI that will unlock the immense

potentials of the students to develop the craft of writing

and to be competitive in the local, division, and even in

the regional and national schools press conferences; and

the papers themselves to be at par with the other local stu-

dent publications.

A change in name and the adoption of a slogan are

not meant to change our fellow students‘ perception of

their campus paper and the intangible associations that

come to the fore whenever ora et labora is seen or heard.

Even though misattributed to Saint Joseph the Worker,

―pray and work‖ has inspired us through the years to prac-

tise patience, persistence, and hard work as exemplified by

Joseph and the Holy Family.

However, we are not Benedictines.

Choices for other colleges/

universities include Andres Boni-

facio College (Dipolog City),

Negros Oriental State Univer-

sity (Dumaguete City), Saint Jo-

seph College of Sindangan, Inc. (Sindangan, ZN) University of

San Carlos, (Cebu City), and

Western Mindanao State Uni-

versity (Zamboanga City).

Other courses indicated by

the students comprise education

(13 percent), nautical science/

marine engineering (12 percent),

nursing (9 percent), engineering

(7 percent), criminology (7 per-

cent), and hotel and restaurant

management (6 percent).

June–September 2011 │El Obrero E Opinion A5

D iscontent is the first step in the progress of a man or

a nation, according to Oscar Wilde.

Extreme poverty, massive

corruption, organized criminality,

rising unemployment—all of

these compounded social ills con-

tribute to our economic misery.

With all the determining

factors a godforsaken country

could possess, could there be a

chance for Philippine progress?

To be aware of this break-

down in the institutions of this

society is hard enough to bear. I

would often wonder how Filipinos

live each day with optimism de-

spite the economic conditions.

Here are the very prevalent

questions: Can we stop all of

these from happening? Whose

fault is it that bad things befall

upon us?

It is reassuring that every-

one feels the same economic

crunch. We all want a resolution

to all the woes we face each day.

We want change for the sake of

change, change for the better, and

utmost change to catapult the

Philippines to progress.

After all, we are a democ-

ratic country. We take pride in

our democracy as the oldest in

Asia. We also have the other in-

gredients for prosperity. We have

enough natural resources. We are

a highly educated people. And we

can speak English much better

than our neighbors in the region.

Despite everything that is laid

before us, why is it hard to attain a

prosperous state of the nation like

theirs?

It is easy to blame the gov-

ernment for its inadequacies, its

lack of concern for the poor, the

untouchable corrupt politicians

and officials, and bad governance.

But are we not the government—

of, by, and for the people?

Oftentimes we are the vic-

tims of our own apathy. We lack

unity and the strength of character

for our actions to be consistent

with our beliefs.

Charity begins at home,

and so does corruption. Even at

school, students resort to cheating

and dishonesty for an easy way

out. Our actions defy the values

education that we are supposed to

learn and live by.

Lest we forget, we are the

building blocks for the develop-

ment of our country. If we put

them all together, we may even

build something beyond our ex-

pectations.

College/University

Decided

Course

Undecided

Silliman Uni-

versity (Dumaguete

City) and Saint Vin-

cent ‘ s Co l l eg e (Dipolog City) top

the list of preferred

colleges/universities.

22%

11%

69%

38%

The seniors

prefer to enroll in

business courses like

accountancy, man-

agement, admini-

stration, and ac-

counting technol-

ogy.

‗Writing is a form of prayer.‘ Our new slogan

W e want a memorable catchphrase to help estab-

lish our publication‘s identity and to add clar-

ity, not a translation of its name. Even if we also believe that ―the pen is mightier than the

sword,‖ we would not be original anymore if we adopted this quota-

tion by Edward Bulwer–Lytton as our catchphrase to complement

the new nameplate of El Obrero.

Instead, we have chosen ―Writing is prayer.‖ This is a quota-

tion by the Bohemian-Jewish novelist Franz Kafka who is better

known for ―The Metamorphosis‖ (1915) among his many works.

Taken from a diary entry, Kafka‘s confession about ―writing

as a form of prayer‖ enabled him to express many of his brilliant po-

etic perceptions of the world and of his own mind.

Along the same line, the slogan may suggest that the enthusi-

astic members of the editorial board and staff could not have proba-

bly chosen any other effective form of expressing ourselves but

through writing.

Kafka was most alive and most ―praying‖ when writing. Con-

sidering the tremendous sacrifices he made to his writing, it is only

fair to say that we are challenged when measured against the goal we

set to achieve for ourselves—your newly re-launched student publica-

tion.

Editorial

William G. Bulaqueña william.andrew_mm@yahoo.com

Eau Claire

Protogenos

Janine Claire T. Jalosjos a9_claire@yahoo.com.au

Dive deep into reality

I n this universe of ambiguities, merely one being pro-

tects us from noxious annihilation: it is Mother Earth

—precious than any wealth, superior than any place.

The breakdown of nationalism

Not so long ago, much of

the world was wilderness. Trees

were abundant, resources were

bountiful, almost all were in a

state of equilibrium. Everything

was perfect.

But as time goes on in the

ever-shrinking wilderness, ani-

mals and plants are facing the

ever-increasing encroachment.

Everywhere their survival hangs

in the balance. At present, a third

one has been recently added to the

list of species under threat of ex-

tinction. It is Mother Earth.

Who could have such an

evil heart to interrupt the peaceful

existence of our Mother Earth?

Yes, it is correct if one will

say ―advancement in technology,‖

but then as we dig into the core,

we will find the true culprits of

destruction. It is us, our inven-

tions, that caused Mother Earth to

her breakdown.

As civilizations spread, so

did the damage to the land and all

organisms therein. Extinction of

species, deforestation, climate

change… all of these we have

done that altered the rhythm of

nature.

What predominates the

human mind is our escapist ten-

dency. We tend to ignore the man

-made problems, which we are not

innocent to begin with. Solving

them does not get into our minds.

Instead of facing them squarely,

we pass the blame to others.

It is our sole responsibility

as higher species to take care of

what is laid before us as custodi-

ans of the Earth. However, we

have abused her, benefited with-

out minding the dire conse-

quences of our actions, and ne-

glected her.

We are still subjects with

imperfections despite our achieve-

ments. As we keep on pushing

ourselves to even greater heights,

we have abandoned Mother Earth

to her decadence. We satisfy our

greed for wealth, power, and com-

fort to the point of the destruction

of our planet.

Have we ever thought that

if this being goes extinct, we have

nowhere else to go? There is no

other place where plants, animals,

and other living and non-living

things work in a harmonious cycle

that sustains life. Mother Earth is

exotically rare. Anything else can

be imitated, cloned, or even simu-

lated but she cannot be replicated.

Life is a gift. Each crea-

ture is given this vital driving

force. However, human beings

end up depriving the other living

organisms of this precious gift.

We are as destructive as we are

creative; opportunistic as we are

endowed.

We can speak, we can

move, and we can think. But with

a simple effort to save her takes so

much time for us. Even cleaning

after our mess takes a loud voice

of conscience for us to do it.

Enough damage has been

done already. Mother Earth is

dying. We must change our ways

of living and thinking for her

sake. We need her for our sake,

too.

Western music, Korean

fashion, Italian cuisine, and even

American accent… all of these

have seeped into mainstream cul-

ture; but we have not hesitated to

adopt them over the years to the

point of brainwashing us that any-

thing Philippine or Filipino is

cheap, substandard, outdated, and

corny. Worse, we have not been

patronizing anymore our own

works and products.

As a matter of fact, we do

not only reject our own but also

criticize them. We cannot help

but compare them with the im-

ported ones. To make matters

worse, we tend to look down peo-

ple who patronize these cheap

commodities, poor-quality items,

and good-for-nothing Philippine-

made products, as others call

them.

When it comes to music,

the situation goes the same. Teen-

agers nowadays prefer to listen to

Western music that has upbeat

rhythm and awesome music vid-

eos.

To top it all, teenagers to-

day are very fond of the Korean

and Japanese pop music, popu-

larly known as the K-pop and J-

pop, respectively; trampling our

own music industry, and dejecting

our local musicians and Original

Pinoy Music.

Moreover, one of the most

alarming threats is the slow disap-

pearance of our pure Philippine

languages. Partly to blame is our

educational system that eliminated

the use of the vernacular as the

medium of instruction or bilin-

gualism in the classroom. Our

schools encourage us to speak

English as if fluency in it is the

true measure of our academic

achievement. At home, parents

encourage their children to speak

English, albeit broken, or our own

variant of Philippine English.

Languages are dynamic

and they evolve like us, too.

However, mixing up the local

languages with English results to

students speaking comparably

better English with good diction

and accent but handicapped when

it comes to speaking and writing

in Filipino. And I am certain that

only a few students are proficient

in Cebuano-Bisaya either.

Indeed, nationalism has

taken a different course in this

country. After more than a cen-

tury of independence, we have

never learned to disassociate our-

selves with the colonizers. We

still look at foreign cultures as far

more superior than ours as we do

with our choices in music, cloth-

ing, food, and language. We do

not really care if we do not have a

strong sense of nationalism. We

just want to live uniquely – act

like Spaniards, think like Ameri-

cans, but behave badly as Filipi-

nos.

N ew generation, new era, new trends. These factors

cause our culture to slowly alter and fade away. Are

we not worried that time will come when even a trace of

our Filipino identity is nowhere to be found?

E A6 Opinion El Obrero │June–September 2011

About-face

Judee B. Garsuta judee_garsuta12@yahoo.com

Virtual addiction Letters to the Editor

Rhiza Mae T. Casalem, I-

St. Francis adviser, teaches Fili-

pino courses to high school and

college students.

Casalem obtained her

bachelor of arts degree, major in

in Filipino (2010), from MSU–

IIT, Iligan City.

Gilbert B. Lamayo, techni-

cal advisor of El Obrero and The

Staff, teaches language and litera-

ture courses to education students.

Lamayo earned his bache-

lor of arts degree in English

(1993) and master‘s degree in

English language teaching (1997)

at the University of San Carlos,

Cebu City.

He also completed the

course requirements for his mas-

ter‘s in literature (2002) at USC.

Marnie T. Madresta, I-St.

Mary adviser, handles religion–

values education, English, and

religious studies.

Madresta finished her

bachelor‘s degree in secondary

education, major in English

(2011), at SJCSI.

Michael A. Masalta, II-St.

Michael adviser, earned his

bachelor of arts degree in political

science (2010) from Andres Boni-

facio College, Dipolog City.

Mary Grace T. Rebollido, I

-St. Anne adviser, teaches English

for high school and psychology at

the education department.

Rebollido graduated with

a bachelor of science in psychol-

ogy degree (2005) at Trinity Uni-

versity of Asia, Quezon City.

Emerald A. Soledad, II-St.

John adviser, handles technology

and livelihood education classes

for high school and management

courses at the business admini-

stration department.

Soledad completed her

studies in management accounting

(2007) at USC and accountancy

(2008) at Saint Vincent‘s College,

Dipolog City.

Kimberly Paul C. Solito,

IV-St. Agnes adviser, teaches

social studies and religion–values

education.

Solito got his degree in

elementary education (2011) at

SJCSI. He is presently pursuing

his secondary education degree,

major in English, at SJCSI.

(Nikko R. Dagomo and Mary

Claire H. Villarias)

D o you sleep late at night but wake up early the fol-

lowing morning? If you do, chances are you check

your profile, write comments, tag photos, confirm friend

requests, like advertisements, or harvest virtual crops be-

fore retiring or upon waking up.

Teachers . . . From A1

Scribes . . . From A1

Café blues I cannot take my snacks properly because the canteen is very

crowded.—Nicola P. Lecciones, IV-St. Rita

I prefer that the canteen served more delicious food.—Cris

Cyril R. Campus, IV-San Lorenzo Ruiz

I suggest that our canteen be expanded because it cannot ac-

commodate all of us during break.—Rachelle J. Bayawa, IV-St.

Rita

Water-Closet We are complaining about our dirty and stinky ladies restroom.

—I-St. Anne students

Too hot to handle I suggest that the school install an air-conditioning unit in each

classroom so that students will be comfortable.—Faith Emer-

ald Lerin, IV-San Lorenzo Ruiz

Can we request additional fans in every classroom?—Hans

Christian G. Rasonable, IV-St. Rita

Facelift I recommend that the classrooms be repainted because the

walls badly need a paintjob for the school to be attractive in-

side and out.—Jarrah Sophia B. Saile, III-St. Therese

Missing issue Why is the student paper published only every other year?—

Mark Kevin B. Hilay, IV-St. Rita

Broken promises I can remember during the SSC campaign that the winning

party promised to hire janitors to maintain the restrooms. I

hope they can fulfill it before we graduate.—Roy Christian M.

Campaner, IV-St. Rita

High school library I wish the high school had its own exclusive library.—Sheyne

G. Dagondong, IV-San Lorenzo Ruiz

Heart of darkness Our classroom is very dark especially on cloudy days. We are

requesting a replacement of the busted fluorescent lamp.—I-St.

Cecilia students

Litterbugs I am complaining about the trashcans in the restrooms. We

need new ones with lids so that no stray cats or dogs can forage

into the garbage.—Marie Maricar Cachin, III-St. Therese

If you feel you cannot live

without Facebook, then you must

be addicted already. Count your-

self among the 50 percent of more

than 750 million users worldwide

who log on to Facebook in any

given day.

D a t a f r o m s o c i a l -

bakers.com, a social media statis-

tics site, reveal that the Philip-

pines ranks seventh out of the 213

states with its 26,056,340 Face-

book users.

About 26 percent of the

population are connected on the

most popular online network. Of

these many users, 38 percent be-

long to the 18 to 24-year-old

group. Teenagers from 13 to 17

comprise only 20 percent of all

users in this country. There are

more female users at 52 percent.

Is Facebook a boon or bane

for Filipinos? It depends who

your ―friends‖ are or what you

―like.‖

L. Escoreal and Donalyn E.

Aquino for news writing (English

and Filipino); William Andrew G.

Bulaqueña and Janine Claire T.

Jalosjos, editorial writing; Fila R.

Dagomo and Sidney Rico T. Re-

bollido, feature writing; Reymund

Danielle U. Jugalbot and Joelan

M. Tongco, sports writing; C y n -

thia Kareen J. Nazario and

Yanessa S. Naval, copyreading

and headline writing; Tanya

Grace Anne Benitez and Francis

Joseph T. Fuertes, editorial car-

tooning; and Judee Garsuta and

Kevin G. Siasico, photojourna-

lism.

(William A. G. Bulaqueña)

El Obrero ▪ News Bureau Pamela Mennet V. Llorente Director

Writers: William A. G. Bulaqueña • Jasmin Rose A. Castillon • Nikko

R. Dagomo • Fruitelyn Apple A. Gamulo • Judee B. Garsuta • Janine

Claire T. Jalosjos • Reymund Danielle U. Jugalbot • Cynthia Kareen

J. Nazario • Zekaina Rose F. Siasico • Mary Claire H. Villarias Photojournalists: Reginald Clement S. Pondoc • Kevin G. Siasico

Design

Artists/Cartoonists: Meldrid B. Baculpo • Tanya Grace Anne A.

Benitez • Reger Ed A. Caperig • Francis Joseph T. Fuertes

Al Gabrielle V. Lañojan • Sean Maverick D. Realista

June–September 2011│El Obrero A7 “Y’a pas que la

rigolade, y’a l’art.” (There‘s more to life than

laughs. There‘s art.)

Raymond Queneau

Status: It‘s complicated. Reger Ed A. Caperig

A room with a view

RH: Really Heavy Meldrid B. Baculpo

Get a kick out of life Meldrid B. Baculpo

Break a leg Francis Joseph T. Fuertes

Lacy‘s breakfast Reger Ed A. Caperig

Horoscope Design: Meldrid B. Baculpo and

Francis Joseph T. Fuertes

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Smile all day long. Make people

wonder what you are up to.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Don‘t check your Facebook pro-

file today. You may find yourself

tagged in an uncensored photo.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Your future is not quite as un-

eventful as it is eventless.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

You are confused, unpredictable

and generally blurry today. So is

your future.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Don‘t waste your time reading

stupid horoscopes. Take a bath

instead.

Gemini (May 21–June 21)

You have two pairs of pants that

look absolutely horrible on you in

your closet right now. Throw them

out. Just throw them away.

Cancer (June 22–July 22)

People generally laugh and smile

in your company. Try to be the

butt of all jokes and make them

laugh some more.

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)

You are going to feel very lazy

today. Stay in bed and go to sleep.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

You could find love today. Stay

indoors. Avoid the perils of love.

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 23)

When you cross the road, take the

first step with your left leg.

Scorpio (Oct. 24–Nov. 21)

Don‘t go to the dance troupe prac-

tice today. You may be thrown

out for body odor.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

Today is your lucky day. But

don‘t take a risk. We may be

lying.

Text: News Bureau

Freedom of Choice. Al Gabrielle V. Lañojan

Game over Evolution

Fire alarm. Sean Maverick D. Realista

It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.

Design: A.G. Lañojan Quote: Woody Allen

Design: F.J.T. Fuertes Quote: H.L. Mencken

My fake plants died be-cause I did not pretend to water them.

I‘m hungry! Can you

fix cereal for breakfast?

Here‘s the cereal. Here‘s the milk. Do it

yourself!

I‘m not that

hungry!

I failed to make the chess team because of my height.

Hoi polloi Ondoy Meldrid B. Baculpo

Design: Tanya Grace Anne A. Benitez Quote: Mitch Hedberg

Sidney Rico T. Rebollido sidney.rebollido@ovi.com

Follow-up Story

Community

Editor: Sidney Rico T. Rebollido

Contributors: William Andrew G. Bulaqueña

Janine Claire T. Jalosjos

A8 El Obrero│June–September 2011 Tarsiers discovered

in Sindangan hinterlands

W hat we thought all along that tarsiers (Tarsius syrichta) are endemic

to the island of Bohol was proven wrong when these tiny primates

were discovered by a villager in the forests of Brgy. Caluan, 10 km away

from the Sindangan town center, last April.

Map of the Municipality of Sindangan and its barangays. Inset: The

tarsier that was brought by the barangay captain to the town hall.

Women‘s group renamed to coop

Maumag in our midst

From BAWA to 4SPC

P lus ça change, plus c’est la même chose (The more things change, the more they stay

the same)—as the French saying goes.

Background The defunct Bantayan Ac-

tive Women‘s Association

(BAWA) was a grantee of the

Department of Labor and Em-

ployment–Region IX livelihood

project in Zamboanga del Norte.

As a recipient organiza-

tion, BAWA received an initial

grant for P50,000 as startup capi-

tal way back in 2003.

When the former President

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo imple-

mented the ―Isang Bayan, Isang

Produkto , I sang Milyong

Piso‖ (One Town, One Product)

program, BAWA was one of the

recipients of the P100,000 loan as

capital for the Spanish-style sar-

dine business.

It was learned from Leonor

T. Aguilar, the manager of Public

Employment Service Office

(PESO) in Sindangan, that the

town qualified under the Poverty-

Free Zone program of DOLE–

Region IX.

The town was a benefici-

ary of the P1-million program.

According to Aguilar,

BAWA received the ingredients

for sardine-making such as pre-

serving jars and caps, cans of corn

oil, jars of pickles, labels, and

plastic seals aside from the 10

tanks of liquefied petroleum gas.

BAWA was provided with

the necessary cooking equipment

and utensils to standardize its pro-

duction.

BAWA received another

grant for P40,000 to buy the fish

for its operations.

As counterpart, the Local

Government Unit of Sindangan

constructed a sardine processing

plant in Brgy. Goleo.

Association BAWA initially had 32

members headed by Beverly For-

rosuelo as its president and Tere-

sita Bajalla, vice-president.

They produced bottled

Spanish-style sardines, which they

sold for P40 each, and four other

products.

Aside from sardines in oil

and in tomato sauce, BAWA also

bottled salted fish, sweet bagoong

(shrimp paste), and dayok

(fermented fish innards).

This livelihood undertak-

ing was overseen by the Depart-

ment of Trade and Industry, De-

partment of Agriculture, Depart-

ment of Science and Technology,

and the LGU of Sindangan.

Training for the women

entrepreneurs was handled by the

Technical Education Skills Devel-

opment Authority.

DOLE‘s project was cen-

tered on livelihood enhancement

to empower those in the informal

sectors to be engaged in gainful

employment.

The livelihood and em-

ployment-generating projects

were part of the government‘s pro

-poor initiatives to address the

economic woes of the majority

and the unemployed especially in

the rural areas.

Over the years, only eight

to 10 members of the association

remained active in the fish proc-

essing for BAWA.

Since most of them are

fisherfolk and would rely on their

regular catch for daily sustenance,

they would rather sell their catch

in the public market, said Forro-

suelo.

Since its establishment in

2005 until 2010, BAWA had pro-

duced almost 20,000 bottles of

sardines, which were sold in local

establishments, trade fairs, and

through the OTOP website.

On April 13, 2011,

BAWA filed an application to the

Cooperative Development Au-

thority to change its status from

an association to a cooperative.

Forrosuelo said that she

wanted to retire from the associa-

tion due to health reasons.

According to her, she was

stressed while managing the asso-

ciation because she would some-

times use her personal funds for

the day-to-day operations of the

association.

―Even though the associa-

tion was a recipient of a govern-

ment funding, the financial sup-

port is not sufficient to sustain it.

Until now, the loan from the LGU

as capital assistance has not been

paid by the (former) association,‖

she added.

According to Aguilar,

DOLE audits all recipient organi-

zations; and BAWA, as well as

the other beneficiaries, still has to

present its operation reports and

financial statements.

Cooperative

On May 11, 2011, BAWA

received its certificate of registra-

tion of the amendment by chang-

ing its name to Sindangan Spanish

-Style Sardine Producers Coop-

erative (4SPC).

On its 55th founding anniversary

Facoma restores old name

W hat‘s in a name? That which we call a cooperative

by any other name would sell as sweet.

Cooperative identity!

The board of directors of

the then Sindangan Farmers and

Teachers Multi-Purpose Coopera-

tive (SFTMPC) recently approved

the reversal of the cooperative‘s

name to its original founding

name to underscore the coopera-

tive‘s identity.

The popular Facoma

(Farmers Cooperative Marketing

Association) name was restored.

It had been in use since its estab-

lishment on Aug. 30, 1956, until

1998 when it was changed to

SFTMPC.

In 2006, it merged with the

defunct Sindangan Cooperative

Credit Union, Inc., and Sindangan

Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

In 2008, it moved to its

newly-constructed P8-million

two-story commercial building.

It also expanded its mem-

bership base when it began to

offer credit lending and function

hall rental aside from its core

services of rice and corn milling;

copra, rice, and corn trading;

warehousing, trucking, savings

and time deposit, mechanical and

solar drying, consumer store, and

farm input.

In the first quarter of 2011,

it put up branches in Dipolog City

and in Labason, Zamboanga del

Norte.

On the occasion of its 55th

founding anniversary, the coop-

erative, now known as Sindangan

Facoma–Community Multi -

Purpose Cooperative (SF–

CMPC), inaugurated its new elec-

tric corn mill at Sitio Balik-balik,

Brgy. Poblacion, on Aug. 30.

After the thanksgiving

mass and program, representatives

of SF-CMPC signed memoranda

of agreement with Bayside Multi-

Purpose Cooperative and the par-

ents for the scholarship program

to select high school students.

SF-CMPC has 4,202 active

members, a total acquired asset of

P113.1 million with a net income

of P4.1 million, and a capital

buildup of P18.8 million.

(William A. G. Bulaqueña)

Lone surviving founding member. Amor P. Espinas receives his certifi-

cate of appreciation from Aurelia P. Villegas, SF-CMPC general man-

ager; and Pecioleta E. de Castro, board of directors chairperson.

With their enormous eyes,

soft velvety fur, and long fingers,

the tarsiers were found clinging to

twigs. Curious and amazed by the

unusual creatures, which he saw

for the first time, the villager cap-

tured one of them and then later

sold it for P200.

Ronie Anseling, barangay

captain of Caluan, Sindangan,

accepted the man‘s offer with the

motive of releasing the animal

afterwards. But Anseling brought

the tarsier to the Municipal Plan-

ning and Development Office

instead to report this animal‘s

existence in his village.

―Sightings of the tarsier

were also reported in Brgy. Bato,

but no official report has reached

our office yet,‖ according to May-

belle Isagan– Cabañog, MPDO

head.

The tarsier, with its Grem-

lin-like appearance, caused com-

motion among the town hall em-

ployees who saw it for the first

time, too. Nobody ever thought

that such creature existed in Sin-

dangan or outside Bohol Island.

However, the tarsier died a

few days later after its captivity.

It has been documented by

tarsier conservation organizations

that the animal, traumatized with

loud noises while in captivity,

would commit suicide by con-

stantly hitting its soft head unless

it is released to the natural envi-

ronment.

The tarsier is among the

smallest primates in the world (so

small that it can sit in the palm of

your hand).

It measures only about 85

to 160 mm in height and weighs

between 80 and 160 g. The male

tarsier is usually heavier than the

female.

It is a member of the 45-

million-year-old family of Tarsii-

dae, derived from its elongated

tarsus or ankle bone.

They are endemic to a few

islands in Southeast Asia; and in

the Philippines, not only in Bohol

but also in Samar, Leyte, and

Mindanao.

Philippine tarsier sightings

were also reported in the islands

of Maripipi, Siargao, Basilan, and

Dinagat. The ones found in

Saranggani may be of a different

sub-species.

Called maumag in Ce-

buano, the tarsier was only intro-

duced to Western biologists in the

18th century. The Philippine tarsier is a

shy nocturnal animal that should

not be disturbed during the day. It

sleeps in the dark hollows close to

the ground.

It becomes active at night

to hunt insects for food. Due to

its territorial nature, a single tar-

sier needs at least a hectare of

space.

The species is listed as

endangered even though there are

no adequate data to make an as-

sessment of its risks of extinction

based on population.

Tarsiers can live up to 24

years in the wild, but as short as

12 years in captivity.

(Janine Claire T. Jalosjos)