DIASPORA: The Westernian Advocate Magazine

ANATOMY OF GROWTH Using IT and Application Programming Interface systems, More than monetary returns, this trading cycle of agri- Farm Box organizes sponsors who are willing to shoulder products ensures a long-lasting industry of food production the starting expenses and capital fund of partner farmers by in the country, considering how newer generations slowly drift providing them boxes from trusted direct suppliers. There are away from agricultural labors due to the emergence of more four types of boxes available: the Crop Box, which contains industrialized opportunities. high-value plants, the Poultry Box, which produces chicken meat, the Hydro Box, with herbs, lettuce, and pechay and the “For consumers, we help them to achieve the food security Piggy Box, which produces pork. needed. The average age of farmers in the Philippines is 59 yrs old, and by 2030, wala na tayong farmers, so paano na “There are a lot of people that really want to help and ang food natin? Kaya we also make sure na we are training make an impact on the community. I built the team to help young farmers. For us to continue to have food in the future. me organize and create the structure of Farm Box, Anjenette Also, fresh ‘yung produce namin,” stated Mr. Mendoza. Lopez, CFO; Felix Veroya, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Networks; John Christopher Francisco, Head of Tech. Then, there are organizations who gave us grants to push this startup, mentors who guided me along the way,” shared Mr. Mendoza. Investors will only need to create an account at https:// farmboxonline.com/, select a specific box, then proceed to online payment, to which the site will respond with confirmatory details regarding the purchase. After the transaction, sponsors will only wait for a maximum of six months before receiving their payback based on the profit-sharing agreement made. “Our sponsors can get a net profit sharing at the end of the farming season. Also, they can visit the farmers kung nasaan ang boxes nila. And they get to help our local farmers and create an impact sa community,” added Mr. Mendoza. 99|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

“Farm Box has the mission to uplift the lives of our local farmers by helping them have access to quality farming essentials and agricultural solutions, eliminating the loan- after-loan farmer’s journey’ throughout the farming cycle. SEEDS OF SUPPORT To translate innovation and creativity into developmental tools, Globe Telecom Inc. held a Business Hack-it-On start-up competition that began in March 2020. During the 5-month long contest, Philippine-based individuals, groups, start- ups, and social enterprises vied in presenting technological projects and digital platforms with the greatest viability to address wide-scale social problems, in which Farm Box emerged as the grand winner. “Farm Box has the mission to uplift the lives of our local farmers by helping them have access to quality farming essentials and agricultural solutions, eliminating the ‘loan- after-loan farmer’s journey’ throughout the farming cycle. It enables our customers to help our local farmer by purchasing the all-in-box which contains all the farmer’s needs to change their lives, from farming essentials, training, handbooks, tools and even a customer for the produce,” explained Farmbox Chief Executive Officer John Lester Mendoza. Aside from the 200,000 peso worth of technological support, the team was also awarded with industry insights, business mentoring and coaching, networking opportunities, and a potential collaboration with the SingTel Group and other sister organizations. This is to ensure that Farm Box’s huge potential will move past the presentation stage and actually be materialized into assisting farmers and the agricultural sector of the community as a whole by easing the process of trading. “The idea came from a farmer who went to our house to borrow money for her farming essentials. That time, I didn’t have money to help and lend some since I already spent it in my Poultry Farm. This farmer walked away empty-handed, disappointed. That night, I asked my friends if they are willing to help our farmers here in Calaca in providing the capital. I pitched to them how we will return the money, as well as how there will be a sharing on the profit of the harvest,” added Mr. Mendoza. Eventually, the platform grew beyond the competition as it partnered with 19 farmers in Calaca, 10 farmers in San Jose, and 7 farmers in Batangas city. 100 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

JOHN LESTER MENDOZA Co-Founder and CEO, Farm Box REAPING RESULTS As of April 2021, Farm Box has 443 registered sponsors, ten enterprise partners, a team of volunteers, agriculturists, vets, experts, and hobbyists. It has also successfully distributed 201 boxes and amassed a total of P1,011,000 worth of farming supplies & agri-services. As astounding as these numbers sound, no statistics can loudly testify to Farm Box’s success as much as the moving stories of its partner farmers. “Simula pa lang po ako dito [Farm Box], 6 months. Nabalitaan ko lang po sa barangay tapos umattend po ako ng meeting tapos kami po ay natuwa dahil may gustong tumulong sa amin,” shared Mrs. Ledesma Perez, 57, Farm Box’s partner poultry and hog raiser. Before joining this platform, traditional farmers like Mrs. Perez would burn their skin in the fields only for such efforts to be rewarded with low market sales, narrow customer reach, and unreturned capital, all while having no safety net once inevitable disasters strike the farm. “Malaki pong tulong sa amin, hindi na po namin problema kung saan namin kukunin ang kapital na kailangan namin tapos tinutulungan pa po nila kaming ibenta ang produkto namin kaya mas magaan po para sa amin,” she added. Farm Box has an online blog called Sprout which can be viewed at https://farmboxonline.com/sprout/, where they post articles on the current and future state of Philippine agriculture, their new products and offers, as well as testimonies from farmers on how the platform has changed their lives. “Hindi na po kami nangungutang sa 5-6 ng kailangan namin, sila na po ang nagbibigay. Mas madali na po namin nakukuha ang mga gamit, kumpleto po, hindi na po namin tinitipid. Masaya po kami na may mga ganito na tumutulong sa amin,” ended Perez. 101|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

TO AND BEY ND REDEFINING THE GAMING COMMUNITY AND CHANGING LIVES WHILE HAVING FUN Text | Clark Alduz Viray Photo | Elaine Mapagdalita & Axie Infinity Artwork | Angelo Mendenilla 102 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

“What makes Axie Infinity unique is that this wild growth is just the first step in a much larger plan that includes vertical integration, aggregation, decentralization, and literal worldbuilding. -Patrick McCormick With its simple yet engaging gameplay and visually appealing graphics, Axie Infinity not only delivers enjoyment to its players, but has also been a source of steady income for many during this pandemic. NFT BASED GAMEPLAY Axie, which was developed by the Vietnamese based game company, Sky Mavis, works through an ethereum blockchain technology that allows the players to convert Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) earned during the game into cash. In order to start playing, a gamer must have at least three Axies—Pokemon inspired characters that have nine types— and beat other gamers in a turn based combat card battle where the winner will be rewarded with Small Love Potion (SLP), which is the game’s cryptocurrency. “Since pandemic po and nasa bahay lang (naman ako), though may online class may mga labis na oras pa din naman na imbis na ipaglaro ko ng ibang games naisip ko na dito na lang sa Axie kasi play to earn nga siya,” said Andrei Chrysler Torres Ilagan, a second year Civil Engineering student studying at University of Batangas. Means of generating income in the game includes but are not limited to: accomplishing daily quests, winning player versus player (PVP) games, farming SLPs, breeding and selling Axies, and playing the game’s adventure mode. RISKY INVESTMENT? It is important to note that investing in Axie could cost an investor at least six thousand pesos, up to a staggering one million pesos, depending on the statistics, abilities and other factors associated with the characters or team one plans to purchase. As a result of the aforementioned investment dilemma, some Axie players join scholarship programs sponsored by their managers. This is a pretty direct system, where the manager will purchase the team and the scholar will play the game, with profits shared between them based on their agreement. 103|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

“Actually nagstart ako as a scholar. Wala akong nilabas kahit piso and ‘yung kinita ko bilang scholar is nireinvest ko lang ulit sa Axie. Bumili ako ng team. So from zero talaga siya meaning lahat ng meron ako ngayon sa Axie is profit ko na,” added Ilagan. Aside from the financial setbacks, other problems that will be faced by those who want to venture into Axie gaming is the need for a device dedicated for gaming, strong internet bandwidth, and efficient time management skills as increasing one’s Matchmaking rate (MMR) requires hours of playing. THE RISE OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES As mentioned earlier, one interesting feature of Axie Infinity is its successful merging of an interactive gaming platform with NFTs and the use of cryptocurrencies. Aside from SLPs, which the players are familiar with, another cryptocurrency used in Axie is the AXS, which is somehow similar to stocks or shares in a company, as holders of this token have control on platform development and treasury funds allocation. “Before ko siya laruin, ginagawa ko ‘yung number one rule sa crypto—’yung “Do your own research” (DYOR) and base nga sa naresearch ko, good (investment) naman siya (Axie) and kumikita naman ako,” stated Ilagan. As of writing, AXS has a maximum value of $8 billion market capitalization, with individual tokens being prized at $138 or roughly Php 7, 000 each. Even though the concept of using cryptocurrencies has been around as early as 2009, as a result of Axie’s popularity, more and more people are getting interested in investing and being informed in the use of “digital money.” “Ang masasabi ko po sa kanila (potential investors) is DYOR na lang po siguro and never invest money that you can’t afford to lose,” advised Ilagan. BEYOND GAMING While at first glance, Axie Infinity is viewed as a source of joy and financial stability, we cannot deny that from a more informed perspective, the Axie gaming community is a group of people who realized the potential of blockchain technology, NFTs and cryptocurrencies and are not afraid to use them for their benefits. Truly, Axie Infinity is more than just a game, it is a whole culture, founded on the tenets of earning while having fun. 104 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

PASSION WRITTEN IN THE STARS: ARIES’ BLAZING JOURNEY TO ECOLOGICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Text | Nixon De Villa & Jane Therese Banaag Photo | Ariestelo Asilo Purpose. Puso. Empathy. Long before the pandemic took its toll on the entire globe, the “PPE” abbreviation had already been coined by the doctor aspirant turned entrepreneur, Ariestelo Asilo. But far from how the rest of the world digests each letter’s infamous meaning, the “PPE” that defined the course of the nutritionist-slash-entrepreneur’s life does not equate to personal protective equipment. Awarded as the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) College Distinguished Alumnus for Nutrition Entrepreneurship and Community Nutrition, Asilo has consistently proved that being an iskolar ng bayan goes beyond the four corners of UP with a success story he stitched out from the hem of society. 105|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

BITTER BEGINNINGS Spending most of his childhood roaming stalls after stalls in the rowdy public market of Bauan, Aries, as he is fondly called, never thought that the sweepstakes tickets he mindlessly sold around the area would also serve as the ticket to a fruitful entrepreneurial career. “I started working at the age of 6. Nagtitinda lang ako noon—sweepstakes tickets, palamig, firecrackers. I never thought I would become an entrepreneur kasi gusto ko talaga maging doctor. Akala ko nga, hindi na ako makakapag-college, kasi mahirap lang buhay naman noon,” recounted Asilo. Aware that his humbling provincial life can only take him so far, he knew that he had to go places and pursue tertiary education in the name of the fulfillment of his aspirations to be a doctor; but to his dismay, his relatives did not see the point in Aries taking a step outside his comfort zone. “Sabi ng Tatay ko, dito ka na lang mag-aral sa Batangas. Sabi naman ng iba kong kamag-anak, ‘wag ka na mag-college, tumulong ka na lang sa magulang mo. Sabi ko, no, this cannot be, I had to dream and I had to find some ways to study. Luckily, nakapasa ako sa UP Los Banos,” expressed Mr Asilo. Upon graduating from UPLB, Asilo thought he had everything figured out—a bachelor’s degree, a nutritionist license, three stable jobs, and a future in medical school. But tables suddenly turned to his disadvantage when his father, the person who initially inspired him to be a doctor, passed away. “Nawala ‘yong nagpaaral sa akin at inspiration ko. Nag-iba ‘yong mindset ko. Kinailangan ko mag- buisiness, kasi doon may pera. I have to do something else. So, taong 2012, ako unang nagkaroon ng company. 2013 siya nai-register. Agricultural company siya. Nag-partner ako sa mga banks para makatulong ng farmers,” shared Asilo. BREWING VICTORIES Heading on a business path was not all rainbows and sunshine for the agricultural entrepreneur as he had to calculate his steps in and out of the business arena before he realized that it takes more than passion and courage to find success in it. “I never knew what I was doing. I was just trying to understand it—trial and error. So, it didn’t go well. I tried another company, a business development accounting firm. ‘Yong natutunan ko noong una kong tinayo, na-apply ko dito. Somehow, nagsu-succeed siya, pero na-burn out ako. I tried to find myself. Nag- Masters in Business Management (MBM) ako sa UP,” said Mr. Asilo. Enlightened of the learnings in his master’s degree, Asilo has been unstoppable in his entrepreneurial undertaking since then for co-founding not just one but two coffee companies: Varacco Inc. and Timplado International Corporation, to showcase the forsaken potential of the Philippines’ agricultural sector. 106 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

“Varacco Inc. started as a single proprietorship. It was founded by my friend and my partner right now, Cath Manto. I incorporated it because my background is business. So, nag-grow kami as a corporation. Varracco Inc. is a manufacturing company now. It does not only manufacture coffee, but we also manufacture other food stocks,” shared Mr. Asilo. Showing off its patented dip coffee utility model, full-bodied coffee blends from products directly sourced from farmers, innovative ways, and creative pursuits, Varacco Inc. came up with a registered trademark brand Timplado, which eventually became a steadily growing cafe restaurant chain. “Timplado International Corporation naman is another corporation that sells kape, cacao, kakanin, kanin meals, sapin-sapin, champorado, Pilipino talaga siya. Kasi wala pa tayong coffee shop or restaurant sa Pilipinas na talagang masasabi mong atin. Starbucks is there, Coffee Bean is there, pero Western ‘yon. Something Filipino, that’s my dream for Timplado. That’s why it’s Timplado International, we want to go global,” added Mr Asilo. TASTE OF COMPASSION AROMA OF CHARITY Anchored on the tenets of purpose, puso, and empathy, Asilo and Varacco Inc., bring sweetness not just to Aside from assisting the country’s struggling consumers, but to the company’s constituents as well agricultural sector by showcasing its potential to tbyhpreoviding livelihood in these times when finding a hjobi issa much harder challenge than ever. world, the Batangueno entrepreneur also extended “We want to give more jobs to the senior citizens and to the moms na walang trabaho ngayon kasi ‘yong helping hands towards victims of natural calamities such mga asawa nila, laid off. That’s the purpose. Puso, as Typhoon Yolanda back in 2013, the eruption of the Taal Volcano in 2020, as well as the recent chain of typhoons because we have a heart for the people we hire. We wanted the person na bibigyan namin dito to feel that devastated the region. na we’re not just selling, we’re helping provide an “I spearheaded volunteer works like human milk drive, impact to others as well. Empathizing is feeling it, women childcare infant system to support the people sa iniintindi mo ‘yong lagay ng mga taong walang Bauan kasi, ‘di ba doon ang puntahan ng mga victims ng Taal trabaho, paano ‘yong mga walang pang-kain. eruption. Noong typhoon Yolanda, I helped raise P120 000 pesos noong 2013 through the partnership with the Red Cross, Purpose, puso, empathy is a mindset; it’s a Rockwell, and ABS-CBN,” stated Asilo. daily thing, it’s a habit,” expressed Asilo. Consistently being of help to his hometown, the expertise of The humbling experiences of Asilo and roots of aim have served as a breath of Asilo was also tapped by the local government of Bauan to launch a mobile palengke that will provide for the food necessities of the fresh air in the capitalist nature of modern people of Bauan in line with the enhanced community quarantine entrepreneurship—something that protocols during the height of the pandemic. separates Asilo from the rest of successful “Mayroon kaming apat na mobile palengke na umiikot sa mga business owners with his compassionate barangay na may dalang mga pagkain para hindi na sila lumalabas at ma-prevent na ‘yong pagkakahawahawa. I mobilized alumni vision that goes beyond financial viability through the help of the teachers and other student volunteers from and his unwavering mission on a human Bauan Technical High School. May background ako about nutrition and ecological perspective. health so ‘yon ang ginawa ko sa pandemic,” answered Asilo. 107|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

UNDERNEATH THE PLASTIC LAYERS ANALYSIS ON THE CONTINUED USE OF FACE SHIELDS IN PH Text | Angel Joy Liwag Photo | Gerard Zairus Gupit Given the continuous pandemic surge, face shields have been a subject of various debates as regards their effectiveness against the COVID-19 spread. In the Philippines, it took nearly two years from the nationwide lockdown before the government declared the use of face shields as a voluntary act. Moreover, experts, specifically the Department of Health (DOH), expressed approval on the easement of face shields, especially in areas with low COVID-19 transmission. However, the entire policy lest a recommendation that still creates a series of viewpoints. Cautionary tales Consulting experts Despite the public discontent on the face shield policy, several Meanwhile, there are field experts on civil engineering officials noted that the implementation on using these plastic films and aerosol who called for scrapping the use of these remains worthwhile as no single intervention would work entirely additional plastic barriers as they claimed that it only to curb the pandemic cases as per University of Santo Tomas adds fuel to the fire. professor Cheryl Peralta. “I don’t favor the implementation of continuously using “Honestly, hindi naging madali sa akin ang paggamit ng face the face shield because there are far more effective shields dahil ang daming hassle. Mostly, feel mo laging mabanas at measures to limit or contain the transmission of the mas malabo ‘yung vision, lalo na kapag may eyeglasses. Para sa virus-like lockdowns, stricter quarantine procedures, akin sapat na ‘yung face masks kasi nadidispose na rin siya agad,” and isolations,” said Jeanette Caravana, Batangueña stated Klark Kent Pantalla, BS Engineering-I. citizen. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that it would be Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol expert and chemistry untimely to shift the mandatory use of face shield amid the pandemic professor from the University of Colorado-Boulder, has surge brought by the Delta variant as it will give a questionable sparked another debate on this implementation after message to the public—and that is, the probable ineffectiveness noting that plastic barriers used in schools and other of the so-called additional layer, for more than a year of the policy. poorly ventilated buildings, and face shields do not reduce the spread of infectious diseases and airborne “First, I think it is inconvenient. Second, it is not environmental- transmission of COVID-19. friendly. Third, I believe it is anti-poor and a waste of money because the money spent to buy face shields can be more useful if spent Wind dynamic expert and civil engineer Joshua Agar on food or other expenses. So, all in all, I think the use of a face warned that contrary to belief, these face shields might shield is not necessary and effective,” shared Christine Villena, AB increase the chance of transmission since infectious Political Science-I. particles can still travel underneath the face shield. 108 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

Reflecting transparency “Isa ring rason kung Advocating public safety, service “I agree if needed talaga ito sa situations bakit tutol ako sa with the most risk, pero I would prefer na paggamit ng face While conflicting claims hindi na since hindi ito suitable for public shield ay dahil hindi on the mandatory use use. If in a good sense, sure para sa safety naman ito ginagamit of face shields have pero on the other hand, for the sake of sa ibang bansa. Sa not settled down even sales,” claimed Pantalla. tinagal-tagal na on the onslaught of the nating namumukod- global health crisis, it is Earlier in October, DOH halted the tanging gumamit ng imperative that the public deliveries from Pharmally Pharmaceutical face shield, mataas opinion, more notably, the Corp. to push through a probe on the pa rin naman ang findings of experts must alleged overpricing of medical supplies and bilang ng COVID-19 be addressed, too. tampering with its expiration dates, including cases. Mas mainam the face shields. ang mas striktong “Isa ring rason kung bakit tutol ako sa “If the government wants us to be safe pagpapatupad paggamit ng face shield and to prevent the virus, they should have ng mga health ay dahil hindi naman better security and rules that their people protocols tulad ng ito ginagamit sa ibang will follow, same goes with people, they physical distancing, bansa. Sa tinagal-tagal should follow the rules that the government pagbabawal ng na nating namumukod- was implying. Face shields are not needed social gathering, at tanging gumamit ng face for us,” protested Rum Jeralyn Honrade, AB paggamit ng face shield, mataas pa rin Political Science-I. naman ang bilang ng mask. COVID-19 cases. Mas Insofar, Pharmally has delivered nearly mainam ang mas striktong 500,000 face shields to date, while DOH pagpapatupad ng mga stated that it has yet to pay the firm for the health protocols tulad purchases because deliveries have yet to be ng physical distancing, completed. pagbabawal ng social gathering, at paggamit ng face mask,” added Villena. After all, in this fight of curbing the simultaneous pandemic surge, public health and safety remained to be driven along with public trust to the enforcing agents, and the government as a whole. While anomalies and opinions on the advocacy of face shields undergo, one thing is resolute: transparency on the intent and use of these additional layers must be as reflective as plastic. 109|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

REDEFINING PROGRESS: UB BRICS’S DASH TOWARDS INNOVATION Text | Katherine Nicole Lontok & Princess Allyssa Plotado Photo | UB BRICS FB Page Many have come to realize that technology has transformed from being a mere tool to a completely essential part of our lives for in today’s time, we view it as the building blocks in the creation of a better and fully developed, technological world. In the day and age of astonishing software developments, the University of Batangas (UB) and its students are simply not the ones to lay idle. The Brahman Integrated Computing Society (BrICS) has created its fair share of high-tech advancements and developments that they administer with the UB student body with pride and joy. Starting BrICS by BrICS being in the organization for four years. “I can’t imagine talaga what happened to this students na Each organization has its own story to tell, and BrICS is no different. Since 2013, the Brahman Integrated Computing hindi namin mapakanta/mapasayaw before but now, g na g Society has been dedicated to creating a wholesome sila sumali sa mga presentation namin during our events. environment for not only College of Information and Yung mga nahihiya magtanong, sila na nagre-request magpa- Communications Technology (CICT) students, but for the tutor sa CICT Hangouts namin. Our Faculty naman (is) super entire Brahman community. supportive. Sa extraordinary experiences, madami kami ngayon nasasalihan na International Conference/Events,” “When I was in 1st year, BrICS exposed us to different added the president. events, and from there, we were able to know or meet our co-CICT students and faculty. Though, masyadong limited Besides the extraordinary change that took place within ‘yung mga events and compared sa ibang organizations, the organization, BrICS was also able to spearhead various inactive ‘yung students kaya (there were) lesser events,” activities that aided different areas of the UB Community. relayed Marven Dimaculangan, the current head of BrICS and They managed to embark the name of their organization into governor of the CICT Department. an institution known for its greatness in the field it specializes in—technology. The pandemic began, and the university faced one of the most drastic changes they’ve encountered—the shift to “We were able to organize and join/participate in many online classrooms. To some organizations, they saw this as a events that helped the UB Student Community, especially challenge, but to BrICS, this became the golden opportunity CICT students, to enhance their skills in the field,” mentioned to finally test their capabilities and show the student body the Dimaculangan. prowess of their institution. Onto unyielding advancements On BrICS-lliance and Excellence Much like other organizations, there are times where not all Without a doubt, BrICS has redefined campus fun as they activities would be taken into consideration and implemented launched Valentine’s Day Augmented Reality on February 26. immediately within the school year. There are some activities With most of their attendees coming from the Tech-Voc Strand which they should have done but still have not conducted, as of the SHS Department, their program tackled all kinds of love admitted by the organization’s head himself. (Self Love, LGBTQ+, and love for the profession) through accessible digital platforms such as Facebook and Zoom. “Funny thing about our organization, kami pa ‘yung in line sa tech or e-sports, kami pa ‘yung hindi masyado nakakapagpa- “And what we are proud of is, we were able to apply and event ng gan’un. That’s why, we are preparing for that talaga qualify as an Official Philippine Computer Society (PCS)- and magkakaroon pa kami ng maraming events related to Recognized Junior Philippine Computer Society (JPCS) our field. We will be inviting some schools/universities to join Chapter,” Dimaculangan stated. some of it,” said Marven Dimaculangan, Bachelor of Science in Information Systems-IV and President of BrICS. Other than that, BrICS also participated in Softcon— the biggest event for software and IT professionals in the Subsequently, they are more likely to gather local universities Philippines, organized by the Philippine Software Industry through invitations for soon-to-arise events such as esports Association (PSIA). The organization has also made significant events, the continuation of the Ala Eh! Dictionary and other efforts in helping the UB community by collaborating with more exciting technological innovations—connected to their UBSG-CICT and guiding other organizations in preparing and focus on gaining many exposures and engagements on the executing their web events. national level. “In addition, BrICS also have this project that we launched “Brahman Integrate Computing Society will be a more active during the first semester called CICT Hangouts—a discord organization this Academic Year, ” stated Dimaculangan, while server where every CICT student can communicate with each expecting more collaborations with different organizations— other,” added Dimaculangan. whether inside or outside the university premises. ExtraORGdinary Moreover, BrICS has a lot of projects up their sleeves, ready for launch this upcoming school year. And there is much Other than its notable achievements and projects, BrICS has that we can expect from this organization—ranging from their its own set of excitingly peculiar events within its organization. annual Valentine’s Day AR, E-sports events, tutorial sessions, Marven Dimaculangan, the organization’s head, relayed and other innovative technological projects that would serve some of his joyous moments and proudest experiences after the entirety of the Brahman society. 110 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

HOW TO SAY HELLO WITH A MASK An Analysis on the New Bating Filipino Text | Alyssa An Photo | Elaine Mapagdalita From doing fun activities to small gestures, everything became limited as the pandemic invaded our lives. Taking this into consideration, the passing of House Bill (HB) No. 8149, otherwise known as Bating Pilipino Para sa Kalusugan Act, seeks to institutionalize a new and safe way of Filipino greeting to control the rising cases of Covid-19 in the country. 111|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

Cultural reset Change that remains Driving back in history, Filipinos were With the new Bating Filipino, the practice of handshakes culturally inclined to start a conversation in formal events along with hugs and kisses limited to friends through a cordial greeting. They wore and family has been replaced by authoritative greetings as a salakot, a traditional Asian headwear new way of welcoming a stranger or other relatives. With this worn during hot weather, and greeted being said, geneuine people doing it in their everyday lives are people by putting off their hats and expected to normalize an enforced gesture. bowing their heads, parallel to the concept of Bating Filipino. “Siguro ‘yung mag-go go against dito ay yung mga taong hindi makikita yung added value. importance, relevance at storya sa “Curious din ako kung ang batas na likod ng getsure na ito. Pero, hopefully if they will be able to ito ay walang discrimination sa kultura understand the importance of this Bating Filipino na lalo na’t ng ating indigenous Filipinos. Kasi, alam magbibigay ng national identity ito, eventually ma-accept din nila naman natin ‘yung ating mga indigenous ito,” explained Mr. Camaclang. people may sarili silang pamamaraan ng pagbati, may sarili silang pamamaraan The underlying consequences of the New Bating Filipino on ng pakikipagkapawa kaya maaring our culture have been raised as a concern by some as it invades may sarili silang traditional na pagbati,” the traditional and typical Filipino greetings. shared Mr. Kenneth Lloyd Camaclang, MA Psy, CMHFR, CHRA, Instructor III “I don’t have anything against doon sa gesture na ‘yon. Maganda siya dahil mabibigyan ng emphasis ‘yung pakikipag- With the initiative of Marikina 1st District kapwa although nag-e-exist naman ‘yung pakikitungo natin pero Rep. Bayani Fernando to aid the bleeding through this mas ma-e-exercise pa ulit natin ‘yon,” furthered Mr. numbers of Covid-19 cases and death, he Camaclang. authored Bating Pilipino where Filipinos were expected to greet another person The bill has been ratified by the House of Representatives by ‘gracefully laying the palm of the plenary for second reading, if approved, anyone living in the right hand over the centre of one’s chest country was mandatory to practice “Bating Filipino” which while simultaneously lowering the head, legislates a culture that has an impact on our daily living. with eyes either closed or cast down’— an innovative doorway of approach on “Kung sa pag-po-promote ng awareness lalo na sa kapwa handling the country’s state during this natin Pilipino. Yes, agree ako pero tungkol kasi sa pagsasabatas pandemic and an exit to typical Filipino ay personally hindi ako agree kasi para sa akin ang simbolo ng handshake, hugs, and kisses. pakikipagkapwa katulad ng mga non-verbal gestures ay hindi naman kinakailangan pang isabatas,”stated Mr. Camaclang. “Nagulat ako kasi na isinusulong pala ng mga mambabatas natin para ma- Back to basics legalize ang Bating Pilipino. So as a Filipino, s’yempre ay nakakatuwa na The global incidence of viral infection has been traversing nabibigyang halaga ang concept ng national and local boundaries. And many countries were looking pakikipagkapwa at mas nag-flo-flourish at for alternatives as a replacement for physical contact greetings. lumalabas ‘yung trait nating mga Filipino sa pagbibigay natin ng importance sa In line with this, Thailand’s ‘wai’, a yogic posture of the palms healthy interpersonal relationship,” is proven as an effective and additional measure controlling added Mr. Camaclang. the number of cases in Thailand. The University of Melbourne mentioned Thai neither kiss nor hug but practice ‘wai’ often. 112 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM “Mahalaga ito sa panahon natin ngayon dahil sa aspeto ng kultura maiinangat nga natin ng mas mabuti ang katangian natin sa pakikipagkapwa sa pagbuo ng positibong pakikipag- ugnayan natin sa iba’t ibang tao. Now, sa kalusugan sa panahon na ito makakatulong ito kung paano tayo hindi magkakaroon ng physical contact sa mga tao,” expressed Mr. Camaclang. However, some critics think it is inauthentic and forced. According to those who are unaccepting of the changes caused by the new Bating Filipino, greetings naturally could shape culture and were not determined by the law. Also, as the public demands for vaccines, they accused lawmakers of misaligning their solution from the main problem, calling it micromanagement. On the other hand, the government clears that the goal of the bill was to lessen overwhelming physical contact activities that could worsen their current scenario since the virus was transmissible through the said typical Filipino gestures. “Naitutuloy at naitatawid pa rin natin ang pakikipagkapwa tao considering na patuloy pa rin nga ang pagkalat ng pandemya. So, sa halip na magkaroon ng kamayan, sa halip na magkaroon ng mga beso at kung ano man na pisikal na pamamaraan ng pagbati ay magandang alternatibo ito muna for the mean time. Pwede pa rin naman ituloy pagkatapos ng pandemya,” stressed Mr. Camaclang.

“Naitutuloy at naitatawid Another headstart pa rin natin ang pakikipagkapwa tao In conclusion it will not be easy to legislate the considering na patuloy pa way a person greets another person to the public rin nga ang pagkalat ng as Filipinos were inclined, defined and divided pandemya. So, sa halip na by the said culture. However, the court does not magkaroon ng kamayan, stipulate any punishment for the citizen who would sa halip na magkaroon ng not follow the said bill. mga beso at kung ano man na pisikal na pamamaraan Bating Filipino possibly generates an impact on a ng pagbati ay magandang diverse country united by colonial mentality. Either alternatibo ito muna for the this gesture could magnify positive or negative mean time. Pwede pa rin changes, it would serve as an intervention essential naman ituloy pagkatapos to aid the bleeding number of individuals suffering from the said virus. ng pandemya. “Wala ako naiisip na something na pangit sa Bating Pilipino. Maganda ang maituturing nito sa ating kultura dahil sa larangan ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino alam natin kung gaano natin nabibigyan ng emphasis ang konsepto ng Kapwa. ‘Di ba sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Sok Pil) itinuturing natin ang kapwa bilang pinakasentro pinaka-core ng Sok Pil. Now, since tayo dito sa Pilipinas bilang isang collectivist nation na nagbibigay ng matinding pagpapahalaga, pakikisama, pakikipagkapwa tao, sa pakikisalamuha itong Bating Pilipino na ito ay mas lalong makakapagpaigting ng kultura nating iyon bilang mga Pilipino,” ended Mr. Camaclang. 113|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

LOOMS OF HERITAGE: Reviving a dying industry and an almost forgotten culture with SM Sunrise Weaving Association Text | Clark Alduz Viray Photo | Joviallyn Belegal 114 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

Who could have thought that an association established for the purpose of preserving the skills and techniques in making hand woven fabrics and related products would, in just a few years, take center stage, not only in the local, but also in the international market? It still fills Mrs. Rosalinda Ocampo, founding member and current auditor of SM Sunrise Weaving Association, with pride as she thinks back on how their organization has grown since being established in 2017 for it has not been an easy journey, so far. Intertwined with history Aside from being known as one of the country’s top producers of “kulambo” or mosquito nets, and their mouthwatering delicacies such as the tamales, Ibaan is also famous for the art of weaving which is primarily practiced by its women residents. “Ang aming tradisyon sa paghabi ay matagal na. Kinamulatan at kinagisnan pa namin sa aming mga magulang at ninuno. Ang aming mga nanay at kapatid na babae, iyan ang naging hanapbuhay, kaya may term kami dito sa paghahabi—“tagadugtong buhay”,” shared Mrs. Ocampo. Despite being one of the main contributors to the local economy of Ibaan, the weaving industry is weakening due to the high costs associated with the production of handwoven products, increased industrialization that attracts more labor force, and the loss of interest of the new generation with weaving itself. “Napahinto na ang paghahabi (dito sa Ibaan) dahil nagkaroon na kami ng problema sa market at ganoon din sa source ng materials namin dahil nawala ang pinagkukunan ng aming sinulid,” lamented Mrs. Ocampo. As a solution, the local government unit (LGU) of Ibaan came up with the idea of establishing an organization that is dedicated to the preservation of the art of weaving and the revival of its industry. Hence, the foundation of SM Sunrise Weaving Organization, located at barangay Munting Tubig. “Ang pangalan ng SM Sunrise ay isinunod namin sa aming patron saint, si Sta. Margarita. Ang sunrise naman ay sumisimbolo ng pag- asang hatid ng pagsikat ng araw,” shared Mrs. Ocampo. 115|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

Interlocking challenges umabot ng eighty to one hundred pesos,” stated Mrs. Ocampo. As Mrs. Ocampo recalls, the first months of SM Sunrise Weaving Organization were rocky, to say the Moreover, according to Mrs. Ocampo, another least. Even though the Ibaan LGU provided them with problem that their organization encountered is the the facility and equipment for their venture, there are exhaustive process of weaving the patterns of their some matters that made it difficult for the members to products, which takes several days, depending on the function efficiently. intricacy of the patterns for the products. “Kami ay walang fixed salary, allowance lamang. “Mahirap ang paghahabi dahil napakahaba ng Gusto na lamang talaga naming ibalik ang paghahabi. proseso. Dahil sa paghahanay (ng mga sinulid) , Parang ayaw na ng iba sa amin gawa ng matatanda ipupulupot at ilalagay sa habihan, tapos isusulot ng na, parang di na (namin) kaya. ‘Yung una naming mga isa-isa sa harness. Halimbawa, isang shawl, ordinary produktong hinabi, kami kami na din ang bumili para design, aabot siya ng hanggang tatlong araw. Sa lamang may maipambili kaming bagong materyales. pagpupulon naman ng mga sinulid sa habihan, Matapos niyon, noong nakabebenta na kami, kinakailangan ng apat hanggang limang katao,” added nagsimula kami sa twenty pesos na allowance, tapos Mrs. Ocampo. nagsimula nang umakyat, naging fifty. Hanggang sa 116 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

Interweaving hope To show support, the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) provided their association with PTRI-developed mechanical handlooms that are capable of completing woven fabric products in a shorter span of time and producing as many as 2500 intricate designs. “Sa tulong ng LGU at DOST-PTRI, nagkaroon kami ng training kung paano ang paghabi ng ibang design. Dati ang alam lang naming style ay checkered at stripes dahil dalawa lamang ang tapakan ng aming ginagamit sa paghahabi. Binigyan kami ng four pedals hand loom at itinuro sa amin ang paggamit (sa mga ito). Ngayon naman, nakakagawa na kami ng aming sariling designs,” beamed Mrs. Ocampo. As with other enterprises, SM Sunrise Weaving Organization experienced severe economic problems as a result of the ongoing global pandemic, but as a testament of the resilience of the Ibaan townspeople, they turned this challenge into an opportunity. “Itong pandemic na ito, ang pinakamalaking challenge ng organization namin kasi kami ay nagsarado talaga, kaya wala talaga kaming benta.Sabi namin, kung kami ay gagawa nang gagawa, wala namang bibili, ay ‘di tatambak lamang diyan. Buti na nga lamang at nag-online selling kami ng facemasks. Nagsimula na na hinahanap na kami at pinupuntahan ng mga tao dito,” narrated Mrs. Ocampo. Instilling hope Recently, SM Sunrise Weaving Organization has been in the spotlight of the international market, as they have been featured in CNN Philippines last June, and their famed habing Ibaan garments, were used by one of the country’s top designers, Eric Pineda, as the main material for the gown of Miss Tourism International 2017 Jannie Alipo-on of Timor Leste, one of the muses in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. While SM Sunrise Weaving Organization takes pride in their recent accomplishments, it is still their vision that hopefully, the younger generation will appreciate the arts of weaving, for it has been serving as not only the lifeblood, but also the symbol of the Ibaan townspeople’s passion and discipline. “Sana ay lalo pang lumago at makilala (ang SM Sunrise Weaving Organization) nang malayo ang marating nito nang sa gayon ay magkaroon ng interes ang mga kabataan dito. At sana patuloy nila itong buhayin at palaguin nang hindi mawala ang kultura ng paghahabi dito sa Ibaan,” ended Mrs. Ocampo. 117|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

Know Your Vaxx: Breaking free from misconceptions about the COVID-19 Vaccine Text | Nixon De Villa Photo | Google Images After two years of lock down, we are finally beginning to contain the coronavirus pandemic with the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines. However, considering the wide scale of the virus behaviors and variants, these bottled miracles do not come as a one size fits all solution. There exists a class of vaccine brands across the world each with respective efficacy, doses, mechanisms, and side effects. To differentiate between labels that might seem too complex to understand, here are details of available vaccines in the Philippines as of October 2021. Sinovac CoronaVac Vaccine Efficacy Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects Approved 51% against 2 shots, 28 days allergic reaction to vaccine symptomatic cases, interval 18 years old and component, swollen lymph 100% against severe above nodes at injection site, fever, COVID-19 convulsions (rare) With approximately 41.5 million doses administered nationwide, the vaccine from Chinese-based pharma company Sinovac Biotech Ltd is the commonly available brand in the Philippines. It operates upon the inactivated virus technology, which is the injection of viruses whose genetic makeup is altered to be harmless and stagnant or the “dead” version of the virus but can still catalyze an immune response. The country’s CoronaVac supply comes mostly from China. PfIZER BIONTECH Vaccine Efficacy Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects Approved 95% against 2 shots, 21 days temporary mild to moderate symptomatic cases, interval 12 years old and pain at injection site, fatigue, 100% against severe above headache COVID-19 With 23.33 million doses of BioNTech vaccines administered already, it makes the second most common brand in the nation. Having the highest general efficacy among available brands, it is the second most preferred shot by Filipinos, with a 32% rating on Social Weather Station (SWS) survey, second only to Sinovac’s 39%. This American-produced injection uses the new mRNA technology, which prompts our body’s cells to produce a protein that will then trigger an immune response—thus preparing the system should COVID strike for real. OXFORD ASTRAZENECA VACCINE Vaccine Efficacy Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects Approved 70.4% against 2 shots, 4 to 12 pain at injection site, fever, symptomatic cases, weeks interval 18 years old and headache, fatigue, muscle 100% against severe above aches COVID-19 The collaboration of UK’s Oxford University and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca gave rise to the third most injected COVID vaccine in the Philippines with 11.1 million recorded administration. This European brand needs the biggest interval between doses. Recommended gaps between vaccination schedules provided by health authorities must be critically followed. This is due to the distribution of a second dose too soon poses the risk of reduced efficiency due to the body’s potential underdeveloped immunity response. On the contrary, a second shot that is given late relative to the first one may provide opportunities for the virus to strike while waiting for full vaccination. 118 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

MODERNA Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects Approved Vaccine Efficacy 2 shots, 28 days pain and swelling at injection interval 12 years old and site, fever, headache, fatigue, 94.1% against above vomiting, chills, nausea symptomatic cases, 100% against severe COVID-19 Recently rebranded as Spikevax, this vaccine that operates on mRNA technology has been administered to 9.99 million Filipinos. It is the latest among vaccine brands and approved by the Food and Drugs Administration for rollout on May 5. Moreover, relative to other shots, it was quickly developed due to the extensive study conducted through primary technological platforms. The speed of its development raised the public’s awareness, but suspicions were eventually dispelled by the brand’s high efficacy rate. JOHNSON & JOHNSON’S JANSSEN Vaccine Efficacy Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects 1 shot Approved 66.1-66.9% against pain and redness at injection symptomatic cases, 18 years old and site, fever, headache, fatigue, 77-85% against above nausea severe COVID-19 Usually referred to as the J&J vaccine, this shot is remarkable for its single-dose full vaccination system. 3.24 million Filipinos have already received the Janssen vaccine, which works by inserting a modified virus to force the cells to make large amounts of protective antigens. Since no secondary injections are required, this particular brand raises the speed of vaccine rollout, helps people with little to no free time for vaccination, and protects people from the virus at a much faster rate. Though the efficacy numbers pale in comparison to other brands, FDA decided that the trial results were enough for J&J to be released to the public. GAMALEYA SPUTNIK V Vaccine Efficacy Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects Approved 91.6% against 2 shots, 3 weeks pain and swelling at injection symptomatic cases, interval 18 years old and site, headache, diarrhea, sore 100% against severe above throat, colds, cough, appetite COVID-19 loss, congested nasal passages With 1.29 million doses given, it is the sixth most administered COVID protection brand in the country. The Russian-made vaccine operates on the same technology as Janssen, through non-replicating viral vectors. Though highly effective against moderate and severe COVID symptoms, it also comes with a huge pack of adverse side effects. However, these reactions are normal in the process of immunizing the body against the virus due to the body’s innate wiring when it comes to foreign objects. Unless the reactions become extreme to the point of seriously hindering a person’s functions or completely threatening one’s safety, there is nothing to worry about. SINOPHARM VACCINE Vaccine Efficacy Dose Frequency Age Group Common Side Effects Approved 79% against 2 shots, 3-4 weeks pain at injection site, headache, symptomatic and interval 18 years old and fever, fatigue severe COVID-19 above Using the same genetic platform seen on Sinovac, the vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company ​S​ inopharm Group Co., Ltd. has been injected into 1.1 million Filipinos. It is the first Chinese COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use and was approved in the Philippines on June 7, 2021. Though the Philippines limits its administration to adults, countries such as China already gave the go signal to inject this brand to children ages 3 to 11. Regardless of brand, all vaccines offer the same thing and that is to prevent extreme COVID-19 symptoms, hospitalization, and possible death cases. Thus, let us all fulfill our parts in bouncing back from this two-year global health crisis by getting the shots not only for ourselves but for everyone around us. 119|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

S4CP BILL GETS HOUSE APPROVAL: Philippines, especially during these trying times where health concerns presented by COVID-19 tested the country’s ability ALLOTS 2% OF NAT’L BUDGET TO R&D to respond to public emergencies. Text | Jane Therese Banaag Photo | newsbytes.ph Once passed into law, HB No. 7193 will compel the government to develop a self-reliant and innovation- In response to the ongoing global pandemic, a substitute supported economic environment that addresses lapses on bill institutionalizing the Science for Change Program (S4CP) disaster response and risk management, health innovations, originally proposed by the Department of Science and transportation, nutrition, and food safety through conductive Technology (DOST) was approved by the House Committee and scientific approaches. on Appropriations, Aug. 5. Introduced to Congress by AAMBIS-Owa Partylist Representative Sharon Garin last 2016, House Bill (HB) No. 7193 primarily aims to standardize S4CP as a national strategy to accelerate the country’s standing in science, technology, and innovation by drastically increasing its research and development (R&D) fundings. With the Philippine’s R&D budget currently at 0.47 percent, the S4CP bill pushes to raise such allocation to two percent within the next five years, doubling the one percent benchmark of R&D expenditures for developing countries imposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Furthermore, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Christopher De Venecia, and Science Secretary Fortunato de la Pena stressed the alarming data from the World Bank indicating that out of 90 countries, the Philippines merely beat Algeria and Sudan in terms of its R&D allocation. As for the S4CP bill’s relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic, De Venecia also emphasized that such data is an eyeopener towards the crucial role of science and technology in the PHILSYS DELIVERY BREACHES 1.3-M MARK Text | Nixon De Villa Photo | Francis Aaron Magpile Set in 2018 to provide a centralized proof of identity designated registration centers, and at last, awaiting the for transactions, Republic Act No. 11055, known as delivery of the said document, facilitated by Phil Post, to “Philippine Identification System Act”, in partnership with the applicant’s residence. the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) distributes 1,313,652 Philippine Identification cards to Filipinos Alternatively, applicants may also opt to fill out online nationwide, Aug 26. application forms at register.philsys.gov.ph to avoid long queues at their respective barangays, thereby making Eligible citizens must complete a three-step process the biometric collection the only step requiring physical to avail their national ID; beginning with the filing of presence for verification. demographic application forms facilitated by mobile Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) representatives, “Madali ang pagkuha ng national ID, kung kaya’t lahat ng followed by providing biometric information such as mamamayan ng Pilipinas ay may kakayahang magkaroon fingerprint, front-facing photograph, and iris scans at nito sa pamamagitan lamang ng pagpapa-register,” shared Lawrence Caringal, BS Civil Engineering-II who now only awaits for his ID to be delivered. According to a late-August report by PSA, 3,774,204 cards have been personalized already, while there are 3,455,142 million cards sent off for eventual distribution in the succeeding weeks. “Sa ating pagharap sa modernong sistema ng ating komunidad, ito ay magagamit sa pagpapa-validate ng mga online bank account at pati na rin ang pagpapasa ng mga document. Karamihan sa mga kagaya kong estudyante ay wala pa halos na valid ID, kaya naman napakalaking tulong nitong national ID para sa amin,” added Caringal. Aside from its 70-million target deliveries at the end of 2021, PSA is also set to launch the PhilSys mobile ID, an alternative version of the physical national ID, in order to accelerate the use of the verified card while registrants await for the IDs to be delivered. 120 | ADVO MAG DEVCOM

CONFIGURATION BLUNDER LEADS TO GLOBAL FACEBOOK BLACKOUT Text | Carlos Kim Raphael Perez Photo | The Guardian Due to an error in configuration changes, Facebook, “Unexpected problems or system glitches on different social including its subservices Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, media outlets like Facebook are understandably beyond the Mapillary, and Oculus, were unavailable worldwide for seven user’s control. I do think that the Facebook company, soon hours, Oct 4. to change its name to ‘Meta’, must secure all the necessary work to be done on their app so as to prevent any similar During a routine maintenance check, the site’s data centers occurrences or any further damage to the system,” ended were unintentionally disconnected from the rest of the world, Cananua. with the mishap being pinned to one of the company’s site engineers. “While Facebook was out, I only had one platform which I thought would serve as a good replacement for the meantime. I used Twitter where I scrolled through others’ tweets, complaining about the inconvenience that the Facebook outage has brought to many,” expressed Celeste Cananua, AB Political Science-I. On the other hand, Downdetector, a web monitoring firm known for tracking outages, stated that 10.6 million reports related to the incident were made globally, making it the tech giant’s biggest recorded breakdown since 2008 when a bug shut the site down for a day. “I was, at first, concerned because a lot of people today rely so much on the services that are being provided by Facebook, especially in terms of messaging and connecting with other users across the platform. I initially thought that there were some issues that needed to be fixed on my phone,” added Cananua. To resolve the issue, a team of engineers worked on the servers due to established physical and systematic security, with the five-hour operation assisted by previous drills on handling such system discrepancies. UPLB TRACKS POTENTIAL ANTI- CANCER PROPERTIES ON MAYON SOIL Text | Faith Valen Villanueva Photo | Ed Lustran (Inquirer) & DOST-STII UPLB tracks potential anti-cancer properties on Mayon soil The University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) discovers bacterial species with antibiotic and anti-cancer properties in Mt. Mayon Volcano soil in Malilipot, Albay, Aug. 12. Additionally, the UPLB experts isolated 30 bacterial species from Mayon soil, 13 of which appear to contain antibiotic properties, based on the findings of their clinical tests. “Bilang isang batang laki sa mga herbal medicine, namangha ako sa balitang ito kasi kung iisipin mo ang Mayon ang isa sa pinakamagandang bulkan na matutuklasan dito sa ating bansa tapos malalaman mo pa na mayroong panibagong napakahalagang ambag ito sa atin especially para sa cancer patients,” expressed Erika Mae Virtucio, daughter of a Breast cancer Stage 3 patient. Researchers classified the bacterial species as the “Streptomyces sp. A1-08”, which will be known as “Streptomyces mayenensis A1-08”.The said bacteria is known as an antibiotic that yields a potential cure to fight colorectal cancer, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “Sana nga magkaron na ng totoong lunas, kasi kahit dumaan na sa chemotherapy ang patient, at sa radiation patuloy pa rin ang pagbalik ng sakit na cancer. Pag-asa ito para sa mga cancer patients na patuloy na lumalaban kasi napakahirap makita na ‘yung mahal mo sa buhay ay naghihirap. Kung mapatunayan, maibibigay na rin sa mga cancer patients ang kanilang panibagong pag-asa.” ended Virtucio. 121|ADVO MAG DEVCOM

l On Anhedonia, Being 25, & Everything in Between A Three Act Tragedy

LITERARY 124 As Yesterday mourns Tomorrow 128 This closet hides no monsters 130 Half of you is a demon 132 Ang makinaryang walang turnilyo 134 Kaleidoscope

AmsouYrnsesTteordmaoyrrow Text | Katherine Nicole Lontok Artwork | Angelo Mendenilla “Why do you always carry that thing?” asked the little boy. and since then, he always wanted at least a bit of baby’s breath The sun could not compare to the brightness of the kid, the on his vest’s pocket.” tall woman beside him thought. His pearly-white teeth glisten as the sun highlights his mildly tanned face. “Oh, I love them too!” gleamed the nameless child. She Like a sunflower, he blooms. smiled and nodded in response. “If that’s the case then..” she Clarisa wasn’t always like this. She was an entrepreneur, picked three stems of baby’s breath from the bouquet that she running five businesses concurrently. She was at the top of her was holding, “you can have this.” game. But that was only until her most valuable possession was taken from her forcibly. Since then, Clarisa has been in The boy gasped, glee filling his face. “Really? I could have and out of mental institutions; and has been wreaking havoc it? What if your child looks for them?” everywhere. Having to deal with Clarisa’s madness for too long, her Clarisa giggled at the boy. “Oh, he wouldn’t notice and if he husband sent her to New York to heal and in there, she stayed does, I know he wouldn’t mind. He’s a sweet boy, after all. for two long and agonizing years. And then she came back, Come on, take them,” she urged towards the kid. acquiring a linear routine of breaking, falling, and finding ways to cope–consisting of nothing but revisiting tragic pasts. The child then squinted his eyes, “Are you sure?” Not a day would pass by without her purchasing a bouquet “Positive. Cross my heart.” With a smile, Clarisa placed the of baby’s breath from the local flower shop which has been bouquet on her lap and raised her left hand while the right accentuated by the sun and decorated with hanging pots and made an ‘X’ mark to her chest. This caused the sun to shine plants—a sight too comforting to those who visit. Clarisa has brighter—the boy was smiling even more, giggling even. spent over twenty thousand on flowers that would just wither. “Alright! I believe you!” He said, before taking three stems Her husband deemed nothing of her deed but a mere waste from the bouquet. Gleaming as always, the boy tucked the of time and an act of insanity but this doesn’t bother Clarisa flowers in his brown vest’s chest pocket. “Does it look good?” one bit. The bouquet-hoarding of Clarisa continued for months he asked towards the taller woman who contained a small and her relatives were curious about where she was taking smile on her face while tears evaded the rim of her eyes. her bouquets of baby’s breath. A murmuring club of bothered “Perfect, even. You always look great with that,” she said. wives suspect that it was for a secret wedding, that she had Soon, the child took a step forward, facing the woman right another man or she has shifted from being an accountant to a after. “I’d have to go now. Will you be here again tomorrow?” wedding planner. And the worst accusation was that she had “I’ll be here everyday,” Clarisa said with much sweetness in gone absolutely crazy—a lunatic on the run back and forth her tone. In response, the sweet child smiled before running to one place with a bouquet of stems. To those conjectures, off and disappearing into thin air. The woman’s attention was Clarisa was deaf. taken away from the missing figure of the young boy and Meeting the young boy beside her was a great distraction to directed towards the slab of marble plastered on the bermuda- the ugly parts of her melancholic reality, at least. decorated soil. In the marble, the face of a young boy named “Well, it’s a gift for my son,” Clarisa said. “He loves this flower Clarence was plastered. so much. He found it once on my cousin’s wedding bouquet Clarisa smiled onto the ground one last time, “Thank you for showing up today, my dear. It was nice to see you again.” She then placed the rest of the bouquet of baby’s breath on top of the marble. “I’ll be here tomorrow. Don’t you worry.” 124 | ADVO MAG LITERARY

125|ADVO MAG LITERARY

On Anhedonia, beING 25, & Everything in between Text | Clark Alduz Viray Artwork | Angelo Mendenilla 126 | ADVO MAG LITERARY

I wish someone could have given me a warning. group of people walking near me. At times, it A simple, “Hey enjoy your teenage years, can be a random thought. I recall a time when I pendejo, because when you reach 20, all you tore a portrait I spent days finishing, because of a would think of is how to end your shitty life without voice inside my mind that said the person I made actually killing yourself,” would be enough. the artwork for will not like it. These are what Sadly, no one took the time to show me how to suddenly trigger my loss of interest in everything. survive this land mine filled arena they call “early adulthood.” Activities and responsibilities will pile up, books I guess I owe my readers an explanation on will gather dust, and my artworks will remain why the opening paragraphs of this literary piece unfinished for days or weeks. feels bleak and pessimistic. You see, I’m at a low point in my life. At twenty five, I feel like I am going I hate these times because even if I am not nowhere. While people of my age are already physically doing anything, my mind does not employed or have started building a family of stop—it is busy running thoughts about my their own, I am still a year away from graduating nothingness, as compared to other people. from college. I feel like I have wasted too much of During these moments, I am consumed by my life, that I am a thousand steps behind people jealousy, loneliness and self hatred. from my age group. My four year delay in going to college is a result But somehow, I always managed to continue. of being involved in a hit and run accident way I will finish the articles I am assigned, I will pick back 2012. To spare you the details, I had to work that book I have discarded days ago, I will let my part time and repair my shattered mind during brushes kiss the empty pages of my sketchbook. those years. By the time I finally decided that I must continue my life and earn a college degree, ***** I found myself treading unfamiliar territories— for in the four years that I had to build myself up The rational part of me knows what the root of again, the world did not stand still. And it does not these unwelcomed phases is: throughout the past have any reason to. After all, my existence is just years, I have been convincing myself that I should a tiny ripple in the ocean of life. measure my worth based on the expectations of Flash forward to my current state. I am others. enrolled in a course that I am just beginning to appreciate, and is spending the past two years of I forgot that having the same age as others does my education online due to the pandemic. Damn! not mean having the same accomplishments and Time surely is no friend of mine. trials as them. After all, not everyone is gearing up at the same destination in life. Some may get ***** delayed, but that does not make them a lesser person. I like to think of them as people who But to be honest, I am not always like this. explored the pit stops of life before racing for the There are days that I stay up all night just to finish finish line. a novel, to study for an upcoming examination or in order to finish an artwork. During these times, As for me, I think I am learning that conformity I am fueled by my desire to accomplish as many to what I perceive as the society’s standards will things as possible. only make me lose my peace of mind. I don’t But it will happen again. I will end up being idle want to spend more restless nights wondering for days. if my actions or decisions will be accepted by Sometimes, a simple word can crack my fragile everyone. I don’t want to be endlessly agitated, mind. Midway into banter, the other person may thinking of what others may say about me. I say an offhand remark or an observation about cannot afford to lose myself as I try to fit into me and I will suddenly end our conversation. It can whatever mold the society wants me to become. be something I see —just like the times I stopped on my tracks and returned home after seeing a I am twenty five, and I still have the rest of my life to make a better version of me. I’m a long way from there, that’s for sure, but I know I will make it. One day at a time, one failure after another. And I cannot achieve this if I will not cut the shackles of conformity I put on my own feet. This time, bago sila, ako muna. 127|ADVO MAG LITERARY

This closet hides no Splattered soda stains sat silently monsters where I used to trade trivial rumors Text | Nixon De Villa with my speechless playmates Artwork | Marion Macatangay when milk could not put me to sleep. Bruises were my childhood tattoos— buried purple deep into my skin yet, never as vibrant as the plastic castles I play with in clandestine. And legos, which I have never liked perhaps, because I never knew the bliss of perfectly fitting right to what the world wanted to see. And neon clays, which I envy so much for flaunting all its colors while I have to mute mine. Ah, I was too enthralled by solitude’s company that I forgot how afraid I was of the dark, until I never wanted to come out of this haven where the friends I laugh with would feast over my childhood woes, like papa pressing me to play bats and balls sounding like my broken speaking dolls or mama dressing me in blue when I despise this lonely hue. Myths of monsters lurking in secrecy behind these closet doors were but false narratives, for the true terrors swarm outside of my softly-decorated pink walls and clothes not made for me— whose footsteps I’ve long memorized and spelled another beating at three. 128 | ADVO MAG LITERARY

Over the silent frequencies Text | Arielle Dane Adan Artwork | Israel Martin de Chavez \"Turn the TV on,\" and the news broke out ―the director's been cut for his inappropriate finishing touch. We peeked under studio curtains and all that's been left, a protagonist that is dead. Actresses went off script, and dropped their masks, their costumes were ripped. Underneath were purple flesh with eternal mascara stains, no more faking in their pain. Empty eyes and missing charming smiles, —the audience hated the posters this time. They're tired of putting a show when the ratings dropped so low; for the lines have gotten too familiar with scenes played a thousand times before not in screens, but through mirrors and window grills. The static noise screeches on, Slapsoil and the signal's lost ―we're now signing off. \"Good riddance, let's switch to an entertaining one.\" Text | Carlos Kim Raphael Perez Artwork | Clark Alduz Viray As I stand through the rice fields in scorching daylight, sweat intensely trickling down after the usual day’s work, removing my neatly-stitched salakot with hands moistening from the travails of painstaking labor, I have silently wondered in the middle of vast greenery, an abhorrent state violently nodding me down upon my soil-stained garment the reality that nothing significant, in my dreary, watery eyes has happened, in this mountainous archipelago of lowlands of my forefathers and foremothers. 129|ADVO MAG LITERARY

KAMBAS Half of you Text | Angel Joy Liwag is a Demon Artwork | Israel Martin de Chavez Text | Alyssa An Lumipas ang tatlong oras na humahangos Artwork | Angelo Mendenilla ang aking mga palad sa puting kambas, naghihintay mapunan, He is the absence of light, ng galak at takot a shade of black, ang nag-iisang pahinang pakiramdam, a chaotic home ang kukulay gamit ang iyong mga salitang where all our worries lie. hubad na wala namang patutunguhan. He is an unknown shadow cradling us in peace. Ngayon ay hahabi na muli ako ng mga linyang With no judgments, magtatapos rin sa tuldok. the man is his own king Ang tuldok na magiging simula muli, with no lands, hanggang sa paulit-ulit kong kukulayan ang kambas and no people to overpower. ng dilaw, berde, pula, bughaw—magtatagpong And sometimes, muli sila at gagawa ng panibagong kulay. he visits your smile— Paniguradong papatayin ko na muli ang aking oras, hiding, in disguise. habang pinag-iisipan ang kaakibat He has always been there, sa daloy ng istoryang hindi ko maipinta he just knows how to hide. at maisulat. Sa aking paglulugmok ay aking nakaligtaan ang mga kwentong nagpapatuloy sa labas ng aking kambas. 130 | ADVO MAG LITERARY

A THREE ACT TRagedY Text | Clark Alduz Viray Artwork | Erwin Tiberio Unmoving, like ice sculptures with wide eye gazes and jester like smiles plastered on their faces, the town’s people stared at the spectrum in the sky as it exploded into the most vibrant colors－ playful fuchsia, dancing with shades of evergreen and magenta. Women with pallid faces and tired smiles, carried their still unwashed babies to stare at the unfolding spectacle－ mesmerized and enchanted at the scenery. For once they are young again. As the show ended, the gritty spectators, realized that the beat of the old town must resume, for the growling of their stomachs make a louder sound than the popping firecrackers, and the sky’s explosion. The children who were once captured by the beauty of a thousand lights that are like fireflies in the dark blue sky, stared at the waning moon, their hands nestled on their sunken cheeks— still reeling from the few moments of bliss they witnessed. As the night deepens, doors started closing down, and flickering gas lamps faded into darkness. Another day has ended, in the old rusty theater where everyone is both a performer and a spectator for the entertainment of no one. 131|ADVO MAG LITERARY

Ang makinaryang walang turnily Text | Alyssa An Artwork | Angelo Mendenilla Watak-watak. Binubuo ng mahigit pitong libong mga pulo ang Pilipinas. Ang mga espasyo’ng naghihiwalay sa bansang sinilanga’y asul na karagatan na sumasalamin sa bughaw na kalangitan. Samakatuwid, repleksyon ng dagat ang ulap— nakadepende, gaya ng bansa ng mga Indio. Pinagmulang bakal Walang mag-aakala na ang halimuyak ng adobong pinakuluan sa toyo’t suka, at mga espesyal na sangkap ay mula sa mga yamang pinag-aagawan ng mga kawatang umabuso sa kalayaan ng mga naninirahan sa Perlas ng Silangan. Ang pakay na pampalasa gaya ng mga pamintang yumayabong sa isla’y kanilang sinabutahe. Hindi para ipagmalaki na may karayangyaan ang bansang ito, dahil ang lupang dating punô ng kanilang ipinagmamalaking yaman ay parang punòng unti-unting nakakalbo. Ang pagdating ng mga dayuhan dala ang kanilang malalaking barkong naglalaman ng mga sari-saring kultura ay humalo sa orihinal na lasa ng mga putahe. Pagbuo sa katawan Kaya’t marami ang nagtatanong, ano ba ang itsura ng tunay na Pilipino? Sabi nila sila ay pango, kulot, at kayumanggi. Ngunit sa pagsilip ng araw tuwing dadating ang bagong umaga ay hindi mo na sila maihahambing dahil nawawala na ang kanilang tunay na kulay. Sa kasalukuyang panahon, sila ay parang mga dayuhan sa sarili nilang bansa. Ang kanilang mga mukha ay punô ng mga palamuting hindi naman maaninag sa dilim. Sila’y nalahiran ng kaunting ginhawa na may kasamang pandidiri sa ilog na una nilang nilangoy, ngunit tuwang- tuwang magtampisaw sa tubig na ang bawat patak ay tila katumbas ng ginto. Hindi mo na sila makikilala, sapagkat kumakain na sila ng lechon sa tanghalian, nakalimutan na sila’y minsang mga hubad at malaya kapiling ang kanilang orihinal na mukha. Pagkukumpuni ng nasira Kung kaya’t ang bansang ito’y kinakalawang dahil hindi na nalilinis ang mga bakal nitong pundasyon. Umaasngaw ang tinatagong baho ng mga kasalukuyang nangangalaga dito. Hindi na alam kung paano maiiwasan ang pagdating ng mga kalawang. Hindi na rin mabubuo ang dati nang hiwa-hiwalay kaya’t nangangailangan na ng bagong turnilyong mag-uugnay sa paniniwala at layu-layong pulô’ng unti-unti nang lumulubog ang pagkakakilanlan. 132 | ADVO MAG LITERARY



Kaleidoscope Text and Photo | Elaine Mapagdalita In between the chaos, they have found the source of the smiles plastered on their dirty faces. As long as the sun lights up the sky, their feet will continue to run through every part of their playground—a place where boundless exploration exists. They slide and climb life’s adversities, satisfying their souls as they aim to pass the barricades ahead of the way. Tied together like balloons, they never miss a chance to make themselves laugh, like glowing gems in a lightless morning. And they will chase each other, stumble and cry, but they will still run, hide, swing, and slide anyway. Despite life’s uncertainties, they will still delve into playful experiences having no more regrets and tears left to shed. 134 | ADVO MAG LITERARY

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P On Waiting and Solitude Prisma

PHOTOJOURNALISTS’ PAGE 140 Yapak 142 Summer’s Symphony 144 Within the Depths 145 Prisma 147 Oasis





YAPAK Kasabay ng bawat paghakbang ay ang mga pagal na pagbigkas at sigaw. Sa kalagitnaan ng pagbagtas ng Joviallyn Belegal papawirin, may agam-agam kung lalakad muling pabalik sa bungad. Aatras o aabante? Maya maya pa’y ‘di namalayang 140 | ADVO MAG sa kabila ng takot sa tinatahak na destinasyon, ang dulo ay PJ’S PAGE tanaw na. Napasambit na lamang ng “Aba, ano iyong aking nakikita? Ako pala ay malapit na!

As the clock ticks, she needs to choose whatever EENY, MEENY, emotions she should project. Like picking on a deck of cards MINY, MOE – you must always go for the Ace. Other people may not understand her as she shows various versions of herself, Elaine Mapagdalita what they don’t know is that behind those prismatic masks is a young child who chose to grow, even when it is still not her time to, along with the old souls that surround her. 141|ADVO MAG PJ’S PAGE

SUMMER'S Can I go back to the time where I faithfully believed that the SYMPHONY stills of branches orchestrated a path for the sunrays to reach me from beneath? To the time where the stances of trees Gerard Zairus Gupit seemed to dance in harmony with the filtered sunlights? The world was much more colorful then, but it’s nothing more 142 | ADVO MAG than an old act that calls for nostalgia, now that I am a bit PJ’S PAGE older, but not wiser.

Sa pasimano unang natutunan ni Nene ang DURUNGAWAN konsepto ng kulay– sa pagtingala’y ulapang puti na may tagpi ng bughaw, at sa pagtungo nama’y Nicole Beatriz Rosales luntiang may pulo ng pulahang bulaklak. Subalit kalauna’y naku, naliyo at nalito! Halos tumirik 143|ADVO MAG ang mga murang mata sa pagsabog ng mga dumaraang kulay na hindi na niya mapangalanan. PJ’S PAGE

WITHIN THE Have you ever wondered what lurks inside us that light DEPTHS cannot reach? We are all built differently, and no matter how we seem bright on the outside, darkness always Anne Lorraine Bautista exists in us; that shade in us that others are always curious to know about, and maybe, just maybe, ourselves 144 | ADVO MAG are curious to learn about them too. PJ’S PAGE

“Shine elevates” PRISMA as we danced, the moon rose over the balcony, and a wonderful mist swirled around our knees. Just a royal and his Patrick Owen Gube princess, a young couple, seeking for love in a beautiful world, with fingers entwined and hearts in harmonious contact with the 145|ADVO MAG hereafter. Even in the darkest of circumstances, affection will shine through and remain as firm as a crystalline rock. PJ’S PAGE

ON WAITING There is something gratifying about the tranquility AND SOLITUDE being idle offers a human being. I would trade a thousand years for a single fleeting moment of being alone, just Clark Alduz Viray staring at the happenings around me—being an intruder to the memories and experiences of strangers. It must be wonderful, to be a voyeur, and not a performer in one of life’s plays, for once. 146 | ADVO MAG PJ’S PAGE

Each one of us is chasing for our peace of mind, not knowing OASIS that it is us, who can give it to ourselves. As I started looking at the brighter side, everything gets fuzzy and I find myself Marie Joy Axalan back in the shadows. It is then that I realized that it is me who pushes myself back—unaware that there are people who are 147|ADVO MAG constantly cheering me on. PJ’S PAGE

Apotemnophilia a Paranoia