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Contact Us E-mail Address: upb.upwrite@gmail.com Facebook Page: CLICK HERE. | Bakakeng (Part 2) Highschool palang ako, talagang pangarap ko nang mag-aral dito sa Baguio. Bukod kasi sa maganda ang klima dito eh parang astig ka kapag sa malayo ka mag-aaral sa college. Kaya naman tuwang-tuwa ako nung nalaman kong pumasa ako ng UPCAT at dito sa UP Baguio ako napunta. First choice ko ang UPB, at laking gulat nung kabahay kong upper class nung nalaman nya ito, “Weh? Ako nga gusting gusto ko nang makalipat sa Diliman. Sana nga next sem makalipat na ko.” Medyo ayaw pumayag ni mama noong sinabi kong dito sa Baguio ko gustong mag-aral. “Kaya mo bang mabuhay nang mag-isa? Naku, baka mabarkada ka doon hah? Baka ibang bagay atupagin mo doon! Tinanong mo na ba si Daddy mo?” Tinawagan ko si Daddy at binalitang pumasa ako ng UPCAT at sa Baguio ako mag-aaral. “Wow congrats anak! Pero nakausap mo na ba si mommy tungkol dyan?” “O, kelan byahe mo papuntang Baguio? Nakausap ko na si Daddy mo at payag daw sya.” Nag-iba lang ang ihip ng hangin nang malaman ni mama na hindi na tutuloy sa UP Baguio si Manel, ang kasintahan ko nang dalawang taon na. Pumasa din si Manel sa UPCAT. Bakas na bakas sa mukha nya ang labis na tuwa noong una nyang nalamang pumasa sya. Dugo at pawis din kasi ang ginugol nya para lang paghandaan ang UPCAT. Hindi gaya kasi ng karamihan sa kaklase namin, hindi nag-enroll sa kahit anong UPCAT review si Manel. Sabi nya, bukod daw kasi sa mahal ang mga inooffer na review, ay mas matamis daw ang tagumpya kapag sarili mo lang mismo ang kasama mo sa pag-abot nito. Ilang beses ding hindi sya kumain ng lunch para lang pag-ipunan yung exam fee. Minsan nga, sabi ko ililibre ko nalang sya, pero tumanggi sya. Isang araw, nagbaon nalang ako ng kanin at ulam para saming dalawa. Kaya habang ang mga kaklase namin ay abalang lumalamon ng tanghalian sa labas ng paaralan ,pinagsasaluhan naming dalawa ang malamig nang kanin at ulam sa loob ng classroom nang kaming dalawa lang. Ganun kami nang halos dalawang linggo, kaya ayun, napag-ipunan nya ang exam fee habang nakapag-ipon naman ako ng pogi points sa kanya. Pero hanggang pagpasa ng UPCAT nalang pala ang pangarap nyang makapasok ng UP. Nagulat kasi yung mga magulang nya nung nalamang mataas na din pala ang tuition fee sa UP. Hindi daw nila kayang tustusan ang ganoong kataas na matrikula kahit kumayod-kabayo pa sila. Kaya sa amin sa Tarlac nalang nag-aaaral ngayon si Manel, at nakontento nalang sya na kahit papano, isa daw samin ay makakatuntong ng UP. “Ikaw nalang ang magpatuloy ng pangarap ko. Kaya galingan mo!,” sabi pa nya dun sa card na pabaon nya sakin bago ako umalis noon paakyat ng Baguio. Wala nang bibigat pa sa pakiramdam ko noon habang binabasa ko yung sulat nyang iyon. … “Good Morning Hon! Sabado ngayon ah, diba sabi mo bababa ka? Miss na kita!!! ” Halos dalawang buwan na din pala kaming hindi nagkikita ni Manel. At naipangako ko din pala sa kanya na uuwi ako ngayong araw na ito. Sa pagkakataong ito, hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko sa pag-iyak. Iyak na dala ng magkahalong emosyon. Ng kasabikan kong makita at mayakap na muli si Manel. At ng lumalabang emosyon na nagsasabi manatili ako, manatili ako sa tabi ng natutulog kong kaibigan na si Don. Kasabay ng banayad na pagtaas baba ng kanyang dibdib sa kanyang tahimik na paghinga ay ang pag-agos naman ng luha mula sa aking mga mata. Naramdaman ko ang pagdampi ng kanyang braso sa aking mga balikat. Sinubukan niyang pakalmahin ako at ang naglalabang emosyon sa loob ko. Naramdaman kong bahagyang napanatag ang pakiramdam ko sa ginawa nyang iyon. Ngunit nagpatuloy ang pag-agos ng aking luha. “Tahan na.” Bulong ni Don na tila ramdam din ang suliraning pinagdadaanan ko. “Tahan na.” 1:23 AM | Thursday, July 28, 2011 Bakakeng “6:00 pm sharp. Sa guard house. Pls. Walang malelate.” Text ng bloc rep naming na kung umasta ay parang yung class president lang din naming nung fourth year. Magoovernight daw kami sa bahay ng bloc mate namin sa bakakeng para i-“super practice” na yung performance naming sa freshie night. Kainis nga eh, ayoko sanang magperform. Sabi ko, tutulong nalang ako sa paggawa ng props. Kaso sabi ni bloc rep (nang pagalit) “Nu ba yan, dadalawa na nga lang kayong lalake sa bloc, tas di ka pa peperform.” Tsk. “Badtrip nga eh,” sabi ni Don nung nasa jeep na kami papunta sa lugar kung saan man kami magsusuper practice. Nag-arkila na ang buong bloc ng isang jeep pero siksikan parin kami sa loob. Maingay din sila, halatang excited. Hindi tuloy kami masyadong magkarinigan ni Don kahit nasa bandang dulo na kami nung sasakyan. “Ayaw ko nga ding magperform sana eh, kaso kailangan dawn g lalake sa performance kaya umoo nalang din ako.” Halos dalawang buwan palang ako dito sa Baguio pero parang antagal-tagal ko nang andito. Parang nagsasawa na ko agad sa mga ginagawa ko. Gigising. Papasok. Uuwi. Matutulog. Minsan nga naisip ko, ganto ba talaga sa UP? Sabi naman nung upper class kong kabahay, “ganyan talaga pag first year. Bum muna.” Hindi nga ganito yung inexpect ko eh. Inisip ko kahit first year palang eh haggard na, yung tipong maraming requirements agad ang gagawin na halos wala ka nang oras para kumain o matulog. Hindi pala ganun. Pero syempre meron din yung mga first year gaya ko na kung umasta eh parang fourth year na nagthethesis na. Kahapon nga, may nakasabay ako sa xerox sa lib. Nagpaxerox sya ng isang buong libro! Sabi nya sa ateng nagxexerox, babalikan nalang daw nya ng alas-dyis. Nawengwang si ate. Pano ko nalaman na persyir din sya? Naka-ID. Siguro dumagdag pa sa mabilis kong pagkasawa ay dahil sa pare-parehong taong nakakasalamuha ko sa araw-araw. Pano naman kasi, sa halos lahat ng klase ko- Chem1, Comm1, Hist3, Psych10- eh kaklase ko ang lahat ng bloc mate ko. Pero bakit ganun, nung high school eh pare-pareho din naman ang mga kaklase ko sa lahat ng subjects? Siguro nahihirapan lang akong mag-adjust. Wala pa kasi akong masyadong nakakausap dito. Bukod kay Don. Kaklase ko din si Don sa PE. Basketball. Nakakapagtaka nga. Kami lang dalawa sa bloc ang nahiwalay sa PE. Lahat kasi sila magkaklase sa PE1 (na boring daw kasi lecture). 11:30-1 yung PE namin, kaya naman takbo agad kami ni Don papuntang HKP pagkatapos ng klase namin sa Psych10 sa CSS. Yung pagtakbo pa nga lang, PE na. Sabay na din kami kumakain ng lunch sa upper pagkatapos ng PE namin. Tas magkaklase ulit kami ng 2:30 sa Comm1 sa JL. Ewan ko, pero sa lahat ng ka-bloc ko, kay Don lang ako kumportable. Siguro kasi nakikita ko sakanya yung mga barkada ko nung hayskul. Badtrip, bakit kasi dalawa lang kaming lalake sa bloc. Magsi-six-thirty na nung dumating kami sa Bakakeng. Kumain muna kami ng dinner bago nagsimulang mag”super practice”. Di pa man naguumpisa ang practice eh na-badtrip na ko. Pano naman kasi, ang role ko pala sa performance namin eh ako yung oble! Putek lang. Pero andun na din naman ako kaya wala na kong nagawa. Mabilis din naman natapos yung practice. Pagod na daw kasi yung iba. Pero nung akala kong matutulog na sila eh nagkwentuhan lang din pala. Dun sila lahat sa sala natulog-slash-nagchismisan. Sinigurado talaga nung nanay nung bloc mate namin na nahiwalay kaming dalawa sa pagtulog. Praning. Kaya naman kami Don, dun kami sa isang bakanteng kwarto natulog. Alas-siyete na ng umaga nang magising ako. Tulog pang parang mantika si Don sa tabi ko na may mahinang hilik. Pinagmasdan ko ang banayad na pagtaas-baba ng kanyang dibdib. Chineck ko yung cellphone ko. May text. “Good Morning Hon! Sabado ngayon ah, di ka ba bababa? Miss na kita!!! :(” Galing kay Manel, girlfriend ko nang dalawang taon na. **itutuloy** 4:24 PM | Sunday, July 24, 2011            Labels: photos 6:26 PM | Wednesday, August 11, 2010 Inhumane Tempers are rising around the campus despite the cool weather recently. People are losing their cool. It’s all because of this one blog entry posted last Saturday. In it, the author addresses all UP students pompously saying “Education is NOT a Right!” The title is infuriating by itself, but with its body, the entry is humorous, if not inciting sleep. It might be that for an average student, the entry’s cloud of intellectual talk is thick, enough for that student to switch tabs on his internet browser. However, if you ask a social science major to decipher it, all the entry’s technical points are easily countered. The entry has been disquieting for a number or people that it garnered over three-hundred comments both from trolling UP students defending the people’s right to education and from those defending the entry’s claim. The entry itself is quite harmless and disinterested compared to the comments of the claim’s supporters. One commenter put on the name “Abolish the University of the Philippines”. He argued all UP students are leftists, “ It seems the author of the blog, Froilan Vincent Bersamina (NOT from UP, in case you’re wondering), took from the mentioned commenter’s name. He posted another blog entry saying that all state universities and colleges should be privatized. He believes that this “legalized form of stealing”--taxation to put others in school--should stop. Such thinking could make one’s jaw drop and call on his maker after. For argument’s sake, let’s say that Bersamina is right. OK, education is not a right and people should be made to pay near-impossible amounts of money to be in school. Is that the right thing to do? Will it not bother anyone’s conscience? Bersamina is basically saying we should not educate someone for free; we should let him struggle to find a way to afford the tuition, or to bypass it (Bersamina says “private charity” is the only way to do this). If he doesn’t find a way, then he’s stupid and we should just let him suffer his stupidity. It would be, no doubt, inhumane. (by Paul Dawnson Formaran) 7:06 AM | Thursday, August 5, 2010 You Got Mail! Do you remember the last time you wrote a letter and the last time you received one? It must have been ages ago seeing that the preferred communication media now are mobile phones and social networking sites. Perhaps you never sent or received one, ever! When it was still in vogue, letters were sources of immense delight. It takes great effort to make one hence the occasional mail never fails to make a heart melt regardless of penmanship and grammar. Receiving a text message probably delivers a similar effect but it lacks the emotional depth of the written word. “If you write me a letter by hand, I know in a way that it cannot be faked, that you put more effort into it,” says Margaret Shepherd, author of The Art of the Personal Letter: A Guide to Connecting through the Written Word. Effort does not always translate to sincerity. An artfully written bunch of lies can easily pass as genuine outpouring of emotion. However when you write, even if you try not to, you surrender a part of yourself in the composition. The written word, more than the message it is supposed to convey, speaks much about its author, making it relatively easy to determine whether he or she is lying, and conversely, making it difficult for the author to fool his or her reader. Scherstrom, a former schoolteacher, said this about letter writing: “Speaking makes a quick mind, reading makes a full mind, and writing makes a precise mind. The act of writing – narrowing your thoughts and double-checking them and getting them to say exactly what you want – is a wonderful intellectual exercise, and letter writing promotes that.” Letters provide an avenue for profound communication between you and the people you hold dear, or any person for that matter. Let not modern technology stifle the promptings of the heart, the clamors of the soul. Sincerely yours, UP-Write ** What are you waiting for? Make your friends, super friends, and loved ones feel special today. Write them a letter now! As long as the addressee is within the campus, UP-Write will be more than happy to send your mail. Just buy a stamp, which is worth P5, from any UP-Write member and put your letters in our mailbox in the CAC building. (By Francesca De Ocampo) 7:00 AM | 69 Orgs Grace Salakniban Salakniban, now recognized as a regular campus activity, serves as an opportunity for the different organizations to recruit more members and to better acquaint students to their role in the university, said Student Council Chairperson Jose Carpio III. Salakniban 2010, which was established in 2006 to cultivate a sense of solidarity among student groups, welcomed six new organizations namely the UP Martial Arts Club (UPMAC), Lifebox (formerly Every Nation Campus Ministries), RedCross Youth, Rotaract Club, UP Baguio Cheer Squad, and Artists and Musicians Platform (AMP). Student Relations Officer Atty. Nimreh Calde said, “Salakniban is a joint effort of all organizations to unite as one community in UP Baguio, outside of Pasiklaban and other campus events.” Salakniban 2010 which kicked off at 9:30 a.m. featured activities such as “Open Stage” where students were called on to exhibit some artistic flair, community snack and games, and the culminating activity, the recognition rites. The organizations, however, are yet to receive their certificates of recognition for Student Affairs Director Teofino Macabiog, who is out of town, hasn’t been able to sign them yet. (By Marla Viray) 6:58 AM | UP Baguio to Aquino: Increase Education Budget Students of the University of the Philippines Baguio staged a street protest on July 23 to urge the Aquino administration to increase the budget on education. Kristie de la Peña, head of the University Student Council Nationalist Corps which led the protest, said “if President Aquino retracts his promise because of inadequate budget, he should remember what he said in his speech: we are his boss,” citing that the military, and foreign debt servicing are given a larger share of government funds than the education sector. Low government subsidy resulted to a 300% Tuition and Other Fees Increase (TOFI) in 2007. Since then government funding has not improved thus the tuition threatens to increase once more and the UP administration intends to charge fees for Physical Education subjects which are usually free. “UP should remain as the university of the people and not the university of the privileged,” said UP Baguio USC Chairperson Jose Carpio III who laments that UP now charges higher tuition than private universities. Around 1,500 students joined the demonstration which began with a program in the UPB parking lot at noon and ended at Malcolm Square around 3 p.m. Organizations which joined the walk-out include Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Alliance of Concerned Students, Campus Alliance for Dedicated and Unified Action, Unite-UP, Tanghalang Bayan ng Kabataan sa Baguio, Paggawisan Tako Am-in (PAGTA), Progressive Igorots for Social Action, Ugnayang Multisektoral Laban sa Komersyalisasyon, Sigma Kappa Pi Fraternity, Sigma Delta Pi Sorority, Pi Sigma Fraternity, Pi Sigma Delta Sorority, Tau Gamma Phi, and Tau Gamma Sigma and some students from Saint Louis University. (by Plarlene Juliane Valentos) 6:53 AM | |