NU CEASSC Gazette

Dr. Leo S. Del Rosario gave a cordial introductory remark to formally begin the recognition. Following the ceremony, the program chairs of the various courses, including Professor Denson R. Acomular for the Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Ma'am Domelyn Adolfo for the Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies, as well as officers of the Psychology Society, Miss Maria Luciel Ann Cornejo, Yna Cerbo Bato-Ampo and Hannah Cabral, sincerely congratulated the awardees on their accomplishments.  The Chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group and the Founding Dean of the De La Salle College of Law, Attorney Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” Diokno, offered his heartfelt congratulations. “Your achievements are the fruit of all the hard work and devotion that you have given to your studies. I hope you continue to excel in your respective courses as you pursue your dream of a better life not just for yourself but [for] your loved ones as well”, he urged.

The recipients of the Dean's List honor are subsequently given certificates as part of the award ceremony. The College of Education, Arts, and Sciences Student Council President, Feejay Nario, presented a motivational speech to the awardees to conclude the ceremony. The officials and committees of CEASSC did their utmost to make the awards happen and for the achievers to be recognized for their work despite the lack of financial support. The ceremony was fulfilling and a proud moment for students, staff, and the entire academic community, despite the delay.

Similar to the first part of the Drink or Spill, Love in the Lens of Psychology served as a chill and comforting space for the listeners to drop their love-related questions. The podcast was still hosted by the well-loved hosts, Regie Caingles, Hero Bayaca, and Yna Bato-Ampo. 

Love in the Lens of Psychology started with a bang, tackling the topic of red flags and their forms, signs, and manifestations in relationships. Hosts and guest speaker, Prof. Cecilia shared their own experiences and thoughts about red flags on people they meet, know, and loved in the past. While the listeners brought humor to the podcast saying “I can change him/her po.” to which Prof. Cecilia jokingly responded “Minsan kasi itong red na ‘to, akala natin fiesta. Binabanderitas pa.” Prof. Cecilia followed by mentioning the topic of love bombing and gave clarifications to differentiate love bombing from healthy affection. 

On the topic of distinguishing what love bombing and healthy affection are, comes the second topic of the podcast, the discussion of love languages. Listeners were undoubtedly pumped with the discussion of love language as they flooded the comments section sharing their own love languages. Prof. Cecilia was asked to give details on some types of love languages, and she gave an in-depth example of physical touch as a love language. Saying that we mostly think that if someone has physical touch as their chosen or preferred love language, we perceive them to like close contact with them. But in reality, a quick hug or a wholesome holding hands could show enough affection to them. And make intimacy a thoughtful priority.

One of the hosts shared their thoughts on realizing that if someone has physical touch as their love language, it may be hard for them if they are in a long-distance relationship. Prof. Cecilia agreed with this and mentioned that that is also where the beauty of love languages comes in. If you cannot express one type of love language, you can still show affection in different ways. 

Before discussing the last topic of the podcast, the program had a short break and played love songs. Listeners expressed themselves in the comment section as they relate to the song’s lyrics, and the hosts and Prof. Cecilia isn’t exempted from sharing their hugots as they shared their favorite songs. The hosts continued to ask the listeners to share their favorite songs, and a comment from one of the listeners caught Prof. Cecilia’s attention. She read “Yung Grow Old With You. Nag-grow old nga, hindi nga lang sa’yo.” to which she replied, “And that is fine because when you love someone, you let them go ‘di ba.”

Gaining the “aray” and “sakit mo na, Doc” comments, the podcast proceeded to its last topic. Starting the discussion by sharing their best and worst dating experiences. The discussion covered various dating-related topics but the highlight of the segment is that Prof. Cecilia gave an emphasis on doing things and taking actions out of pure love and no ulterior intentions–-that is love. Because, at the end of the day, and you re-evaluate what happened and realize that those things that you’ve done are against your will, it might not be love. 

On wrapping up the podcast, the hosts shared their last sentiments on love, dating, and precautions. And on the guest speaker, Prof. Cecilia’s concluding statements, she stated “You may choose some that are worth choosing and worth staying.” and “Choose someone na makapagbibigay sa’yo ng kapayapaan.” mentioned that, in loving someone you have to be careful about your actions because choosing you is part of their healing. 

The program was hosted by Regie Caingles, Hero Bayaca, and Yna Bato-Ampo. A fellow ka-CEAS guest was interviewed before officially starting the program. It was initiated by a light-hearted and casual conversation that captured the interest of the viewers. Aside from that, it’s also very personal and it involves valuable love lessons from the CEAS students themselves.

One of the most intriguing entries was the 3rd entry, raised by a student from AB Polsci: “What is the essence of love? I feel like I'm spending too much time pondering about it with the presumption that it has a deeper and more profound essence than being just...a means to satisfy our impulsive or maybe primal biological desires.”

This particular entry seems to be a little thinkable, of course, love is contextual with every individual and does not possess a precise definitive essence that’s why everyone perceived this question a little too different.

Another entry from AB Polsci seemingly responded to the question raised earlier, they said “Love is not always about the spark. Love starts when you feel that spark is gone and the conflicts are starting to come but you both choose to stay with each other.”  Everyone is actively participating in responding to the entries. The viewers were especially interested in hearing personal stories, such as the entry of a sender from Bachelor of Arts in Communication; it was an unrequited love story; they liked the person for 6 years already, and they were friends but the feelings aren't reciprocated; the person that the sender liked even unfollowed them on social media without knowing that the sender enrolled at NU because of him.

The sender gained a heated reaction because of this. Many of the entries dealt with unrequited love; one from Jopay of the BS Psychology program describes a situation in which they were in love with a childhood friend for almost five years. The sender hasn't yet expressed their feelings which is not the case for Blueberry from BS Psychology, who requested the song Chasing Pavements because it accurately reflected their situation despite having already expressed their feelings and not receiving a clear response.

One of the highlights of the CEAS Week was the Battle of Minds held at National University Manila Function and Social Hall. The event started with Debate Orientation and Briefing on the Day 1 of the CEAS week from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM while the official elimination of the competition started at 1:00 PM and ended at 5:00 PM. The event was joined by 3 competitive teams who participated in the first-ever CEAS debate competition; the team of Adrian Olfindo, Patrice Villaruz, and Joshua Tesoro; the team of Lovely Joy Nedic, Nathan Antazo, and Justine Malaborbor; and the team of Jannah Martos, Vhon Ventura, and Ceejay Bebis. 

The event progressed to the first two team debaters who conquered the stage with confidence and filled the room with tension, while students that were watching felt the excitement. When their topic was being announced, the captain of each team picked their side to begin the first debate topic, "Resolve that ROTC be made mandatory for college students'', where the team of Joshua had the affirmative side while the other hand, the team of Justine opposed it as they had picked the negative side. The debaters were given 30 minutes to prepare their topic speech and argument as CEASSC Vice President, Feejay Nario, introduced the panel of judges: Mr. Leeroi Christian Rubio, Ms. Susan Gopez, and Mr. Daniel Francisco Del Rosario, before finally welcoming all the students who attended the CEAS debate competition. 

The first debate topic was fueled by a heated exchange of speeches and rebuttals between the two debate teams, especially with the first two speakers, Patrice and Lovely. Since Patrice's argument goes around how ROTC is a necessity that focuses on emergency response rather than military preparedness, Lovely suggested that the government should focus more on improving the education system. She also put an emphasis on defending academic freedom, firmly laying out Article 3 of The 1987 Constitution Of The Republic Of The Philippines, because she believes that ROTC as a necessity is out of context and mandating it would take the students’ freedom.

The first topic exchange was ended by Justine who stated that “learning cannot take place where terror is present,” followed by her closing remarks where she mentioned the Mark Welson Chua case in 2001 (an ROTC cadet at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) found lifeless in Pasig River) and the PUP hazing incident last 2014.

The second topic, “Resolve that the government bans schools and universities (public and private) from mandating students on wearing gender-normative uniforms,” was then introduced. Justine’s team chose the affirmative side, while Vhon’s team decided to negate the topic. The topic advanced with Lovely’s steadfast speech about schools and universities that mandates gender-normative uniform, she stated that it denies the students the opportunity to freely express themselves. “No person shall be deprived,” Lovely spoke, but Jannah countered it saying that it would be too harsh and hasty to make. It could also be ineffective and could be harmful, which is why Jannah tried to propose an alternative and appropriate solution. She stated that educating the youth about inclusivity (about LGBT and SOGIE in general) would be for the greater good rather than a band-aid solution that allows cross-dressing.

However, Nathan’s speech consistently defended his team’s side. “[It is] a stepping stone for the Philippines,” the speaker said, but it was countered in the rebuttal where Ceejay asked him “What is the sense of allowing students to cross-dress if it cannot be allowed in the corporate world?” This argument ignited and was intensified by Vhon’s speech where he clearly stated his reasons why his team is not in favor of the government banning schools and universities from mandating students on wearing gender-normative uniforms. First, the SOGIE Bill is still on house reading. Second, most corporate companies do not allow cross-dressing because they must have a proper representation of self and the company. Vhon continued his speech by talking about if schools and universities, especially universities that are supposedly training students of the corporate world, allow gender-normative attire, it would easily defeat the purpose of training students to be an actual professional.

The rebuttal between the last two speakers was heated but both sides were unbelievably calm and enjoying their exchange of rebuts. In the closing remarks, Justine did not waste any time and restated her team’s claim to let the students express themselves by banning schools and universities from mandating students on wearing gender-normative uniforms. Whereas Vhon sticks with his team’s claims and states, “The school’s purpose is to prepare the students [for the] corporate or professional field.”

The first day of the Debate Elimination ended with a banged where students were clung and left hanging to the results of the elimination, eager to find out who will move forward to the final round on the 2nd day of the competition as it was the scheduled day for the announcement of who among the three competitive teams will proceed to the finals round of the competition. The three teams gave an amazing and knowledgeable debate that made all the students who watched the competition applaud loudly as they can no longer wait for the final round to give another heated but meaningful debate. Though the three of them already won in the heart of the students, only two of the debaters can proceed to claim the title of champion of the first-ever CEAS debate competition. But just before the final round happened on the scheduled date, the College of Education, Arts, and Sciences made an announcement that there will be no more debate for the 2nd day of CEAS Week, February 04, 2023.

The cancellation of the debate championship was due to a very short-noticed cancellation of one team this morning. The team was unable to participate in the championship round due to the illness of one of its members. Additionally, the other team expressed their intention to forfeit their participation on the evening of February 3, leaving only one team to attend. The event carries on with the announcement of winners for all the events to conclude the 2-day celebration of our department. As a result of this sudden and unexpected turn of events, the organizers of the debate championship had no other choice but to cancel the event. It was a difficult decision for the organizer, but they felt it was necessary in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the participants. The organizers of the debate championship would like to thank all the teams and participants for their enthusiasm and commitment to the event. They hope to be able to organize a successful debate championship in the future.

The webinar held was very timely and relevant because the theme of the event centered around the thought of managing how to balance study life with our personal life especially now that we’re slowly moving out of online classes. This webinar was entitled “Forda Relax Ang Ferson: Handling Study Life Balance on Hyblend Learning.” With that theme and title in mind, the event was spearheaded by the CEAS Student Council partnered with the NU Guidance Services Office and NU Peers. Held on the 12th floor of the Annex building in the Multipurpose Hall, and for accessibility to the students unable to attend the seminar on campus, the event was live-streamed via the official Facebook page of the CEAS Student Council.

         Hosted by Ms. Milena Bonite, a BS Psychology student, and Mr. Gianne Nievera, an AB Communication student. Both of the hosts noted that this event is their first face-to-face hosting event, for Milena it was her first ever whilst Gianne mentioned that this was his first event again after the pandemic. The flow of the program was appropriate and follows the format of every other event: registration was held before the beginning of the event proper for the students who attended in the Multipurpose Hall, whilst a registration link was pinned on the livestream for the students unable to physically attend the said event; an invocation and the National Anthem was played, followed by the opening remarks. The Dean of the College of Education, Arts, and Sciences (CEAS), Dr. Leo Del Rosario took charge of this. He noted that with the transition that the students are facing especially with the HyBlend Learning set-up are expected to learn with the new pacing and schedule of classes whilst adhering to the university’s core values. Dr. Leo then thanked everyone who was present and the people who made this event possible. Before ending his opening remarks, the Dean reminded the students that we don’t have to finish everything all at once and that it is okay to just sit down and do nothing. And in doing so is how we find balance in ourselves. Following the Dean’s opening remarks were the two resource speakers, Ms. Ma. Honey Belle Vicencio, RGC & Ms. Mariflor J. Gatchalian, RPsy. In between these two discussions, the CEAS Student Council prepared a very interactive icebreaker for all the present attendees of the event.

         Both resource speakers are well-achieved professionals in their chosen fields as illustrated in their introductions, and their proficiency in their fields was also reflected in how they conducted their discussions. As someone who was unfortunately unable to attend the seminar physically, and was relying heavily on learning from the livestream, the speakers were very dynamic and interactive which had me wishing I was there with them in the Multipurpose Hall. The content of their discussions was similar, talking about stress and how it affects us in our daily lives and providing a very comprehensive discussion on how to overcome it. Ms. Belle, NU Manila’s Guidance Counselor, discussed the different types of stress that we as people can encounter as we constantly experience a change in our lives and provided helpful and practical tips that may aid us students in being able to properly handle the changes that occur. Similarly, the main resource speaker for this event, Ms. Mariflor, a registered psychometrician for more than a decade, focused more on the physical effects of stress on our bodies and how it affects our minds. She also brought mental health awareness through wit and relating to the students. Ms. Mariflor emphasized that one of the main objectives of this seminar was to learn how to take care of our mental health, and through taking care of our mental health we will be able to healthily balance our personal life and other priorities. Practicing proper self-care is much needed, and what I particularly liked about Ms. Mariflor’s discussion is that finely distinguished the line between self-care and overindulgence. Another key takeaway of mine from her discussion is that resilience is something that we must achieve in taking care of our mental health to prepare ourselves for any problem that comes our way. Much like Ms. Belle, our second speaker provided very flexible and manageable tips for keeping ourselves in check.

         At the end of every speaker’s discussion, they were presented with a certificate of appreciation from the College of Education, Arts, and Sciences in recognition of lending their time and expertise to this event. Both speakers were very lively in their engagement with the audience, which made me feel that time passed me by so quickly. They were also able to successfully achieve the goal of the seminar in educating students in finding balance through this new transition. Watching the speakers interact with the present students made me miss being able to physically seminars like that. The downside of the event is that there are many technicalities that needed to be polished for students like me who were unable to attend the seminar. Although the whole set-up from the live emulated the feeling of me being present with them in the Multipurpose Hall, I could still feel the barrier of not being present. The first one would be that the camera angle would change from time to time, not that it’s technically bad, but being a real-time livestream of the event, using only one camera focused only on one aspect. During the discussions, it focused mostly on the speakers, but for the majority of Ms. Mariflor’s discussion, I could only view her from the backside. And due to the audio sometimes being muffled, I couldn’t understand what was being discussed and I had no visual aid of what they were discussing. Audiences from the livestream were left to focus on the context of the following discussion when it came to its inaudible parts. Another thing that shocked me is the number of the audience’s turnout, for a seminar with a timely topic addressed I at least expected more than what I saw from the livestream. This was no problem though for the speakers and the audiences present because both parties made up for it with their enthusiasm for the event.

Every year, between 18 and 20 typhoons land and cause havoc in the country. You would think we would have learned the drill by now. The preparations on the ground would have been directed by foresight derived from repeated experience, allowing us to survive each assault with the fewest casualties and damage to crops and property. However, Severe Tropical Storm "Paeng" demonstrated otherwise, leaving at least 150 dead, 36 missing, at least P2.74 billion worth of crops destroyed, and hundreds of thousands impacted across 64 provinces.

Lack of Preparation

The first issue that prevented the Philippines from preparing for Typhoon Paeng was the lack of preparation that was put into place by the government. The Philippines’ typhoon season runs from July to October, and the government must take the necessary precautions during this period. However, they failed to do so. There were no mandatory typhoon advisories in place, meaning that while people were encouraged to be aware of potential hazards, there was no legal obligation.

During the lead-up to Typhoon Paeng, the government claimed that it monitored the situation closely and was prepared to respond to potential threats. However, we found this to be untrue when the storm hit. There were not enough shelters for those at risk from flooding or landslides and equipment to clear debris following the storm. This all points towards a lack of preparation by the government, which makes it even more baffling that they weren’t better prepared for this storm.

Photo from Balita

Pointing Fingers

There were contributing circumstances behind Paeng's devastating impact, with disaster officials citing "a tragic combination of continuous rains from the approaching tropical storm, deforestation, and silted rivers" for the floods and landslides that inundated many parts of the country. Local officials also deflected blame, stating that the government did not warn them early enough, that the information provided was insufficient, that the typhoon veered and changed course, and that their area was rarely impacted by Concerning the loss of life. They claimed many families remained in their homes for fear of losing their meager possessions. Moreover, the refugees had no safe refuge, as entire barangays were flooded.

Not that we haven't heard all of these after similarly violent typhoons in the past. Paeng's unacceptably high death toll and level of destruction have demonstrated, if anything, how previous advice from catastrophic occurrences has been chiefly disregarded, only to be resurrected in the aftermath of another catastrophe.

Photo from Bloomberg

Mitigating the Disaster

Another clear thing from the situation in the Philippines is that more preparation is needed. The government needs to better educate the public about the dangers of typhoons and hurricanes, and they need to take the necessary precautions during the typhoon season. This is particularly important in areas that are prone to landslides or flooding. The public also needs to be more aware of the risks they face; people must be mindful that they must take precautions during the typhoon season. Aid agencies also need to do more to be prepared for natural disasters. They must follow accurate weather reports and respond to potential threats more quickly. They must also allocate more funding for natural disaster assistance or preparedness initiatives. Ultimately, the Philippines failed to prepare for Typhoon Paeng, and many people suffered. A better approach to natural disaster prevention and assistance would have made a big difference, and maybe the government should look at themselves instead of pointing fingers.

Photo from Manila Bulletin

Final Words

The Philippines has a tropical climate and is a common target for storms. The country is particularly vulnerable to typhoons, and in the lead-up to Typhoon Paeng, the government scrambled to prepare its citizens and emergency response teams for the worst. However, as it turned out, that wasn’t enough. Paeng wreaked havoc on parts of the country, triggering landslides and flash floods in some areas. The slow response from aid agencies and the lack of preparation by the government contributed to this situation. More preparation is needed, as although we are a common target for disasters, we should not be taking it for granted as we are now.

We will continually reconstruct after a disaster if we do not establish our priorities. We should not wait for another Paeng to rectify the situation. Too many lives have been lost along this path, with too few lessons learned.

As super typhoon "Paeng" bears down on us, we MASSC officers ask everyone to lend a hand and help those in harm's way. Any help is appreciated; monetary or in-kind support will assist those affected.

You may send your donations to the following:

NU Manila Annex Building Main Gate or 3F Comex Office

Tabangan Mga Lingkod Bayan Drive For monetary donations for TMLB you may channel them through:

GCash Account Name: Smart Blademere Aguilar Account Number: 0956 011 8220

PayMaya Account Name: Joseph Sean Eli Limbaga Account Number: 0905 246 5469

UnionBank Account Name: Mikael Gabriele Javier Hosillos Account Number: 1093 2249 6010

This leads to widespread complacency and apathy. As a result, our attitudes, beliefs, and actions are limited by fear of the consequences of speaking out against social injustices. Unfortunately, this has led to widespread corruption that goes unaddressed because most citizens either don't know better or think it's just the way things are. There are numerous reasons why Filipinos remain silent on important issues: we often come from low-income households where speaking up may cost us food on the table; we are exposed to consequences of speaking out through threats made by authorities; we often lack confidence due to our skills; we're usually bombarded with information that makes us feel inadequate—leading us to believe that we aren't qualified enough to speak out on anything outside our immediate interests; and finally, there's an overall feeling that change will never happen. But in a world where everyone feels that hope is lost, change can start with you!

Addressing Corruption and Fostering Transparency

Corruption is a severe problem in the Philippines. It undermines good governance, stifles economic development, and contradicts the rule of law. The country's history of corruption is well-documented, and it continues to be a significant challenge today.

There are many causes of corruption, but one of the most important is the lack of transparency in government. When government officials are not required to disclose their financial interests or make their decision-making process public, it creates opportunities for them to engage in corrupt practices. Atty. Alex Lacson discussed how corruption creates a domino effect in the government, which results in LGUs and NGAs not delivering on their purpose, which leads to poverty.

To address corruption, the Philippines needs to foster greater transparency in government. We can do this by requiring all public officials to disclose their financial interests, making government decision-making more transparent, and increasing access to information about government activities for everyone, as Atty. Chel Diokno stated, These measures will help create a more accountable and responsive government with unselfish leaders that can better serve the Filipino citizens.

Improving Educational Quality and Accessibility

In recent years, the Philippines has made great strides in improving educational quality and accessibility. The government has invested heavily in education, and as a result, the country now has one of the highest literacy rates in Southeast Asia. However, there is still room for improvement.

Atty. Chel Diokno recognized how common an ordinary citizen, whether rich or poor, is to have no understanding of how the law works, and only lawyers, legal professionals, and law students understand the law. Atty. Diokno advocates legal education for everyone to give knowledge about the law. Both mentioned attorneys highlighted how the most significant reform we could make is the removal of presidential powers to appoint the Judiciary, Ombudsman, COA & COMELEC members.

End Game

Leaders play a pivotal role in transforming the system. A Transformational Leader should be genuine and should follow through. Furthermore, he also made a point of being a transformational citizen. He concluded, "We are all part of the solution." We all should have accountability and educate ourselves as well in this matter.

Let's urge one another to bring up the justice system on various platforms and make it a priority at the federal level. Let our current leaders know this needs to be part of the national agenda. As Atty. Diokno wisely said, "We all should have the right to reach our full potential and we can only do that if there is accountability and empowerment in our country." Whatever you do, remember that every little bit helps and that you can make a difference!

"The conference is based on language education, mainly English and as well as applied linguistics," says Mr. Walter, talking about the International Conference for Applied Linguistic and Language Education. "It is the second conference that was held (this year)," Mr. Walter added, referring to July and October conferences.

Together with the students from AB English Language Studies and Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English, they flew to the same venue, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, from July 21st until the 23rd. Mr. Walter also mentioned that one of the conference organizers is the College of Education, Arts, and Sciences' former Dean, and now Assistant Vice President on Research and Development, Dr. Jessie Barrot, with Professor Salipande and Soberano, who selected the candidates.

Photo provided by Mr. Walter Daniel Delos Reyes

The 3 days conference allowed these students to display their knowledge and skills in research and time to appreciate Vietnam's abundant culture. Mr. Walter said that Vietnam is like Manila and that they cannot avoid comparing and seeing the similarities between Vietnam streets of  Manila, "Itong street na 'to parang Recto lang, itong street na 'to parang España lang," he said. (This street is just like Recto, this street is just like España.).

However, the difference in culture stands out for Mr. Walter, especially in language. There is a difference in using the English language study. In the Philippines, he said "We have English language study as Bachelor of Arts," and unlike in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries, they use it for business; thus, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City is the host university. "It's part of their economy when it comes to the use of English and how it affects businesses and the economy of their country," he added.

He then shortly shared how they would go out to explore and try Vietnamese foods at night. "The food was good," says Mr. Walter. However, they could only explore Vietnam's abundance for a limited time since that was not their intention in the first place.

Returning to the research conference, Mr. Walter said, "My research interest is based on my love for literature." As a lover of the English language and art, Mr. Walter could not contain his love for literature. He had already set up his mind on what he would do for his senior thesis, deciding on transitivity, a linguistics theory that analyzes verbs and their relationship with other structural elements. He further talked about how he planned to explore a book he loved and had known since his high school years. However, the panelists suggested that he should try contextualizing the theory of transitivity in the Philippine context.

That suggestion is the birth of his research, which he presented at the conference, entitled Who is babae? A Transitive Feminist Analysis of Philippine Literature. The study is about Philippine Literature and how women are portrayed in Philippine literature between 1980 to 2015. Coming to National University as a freshman, Mr. Walter shared that he was unaware that the AB English Language Studies program has high standards and is deeply immersed in research, specifically in language research.

Mr. Walter's motivation for his research lies in being a male feminist and someone who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ as gender fluid. He is motivated in wanting to contribute to the field of literature and gender studies. He also discussed that even though joining the conference is a forced responsibility, he sees it as an opportunity that he cannot decline and grabs into it to represent the National University. He is glad to have a chance to spread awareness about what is currently happening in Philippine Literature and gender studies in Vietnam.

Photo provided by Mr. Walter Daniel Delos Reyes

Recalling their presentation in Vietnam, he talked about how he handled the situation. He admitted that he is a go-getter and was an active host whenever there was an opportunity to host, which became the foundation of his overwhelming confidence. He hardly experiences nervousness. As a well-prepared student leader, they had fewer hindrances during the presentation, and he even handled both face-to-face and online participants of the BSEd major in English and ABELS programs in Vietnam. However, the process is different. There was a lot of impostor syndrome and questioning in his mind, which pushed him to confide with his research mentor. He consulted them, questioning if he still could make it, and he received a response, "You're a good presenter; you can do it."

Photo provided by Mr. Walter Daniel Delos Reyes

"I can say, when opportunities like this come in front of you, just grab it if ibang tao na ang nag-o-offer sa'yo. It's the same thing I would say noong ako iyong na-elect as President back in my time; if people see potential in you, they offer things to you," he added. ("I can say, when opportunities like this come in front of you, just grab it, especially if someone goes out of his way just to offer it to you. This is similar to how I was elected as President back then, where people saw my potential and offered me the position," he added.)

"Just be yourself, go with the flow and just always trust your abilities." Mr. Walter's message to the upcoming NU Guild of English Language Organization researcher who will join next year if the conference will be conducted again. He believed in himself and in his abilities. That is not just luck that made things happen but also because he is a person that is dedicated to putting in the work to make it work.

Going back on his research, Mr. Walter actually believed that his research had the poorest composition and was not a good paper; that is why he doesn't like to regard himself as a researcher, as he also confessed that Miss Elaine just gave him two chances to revise his paper.

During the conference, Mr. Walter also reminisces how each of them who attended the event has their own niche and field where they can represent the status of English from the Philippines in an international conference where they get an opportunity to share and compare.

As the President of the Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies Program (ABELS), Mr. Walter explained how he got the opportunity to represent his program. To actually participate in an international event and be given a chance to introduce himself as a student from the National University, Philippines, where he also represented his program. He also shared that it was an avenue for him to exhibit the quality of education in the Philippines when it comes to the field of language study.

"As a student, it gives me a platform to give myself validation. Of course, deserve natin iyon, 'di ba? Bakit hindi? We need to validate ourselves." ("As a student, it gives me a platform to give myself validation. Of course, we deserve it, right? Why not? We need to validate ourselves.")

Mr. Walter shared that as a student leader at National University, the event also has given him the platform to grant himself the validation he deserves. He also shared that the conference was quite challenging and admitted that he had even done something beyond his responsibility. "If you ask me, sino ba iyong nagdala ng mga estudyante sa Vietnam (who brought the students to Vietnam)? It was one student leader who processed almost all the papers together with SSLE (Society of Second Language Educators), and it was the GEM President," referring to himself. Even though he could just let the students do all the work and process their papers independently, Mr. Walter still decided to work harder beyond his scope of responsibility and contribute to the success of the International Conference for Applied Linguistics and Language Education 2022.

As the program began, Feejay Nario, the Vice President of the CEAS Student Council, warmly acknowledged the guest speaker, Atty Alex Lacson. The advocacies, experiences, and affiliations of the guest speaker were highlighted.

Atty. Alex Lacson delivered a PowerPoint presentation titled “Transformational Leadership” in the context of “Our Dream Philippines.” He began by telling a narrative about an ideal first-world country, which he later identified as Denmark. He also mentioned the first-world countries that he considered as prosperous and developed. Afterward, Atty. Alex specifically posed the question “How about our Philippines?”  which raised the subject of the general state of our country.

Atty. Lacson described how the country’s ranking dropped since the late 1960s. The 2018 World Bank report on the economic status of ASEAN states that our poverty ratio lingers around 21.6%, totally behind 6 ASEAN countries in the economic ranking. In learning poverty, the survey shows that 90 of 100 children experience difficulties in learning. Atty. briefly discussed what stems from these kinds of poverty. The causes he mentioned were: 1.) Corruption, which disrupts the allocations of the national budget that are meant for the public. 2.) Many LGUs do not deliver, which means some of the micro government units fail to efficiently serve their people. He also introduced political dynasties that controlled the LGUs and how it is correlated with rural poverty 3.) Many NGAs (National Government Agencies) do not deliver, the main reasons also stuck around corruption, inefficiency, incompetence, and self-serving leaders. 4.) Greed in Business Sectors, even though the tremendous growth for the past decade was evident, poverty wasn’t necessarily reduced. He later presented a study that shows that the richest families and their businesses mostly benefit from the growth of the economy. 5.) Wrong policies and programs, the last and final cause that Atty. presented.

He emphasized that leaders play a pivotal role in transforming the system. A Transformational Leader should be genuine and should follow through. Afterward, he discussed the Biggest Reform we need. Among the most urgent reforms he first laid out was the Removal of Presidential Powers to appoint the members of the Judiciary, Ombudsman, COA & COMELEC. He expressed that it is one way to enhance the transparency of every investigation and basically the justice system. He believed that implementing this reform would be far more effective than switching the type of government we have.

Furthermore, he also made the point of being a transformational citizen as well. He concluded by stating the words “We are all part of the solution”. Atty. Lacson overall indicated the changes we need in order to progress into a transformational country. His factual and evidence-based lecture overall opened people's eyes to the challenges we face as we aim toward betterment.

To officially start the program,  Dean Leo S. Del Rosario of the College of Education, Arts, and Sciences extended warm greetings to the audience and offered inspirational remarks. Dean Leo also left behind words that encapsulate a true leader. "Overcoming the crisis makes one a leader", he emphasized. Following that, Ulyson Buere, President of the CEAS Student Council, introduced the event's speaker, Attorney Chel Diokno.

With the theme "The Filipino and the Criminal Justice System: Injustices among the Poor and Marginalized," Atty. Chel discussed the problems with the justice system and what should be done to fix them. The length of time it takes to resolve cases in our nation is the first problem with the justice system, according to Atty. Chel. Further, this occurs because there is a lack of judges that will preside over the court and not everyone is aware of this situation. Furthermore, he mentioned the Philippines' low conviction rate that contributes to the issues of the justice system. With a conviction rate of 25%, only one offender is convicted out of four injustice offenses. “It is not the severity of the punishment but the certainty of it”, he added. Last but not least, the closed system is one of the problems with the judicial system, where ordinary people have no understanding of how the law works, and only lawyers, legal professionals, and law students understand the law. Chel advocates legal education for everyone to give knowledge about the law.

Atty. Chel Diokno discussed the problems with the legal system in a simple and concise manner. Everyone was able to understand what he said when he presented the facts, views, and ideas surrounding these subjects. In order to address these issues, he urged everyone to bring up the justice system on various platforms and make it a priority at the federal level. He urged the audience to force leaders to be part of the national agenda in order for them to hold accountable for these issues.

Afterward, he ended the discussion with these words, “We all should have the right to reach our full potential and we can only do that if there is accountability and empowerment in our country.” In addition, he answered the questions of the audience and defined the great attribute of a true prosecutor by achieving justice for all and who deserves it.

This Kamustahan, along with the other events, was intended to warmly welcome the new breed of NU Bulldogs and accommodate them to the CEAS Community. Before these freshies enter college, their CEAS family ensured they get a glimpse of what college life offers. They sought to establish a warm atmosphere for the students to feel encouraged and at ease because their seniors were rooting for and watching over them.

The event started with Ms. Milena Bonite and Mr. Jaron Lugo, the event's masters of ceremonies introducing Mr. Ulyson Buere, the newly elected President of the CEAS Student Council, in giving his welcoming remarks. He emphasized that as long as the seated officers are in the student council, the CEAS Community can reach out to them without hesitation. He also addressed the freshmen and told them that he wanted them to feel welcome despite their classes being done remotely. After Mr. Buere's speech, the past events and accomplishments of the previous administration from the student council were reminisced such as the webinars, competitions, and workshops.

There were also intermission numbers in between the talks of the representatives from the different organizations prepared by the freshies. Mr. Khristian Esteva, an AB Political Science student, gave justice to an OPM song he covered. At the same time, Mr. Jake Loreno from BS Psychology showcased his talent as a drummer. Last to perform was Ms. Divine Señosa, an AB Political Science student, with her soulful rendition while playing her guitar.

The Recognized Student Organization (RSO) such as NU-GEMS, The Comm.Pendium, NU SEED, NU OPEM, NU SSLE, and NU Psychology Society ensured that they were recognized by the first-year students. They were able to introduce and provide an overview of the organizations they represented. Meanwhile, the hosts introduced the University-Wide Organizations such as NU Mountaineers, NU Youth For Christ, NU PEERS, NU COMEX Brigade, The National, 551st Media, and the NU Chorale. The representatives were proud to present their past events and accomplishments from the previous terms. They also mentioned some of the activities and events that are soon to be announced, and freshies were asked to look forward to the exciting occasions each organization is preparing.

One of the representatives, Mr. Walter Delos Reyes, the President of the NU Guild of English Majors (NU-GEM), a famous student leader, and a remarkable CEAS student, was asked to talk about NU-GEM. He stated that the NU-GEM is the official student organization of the Bachelor of Arts Major in English Language Studies and that this program was recognized and awarded as the "Most Research-Productive Program." With their tagline, "Shed Light, & Serve with Brilliance," they aim to do projects and training activities to meet the program objectives of the AB-ELS program under the NU CEAS.

After the talks, the masters of ceremonies made sure that the freshies were still enjoying themselves, so they carried out some energizers wherein the students actively participated. There were three different icebreakers, and the winners were given SM gift checks and special awards. Certificates were presented to all the winners and active participants.

The last to speak was Ms. Ma. Honey Bell Vicencio, a guidance coordinator at the university and a board member of the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association. Ms. Belle discussed the guidance office and the services that they can give and offer. As she defined it, the NU Bulldogs Guidance Services Office is where students' wellness is supported, such as their emotional, academic, and career concerns. She also summarized all the webinars and seminars they did. The programs and services they always offer, wherein the Student Wellness Assessment Program (SWAP) and the Student Module of Interactive Learning Experience (SMILE) are included. Ms. Vicencio also mentioned that there are organizations under the GSO. One is the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), which supports and uplifts the LGBTQA+ Community at the National University.

For the closing remarks, Ms. Ashley Gepulla, the CEAS SC Secretary, thanked every freshie who attended, the RSO and University-Wide Organizations' representatives who shared and talked, and everyone who made the time and effort to listen and be part of this special event. She closed the program by leaving an inspirational message explaining why students should join an organization. Believe that joining an organization will set experiences, nurture students, and open doors of opportunities.

Despite the event occurring virtually via Zoom and Facebook live, the Oath Taking Ceremony was dutifully fulfilled by all the student leaders from the student council and the Registered Student Organizations (RSO) under the courses in CEAS. Promptly starting around 10 am, the hosts formally greeted all the attendees and reminded them of the proper decorum to be expected during the ceremony. Dr. Leo S. Del Rosario, the Dean of CEAS, welcomed all the attendees to the event by recognizing this momentous day for student leaders as they promised service and commitment to their positions as newly elected officers. He imparted the message that there will always be opportunities to showcase our skills and that we, as students, must soar high and reach our dreams. Before ending his welcoming remarks, Dr. Del Rosario commended everyone – the students, faculty, and organizations who made this event possible.

Following the Dean of CEAS was the Director of the Student Development and Activities Office (SDAO), Mr. Marc Rey Galido, with a message for students and officers alike. "As student leaders, it is important to represent your constituents – always have your ears open," said Mr. Galido. He enlisted three things expected from student leaders, especially with the campus' transition into a hybrid blended learning setup. First is to have empathy, next is to have an action plan, and lastly to produce results. The SDAO Director provided a lovely metaphor for setting perspectives regarding the concerns of the students. As officers who provide service to the CEAS community, they are expected to represent and amplify the varying circumstances of students with appropriate resolutions. With that, he wished all the officers the best of luck and ended at that.

Ms. Maribel Belleza's presence was then acknowledged in place of the absence of Dr. Del Rosario in taking charge of the oath-taking process of the newly appointed CEAS Student Council Officers and its course organization officers. Afterward, the Student Council officers presented their general plan of action for this academic year. A very dynamic, diverse, and educational event will be set in stone with their Welcoming of the Freshmen, Battle of the Bands, Know Your Status: HIV Awareness Month, Drink or Spill: NU's Untold Love Stories, and so much more. As all the attendees look forward to the awaited promised events, the new administration's promises are all waiting to be fulfilled like prophecies. The outgoing CEAS President, Miss Elyedhia Quillopo, provided her insights as a leader. She recalled how fast the time went, how it was only yesterday that she was taking the same oath these new officers were taking. Miss Quillopo learned four essential things in serving as a student leader; first is to believe in yourself; second is to know your purpose and why you serve; third is to remember that even as a leader, you are not alone; lastly, is learning how to rest.

As the ceremony was coming to a close, from the outgoing president to the next, Mr. Ulysson Buere provided his warm 'thank you's to everyone who had made this event possible. Mr. Buere recognized that the task and responsibility of being a student leader is no small feat. Working both as a representative of the student body and as a student himself, he instills the ethos of working smart and hard to be able to balance the responsibilities of both positions and recognizing Ms. Quillopo's anecdote that, at the end of the day, we, students, and officers, should learn how to rest and to take it slow. Congratulatory remarks to all the officers were given as well as the presentation of certificates for the outgoing Student Council and a certificate to Ms. Bellaza on behalf of the Dean.

As the Oath Taking Ceremony ended, it marked a new era for the CEAS administration. Faced with their difficulties, especially the demanding transition of the HyBlend Learning setup, students from all walks of life look forward to the promise of a smooth academic year. The responsibilities of being student leaders will stay with these officers for the rest of the year, and their journey has just begun.