Shuttered storefronts, vacant schools, empty airways—these are only some of the sights that typify what the International Monetary Fund dubs as the “Great Lockdown”. In a massive disruption of economic activity, the COVID-19 pandemic that already pushed many businesses into bankruptcy has also left five million Filipinos out of work, now dependent on government assistance…
Author: Oliver Barrios
“They (ABS-CBN) will rehire the workers, definitely, [that’s the] promise.” These words come from Mark Raywin Tome, a promotion specialist for media network ABS-CBN, in an interview with The LaSallian as he shares his wishes for a return to normality in the company’s operations. Last May 5, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) had issued a…
In celebration of Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista’s (Tapat) 35th anniversary, the organization held a series of webinars titled Kwentong TAPAT last August 11 and 13 via Facebook Live. The talks featured students and alumni who advocate for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) rights and leaders who made strides to improve student rights and…
Both policies and principles influence the courses of action that government officials take hoping to improve the people’s quality of life. As youth leaders rise to the occasion of effecting positive change in their respective contexts, different strategies are vital to bridge their promises and ideals into materializing as effective policies and programs. Such aspects…
Webinars, Twitter rallies, and online petitions—these have become more commonplace in past months as several progressive groups leverage alternative modes of engagement amid quarantine measures. At the forefront of these initiatives are the youth, including DLSU students. In fact, history has shown that the Lasallian community as a whole is no stranger to advocating for…
As June comes to an end, the country’s COVID-19 case count continues to rise sharply, maintaining worries on the state of national preparedness. Cases of the disease surged past 31,000 last June 23—100 days since the start of quarantine measures. The number continues to rise alarmingly close to the 40,000 end-of-the-month total projected by experts…
“What we’re seeing is death by a thousand cuts [of] our democracy…little cuts to the body politic, to the body of Philippine democracy. And when you have enough of these cuts, you are so weakened that you will die.” This was what Rappler CEO Maria Ressa told the audience in 2019 after being conferred the…
Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa, a political organization that upholds the fight for human rights, hosted an online protest and forum titled Unmasking the Terror Bill: In Defense of Freedom and Human Rights last June 4 to shed light on the opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and its swift passing through Congress. Joining the…
As concerns over the COVID-19 crisis’ adverse economic effects mount, the country is set to shift into eased quarantine measures by Monday, June 1. Nevertheless, the clamor for better leadership, greater transparency on pandemic-related budget utilization, and clearer policies still persists. The LaSallian delves into what occurred in the country the past week, including new…
Committing to provide access to inclusive and culture-based education for every indigenous learner in the country, then Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC implemented in 2015 the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) Education Program by enhancing the learning modules of public schools. DepEd has released an education policy framework for IPs aimed at making…