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TPSF commemorates 3rd year of Maguindanao massacre
It was a tragedy that killed 58 people, thirty-two of which were journalists. That one particular day that left a burning scar in the history of the Philippines.
NOVEMBER 23, 2012—The Political Science Forum (TPSF) held a Holy Eucharist to remember the fate of those who were killed in the Maguindanao massacre three years ago and offered a prayer for a peaceful and honest national elections at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church.
Rev. Fr. Melvin P. Castro, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) episcopal Commission on the Family and Life, presided the mass attended by Political Science students, as well as some professors and students of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
“The massacre of three years ago should be a solemn reminder to all of us. The 58 are not just numbers and they are not simply news items. Madali gumawa ng balita. But the 58 who were killed are people like us. They could have been your mother, they could have been your sister, they could have been you,” Fr. Castro said during his homily.
He also stressed that we should learn from the tragedies of the past. We should learn how to look back and reflect so we will not be bound to commit the same mistake and tragedy.
“Today, as we remember the Maguindanao massacre, you, young people, should learn. You, as young people and as part of your academic formation, are to learn history. We hope that you learn that tragedies like this could be avoided and should not be part of our history,” Fr. Castro continued.
He even sympathized with women, especially the pregnant ones who were raped and killed in the massacre, emphasizing that in any war and conflict, the first casualty would be women and children.
“They may not be Christians, but today we pray for them. And let us not forget, they may no longer be news items of today but they were like you and me, flesh and blood,” said Fr. Castro.
According to him, the massacre is but a symptom of a much deeper problem that our country has: political dynasty, adding “that political offices are like private companies that you can pass over to your children or to your children’s children, to your wife or husband. It befits the very purpose of representative democracy.”
Fr. Castro ended the commemoration mass by accentuating that our life is depicted in the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. At times, it can be joyful, sorrowful, glorious, and light.
Candles were lit, followed by a Thomasian prayer for a peaceful, honest, and fair 2013 elections was done before the mass ended. Prayer was led by Prof. Evelyn Songco, PhD, assistant to the Rector for student affairs.
On November 23, 2009, the Maguindanao massacre left 58 people, including 32 journalists, dead in a single instance.
The victims were in the convoy of the wife of Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangundadatu. She was to file her husband’s certificate of candidacy but the convoy was blocked by armed men and the victims were killed, including six civilians who just passed by.
Meanwhile, reports said that the case is in a “snail’s pace,” not even reaching halfway. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and other media groups were “deeply disappointed” with the status of the case, crying to end impunity in our country.
By Christine Fel A. Viernes
Photo taken by Justine Fay Refuerzo
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News
Thomasian innovation bested others in the Metro
A mere escape from summer boredom hailed two Engineering Thomasians victorious in the recent Manila Bay Cleanup competition, launched by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in April.
A mere escape from summer boredom hailed two Engineering Thomasians victorious in the recent Manila Bay Cleanup competition, launched by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in April.
Fourth year Electronics Communication Engineering (ECE) students John Beljoe Abao and Ariel Manalaysay had outclassed seven other competing schools with their giant dustpan-like entry, which, according to them is based on simple logic and imagination, and practically out of the boredom during the vacation.
“Nung summer walang magawa, and opportunity din naman ‘yon,” Abao said, referring to the contest.
With the theme “Innovative Engineering Solutions to the Manila Bay Garbage Problem,” the contest encouraged student participants to devise creative contraptions that may eventually be improved and produced by the MMDA.
“It (the prototype) is V-shaped and it has a hole in the middle where a concrete storage is placed,” Abao said.
With big waves in the bay, floating debris and trash will be swept into the chute and into the tank, “just merely collecting the trash into the bin.”
Competition
The Thomasian duo took three days of brainstorming, a day to formulate the concept paper, and only a span of two hours to construct the model. But despite the short amount of time, they were “confident” about their prototype.
“One down, one down,” Abao said when asked what did they feel when they saw other participants’ prototype. According to the duo, the edge of their prototype compared to others’ was the “feasibility to implement because of its simplicity.”
The prototype brought to the defense is made up of only cardboard, masking tape, and illustration board while other participants’ proposals were more technical and even made use of mathematical computations.
The real inspiration behind the innovation, according to Abao, is the fulfillment of seeing his idea being implemented to help improve the Manila Bay.
“Kuha lang ng kuha. When the opportunity comes, grab without hesitation,” Abao and Manalaysay said, advising the Thomasian community to be ready when opportunity knocks.
According to an article in Inquirer, Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) Assistant Secretary Maria Catalina Cabral said that in choosing the winning design they looked for “innovation and engineering.”
“The concept is doable. We saw there was potential for this to be built and developed. MMDA and DOST will make more studies to develop and make more improvements on this proposal,” Cabral added in the said article.
The duo received P25,000 cash prize along with Certificate of Recognition.
Other participating schools included Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Manuel L. Quezon University and Mapua Institute of Technology.
By Mia Mallari and Romhelyn Benipayo
Photo courtesy of John Beljoe Abao
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