Category: Editorial

FORTY years have passed since millions of Filipinos filled the streets in a peaceful uprising that would forever change the nation’s course. Yet the shadows of the past remain deeply rooted in the national consciousness. The Philippines endured one of the most grueling and turbulent periods under the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., when martial law was declared on September 21, 1972, and devoured the country like a powerful typhoon—its blustering winds sweeping a gale of oppression and fear, leaving some places untouched while ruthlessly tearing through others. Just as a storm reshapes the land, this tumultuous period left the nation with enduring scars; some communities prospered, others suffered, and the lessons from its ferocity remain painfully relevant today.

As a country part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is not new to annual visits of Low Pressure Areas (LPAs), typhoons, storm surges, and sometimes even super typhoons. On average, Filipinos experience 20 tropical cyclones entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) every year. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the construction and engineering arm of the government, always receives one of the biggest slices of the country’s budget. However, year after year, from one typhoon to another, the same problem still persists. This grim and dark reality begs an important question: where does the funding go?

WITH trophies, medals, and applause, the glamorous awards night for the student leaders of the Tertiary Schools comes to light, where their achievements are celebrated. It is truly an honor to bring home the large lion plaque and celebrate that, among the 22 co-curricular and extracurricular organizations, an officer from your organization or the organization created history that night. But where do we draw the line between genuine service and performative acts?

ATHLETES are considered the pride of SBCA as they represent the school in numerous yearly competitions such as the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) South, WNCAA, MNCAA, Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA), and more. But behind every trophy they bring home in the lion’s den, are they receiving the support they deserve?

With positions up for grabs in the 2025 Philippine elections, what’s at stake isn’t just seats of power but the nation’s course for the upcoming years. From economic recovery to social reform, our choices will shape the trajectory of our communities and our nation as a whole—so the quality of the people we elect can set the course for our country, for better or worse.

ACCOUNTABILITY is a foreground of public service and governance. Its purpose is to regulate political power and ensure its predictability by restraining its arbitrary nature. Thus, those in power and who serve society should have a sense of responsibility to uphold such core values in governance.

AT the end of every election, one thing will always be – an ever-present choice: to abstain. A brief review of the history of campus elections for the Tertiary Schools shows one consistent thing: student apathy, and domination of abstention. These two things go hand in hand in defining the landscape of student leadership within the collegiate department of SBCA, but what picture do these two things paint for us?

Who would amplify the students’ voices if autonomy were stripped from the student press? School publications represent students’ democratic rights and an expression of press freedom on campus. The campus press has imbued many with a thirst for truth and social change, setting a sense of nationalist consciousness within them.

THE Office of the Vice President (OVP) requested P500 million from Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) and P150 million for the Department of Education (DepEd) for the 2024 budget. As such, high-ranking government officials have asked for it throughout the years. For this instance, Vice President Sara Duterte explained to the Senate that they can only propose but are not insisting. Further stating that it can live without the confidential funds, but the work will be much easier in monitoring its implementation of programs, projects, and activities.

IN the past years, the general elections for the Student Executive Council (SEC) have always been interesting. With the turn of events from the recent elections, the results become alarming now, more than ever. According to the Bedan Electoral Committee (BelCom), only 195 out of the 1,557 students from the College participated during the elections, not even meeting 50 percent of the population. As stipulated in Article 1, Section 6 of the BelCom by-laws, candidates must meet the 20 percent quota of the electorate to be elected. Due to the low voter turnout, no SEC officer was duly elected. Hence, the candidates that ran for office were temporarily appointed as Officers-In-Charge until a new council is elected, said in a comment posted by Fritzen Albada who is one of the appointed officers.