Reviving the strokes:
Are Filipinos ready for Baybayin?
Nicole Beltran, Rose Mae Dela Cruz, Dana Mirador

You are probably one of the commuters who didn’t read or actually pay attention to street signs anymore. You’ve might passed by the same newsstand everyday and just look for a while to the order of newspapers. You might cross on the labels of your food but didn’t notice what’s in there.

Soon, these street signs, newspapers, books, government agencies’ names, and public facilities will be inscribed in the script of Baybayin once the bill proposing for this to become the Philippines’ national writing system got signed and implemented.

On April 23, the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has approved House Bill 1022, or the proposed National Writing System Act, which seeks to declare Baybayin as the Philippines’ national writing system, generate a greater awareness on its plight and develop wider appreciation for its importance and beauty.

According to the bill filed by Pangasinan Representative Leopoldo Bataoil, Baybayin will be promoted by mandating the local government units (LGU) to include scripts in their street signage and names, public facilities, public buildings, and other necessary signage for other public service establishments such as hospitals, police stations, and community centers.

This will also command all the manufacturers of local processed foods to put Baybayin translations on the container labels. Likewise, newspapers publishers will be required to include Baybayin scripts of their official names.

With Bataoil’s introduction, this bill aims to preserve the cultural heritage of the Philippines to develop patriotism among Filipinos and enliven this important identity of the countrymen. This will also “generate awareness on the plight of ‘Baybayin’ and foster wide appreciation on its importance and beauty.” [Read full text of bill here ]

But along these actions to revive Baybayin, is Philippines ready to push pens for this?


Bolding the script

Baybayin, incorrectly known as Alibata, is an ancient script used as writing system primarily by the Tagalog people. It is widely used before by the Tagalog domains. It is being utilized during the early years of Spanish colonization until the Latin alphabet was introduced. Some documented scribes are found collected during this colonial era.

It has been quite a long time that passed. And legislation is what they see to be the way to promote again Baybayin aside from using this script as logo of some government agencies or organizations.

Behind these good steps and intent to enlighten again the script, certain arguments arise to validate the effeciency of the bill especially that this has not been practiced for a long time.

For Christine Marie Magpile, Administrative Coordinator of University of the Philippines (UP) Press, Baybayin, even an alphabet of ancient times, still have limitations.

“Ang Baybayin ay isang uri ng pagsulat, so puwede nating sabihin na ito’y isang uri ng alpabeto natin. Ito ay nagsimula sa sinaunang Tagalog. Pero take note na ang Baybayin ay ginamit lamang ng isang partikular na grupo ng mga Tagalog”, explained Magpile.

On the other hand, Magpile also emphasized that Philippines, since it is composed of Islands and certainly different groups of people, has many writing scripts in many regions of the country.

Aside from Baybayin, other indigenous writing systems also exist in some parts of the country. Kulitan is used by the Kapampangans. Batangas has Kumintang while Mindoro has Buhid and Hanunuo. Bulakan, Pangasinan, and Bicol also have their own writing scripts. In addition, versions of scripts vary as time goes by.

And if Baybayin will refer to the scrit used in Tagalog areas, it might not feflect the diversity of the scripts.

“Kung gagawing national script ang Baybayin, halimbawa ako, taga-Mindoro ako, bakit Baybayin? Bakit hindi Hanunuo?”, Magpile added.

Pressing the stroke: Who can read Baybayin?

Making use of legislation and implementing laws to public especially in this endeavor of Baybayin will require knowledge about the script from Filipinos.

Geraldine Chua of the Sentro ng Wika at Kultura of Bulacan State University said that a lot has gone through the years of the development of Philippine alphabet from Baybayin to new Filipino language.

“Walang masama sa pagtatangka na pataasin ang ang kamalayan at kaalaman ng mga Filipino kaugnay sa Baybayin dahil ito’y bahagi ng ng ating sinaunang kultura, subalit ang gawin muli bulang sistema ng pagsulat ay isang napakalaking hamon”, said Chua.

Chua also noted that complications will arise if Baybayin will be used as writing system as we have been following guidelines ijn reading and writing words.

In Section 4 of the bill, the promotion of Baybayin will be also directed to a government agency which will distribute reading materials to all levels of public and private schools and all government agencies and offices to spread awareness of the declaration of Baybayin.

However, books and other materials that should teach how to write in Baybayin are limited. If some are available, these books are about the history of ancient script only. Even experts or professionals are rare to be found.

“Sa Pilipinas, wala tayo halos na libro na nalimbag para ituro ang Baybayin. Hindi kasama sa curriculum and Baybayin sa school. Walang may alam kung paano ba ito isinusulat. Kahit experts ay wala. Syempre kung magtuturo ka ng Baybayin, kailangan mo ng expert. Kung meron mang nag-aral ng Baybayin, ‘yong iba mga foreigner pa, so mahina talaga ang literacy natin dito”, Magpile said.

“Matagal nang hindi naituro ang Baybayin kaya’t mababa ang literacy rate ng Pilipinas dito”, Chua added.

Another argument to this is that who will be interested to read Baybayin? In the case of Philippines, people are not interested anymore in looking at the street signs. Learning a new language or new writing system is hard for one.

“Tayo nga lang sa wika natin, Tagalog or Filipino, nahihirapan na tayo sa grammar at kung minsan sa pagsasalita. Paano pa kaya ‘yong pag-aaral ng Baybayin. Baka nga ‘yong mismong sumulat ng bill hindi niya rin alam kung paano sumulat sa Baybayin eh”, Magpile added.

Is Philippines ready?

The intention is good: to promote one of the contributors to our rich cultural and historical accounts. In this delight, it is good that the importance of Baybayin will be introduced to this generation and revive the sence of identity to ourselves.

But what is the higher purpose of the bill? Is Philippines ready for this?

As the bill will require new publications and printing, this will entail costs and monetary efforts from the government. Since no experts are available, it will take time and consume more to educate people. Moreover, complications may arise to the education sector since it will be included in the curricullum.

“Kasi kung gagawin itong writing system, magiging magastos. Dito pumapasok ‘yong higher purpose. Ano ba ang higher purpose nito? Bukod sa pagrereserba at pagbibigay importansya dito, ano pa?”, Magpile said.

Looking through the rich history of the Philippine alphabet, it is truly a good initiative to revive once again one of the important identities of the Filipinos. But as the saying goes, the positive aspects is just the negative aspects. If Baybayin will be pressing the pens of the Philippines, the bill must undergo several and critical planning as this will have to affect different people, policies, and practice today.

And before bolding the strokes of Baybayin, all must be planned well considering the effeciency of the bill and its effectivity to the whole Filipino body and country.

“Naniniwala ako na ang pagtatakda ng batas ay isang mainam na hakbang upang mapanumbalik ang importansiya ng Baybayin sa ating bansa. Ngunit dapat munang pag-isipan ng mga mambabatas at ng ating gobyerno ito at idaan sa masusi at maayos na pagpaplano”, ended Chua.

From passion to profit: How to make money from publishing online?
By Rochelle Acse, Christine De Jesus, Lorrie Rein Perlac

Who gets paid by just living their lives?

With the ability of today’s internet, it has given people the opportunity to engage to the world and express themselves in every way they want to. With some keyboards and digital cameras on hand, they can write or talk about anything under the sun, from science, fashion, politics or by just sharing how would they love to spend an hour within their boring Sunday afternoon.

Blogging and publishing content across social media platforms can be a hobby for some, but sometimes it can also be a full time career. Some bloggers or social media personalities find ways to monetize their influence, and employed strategies to generate multiple revenue streams, that will turn their passion into profession.

Meanwhile, whenever someone is first introduced to the world of blogging, invariably the first question is
How do bloggers get paid?”

According to a blogger and founder of a literary blog site The Ugly Writers, Dr.Roell Hernandez, “the amount bloggers and influencers get paid for social media marketing in particular depends on several factors like; “going rate,’ the ask in terms of scope of work, the platform on which the influencer is publishing, the influencer’s vertical (category, niche), and the influencer’s reach (how many people follow them or visit their sites and channels).”

And in order to reach this stage, wherein you can use your profession out of making multiple revenue streams, there are several process before building your own career online, and for Dr. Hernandez as a blogger you first need to have readers/viewers.

“First is, you have your readership. Some of us, sabihin na nating all of us can write. But not all of us have a steady number of readers. So again, it is a big factor to blog. You can write any time, but when you blog you have readers in mind, you can consider as a blogger if may steady source of readers ka, whether you share, whether you promote or not, people will read your work,” Roel expressed.

In the past, blogs served mainly as online journals or diaries, where bloggers can put down their thoughts and ideas in their own “small space” online, and have everyone else read about it.

The evolution of blogging over the years made blogs more than just a virtual diary. Today, blogging is seen as one of the most effective ways of sharing information and useful means of communication in a highly fast paced-world.

“If you enjoy writing, then working as a paid blogger is a great job,” He added.

In terms of income streams that bloggers and social media influencers can create. According to Dr. Hernandez there are two types of it; The Low Maintenance Passive Income and Personal Involvement High Income.

Low maintenance passive income this is the ideal type of income because it can provide you freedom.  This is the most often recurring passive income streams that you can enjoy. This type of money happens without your personal involvement. Meaning, that you can earn money without exchanging time for money in the moment.

Personal Involvement High Income the idea with this strategy is that if something involves your personal time, it should cost more. If you offer personal consulting for your niche you should charge what your personal time is worth for you. It also matters the type of reach that you are able to get as well.

The income is rewarding. The motivation is there.  And yet, no matter how great an opportunity might be, there will always be struggles, even in online web world. And for Dr. Roel, the blogging industry is not different. They are also facing common struggles on a regular basis.

“We [bloggers] have jobs, we are married people, we have families that can be considered as hindrances. Aside from natural calamities, it is part of the process pa rin.” Dr. Ruel shares their usual struggles and how they handle it.

It is really important to also think first through the goals, passions and struggles you want to serve, you’ll have a better idea which of the following income streams work best.

Now, the next question is… how do bloggers get their profit?

Payment getaways plays a vital role in the online payment ecosystem, and using the wrong getaway to accept payments from your customers can send your entire payment process on a downward spiral.

Payment and transactions demand security, reliability, and dependability. And payment getaways takes upon itself to provide you with all that.

Using software lets you confirm the terms of your agreement with the influencer are met before payment. Plus, it streamlines the payment process. You don’t have to worry about collecting your influencer’s direct deposit. And you don’t have to hassle with cutting and mailing check.

Figuring out how to pay social media influencers is one of the biggest issues in influencers marketing, and it really depends on a range of factors. The 2017 State of the Creator Economy study (SOCE) found that influencer marketing engagements accounted for the majority of influences/creators’ income in the past year.

According to HYPR, an influencer marketing platform, that is the price you can expect to pay for a post by an influencer with 500,000 to one million followers across their social media profiles.

But what are the “market” rates for each social media platform?

Social media platform like Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, these are the following market fees that can be earned by anybody who wants to take this career path.

But of course, the payment rules work a bit differently for the one percent among influencers- those with millions of followers or celebrity status.

Most successful influencers often find the best strategy is to incorporate several different revenue streams to elevate their status and their income. It’s also important for an influencer to continue to diversify to protect their business.

So if ever an individual likes to pursue a career opportunity and wants to start monetizing his influence, he should be compensated for his work especially when it benefits someone else so employ a range of strategies to build multiple revenues to social media.

And in truth, there is no exact science to figure out how much you should pay influencers, while there is not a clear-cut answer to this question, there are some guidelines used by marketers, agencies, and influencers themselves.

It is not just a about writing to earn money, it is often used to express what is needed to be expressed and write not just for the sake of what is needed to earn.

Inform. Express. Before considering how much you may earn in writing on web, consider if you are aligned to the real essence of writing that is to inform and express, for earning is just a bonus.

Getting in the zone: Dissecting the heart of online gaming

By: Aaron San Mateo and Joseph Andre Gaspar

No, this is not your usual sport. This is a game of death and conquer: where slaying your opponent is the only way to win. This is where players brandish their blades, cast their spells, and assume the persona of heroes to battle each other with vast combinations of strategy, techniques and in some cases, teamwork.

With its premise of being a cyber universe that enables players to log-in as a hero or avatar of their liking and duel among peers and strangers on a regular match within the comfort of their homes and gaming cafes, it shot itself to glorious popularity.

As it is usually understood by many, the word “gaming” could pretty much almost rhyme with the word “dropout.” Fair enough, people’s recollections are usually filled with noisy shops with teenage boys cussing and trash-talking while still in their uniforms facing computer screens.

But, a study in Oxford University debunks the connotation that gaming is for baddies and it’s just a way to waste quality time and fail classes, together. It says that “significant effects of gameplay have been demonstrated in a wide range of domains. Some of these effects are desired by parents, such as the effect of prosocial video games on empathy and helping.”

And it seems like these two players seem to break the views of the negative perception of the gaming community.

Ready player one: Jorizz Tan, HR Supervisor, CHALLENGER

There is an existing gaming community in Bulacan that battles the top schools in Manila. Bulacan State University (BulSU) cradles a competitive gaming team: BulSU Gosu X, a newbie team formed last school year where they were hailed as the top school team.

Jorizz is a Psychology graduate last 2017 and the former team captain of the reigning society, bagging the Northeastern Conference in his term.

“Nagsimula ako doon sa Garena, which is an online platform na mina-market din si DOTA kung saan na-involve ako sa society ng mga naglalaro dahil from being offline lang si DOTA, naging online na siya.”

Back in 2005, DOTA 2 Allstars 6.00 was introduced to online gaming world which was created as a custom game of World of Warcraft III pioneering another category of online gaming: the MOBA (Massive Online Battle Arena).

But he did not stop on just one MOBA because he also tried the equally famous League of Legends (LOL) where he reached the title “Challenger.”

“Kapag may community, mayroon siyempreng competition, and in my case, I tried to climb the ladder. So in Season 1, umabot ako sa Gold, then after sa sumunod na seasons, I reached Platinum, then Master and after, I reached Challenger. At noong top 100 pa lang ang Challengers sa Pilipinas, I reached top 17. So with that being said, sobrang competitive ko when it comes to gaming.”

In League of Legends’ Season 6, Garena advertised a college competition tagged as the LOL Collegiate Team wherein students could form a team in their university and is given a chance to battle other universities. This is when the BulSU Gold Gears was summoned.

Acquiring reputation in the battles that they’ve won, the BulSU Gold Gears picked up its new name: BulSU Gosu X after gaining its main sponsor: the Gosu X computer shop, located just a few blocks away from their university.

He also noted that while he is able to play, that does not discount the fact that as a graduating student, he needed to pass his thesis and secure a job afterwards. But now, he is a Human Resource Supervisor in an Australian-based company.

Enter player two: Jeric Sicioco, Engineering student, ARCHON

 A grim case of a student gamer is tailed by low grades, but the flow of the game is not always like that. In fact, in this case, it helps him get a buff to perform better.

Jeric Sicioco is an Electrical Engineering (EE) student of Bulacan State University (BulSU), and has been playing DOTA (Defense of the Ancients) since high school.

“Parang wala akong ibang iniisip kundi ‘yon [DOTA] kahit may pasok ngayon o pasok kinabukasan, naglalaro ako. Kunwari sa umaga, mula pag-gising ko, 8 [am] hanggang 2 [pm], straight ‘yon. Tapos kunwari sa gabi, mula 9 [pm] hanggang alas tres ng madaling araw, wala ring tigil.”

Jeric admitted that his parents usually scold him for being in front of the computer too long each day, but countered that although he is gaming, he still doesn’t let his studies get defeated and let his “Ancient” crumble down.

His General Weighted Average (GWA) ranges from 1.4-1.8, a relatively high amount for an Engineering student.

At present, he has a rank of ARCHON in DOTA 2 which is equivalent to 2500 MMRs (Matchmaking Rating), a value that determines the skill level of each player. And in his case, he is a high-rank team and solo player just two MMR Medals away from having the rank of DIVINE.

Aside from sweeping the school works and placing as one of the top of his class, he also plays DOTA 2 like a pro, as he describes the game as fulfilling to play. However, he said that having to play it too much that it causes negative effects and self-destruct, one should stop.

Mod(erator): Professor David Floyd Roxas, Professor

Shedding light into the matter if the gaming community is for the good or the bad, a professor from the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) explained the duality of the effects of playing online and computer games.

“Online games are used as propaganda in a particular kind of value, like movies. When this becomes of use to society, then these becomes a good thing for the progress of the society. However, these platforms could be also used to promote ideologies such as racism, killing, and injustice,” explained Professor Roxas.

He cited that according to Sigmund Freud, playing and recreation is a natural part of man’s life and that it is good because it is an avenue of releasing stress. It is the premise of choosing and being someone else that is entirely different from their original that hooks players, especially the young people who are usually in a stage of fragmented sense of self and is looking for companionship.

Moreover, the CSSP professor also pointed that it is not gaming in general that is bad but rather the nature of the game being played by the people because there are types of games that includes conflict, violence, and corrupt ideologies that is then absorbed by the players that gets them even more hooked.

With the advancement of games to become more immersive and accessible, the advent of the gaming community will not be stopping any time soon.

Counting Clicks to Counting Money: How much profit social media personalities make?
By Rochelle Acse, Christine De Jesus, Lorrie Rein Perlac

Who gets paid by just living their lives?

With the ability of today’s internet, it has given people the opportunity to engage to the world and express themselves in every way they want to. With some keyboards and digital cameras on hand, they can write or talk about anything under the sun, from science, fashion, politics or by just sharing how would they love to spend an hour within their boring Sunday afternoon.

Blogging and publishing content across social media platforms can be a hobby for some, but sometimes it can also be a full time career. Some bloggers or social media personalities find ways to monetize their influence, and employed strategies to generate multiple revenue streams, that will turn their passion into profession.

Meanwhile, whenever someone is first introduced to the world of blogging, invariably the first question is “How do bloggers get paid?”

The amount bloggers and influencers get paid for social media marketing in particular depends on several factors like; “going rate,’ the ask in terms of scope of work, the platform on which the influencer is publishing, the influencer’s vertical (category, niche), and the influencer’s reach (how many people follow them or visit their sites and channels).

And in truth there’s no exact science to figure out how much you should pay influencers, while there isn’t a clear-cut answer to this question, there are some guidelines used by marketers, agencies, and influencers themselves.

There are two types of income streams that bloggers can create according to; The Low Maintenance Passive Income and Personal Involvement High Income.

Low maintenance passive income streams allow you to enjoy freedom to use your time how you choose. Personal involvement income ideas wherein you are committed to work for a certain task for a specific time.

It is really important to also think first through the goals, passions and struggles you want to serve, you’ll have a better idea which of the following income streams work best.

Now, the next question is… how do bloggers gets their profit?

Payment getaways plays a vital role in the online payment ecosystem, and using the wrong getaway to accept payments from your customers can send your entire payment process on a downward spiral.

Payment and transactions demand security, reliability, and dependability. And payment getaways takes upon itself to provide you with all that.

(VIDEO)

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLATFORMS

According to HYPR, an influencer marketing platform, that is the price you can expect to pay for a post by an influencer with 500,000 to one million followers across their social media profiles.

But what are the “market” rates for each social media platform?

As per social media websites like Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat these are the following market fees that can be earned by anybody who wants to take this career path.

Instagram
$ 10 per 1,000 followers 

YouTube 
$20 per 1,000 subscribers

Snapchat
$10 per 1,000 followers 

Most successful influencers often find the best strategy is to incorporate several different revenue streams to elevate their status and their income. It’s also important for an influencer to continue to diversify to protect their business.

If you want to pursue a career opportunity and wants to start monetizing your influence, you should be compensated for your work especially when it benefits someone else so employ a range of strategies to build multiple revenues to social media.

Meanwhile, according to a statics from Statistica, as of May 2018 there were 409 million blog accounts compared to 345 million in the previous years.  This shows that there are numerous who want to engage in the industry today and pursuing talents in writ writing using different blog sites to influence readers.

It is not just a about writing to earn money, it is often used to express what is needed to be expressed and write not just for the sake of what is needed to earn.

Inform. Express. Before considering how much you may earn in writing on web consider if are aligned to the real essence of writing. Inform. Express. Because arning is just a bonus.

Averting the Stakes of Life Beside The Dead

Patricia Morales, Clarenz Manag, and Vhal Manansala

In the entire 48 years of her life, Edna Fernandez lived in a place thriving of life. But the home she had always known is now in the edge of eerie change. (for improvement)

               

It was in 2012 when rumors first flew around town that the agricultural land beside her residence will be converted into a private cemetery after being purchased by Mr. Efraim Genuino, former PAGCOR Chairman during the Arroyo administration. Worrying about their safety and seeing the roadside of the farm lot already being fenced without being certain what was to be constructed beside their homes, her neighborhood immediately sought action and verified the reports at their barangay office.

“Pinulong kami ng developer kasama ang barangay captain at saka ‘yong Sangguniang Barangay at sinabi nga nila na ‘yong plano na magtatayo dyan ng memorial park,” Edna stated

Although there were still no building operations happening aside from the fencing of the land perimeter, the local residents decided to start a signature petition to express their disapproval on the proposed development as a preventive measure. Soon after, no other news was heard about the plan – even the perimeter fencing was left on hiatus, and the land was left idle.

But just last year, they were again surprised when the fence construction resumed, this time on the side of their houses with the concrete piled so high they could not even catch a glimpse of the green pastures they have grown accustomed to.

2^nd Breaker

The residents were already having an idea that the plan of the developers might be resumed, since the fencing was built according to the former structural plan. They have also talked to the contractors and the workers and they learned that the cemetery, in fact, will push through.

Edna, along with the other residents beside the residents was then called last April for a public forum, which was attended by their mayor, baranggay officials and developers.

“Parang naging confirmation na lang ‘yong galing sa barangay na ‘yon nga daw, itutuloy.”

It was then discussed in the site development plan presentation by Oikodomeo Constructions Corporation, an engineering and architectural firm based in Taguig, that the 5.16-hectare lot will in fact be converted into a memorial garden resort.

(Explain blueprint: We are still trying to find a specialist who will be able to explain the blueprint)

3^rd Breaker

Constructing a business infrastructure in a farming land can be a question, but since the Genuino property was stagnated for years, it could already be classified as idle land; therefore building a business there would not contravene any law.

But there is a much bigger elephant in the room.

More than the proximity of their houses on the proposed cemetery, the residents are concerned about the health threats that it possess.

“… ‘Yong slope ng lupa ng memorial park is pababa sya. Dahil sa pababa ang slope ng lupa sa kabahayan (at) sa mga palayan, iniisip namin na maaaring magkaro’n ‘to ng masamang epekto sa health o kalusugan ng mga residente. Kasi syempre ano ‘yan e… may involved dyan na human decay.”

According to the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) protocol, the site plan of creating a cemetery in the mentioned land is questionable. It is stated:

Rules and Regulations for Memorial Parks and Cemeteries, Rule III Section 9

 General Provisions, Locations

A.1.2.2 An area where the dominant land use within one hundred meters from the periphery of the proposed memorial park/ cemetery is neither residential, commercial industrial or institutional.

It was also mentioned in the HLURB regulation that the proposed cemetery should not be allowed in environmentally critical areas, such as an active agricultural land (Physical Suitability, A. 2.1.), and must be “located on ground where the water table is not higher than four and 4.50 meters below the ground surface as certified by the National Water Resources Board.” ( A 2.2)

So far the project is still under study and only the fencing permits have been issued. But according to an interview with Angat Mayor Leonardo De Leon, he is very much in favor of the construction of the memorial park for he says it will bring a lot of opportunities in their municipality.

“Kung maitayo iyon ay maraming mabubuting bagay ang mangyayari, tulad ng ‘yong mga nanungkulan sa bayan na ito ay ilipat do’n,” Mayor De Leon said.

He was also convinced that the proposed plan would not violate any law, and when asked about the HLURB regulation that will be violated once the cemetery will push through, De Leon said: (quote comparing older cemeteries to the new cemetery’s location: to be transcribed)

But then he added that the proposal would not be approved if the barangay captain would not release the permit.

(Quote)

We tried to get a statement from Mr. Amang Enriquez, Barangay Captain of Marungko. But after several attempts, he was not able to grant us an interview due to his busy schedule.

4^th Breaker/Conclusion

                Marungko is undeniably quite slow-progressing in terms of urbanization. But recently, huge establishments had started paying attention to its civic potentials, promising to contribute to its success in exchange of capitalizing on anything it’s got – from its river, to farming lands – and now possibly even on the dead. But may they thrive with regards to the living. (for improvement)