Genré - The Central Student Publication of Wesleyan University-Philippines

ADVISORY | Wesleyan University-Philippines (WU-P) suspends classes at all levels tomorrow, August 10, 2026, following the suspension announced by the Provincial Government of Nueva Ecija for all public and private schools in the province.

The suspension covers all levels, except classes at the John Wesley School of Law and Governance and the College of Medicine, which is subjected to the discretion of their respective deans.

Meanwhile, regular office operations will continue, with offices at WU-P remaining open for transactions.

Faculty members are not required to report to campus; while deans, principals, directors, heads, and their respective staff are required to be present and perform their regular office functions.

Editorial | Shielding Power, Silencing Truth

A journalist carrying a camera or notebook should never be considered a threat. Yet when those documenting public protests are harassed, restrained, or arrested—the message becomes unmistakable: telling the truth can come at the cost of one’s freedom.

The press does not serve the interests of officials alone; its purpose is to inform citizens about what happens beyond official narratives. When a journalist is treated as an enemy rather than an eyewitness, it is not only the journalist who is threatened; the public's right to be informed is also attacked.

The role of a journalist is simple but important: to observe, document, and report the facts. Their presence at a protest does not make them participants in the demonstration. They are there to document what happens, allowing the public to form its own judgment.

Yet recent incidents tell a different story. On July 22, former Bulacan State University student journalist and Bulatlat contributor Jian Sanz was briefly detained by police while covering a protest in Pasay City related to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Veteran photojournalists Bullit Marquez and Rene Dilan were likewise subjected to an attempted arrest while documenting the police dispersal. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the incidents and called on the Philippine National Police to stop harassing journalists covering protests.

Pasay police chief Col. Joselito de Sesto described the attempted arrests of Marquez and Dilan as an "honest mistake," saying they had been mistaken for protesters. But whether the arrests were intentional or the result of misidentification, how can journalists safely document public events if their cameras and press identities are treated as grounds for intervention?

The incident is not isolated from the broader threats faced by student journalists. The surveillance of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) Collegian journalist Justine Ace Cairo Sandoval and other student leaders has likewise raised concerns about academic and press freedom. The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) condemned reports that unidentified individuals sought their whereabouts and visited their families.

Press freedom is not a privilege granted by those in power. It is a constitutional right. The 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and of the press because democracy cannot function without citizens having access to truthful and independent information. Republic Act No. 7079, or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, likewise recognizes the importance of protecting campus journalists in performing their functions. Despite these legal protections, the Philippines remains dangerous for journalists, facing harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, red-tagging, and killings. As of July 2026, NUJP has documented 256 cases attacks against the press under the Marcos Jr. administration.

Police officers have the responsibility to maintain peace and order. But maintaining order should never mean intimidating journalists who are simply doing their jobs. Authority must operate within the bounds of the law, with respect for due process and human rights. Journalists and law enforcers are not supposed to be enemies. One protects public safety; the other protects the public’s right to know.

Harassing journalists does not protect peace, it weakens transparency. A camera cannot create injustice, it only records it. A notebook cannot manufacture violence, it only documents what happened. If those in authority have nothing to hide, independent documentation should not be treated as a threat. The real danger is not the journalist asking questions or taking photographs. The real danger is a society where people become too afraid to ask questions at all.

The truth should never be dragged away, silenced, or handcuffed.

Protecting journalists is not about protecting one profession alone. It is about protecting every Filipino’s right to know the truth. Press freedom must be defended in the streets, in newsrooms, in classrooms, and wherever power is exercised. Because when the speakers of truth are silenced, it is not only journalists who lose their voice. The public loses its eyes.

Behind every number is a journalist, a newsroom, and a community whose access to truth is at risk.

NEWS | MoJo joins Punla 2026, expands workshop

For the first time since launching the annual event in 2013, Genré—The Central Student Publication of Wesleyan University-Philippines (WU-P), introduced Mobile Journalism (MoJo) to its two-day journalism workshop and training program on August 5–6 at the Wespresso Conference Room.

In line with Genré’s initiative in moving beyond conventional media formats, the addition of MoJo marks a strategic expansion in PUNLA’s traditional training lineup.

Rayzell Padilla, Resource Speaker in MoJo, addressed participants on smartphone-based newsgathering and digital delivery. Padilla, whose background is rooted in radio and TV broadcasting, cited the structural similarities between traditional broadcasting and mobile journalism during her lecture.

"Lahat ng media broadcasting ay magkakapareho lang ng goal—to deliver news gamit yung pagbibigkas ng salita... pero different atake sila," Padilla said.

"Imbes na ihiwalay ko separately si radio and TV, ginamit ko yun as comparison sa MoJo para mas madali nilang maintindihan yung pagkakaiba,”Padilla added

Padilla acknowledged initial concerns about teaching the new category, noting that her background was primarily in traditional broadcast formats.

"Kinabahan talaga ako lalo na tungkol sa Mobile Journalism since hindi ko forte ang MoJo... pero I think naging inspiration ko 'yun and mas napatatag ko 'yung loob ko," she added.

Carrying the theme “Nurturing the Seeds of Truth, Cultivating Excellence in Campus Journalism,” PUNLA 2026 brought together student journalists from several Registered Student Publications (RSPs) across the university.

Participating delegations included The Ledger (College of Business and Accountancy), Maestra Chronicles (College of Education), The Impulse (College of Nursing), and The Graders (WU-P Elementary Department).

The two-day training featured sessions across various journalism fields, concluding with critiquing, and evaluation.

In a separate session, Miko Pagaduan, Resource Speaker in News Writing, highlighted ethical standards in campus reporting.

"We are not just journalists today, but we are also advocates," Pagaduan stated during his lecture.

Genré probationary staffer Celine Pascual noted that the training offered staffers an opportunity to adapt to emerging storytelling methods.

“PUNLA helped me strengthen not only my journalistic skills but also my sense of purpose as a campus journalist. It encouraged me to become more critical, ethical, and intentional in the stories I chose to tell,” Pascual said.

Words by Trisha Rivera, Margaret Abregunda, & Samantha Elaine Dela Cruz
Photos by Nike Bautista and Clark Alonzo

HAPPENING NOW | Student journalists from various colleges are participating in PUNLA: In-house Journalism Workshop and Training at the Wespresso Conference Room today, August 5.

LITERARY | The Grand Delusion

The curtain has long since risen, yet no one remembers buying a ticket.

Still, every dawn, we return to the republic’s grand circus with quiet hope like votive candles before a reluctant god, believing that this performance might finally be different. Above us hangs a tent stitched from promises once bright but now worn thin by broken trust. The brass band plays loudly enough to drown out the cracks beneath the stage, while the ringmaster smiles and bows as if gratitude were owed for a show the public never chose to watch.

What remarkable performers they are.

There are nations that erect monuments to commemorate their triumphs. There are nations that preserve cathedrals to enshrine their faith. And then there are republics that raise circuses upon the backs of their very own people. Here, politics ceases to be public service and instead matures into theater where illusion is more valuable than integrity, applause more profitable than truth, and spectacle more enduring than justice. The tent remains magnificent not because its foundations are strong, but because millions continue to hold its poles aloft with hands too weary to realize they are carrying the very roof beneath which they are deceived.

The ringmaster, however, never performs alone. Around him stand illusionists who make accountability disappear, acrobats who leap over consequences, and jesters who turn failure into entertainment. Yet their greatest trick is not what happens on stage—it is convincing the audience that this endless performance is normal. Little by little, deception begins to look like tradition, and disappointment becomes something people simply learn to live with.

That is how the invisible strings are tied to the nation’s people. One thread is woven from hunger, another from inherited poverty, another from promises that bloom during campaign seasons before withering into silence, and another from endless distractions until the public moves without realizing they are being guided. Many believe they are choosing freely when, in truth, they have spent years dancing to music they never wrote.

And behind the curtains, the performance reveals its true purpose. The circus is not hungry for applause, but rather, flesh—for each performance feasts upon unborn tomorrows. It takes classrooms before they are built, hospitals before they can heal, bridges before they can connect communities, and opportunities before they can reach those who need them most. They kneel before cameras but never before conscience. They quote scripture while crucifying justice. They raise their hands in prayer only because stained palms are easier to conceal when lifted toward heaven.

While ordinary people are asked to sacrifice, those in power feast on the very future they promised to protect. And still, the applause continues. Not because every citizen believes the act, but because many have grown used to it.

But no performance lasts forever. Daylight will eventually come and it has little mercy for painted faces. Once it arrives, the makeup will begin to crack, the hidden wires will become visible, and the grand illusion is revealed for what it truly is—a stage built on borrowed trust and deception.

There will come a sacred hour where the applause must cease, where the audience must rise from their seats, when the lights that once dazzled become the flames that expose. Because governments are not sovereign by divine right—they borrow their authority from the people. And what is borrowed can always be reclaimed.

No throne, however gilded, has ever outlived people who finally chose to stand instead of kneel. As the inevitable dawn inches, the ringmaster shall then discover the oldest truth history has ever whispered to tyrants: power has never feared the corrupt; it has only ever feared the awakened.

Words by Celine Pascual
Art by Rosette Ramos

ADVISORY | Wesleyan University-Philippines (WU-P) will implement online classes at all levels on Tuesday, August 4, while regular office operations will resume.

Based on an advisory posted on the university's official page, faculty members are not required to report to campus and will conduct classes online. Meanwhile, Deans, Principals, and their respective staff are directed to report to campus and carry out their regular office functions.

DEVCOM | PAGHINTO NG LUNTIAN: Sa Anino ng mga Solar Panel

Ngayong patuloy ang pagtaas ng temperatura sa bansa, hindi na lamang mga puno ang nagsisilbing silungan ng mga mamamayan sa lungsod ng Gapan. Bilyon-bilyong pisong halaga ng mga solar panel ang pumalit sa lilim ng mga puno at sakahan—isang pagbabagong patuloy na idinadaing ng mga residente.

Ang patuloy na pagbabago ng klima, lalo na sa Pilipinas, ay nakaaapekto sa pang-araw-araw na buhay ng mga tao. Mula sa malalakas na unos, pagbaha, at mas mahahabang panahon ng tagtuyot, ang lahat ng ito ay may negatibong epekto sa kalusugan ng komunidad, suplay ng pagkain, at kabuhayan ng mamamayan.

Bago pa man lumala ang sitwasyon, hinihiling na ng mga mamamayan ng Gapan ang isang solusyong makabubuti hindi lamang sa tao kundi maging sa kalikasan. Isang solusyong pinag-isipan, may maayos na plano, at may magandang pangmatagalang bunga. Subalit hindi ito ang kinabukasang nakikita ng mga residente ng lungsod.

Kadalasan, isang makinang at kulay-pilak na tanawin ang bumabati sa mga dumaraan sa isang bayan o barangay. Ngunit hindi ito ang dating tanawin sa Brgy. Macabaklay. Hindi mainit na pagtanggap ng mga tao ang sasalubong sa sinumang makarating sa lugar, kundi ang matinding init ng temperatura at ang kalbo at maalikabok na kapaligiran.

“May init siya noon, no’ng mapuno siya. Pero ngayon, akala mo nasa impyerno ka kapag dumadaan ka ro’n [sa kalsada],” pahayag ni Irish, hindi niya tunay na pangalan, 39 taong gulang at residente ng Brgy. Macabaklay. “Marami silang pinutol na puno. Tingnan mo ’yan [ang paligid], makinis na.”

Ito ang idinulot ng kasalukuyang proyekto ng Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen) at SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) na Terra Solar, o mas kilala bilang MTerra Solar. Layunin nitong mabawasan ang greenhouse gas emissions at makapagbigay ng maaasahan at sustenableng suplay ng kuryente sa pamamagitan ng renewable energy.

Maliban dito, ipinahayag din ng MGen at SPNEC ang kanilang bold vision na itayo ang pinakamalaking single-location solar farm sa Pilipinas.

Gayunman, maituturing pa bang matagumpay ang ganitong uri ng tulong kung higit ang naidudulot nitong pinsala sa kalikasang unti-unting nawawalan ng kulay at sa mga taong araw-araw na nakararanas ng perwisyo?

𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧

Ayon sa Presidential Decree No. 705 o ang Revised Forestry Code, mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang pagputol ng mga puno at pagkalbo ng kagubatan nang walang kaukulang pahintulot mula sa Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Ang malalaking proyektong tulad ng MTerra Solar ay karaniwang dumaraan sa ilang linggo o buwan ng pagproseso upang makuha ang mga kinakailangang pahintulot mula sa iba't ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan. Bahagi ng prosesong ito ang masusing pagsusuri sa mga posibleng epekto ng proyekto sa kapaligiran sa pamamagitan ng Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Kapag naaprubahan ang EIA, saka naman maaaring mag-isyu ang DENR ng Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), na nagsisilbing patunay na nakasunod ang proyekto sa itinakdang mga pamantayang pangkalikasan.

Hindi rito nagtatapos ang proseso. Marami pang dokumento at permit ang kailangang iproseso bago maaprubahan ang pagputol ng mga puno. Gayunman, dahil itinuturing na National Strategic Project ang MTerra Solar, napabilis ang pagproseso ng mga permit mula sa iba't ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan. Dahil dito, nabigyan ang MGen at SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) ng Green Lane Certificate—isang sertipikasyong inilabas sa ilalim ng Executive Order No. 18 sa pamamagitan ng Board of Investments (BOI)—na nagpapabilis sa pagkuha ng mga lisensya at permit mula sa pamahalaan.

Higit pa rito, ang mga proyektong nakatuon sa renewable energy ay maaari ring pagkalooban ng mga espesyal na pahintulot para sa land-use conversion upang mapabilis ang pagpapatupad ng mga proyektong naglalayong palakasin ang suplay ng kuryente.

𝐒𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐋

Ang lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija ay hindi lamang kilala sa mataas nitong produksyon ng bigas, kundi maging sa lawak ng sakop nito bilang pinakamalaking lalawigan sa rehiyon ng Central Luzon. Napapalibutan ito ng malalawak na lupain at bukirin na siyang dahilan ng kasaganaan nito sa yamang agrikultural. Dahil sa patag at malawak nitong kalupaan, nakita ng MGen at SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) ang potensiyal ng lalawigan bilang lokasyon ng MTerra Solar project.

Mahigit 3,500 ektarya ng lupain ang sakop ng proyekto. Kung ihahambing, katumbas ito ng humigit-kumulang 25 Philippine Arena ang lawak, samantalang ang isa sa mga barangay na kinatatayuan nito ay may kabuuang sukat na 4,506 ektarya lamang.

Layunin ng proyekto na makalikha ng 3,500 megawatt-peak (MWp) mula sa solar photovoltaic (PV) system, kasabay ng 4,500 megawatt-hour (MWh) na battery energy storage system (BESS). Sa madaling salita, ang 3,500 MWp ang pinakamataas na kapasidad ng mga solar panel na makalikha ng kuryente sa ilalim ng pinakamainam na kondisyon, gaya ng matinding sikat ng araw. Samantala, ang solar PV ang teknolohiyang nagko-convert ng enerhiya mula sa araw tungo sa elektrisidad.

Ang 4,500 MWh, naman, ay tumutukoy sa dami ng enerhiyang maaaring maimbak ng battery energy storage system (BESS)—isang malakihang sistema ng baterya na nag-iimbak ng sobrang enerhiyang nalilikha ng mga solar panel upang magamit kapag mababa ang produksyon ng kuryente.

Halos isang buong barangay ang sinasaklaw ng mga solar panel. Ang dating luntiang komunidad ay nabalutan na ng bughaw—hindi dahil sa tubig, kundi dahil sa lawak ng proyektong sumasakop sa malaking bahagi ng Barangay Macabaklay.

Habang patuloy na pinapatag at pinatutuyo ang dating mga bukirin sa barangay, unti-unti ring nasisira ang mga kalsada dahil sa bigat at dami ng mga sasakyang nagdadala ng mga materyales para sa proyekto.

“Mamaya-maya lang, baka hindi ka na puwedeng tumawid diyan. Sa kapal (dami) ng sasakyan pauwi galing bundok. Traffic pa ’yan,” ani Mang Raul, hindi niya tunay na pangalan, 55 taong gulang, dating magsasakang labis na naapektuhan ng MTerra Solar project.

“Impyerno ’yan. Wala nang puno, eh. Saan babangga ’yong init kapag nag-iinit? Wala nang kapunuan—kalbo-kalbo na ’yon, wasak-wasak na nga ’yong mga bukid. Kaya sabi ko, wala nang sakahan,” dagdag niya.

Ano ang sobra at ano ang kulang? Marahil ay layunin ng bansa na makilala sa pagtatayo ng pinakamalawak na single-location solar farm sa buong mundo. Ngunit sapat ba itong kapalit ng permanenteng kabuhayang mawawala sa mga tao, lalo na sa isang lalawigang ang pagsasaka ang pangunahing pinagkukunan ng kabuhayan?

Kasabay nito ang patuloy na pagtaas ng singil sa kuryente, na ayon sa Meralco ay dulot ng mataas na demand sa suplay ng elektrisidad. Gayunman, wala ring katiyakang bababa ang presyo ng kuryente sa oras na magsimula ang operasyon ng mga solar panel.

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐔𝐏𝐀 𝐀𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈 𝐍𝐀 𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐀

Tunay na may pag-asa at kayamanan sa sektor ng agrikultura at pagsasaka.

Nang magsimula ang pagtatayo ng planta ng mga solar panel, nagsimula ring bilhin ang mga lupain sa Barangay Macabaklay. Umaabot sa milyon-milyong piso ang halaga ng bawat lupang binibili upang gawing bahagi ng proyektong, ayon sa pamahalaan, ay magpapalakas sa suplay ng enerhiya ng bansa.

Bago pa man tuluyang masira ang mga lupa at mawalan ng sustansiya, ang paghahanap ng bagong mapagkakakitaan ang naging pangunahing tugon ng mga magsasaka. Kung noon ay sa ibabaw ng lupa matatagpuan ang pag-asa—tumutubo at kumukulay-ginto sa ilalim ng sikat ng araw—ngayon ay tila lumipat ito sa kailaliman, sa anyo ng gintong nakabaon sa lupang hindi na kayang pagtamnan.

Ayon kay Mang Raul, ang paggiginto na ang pangunahing pinagkakaabalahan ng maraming residente sa kanilang lugar. Sa bawat paghuhukay at pagbabaligtad ng lupa ay may pag-asang makatagpo ng ginto na magsisilbing pantustos sa kanilang pamilya.

Umaani sila ng humigit-kumulang 65 gramo ng dinurog na 24-karat na ginto sa umaga at ganoon din sa hapon. Sa ganitong paraan, nagkakaroon si Mang Raul ng dagdag na kita upang matustusan ang pang-araw-araw nilang pangangailangan.

Umaabot sa isang milyong piso ang arkila sa bawat ektarya ng lupa. Walang tigil ang paghuhukay hangga't hindi natatapos ang lawak ng inarkilang lupain. Paulit-ulit ang proseso hanggang sa makuha ang gintong nakabaon sa ilalim nito. Ngunit kapalit ng isang milyong piso ang lupang iniiwang wasak, namumuti, at hindi na maaaring taniman.

Bagaman nagsisilbi itong pansamantalang pinagkukunan ng kita ng ilang residente ng Macabaklay, nananatili itong isang impormal na kabuhayang pinasok ng marami, kabilang si Mang Raul, dahil sa kakulangan ng iba pang mapagkakakitaan.

Nakasaad sa 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XII, Section 2, at sa Philippine Mining Act of 1995 na ang lahat ng yamang mineral, kabilang ang ginto, ay pag-aari ng Estado. Kahit pagmamay-ari ng isang tao ang lupang kaniyang kinatitirikan o sinasaka, hindi nangangahulugang pagmamay-ari rin niya ang mga mineral na nasa ilalim nito.

Dahil dito, ang anumang pagkuha, paggamit, o paglinang sa mga yamang mineral ay nangangailangan ng kaukulang pahintulot mula sa pamahalaan. Ang paglabag sa mga itinakdang proseso ay may katumbas na legal na pananagutan sa ilalim ng mga umiiral na batas sa pagmimina.

“Malaking kawalaan para sa mahihirap ‘yan [MTerra Solar]. Paano kung nangyaring maubos ‘yong mga ginto riyan? Saan pa kukuha ng kakainin? Magnanakawan? Magpapatayan?” Daing ni Mang Raul.

Dagdag pa niya, ang bawat hukay at pagbabaliktad ng lupa ay may lalim na katumbas ng isang poste ng kuryente. “Hindi na titino ‘yong mga lupa na ‘yan. Giba na, eh. ‘Wag ka lang magkakamaling maglakad, baka lumubog ka na.”

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓 𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆

Kung ang batas ang nagtatakda kung gaano kalawak ang maaaring baguhin sa isang lupain at hanggang saan ang hangganan ng isang proyekto, paano naman ang mga komunidad na nakapalibot dito?

Hindi sapat na batayan ang kawalan ng boses ng kalikasan upang isantabi ang mga desisyong maaaring magdulot ng pangmatagalang pinsala.

Para sa mga residente ng Macabaklay, hindi kaginhawahan kundi pangamba ang naidulot ng pagdating ng mga solar panel. Maaaring layunin ng pamahalaan na palakasin ang suplay ng enerhiya at magsulong ng renewable energy, ngunit kasabay nito ang pangamba ng mga residente na unti-unting mawalan ng espasyong matatawag nilang tahanan.

“Eh kasi siyempre, parang, bilang ako pangkaraniwang mamamayan lang, proyekto ’yan ng matataas na tao. Ano ang magagawa namin? ’Di ba? Hindi, wala kaming magagawa kasi sila, maraming pera.” Ani Irish,

“Noong time na nagsimula na ’yang [construction] sa solar, mayroong nag-survey rito. Parang, kung ikaw, bibilhin ’tong part na ’to, aalis ka ba? Eh siyempre taga-rito kami, saan kami pupunta? ’Di naman kami puwede sa bayan kasi dito kami sanay sa bukid,” pahayag ni Irish. “Siguro balak na talaga nilang kuhanin itong barangay namin [para] buoin na nila ng solar.” Dagdag pa nito.

Ibinalik, pinatag, at tinakpan ang bakas ng nakasanayan ng ilan. Subalit gaano man ito piliting ibalik sa dati, may sariling paraan ang kalikasan upang ipakita ang mga bunga ng mga pagbabagong ipinataw dito.

Hindi maipagkakaila na ang paggamit ng renewable energy at ang paghahanap ng mga alternatibong mapagkukunan ng enerhiya ay mahalaga, lalo na sa panahon ng lumalaking pangangailangan ng bansa. Malaki ang maitutulong nito sa pagtugon sa tumataas na konsumo ng kuryente sa gitna ng patuloy na pag-unlad ng teknolohiya at modernisasyon. Gayunman, hindi ito dapat maisakatuparan sa kapinsalaan ng kalikasan at ng mga komunidad na unang nakararanas ng mga epekto nito.

Hindi dapat magtapos ang pangako ng MTerra Solar project sa pandaigdigang pagkilala. Dapat ding tiyakin na may sapat na programa para sa mga magsasakang nawalan ng kabuhayan, pag-isipan ang paggamit ng mga lupaing hindi na produktibo sa halip na mga aktibong lupang pang-agrikultura, at ayusin ang mga
nasirang kalsada at mga daanang nawalan ng lilim dahil sa pagputol ng mga puno.

Ayon sa Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) o Republic Act No. 6657 at sa iba pang mga alituntunin ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), may mga mekanismong nakalaan upang maprotektahan ang mga magsasaka laban sa hindi makatarungang pagkawala ng kabuhayan at pag-alis sa kanilang mga lupa.

Kabilang dito ang mga probisyon para sa tulong, suporta, at iba pang remedyo para sa mga apektadong magsasaka. Sa gitna ng malalaking proyektong pangkaunlaran, mahalagang maging malinaw at madaling maakses ng mga komunidad ang mga mekanismong ito upang matiyak na naipatutupad ang mga karapatang nakasaad sa batas.

Kasabay ng lumalalang pangangailangan sa enerhiya at ng patuloy na hamon ng pagbabago ng klima, nananatiling mahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng malinaw na konsultasyon, sapat na impormasyon, at mga mekanismo ng pananagutan sa bawat yugto ng pagpapatupad ng mga proyektong pangkaunlaran. Sa ganitong paraan, maaaring maisulong ang mga proyektong tumutugon sa pambansang pangangailangan habang isinasaalang-alang ang kapakanan ng kalikasan at ng mga komunidad na direktang naaapektuhan.

Habang patuloy na sumisikat ang araw sa ibabaw ng mga solar panel, umaasa pa rin ang mga residente ng Macabaklay sa isang maaliwalas na bukas—isang kinabukasang hindi kailangang magsakripisyo ng tao at kalikasan alang-alang sa mga pangakong pag-unlad.

Sulat ni Venice Pabualan
Kuha nina Clark Alonzo at Venice Pabualan

ADVISORY | Classes from all levels at the university are suspended today, August 3, as a precautionary measure against the effects of Tropical Depression Luis and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon.

According to an advisory on the university’s official page, instruction will temporarily shift to synchronous or asynchronous learning. Students are advised to coordinate directly with their instructors, college departments, or deans for specific class arrangements.

OPINION | Address to Impress

Performative at best. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address offered another carefully staged narrative—another year without transparency, accountability, and acknowledgment of the actual needs of the Filipino people.

His fifth State of the Nation Address was delivered at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on July 27, 2026, lasting one hour and 26 minutes. Within that time, Marcos Jr. only reinforced his image as a performative leader, disguising his lack of action behind all of his so-called “achievements.”

According to a survey conducted by the OCTA Research Group, Marcos Jr.'s trust rating dropped from 54 percent in March to 49 percent in July. Likewise, his performance rating declined from 55 percent to 47 percent during the same period. The SONA is unlikely to do much to restore those ratings.

Flood-control projects may have become one of the biggest corruption scandals in recent Philippine history. Contrary to Marcos Jr.'s address, the scale of the investigation is still far from enough to match the magnitude of the alleged anomalies. From 2016 to 2025, approximately ₱1.58 trillion was allocated for flood-control projects. Of the nearly 29,800 projects implemented during that period, only around 8,000 have been validated. Authorities identified 421 suspected ghost projects, yet only 45 individuals and two of the top 15 contracting firms have been charged in 26 cases filed before the courts.

Central Luzon is one of the most flood-prone regions in the country because of its geographical location. Of the 421 recorded ghost projects, 67 are located in Central Luzon. Bulacan, a low-lying province dubbed the "catch basin" of floodwaters coming from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, has 30 suspected ghost projects—the highest in Region III.

Adhering to his performative nature, Marcos Jr. mentioned that his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, will soon face charges for his alleged involvement in the scandal. Obviously, the SONA is a PR move for the president, but this may have been the highlight of the address to make himself appear pro-masses when, in reality, it could not be further from the truth.

Additionally, Marcos acknowledged that the country is facing an energy emergency, but price rollbacks and the temporary suspension of the excise tax on oil are nowhere near enough to alleviate the burden caused by rising fuel prices. The transportation sector suffered the biggest blow as petroleum prices skyrocketed, with some jeepney drivers suspending their operations because they had become financially unsustainable.

Private oil companies have the freedom to set their prices based on world market trends, and the government cannot impose a price cap on them. Initially, when asked about the Oil Deregulation Law, Marcos only considered its repeal as an option under review.

To make matters worse, despite the massive public backlash, he doubled down on the Pax Silica Initiative. Marcos Jr. argued that the project would strengthen the country's industrial and economic capacity. Yes, it may bring money, investments, and job opportunities to the country, but it also poses a massive threat to public health and safety, the environment, and national sovereignty.

Why? Pax Silica is an AI-centered initiative that seeks to build a 4,000-acre zone dedicated to technological manufacturing and AI data centers in New Clark City, Tarlac.This initiative will require more extensive and destructive mining to obtain minerals used in manufacturing, such as nickel, copper, chromite, and cobalt.

According to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the facility could consume up to three gigawatts, or 3,000 megawatts, of electricity. For comparison, the entire Luzon grid consumes roughly 13,000 megawatts during peak demand. Additionally, BCDA estimates that the facility could consume between 65 million and 130 million liters of water each day for semiconductor manufacturing, microchip production, and data-center cooling—roughly equivalent to the daily water consumption of around 600,000 households.

It was also reported in May that the United States wants the Pax Silica facility to become a "diplomatic property" governed by U.S. laws instead of Philippine laws. U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said that this would assure investors that their investments would be protected. However, granting such a request would only strengthen U.S. neocolonial influence over the country.

Although the proposal was reportedly rejected by the government, according to the BCDA, what stops the power-hungry U.S. from eventually getting what it wants?

This begs the question: How can he claim to be a president for the masses when he fails to recognize the danger he is placing his people in, simply to please imperialist foreign powers seeking to exploit the country's resources?

He may not be a president for his own family. He may not be a president for his own friends. What he is is not a president for the Philippines, but a president serving the interests of other countries while neglecting the nation's resources, the needs, and the lives of his own people.

Written by James Ryan Ramos
Art by John Given Sardillo