The University Digest

𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗧!

After a week of anticipation, rigorous interviews and careful evaluation, The University Digest proudly presents the newest stewards of campus journalism.

To the Crimsons who made it through the second screening, congratulations and welcome to University Digest! Among the many who applied, your works stood out. You brought your passion, enthusiasm, and readiness to carry forward the mission of this publication.

Today, we welcome you as the newbies of The University Digest. Your seniors look forward to working alongside you, wielding your passion and abilities as a campus journalist, and seeing you grow in this organization. Your journey starts now, so let’s make this school year one of growth, impact, progress, and meaningful stories.

Once again, welcome to The University Digest, newbies!

Words by Areej Mishaal Ahadi
Artwork by Jasmin Aira Bara
Layout by Axelcris Suladay

“…𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒉𝒊𝒍 𝒔𝒂 𝒊𝒚𝒐.”

Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. is not simply one of the country’s former senators and journalists. He is the man behind the present we are living today.

August 21st of 1983, Ninoy was killed upon his arrival in his home country. He went home believing that Filipinos are worth dying for after he was exiled for standing against the Marcos’ regime. His death paved the way for a revolution, leading to the downfall of the Dictator, and the salvation of democracy and rights of the Filipino people.

In a striking turn of political irony, this year marks the 22nd year of the official statutory observance for Ninoy Aquino Day and 43 years since the senator’s tragic assassination—occurring once again under a Marcos presidency.

But beyond the years of observance, this day significantly serves as a walk to the past, honoring the very person that fought and sacrificed for his dear country and its people, sparking the courage among Filipinos to stand tall and still for freedom.

This day remembers the man behind the freedom and democracy that we have today. The man that died because of his country and because of us, Filipinos. Ang lalaking namatay nang dahil sa iyo.

May we never forget to stand tall and still for the same country and people that Ninoy had died for.

Words by Kate Go
Artwork by Christine Grace Alegria
Layout by Ahlamayesa Mangkabong

𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Pax Silica entered the Filipino public’s awareness with controversy, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) walked into that controversy with this year’s Buwan ng Wika theme: “Wikang Filipino at AI: Kasangkapan sa Pananaliksik at Tulay sa Yaman ng Impormasyon.”

Sparking numerous debates across social media platforms, the government body faced public scrutiny after its recent press launch last July 23 as netizens raised concern over their seemingly controversial stance on the use of artificial intelligence in schools. Technology has progressed to such a degree of dependency that schools are beginning to no longer foster their students to create. Artificial intelligence may play a role in the future of Filipino youth but their future is marred by uncertainty and overdependence on technology over personal ability.

Artificial intelligence has no seat inside the classroom.

Citing AI as a recipe for research and a bridge to enriching information is nothing short of wishful thinking. Since its earliest emergence during the Covid-19 pandemic, where schools had to resort to online classes and weekly modules, generative AI already began its erosion on critical thinking skills among students. Pandemic learners had to rely on honesty to measure their level of comprehension–oftentimes leading to miscalculated evaluations. These miscalculations then translated into false statistics. Resulting in polar rates between the number of students graduating with honors annually and the country's recent overall performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Despite receiving massive backlash, a notable number of schools in the Philippines seemed to have taken a more passive approach on the theme with some even embracing the concept with open arms. AI poster competitions began popping up on the internet as a derivative of the Buwan ng Wika celebration and its concurrent theme. Students left and right are asked to come up with the best generative prompt as a means to measure their creativity and imagination. Not colors or pencils, or paint and paper, but through descriptive prompts being fed into a soulless database to create “meaningful art.”

The use of AI has detached the effort of creating art into the writing of prompts. The measure of one’s skill and capability is no longer measured in brush strokes, technique, color theory, and other artistic skills but rather their ability to reign in the fickle nature of generative AI models, reducing art from an expression to an exercise of managing intent.

In line with the public debate, KWF Chief Commissioner Atty. Marites Barrios-Tan justified the controversial theme by noting that it was not the agency's intention to replace cognitive function among learners, but rather to streamline its development through responsible and ethical use.

“...hinihikayat namin ang mga g**o, ang mga mag-aaral na turuan, ‘Paano ba ang maging maganda at maging malikhain ang aking talata o pangungusap tungkol sa isyu na ito…gamitin natin ito sa paraan na nandoon pa rin ang talino ng tao. Hindi puwedeng para tayong robot,” she added.

Cognitive development cannot progress in an environment that has desensitized AI to a point of dependency. It is quite hypocritical to ask teachers to rely on artificial intelligence in fostering comprehension and learning among their students, almost as if generative prompts can take away from their years of experience and expertise. The power and capabilities being promoted, coupled with the sycophantic nature and pseudosocial relationship between user and model, are the exact factors contributing to learners offloading their own cognition to AI.

It is increasingly clear that powerful generative AI models will remain a mainstay now and in the future. Their capacity for beneficial uses through their advanced data processing is countered by their harmful misuse.

As more and more schools resort to AI-generated infographics, artworks, captions, and other materials, the steady decline will eventually lead to a lack of creative authenticity. Instead of feeding prompts into generativity, the utilization of creative resources from the students themselves would be worth more in experience and soulful works. Source captions and articles from campus journalists, artworks from cartoonists, and infographics from layout artists. In such a sense, the students get to hone their passion to create all the while the school benefits off the material.

The fear of AI lies in the subversion of human authenticity. There is no denying the capabilities of these new systems, but rather the critical analysis of whether the drive to pursue the future may outpace human culture, empathy, and tradition. The implementation of AI into education, language research and preservation could benefit these fields just as easily as it could ruin them. These extensive examples of lackluster discipline, control, responsibility, and accountability of the use of generative AI models leaves much to be desired from KWF’s initiatives. Greater accountability and transparency is required to place faith into a system that constantly evolves with each passing month, that devours massive quantities of publicly available information to feed its growth, to copy what humans have done for years.

Buwan ng Wika is a celebration of language and culture. A circus act of performance and spectacle is no excuse to diminish the creative potential of a child. A child cannot draw for themselves if it was already drawn for them.

The recent school shooting incident in Ateneo De Zamboanga University brought back important conversations concerning campus safety, firearm negligence, and the roles of family, academe, and government in preventing school violence. As public discourse shifts toward the circumstances behind the perpetrator’s actions, let us avoid spreading unverified conclusions that may only result in biased judgement and confusion. In this time of mourning and reflection, may our discussions be guided not by malice and prejudice, but with compassion and empathy for the victims and their families. While the investigation continues to shed light on the case, let us direct our efforts to holding concerned individuals and institutions accountable. Instead of pointing fingers out of hate, misunderstanding, or intolerance, it is our responsibility to navigate the deep-rooted factors that led to this incident and assess how we, as a society, can change the system to prevent these kinds of incidents in the future.

“While the morality of the tragic shooting is clear, the legal status remains murky. It must be emphasized that this is a severe outlier that requires careful and thorough examination as what follows could set a legal precedent.”

“There are additional serious failings that must also be addressed that have once more been brought to light, including relaxed school security measures, impermanent reinforcement of these measures and the mishandling of fi****ms that allowed the two access to the weapons in the first place. Another concern highlights the prohibition of minors from accessing social media and the role of video games in influencing children.”

“The conversation should not end with debates over punishment. Rather, it must shift toward examining the causes of the tragedy and holding accountable the systems and institutions whose negligence created the conditions for such violence to unfold.”

“Perhaps the first and foremost red flag is the ease with which the fi****ms penetrated the school premises. Investigations exposed glaring deficiencies in campus security, from inadequate personnel deployment to the absence of basic preventive measures such as metal detectors. When institutions entrusted with educating and protecting the youth fail to prevent such a breach, the issue extends beyond individual accountability. It becomes an indictment of long-standing systemic negligence—a failure that has already claimed innocent lives and, if ignored, may continue to do so.”

“Furthermore, children and adolescents do not develop in isolation. They are products of the environments that nurture and support or otherwise neglect and fail them. Thus, public scrutiny must also be directed towards familial and societal environments. The alleged bullying along with personal grievances and psychological stressors alone suggest stubborn societal and interpersonal problems that were long normalized. In a cruel irony, what society has deemed "normal" has ultimately destroyed the very normalcy of an academic environment, transforming a space of learning and growth into the site of an unimaginable tragedy.”

“Another angle of contention lies in the increasing exposure of young people to graphic and violent online games and digital content. This underscores a critical point: reducing a tragedy of this magnitude to a single digital influence risks trampling upon the complex interplay of social, familial, psychological, and institutional factors that investigators continue to examine. Much less should it be used to justify calls for lowering the age of criminal liability, a measure that risks further institutionalizing children while diverting attention away from the very systemic and environmental failures that may have contributed to the tragedy in the first place.”

“At its core, the greatest injustice that could follow this tragedy would be for it to become another casualty of ningas kugon. Justice for those lost requires accountability, but preventing similar circumstance requires collective courage and will to address long rooted societal pests. To deflect responsibility, exploit the tragedy for political gain, or reduce it to a single cause is to dishonor the victims and ignore the urgent lessons their deaths demand. The government, educational institutions, families, and communities must confront their shared responsibilities in this issue, including the persistent culture of bullying that plague institutions for years. Must safety measures and meaningful reforms only emerge after lives have already been lost? If so, then the principle that “prevention is better than cure” stands exposed as a hollow slogan rather than a guiding policy.”

Words by Ken Vinzel Dellava

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐠𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Less than a month into the start of academic year 2026–2027, the continuity of learning was rattled by a fatal school shooting incident in Tacloban City that led to the deaths of three students while 20 others were left injured. Yet what shocked the nation even more was the realization that the individuals accused of carrying out the attack were themselves children, just 14 and 15 years old.

This tragedy has long transcended the boundaries of local news stories and evolved into a national reckoning, marking into history as one of the most deadliest school-related attacks in the recent Philippines. These schools, often perceived as sanctuaries of learning and growth, have been slapped with a chilling reality: violence can emerge even from the very spaces entrusted with nurturing this generation's future.

Initial investigations pointed to alleged bullying experienced by the suspects as a possible motive, which have further intensified public discourse. While the full circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation, the incident raises troubling questions about the experiences of young people that often remain unseen and unaddressed. How do institutions respond to students in distress? Are schools adequately equipped to identify warning signs? And to what extent do families, communities, and policymakers share responsibility in preventing such tragedies?

The victims and their parents, in particular those of the dearly departed, are pushing for justice and answers for the violent attack. For two children well below the age of majority to conceive and perpetrate this tragedy is a failure that demands action. Lives were lost, the sanctity and peace of the school and surrounding community shattered, and the legal circumstances of the two are not so easily defined. For a parent, answers and justice cannot arrive quickly enough. But these outcries are also ladened with concern regarding the action taken against the perpetrators.

The current social media situation is one of national outrage. Netizens across the country have expressed their disbelief that such an event could happen as well as joining calls for action by the government to take immediate action. In addition, the previously stated legal situation of the two perpetrators, Children in Conflict with the Law, have led to misleading claims regarding accountability and justice for their crimes.

Above all, the belief that the perpetrators will be released free of charge solely due to their age is a flawed assumption that oversimplifies the complexities of the juvenile justice system. R.A 9344 has clear procedures and detainment protocols for the perpetrators and, while criminal liability is exempt, civil liability is not. The rehabilitation process may involve the minor below 15 years old to be placed in an Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center. That said, the law does not clearly define nor is there significant precedent on substantive legal action for a mass shooting event as the law is geared for rehabilitation, with provisions made for their benefit that emphasize the rights of the child. The Juvenile Justice System is based on the psychological and scientific principles surrounding the development of children. Especially the developmental influences upon children by their environment, hence the focus on rehabilitative care.

While the morality of the tragic shooting is clear, the legal status remains murky. It must be emphasized that this is a severe outlier that requires careful and thorough examination as what follows could set a legal precedent.

There are additional serious failings that must also be addressed that have once more been brought to light, including relaxed school security measures, impermanent reinforcement of these measures and the mishandling of fi****ms that allowed the two access to the weapons in the first place. Another concern highlights the prohibition of minors from accessing social media and the role of video games in influencing children.

The conversation should not end with debates over punishment. Rather, it must shift toward examining the causes of the tragedy and holding accountable the systems and institutions whose negligence created the conditions for such violence to unfold.

Perhaps the first and foremost red flag is the ease with which the fi****ms penetrated the school premises. Investigations exposed glaring deficiencies in campus security, from inadequate personnel deployment to the absence of basic preventive measures such as metal detectors. When institutions entrusted with educating and protecting the youth fail to prevent such a breach, the issue extends beyond individual accountability. It becomes an indictment of long-standing systemic negligence—a failure that has already claimed innocent lives and, if ignored, may continue to do so.

Furthermore, children and adolescents do not develop in isolation. They are products of the environments that nurture and support or otherwise neglect and fail them. Thus, public scrutiny must also be directed towards familial and societal environments. The alleged bullying along with personal grievances and psychological stressors alone suggest stubborn societal and interpersonal problems that were long normalized. In a cruel irony, what society has deemed "normal" has ultimately destroyed the very normalcy of an academic environment, transforming a space of learning and growth into the site of an unimaginable tragedy.

Further complicating this incident is the reported familial link to one of the fi****ms used in the attack. The fact that a weapon allegedly traced to a law enforcement relative found its way into the hands of a 14-year-old raises troubling questions about firearm security, familial responsibility, and supervision. How a minor gained access to, and familiarity with, a deadly weapon underscores the critical role that family environments play in shaping and enabling youth behavior.

Another angle of contention lies in the increasing exposure of young people to graphic and violent online games and digital content. As of this writing, the investigation into potential influences has narrowed public attention toward a graphic video game. In response, the game's developer expressed condolences for the victims while emphasizing that the game was intended for adults, carried age restrictions, and explicitly discouraged the imitation of violence in real life. This response underscores a critical point: reducing a tragedy of this magnitude to a single digital influence risks trampling upon the complex interplay of social, familial, psychological, and institutional factors that investigators continue to examine. Much less should it be used to justify calls for lowering the age of criminal liability, a measure that risks further institutionalizing children while diverting attention away from the very systemic and environmental failures that may have contributed to the tragedy in the first place.

While no definitive link has been established, the prevalence of such media has reignited concerns about their potential influence on vulnerable youth and the normalization of violence. Yet, attributing the tragedy primarily to digital exposure risks oversimplifying a profoundly complex issue, diverting attention from more immediate and consequential underlying failures while reviving a familiar societal scapegoat.

At its core, the greatest injustice that could follow this tragedy would be for it to become another casualty of ningas kugon. Justice for those lost requires accountability, but preventing similar circumstance requires collective courage and will to address long rooted societal pests. To deflect responsibility, exploit the tragedy for political gain, or reduce it to a single cause is to dishonor the victims and ignore the urgent lessons their deaths demand. The government, educational institutions, families, and communities must confront their shared responsibilities in this issue, including the persistent culture of bullying that plague institutions for years. Must safety measures and meaningful reforms only emerge after lives have already been lost? If so, then the principle that “prevention is better than cure” stands exposed as a hollow slogan rather than a guiding policy.

On this day of mourning, let us all stand with compassion for everyone who was involved in yesterday's incident and be reminded of our shared responsibility to be with and for another as a community.

May justice be served and peace be all upon us.

Stay safe, Crimsons. Stay safe, Zamboangueños.

DAY OF MOURNING AND SUSPENSION OF CLASSES ON AUGUST 19, 2026

August 18, 2026 was a very, very sad and tragic day for Zambamga City. Two young students died in the shooting incident that happened early this morning at the Ateneo de Zamboanga campus in Barangay Tumaga .

The City Government of Zamboanga mourns with profound sadness the tragic loss of two young lives.

We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, loved ones, classmates, teachers, and the entire school community. Our hearts are with you in this time of unimaginable grief.

We appeal to everyone to remain calm and compassionate, refrain from spreading unverified information, and allow the proper authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. The City Government will continue to work closely with law enforcement and concerned agencies to ensure that the safety and well-being of our students and our community remain our highest priority.

As a solemn expression of our collective grief and respect for the lives lost, classes at all levels in all public and private academic institutions in Zamboanga City are SUSPENDED on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2026 which shall be observed as a DAY OF MOURNING.

Let us use this day to grieve, pray, and reflect on our shared responsibility to protect our children and uphold the sanctity of life.

To the bereaved families, we grieve with you. Zamboanga City stands with you in this painful moment.

May the souls of the two young lives we lost rest in eternal peace.

WMSU SUSPENDS FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES, SHIFTS TO SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE MODE DUE TO HIGH HEAT INDEX

August 17, 2026 — In adherence to the announcement of the City Government of Zamboanga suspending face-to-face classes at all levels in public and private schools today due to the high heat index, Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) has shifted its classes to synchronous online mode to ensure the safety and well-being of students.

Faculty members have been advised of the appropriate instructions and modalities for the conduct of synchronous online classes.

Meanwhile, University administrative personnel shall continue to report for work to ensure the uninterrupted operations of offices and delivery of essential University services.

With the heat index in Zamboanga City expected to reach 41°C today, according to PAGASA, members of the WMSU community are advised to take necessary precautions, stay hydrated, limit exposure to extreme heat, and observe appropriate measures to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Please be guided accordingly and stay safe.

The University Digest extends its warmest birthday wishes to the remarkable woman behind its growth and guidance—our long-time technical adviser, the woman we have come to know and cherish as “𝑴𝒂’𝒂𝒎 𝑳𝒆𝒂.”

Your dedication to campus journalism has nurtured generations of Crimsons, helped bring countless stories to light, and kept the spirit of the press alive. Your passion reminds us that journalism is a commitment to truth, a service to the Filipino people, and a voice for the voiceless.

For every story, there is a journalist. For every journalist, there is someone who believes in the power of their voice. And behind every great publication is a mentor who never stops believing. Through the years, you have been that steadfast presence for The University Digest, guiding its people, strengthening its craft, and keeping its passion for journalism alive.

Happy birthday, Dr. Lea E. Usman! May your passion for journalism continue to inspire the hearts and minds of those who carry the torch of the campus press.

PUBLIC ADVISORY| Face-to-face classes at all levels - both public and private schools in the city are SUSPENDED on Monday, August 17, 2026, due to high heat index.

Based on the latest PAGASA bulletin, Zamboanga City’s heat index is forecast to reach 41 degrees Celsius on Monday, Aug. 17.

Nonetheless, work in government and private agencies, as well as business operations, continue as usual.

The public is advised to take extra precautions during periods of high heat index to prevent heat-related illnesses like cramps, exhaustion, and stroke. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, limit outdoor exposure between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, wear light clothing, and use sun protection.

Please be guided.

𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗧!

The University Digest presents the applicants who successfully passed the first stage of the screening process. We are delighted to congratulate the following Crimsons, and we look forward to seeing you advance to the next round, which will be much more vigorous, so make sure to wield your best abilities and showcase your passion for journalism.

Further instructions will be relayed by the respective facilitators, so stay tuned for the upcoming pertinent information.

We also send our heartfelt commendation to all applicants who lent their time and effort during the first screening. May we continue to use our voice to strengthen the campus press movement.

Words by Izra Chrix Sheldon Jimeno
Artwork by Jasmin Aira Bara
Layout by Axelcris Suladay