This year marked the beginning of a new decade, and with it came hope for new beginnings and hope for mitigation of world problems like hunger and poverty. Nobody would have guessed what happened next.
The first months that followed were promising as these held the events every student in the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) looked forward to, from enjoying the different products and services at the Katipunan Fund Drive (KFD) to dancing with friends to the beat of the music at the annual ASHS Fair.
It was March when all of our lives were thrown into a whirlwind of uncertainty. March 9 felt like any other day with students stressing over requirements and hovering over each other’s notes in preparation for finals, despite the news of the pandemic spreading quickly looming over everyone’s heads. As the day progressed, though, tension arose with news of suspensions due to the pandemic quickly bombarding social media. Before the end of the day, the school year’s fate was decided: there would be no classes indefinitely.
The Heartbreaking News We Tell
As tragic the events of the year may be with the events that followed that day, we, the Hi-Lites, wrote about every tragedy the country woke up to every morning, and stood by our duty as the student publication to deliver news for our fellow students.
Traditionally, the first assignment for each editorial board is a graduation issue for the seniors, but our work began weeks prior on March 15 to cover the advancements in the 2019 novel coronavirus, now famously known as COVID-19.
Ever since that day, Hi-Lites has documented each significant event that has occurred in the country, such as the pandemic and its effects on our everyday lives. It was difficult to witness the events caused by the pandemic unfold, and doubly difficult to report it in a way that would pique the audience’s interest and concern for the issue. We started with updates on the never-flattening curve of COVID-19 cases in March, followed by the weekly reports or rants of the President in April. Aside from national news, we also covered notable efforts by local governments done to prevent the spread of the virus and to help their constituents cope.
More than Hashtags
#OustDu𓆉#NoToABSCBNShutdown#StopTheKillingsPH.
Several issues and affairs have bombarded social media platforms ever since the start of the lockdown, and it won’t be stopping anytime soon. The list of unwelcome events amplified online activism among netizens, and some even put their foot forward to share their advocacies and call-to-action. For instance, Noelle Placer, an alumni of the ASHS, started a donation drive for the displaced public utility vehicles (PUVs) and tricycle drivers in March which gained attention from news sites. She started with Php 50 per sponsor among her relatively small following on Twitter with 600 followers. She was able to collect Php 20,000 in only seven days and gave a total of 221 relief packs to two communities in Taytay, Rizal.
#NasaanAngPangulo #NasaPusodKoAngPangulo #ReliefPH.
Because of the netizens’ dissatisfaction towards the President’s absence during these calamities where families were left alone to face the repercussions of the rains and winds, and even of the opening of the gates of dams, these hashtags gained traction on social media. As a response to the calamities that have devastated fellow countrymen, private individuals and groups initiated relief operations and donation drives at the height of Typhoon Rolly and Typhoon Ulysses. Social media content cannot completely account for the government’s shortcomings nor the citizens’ disappointment and anger, especially in this time of climate crisis. With hope and forbearance, we redirected our ill feelings to help other people who can’t be aided by the government’s selfishness.
For Our Pals
Chilling and utterly eerie, the landfall of the Typhoon Ulysses shocked the country, especially those who unfortunately experienced this tragedy firsthand. This compelled the Hi-Lites members to deliver urgent news for the ASHS community, and we were able to make it work despite the fluctuating power interruptions and limited internet connection. However, the aftermath of the devastating rains and winds unravelled our innate desires to take further action and respond with something tangible; it pushed us to show our humanity, especially for the ASHS community.
A Facebook post by Mr. Benigno Maniego was brought up by one of Hi-Lites’ moderators, Ms. Carol Laforteza. This post showed the grave effects of Typhoon Ulysses on his home in Marikina – almost no appliance nor furniture were in good condition to use. His surroundings became a wasteland of what was once a sun-kissed community.
After seeing this, we decided to focus on Mr. Maniego, along with the security personnel in the high school who were also left devastated by Ulysses. How can we not when these are the people who would greet us first thing in the morning back when face-to-face classes were a thing? Their relationship with the students creates a sense of safety and friendship that never failed to lighten the mood in the early hours of the day. Their endearment to students, “pal,” is also something unforgettable for the whole community.
Our project entitled “Pals For Personnel” started with the goal to somehow brighten our security personnels’ Christmas as they did for us everyday. Sir Ben’s story is simply one of the realities most of them are facing everyday. Realizing the nature of our organization, the best service we could offer in fundraising is art and writing. We started accepting commissions, monetary and good donations on November 17, and thankfully, several people glanced out our directions with interested eyes and kind hearts. However, during the launching of the donation drive itself, we felt a little helpless. Only a few commissions and donations were received in the first few weeks, but thankfully, support from the faculty, and the students and their families revived the initiative. By the end of the project, a total of Php 38,740 was collected from both the commissions and donations. The outpour of in-kind donations revealed the genuine kindness of people. Aside from canned goods, noodles, and rice, spaghetti, salad macaroni, and fruit cocktail were also donated which filled the Christmas package almost to the rim.
The morning formation of the AHS on December 23 marked the day of the distribution of the Christmas packages. It was before the crack of dawn, at the same time of the Simbang Gabi at the Church of Gesú. The security personnel at the entrance of Gate 3 was obviously waiting for us. He knew my name and Mr. Rommel Paderes, the AHS Head Security, provided us with an escort. I opened my window and it was silent, in contrast to the congested roads of the campus I am accustomed to before this all happened. Finally, we arrived at the empty and gloomy first floor foyer of the ASHS. It looked like the day we left after the indefinite suspension of classes, except for the Christmas decorations and the newly-decorated quadrangle. Unfailingly, our pals greeted us with enthusiastic and happy faces. I remember the Christmas-themed face mask of Mr. Maniego – it put a bigger smile on my face.
Grateful cannot justify the appreciation of the security personnel that morning. Their eyes were full of unadulterated bliss and gratitude. Their cheers and claps were enough to momentarily forget the heavy burden of the news of the past year. In our own little way – we hope and we pray – we made this Christmas truly feel like Christmas for them.
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/HiLitesASHS/posts/1666135276921688
https://www.rappler.com/technology/social-media/nasaan-ang-pangulo-trends
https://www.rappler.com/nation/twitter-top-trending-philippines-hashtag-turtle-emoji-august-3-2020
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/21/20/stopthekillingsph-celebrities-react-to-mother-son-slay-in-tarlac
Jen Saavedra and Stephanie De Jesus
HiLites ASHS 