With the ongoing senate hearings about Apollo Quiboloy, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), regarding his numerous sexual abuse allegations made by its former members. The investigation has been met by opposition not just by Quiboloy’s supporters but also by some members of the senate.
All of this begs the question: are their positions, as lawmakers and leaders, all in the effort to themselves and the connections they have? Are their actions really in favor of the Filipino mass?
Last February 9 & 10, the ASHS opened its doors to the public and held its first ever fair since the pandemic. This year’s fair, entitled “Elesina,” was not only a fundraising event for all crowds to enjoy, but was also a symbol of perseverance, service, and cooperation between the students and the entire ASHS Community. However, despite its undoubtable triumphs, there were also trials and lapses that became apparent during the overall fair itself.
With the passing of the jeepney consolidation deadline on April 30, 2024, ultimately solidifying the PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) modernization program, it is imperative that we critically evaluate the current state of the country’s public transportation system, particularly for jeepney drivers and commuters, in order to discern who will truly bear the burden of the strain this program will bring.
Noong ika-2 ng Setyembre 2023, nagbigay ng mungkahi si Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno na i-reserba na lamang ang programa ng libreng edukasyon ng pamahalaan para sa mga “deserving” na mag-aaral. Ito ay dahil sa 34% na dropout rate na naitala ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) mula 2016 hanggang 2022, na nagdulot ng matinding tensyon sa pampublikong pondo.
The housing crisis in the Philippines is rooted in the fact that most people cannot afford to buy proper houses or the land needed. To address this, President Bongbong Marcos’ flagship program, the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH), aims to reduce the 6.5 million housing backlog. This will be done by building 1 million units a year. The issue with this, however, is that it is anti-poor, despite being supposedly for the impoverished, and unrealistic given the foundations of the plan.
Schools play a pivotal role in instilling values and morals to students outside of the usual academic setup. However, when students act outside this established bracket of good moral and conduct, are they at fault, or is the system more to blame?
Over time, a country is bound to change and develop, including its people and citizens, particularly through their lifestyle. Moreover, it is worth noting that the Philippines’ Constitution is already 37 years old. With that, as a country evolves, its Constitution must adapt accordingly to remain relevant to the current context. It is essential to recognize that the goal of a charter change should be people-centered, with the aim of improving the entire country. However, this is not the case with the Philippines, as every attempt to push for a charter change is consistently met with resistance from its people.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) received an increase in this year’s budget for the conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes, and plebiscites—amounting to a whopping P14 billion, which is a PHP 12 billion raise compared to the initially-proposed PHP 2 billion by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The sudden increase in the allocated budget faced several concerns, particularly from Independent Minority Congressman, Albay, 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman, who asserted that the aforementioned additional budget would be used for a “Charter change rampage,” as it was placed under the conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes, and plebiscites category.
In the upcoming school year 2024-2025, the Senior High School (SHS) Program will be discontinued in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs). According to the Department of Education (DepEd), 17,751 Grade 11 students are currently enrolled in SHS programs being offered in SUCs and LUCs. As thousands of students are displaced from senior high school, they are left with the choice to enroll in either public or private schools and utilize the voucher program. This also leaves them alone to fend for themselves due to the lack of funding in both secondary and higher education.
In the media industry, the pursuit and dissemination of truth in service to the public stand as the responsibility of journalists who wield the power of their voices to do so. However, this pursuit becomes a challenge for women journalists in a male-dominated country. With this in mind, we can only ask: What is it like for a woman to use her voice in amplifying the marginalized in a country where men receive more attention and are more likely to be heard?
HiLites ASHS 