The Real Sillimanian

“Where are you studying?”
“Silliman University.”
“Wow. That’s pretty cool.”

More often than not, this is the usual conversation among friends, especially the freshmen. One can feel the privilege of studying in a very prestigious institution like Silliman.

But then I realized that privilege alone was not enough to really enjoy the essence of college life, of what it really means to become a real Sillimanian. So I immediately grabbed the chance when I was invited to participate in the Online Journalism Training of Smart Communications, Inc. held last April 22 and 23, 2010 at the Robert B. and Metta J. Silliman Library. Not only Silliman participated; five other colleges and universities joined: AMA, STI, Foundation University, NORSU, and SPUD. I met new faces, became reunited with the old, and more importantly, I learned a lot of things that changed my view of what journalism is.

Having been in the field of campus journalism for three years, I have always thought of journalism to be neutral, cold, and extremely balanced. But as it turned out, there was another one of its kind: advocacy media, which disseminates information like news reporting, but at the same time convinces the people to act on an issue like editorial writing, hence making it a slightly biased form of journalism. And to cope with the fast development of the use of the Internet where various information travel across the globe incredibly fast, this media focuses on how facts should be published online, particularly in blogs and social networking sites. I, along with my fellow campus journalists from Silliman and other institutions, were made to go on exposure trips to places like the Great Physician Rehabilitation Foundation, Inc. (GP Rehab), the Silliman University Marine Laboratory, and the Center of Tropical Studies. Afterwards, we sat in front of the computers of the Silliman University Cyber Library not to write small personal talk on our Facebook accounts and blogs, but to write meaningful and thought-provoking but factual articles for public consumption through Smart Communications’ campus journalism site, journ.ph. Indeed, I have learned about online advocacy media per se, but I also realized that we have a lot more to delve into than just learning.

In the GP Rehab visit, I met Gabby, a seven-year-old cerebral palsy patient. He is doing well in school and is actually happy and contented with his life, contrary to the belief of many that his disability is making his life miserable. Moreover, during the lecture of DENR Provincial Head Mrs. Mercy Teves, I learned that even our very own forest and marine life here in Negros Oriental are starting to deteriorate, and the government is now exerting effort to attend to this problem with the help of the local townsfolk.

My eyes were opened to reality. Reality that disability seen in some special people is only in the minds of the able, and that we are a part of the mute and ailing planet Earth and therefore we should be the ones to speak for it. Hence, we are encouraged to play our role as humans: caretakers for the environment and for the needy. In this world, we live in a cycle of interaction: other people need our help, and we need their help, too. No matter what way we impart that assistance, as long as the people involved are benefited, then we have done our part.

Taking up a certain course in Silliman may make us Sillimanians at the face of it; however, this cannot guarantee us that we are real students of Silliman University. A real Sillimanian possesses the awareness and compassion for the needy, Christian values that have been imparted by a Christian institution over the years. Academic excellence alone is not enough; one can only enjoy life as a college student and as a Sillimanian when he has cared and loved the environment and the less fortunate, and in the process inspiring others to do likewise, be it in writing, speaking, or simply doing.

A Part, Not Apart

Let’s rewind your life back to the good old high school days. It was your Science class. You greet your teacher a good morning. She tells you to sit down and open your textbook to a certain page. And then she utters a word that confused—and almost freaked—you: symbiosis. With your limited and very narrow mind, you weren’t able to fathom the meaning of the very peculiar term. You weren’t even able to sleep because it was disturbing you, fearing that your teacher might suddenly ask you the meaning of the word, humiliating you in the process.

Now that you’re already a college student, you already know what symbiosis is. You can even name the types. But have you asked yourself: have you really understood what the word means?

According to Wikipedia.org, symbiosis “commonly describes close and often long-term interactions between different biological species”. It’s a pretty complicated definition, knowing that it came from an encyclopedia. But to help you grasp the meaning of the word in a very simple way, here is a list of questions (and you can even consider it a checklist) for you to ponder:

1. Do you need oxygen?
2. Do you consume something to survive?
3. Do you know that someday and somehow, your life will end?

If you answered yes to all of the questions, then you appreciate what symbiosis is, literally. Indeed, you need oxygen, food, and water to survive, and when you die, other organisms will benefit from you, particularly decomposers and plants. Sure, you passed your biology subject in high school because you understood it, but little do you know that there is a lot more to go into than just understanding.

The news is everywhere—in print, television, radio, and even online—that a new plague is beginning to affect us: the plague of climate change, extinction, and environmental imbalance. It is also starting to affect you, like a fire trying to consume your entire system.

Now you have come to the point where you have to delve more about the true meaning of symbiosis. It’s not enough to just understand it the way the encyclopedia does. Symbiosis also means that you are a part of nature, not apart from it. The environment needs your help; you need its help, too. It may not speak to you directly like a human being can, but the problems you and the entire world are facing speak for it.

Symbiosis also means realizing your role as a human being, as a catalyst for change in the environmental scenario. Indeed, if man destroys, man must restore as well. Climate change, extinction, and the like serve as an intense wake-up call for us to act for the refurbishment of Mother Earth.

So the next time you come across the word symbiosis, may the troubles that affect it disturb you the way the word itself did when you were still in high school.

Typhoon Ondoy - A Wake-Up Call

This was my write-up that won first place in the editorial writing category during the Division Schools Press Conference last September 30-October 2, 2009 at our school. It goes like this:


It has been four days since the country witnessed a catastrophe that blighted-and still blighting-homes and lives. Four days since typhoon Ondoy made a mark in history as one of the worst disasters the Philippines has ever witnessed.

According to scientists, typhoons are natural and they function as cleaners of the dirty parts of planet Earth. But the question that is haunting every mind is this: why was Ondoy's impact so devastating?

Remember that the area Ondoy struck was of an urban type. Urban people prioritize work above anything else, hence they do not have time to clean their surroundings and they just throw their garbage anywhere. Furthermore, cities are the breeding grounds of the various branches of technology, hence lots of inventions, such as vehicles and sprays, are very much present. These products may bring convenience to man, but they do also have harmful effects. Too much carbon dioxide can create a very warm atmosphere, resulting in the so-called "global warming".

Many environmentalists agree that climate change is indeed the culprit. Typhoon Ondoy could have passed naturally and harmed only a few, but it is because of climate change that the said typhoon really brought intense damage to properties and families.

Typhoon Ondoy can be considered an intense wake-up call for people to move and start the first step in caring for Mother Nature. Indeed, if man destroys, man must also restore. For sure, we do not want this tragedy to happen again, especially that another typhoon, Pepeng, is about to come. If we do not act and make the first move to restore the environment, who else will?

A Cry For Help

This was my write-up that won fifth place in the feature writing category during the Division Schools Press Conference from September 30 - October 2, 2009 at our school.

October 1, 2009

Dear Mom,

Honestly, I do not really know how to start this letter, but I thought of writing just to ease your worries about me and my family here in Manila.

I know you and Dad have seen what happened last Saturday. It was just a very normal and mundane day. That is, until the rains poured hard and turned Metro Manila into a basin of water.

We were really terrified. Rain started to pour at around 8 a.m. and it never stopped from that moment on. Water began to fill up the streets, until it entered our house. We climbed up to the second floor, to no avail. We had no other choice but to go to the roof and save ourselves. Everything and everyone was soaked.

The rain finally stopped at evening. But I could still hear crying and wailing. Men from the Philippine Army came to our rescue, and we sought refuge in the nearby school. We are still living here up to this day.

Mom, I hate to say this, but my family and I desperately need help, particularly food, drinking water, and clothes. The scenery here is not the same as it was before. We wish we could be there with you in Dumaguete but the weather is still bad. Another typhoon, Pepeng, is still to come. Ondoy, Pepeng, what could be next?

I just really hope we will really get over this nightmare. I know that after this, everything will be back to normal, but the question is: when will that day come?

Your son,
Raffy