August Inquiry Eic Close (final)

INQUIRY

The GUIDON

Issues with an impact

EDITOR: SARA MAE D. MAWIS GRAPHIC DESIGN BY: DENICE V. PLANAS, FRANCHINO E. VICERAL, AND ERIKA C. VALDEZ

Inside A campus in the making Find out when some of the Ateneo’s buildings were made

Toward bluer waters Wastewater that the Ateneo treats is not as clean as it seems

In Focus For David Peralta, even the little things can produce great effects

Bloggers of beauty Ateneans post and rate photos of their classmates with gusto

“Objectified”

AUGUST 2008 n VOLUME LXXVI n NUMBER 3

cover Photo by Ean L. Dacay

http://www.theguidon.com [email protected]

by Frances Bea C. Cupin and Genevieve Eugenie P. Bueta

I

t was only the second week of classes when the rain started to pour one afternoon. Students, still on their summer break high, eagerly anticipated the suspension of classes. Meanwhile, many were stuck in campus, unable to escape the onslaught of the rain. The Theology Department, however, had more pressing issues to handle. It had been raining very hard for 30 minutes when water began to pour down into their department, located on the third floor of the Horacio de la Costa Hall. “Water was really gushing down in torrents. One by one, [the] soundboards were going down,” says Theology Lecturer Edilberto Jimenez. “Water was cascading.” The computers located at the center of the department, as well as hard-to-replace books owned by various members of the department, were damaged. One major concern Jimenez had during the flooding was the de la Costa main

power switch, located inside the department. “I was saying to turn power off the whole building,” says Jimenez. Fortunately, no one got electrocuted or injured. He also said that the administration’s response was very quick, with janitors immediately getting to work in draining the flooded department. Even the English Department, located on the first floor, was not spared from the onslaught of the rain. “The water reached the computer area of the English Department and some of our printers and computers got drenched,” says Miguel Lizada, English Lecturer. The gutters of the building were the main culprit of the incident. Leaves from the surrounding trees had clogged down the drainpipes, causing the water to instead flow over onto the roof. The departments resumed operations immediately; the computers were dried and taken care of, the water drained, albeit leaving the office in topsy-turvy

condition. The incident did not cause serious damages, but it opens up the floor to questions about building maintenance and safety in the Loyola Schools (LS). How prepared are the LS for the impending rainy season and other disasters, such as earthquakes and fires?

According to him, the four oldest buildings’ features were more advanced than most buildings built during their time. Xavier, Gonzaga, Berchmans, Kostka and Bellarmine halls were all constructed in 1952. Only Gonzaga Hall has undergone an overhaul, a major canteen renovation in 2002.

“Water was really gushing down in torrents. One by one, [the] soundboards are going down.”

Edilberto Jimenez

Building basics The LS is home to 35 buildings, as reported by the University Physical Plant (UPP), with Kostka, Xavier, Berchmans, and Gonzaga, and Bellarmine Halls as the oldest on the campus. Despite their old age, UPP Administrator Leoncio Miralao says that there is nothing to worry about regarding the safety of the five buildings.

Many of the structures in the LS have been around before the National Building Code of the Philippines was established during the 1970’s. They have survived many earthquakes, the last major one with a magnitude of 7.7 in July 1990. Miralao says that those buildings showed no signs of damages, such as cracks or structural weakness.

As for the newer buildings on campus, wear and tear has become more evident. “If [the buildings are] constantly used, people complain that there are cracks,” he says. He goes on to explain, however, that these cracks are merely “structural,” that they do not affect the integrity of the building at all. He adds that seeing cracks in buildings is only natural since earthquakes occur regularly, most of which are too weak to be felt. Buildings are checked frequently, and repairs are regularly made to ensure their integrity. One of these buildings is the Rizal Library Annex. Miralao says that the Library Annex was made with specific areas designed to carry the weight of books. As the library acquires more books over the years, many of these original areas are displaced. As a result, cracks are seen along the building. UPP Administrative Assistant Ma. Isabel Hugo says that this is easily remedied by applying epoxy, a strong,

water-resistant, adhesive resin, along the cracks. According to Hugo, it is much stronger than concrete, the material originally used in constructing the buildings. Safety requirements As early as building construction, safety is already an issue the administration responds to. Though the buildings’ architects bring their own engineers with them, Hugo and Pollution Control Officer Josephy Almosera are present to ensure that the school’s own building requirements are met. UPP inspects the building annually. Its staff checks the electrical, fire safety, and mechanical aspects of the campus’ buildings. The Ateneo has not failed in complying, as far as the National Building Code is concerned. According to Code requirements, every building should have at least one exit. For floors above the first story with an occupant load of 10, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

The GUIDON

22

The GU

INQUIRY

August 2008

by Paolo Adrian B. Monteiro and Sara Mae D. Mawis

W

Missing bolt. Unfortunately, the Ateneo lacks a law-prescribed sewage treatment plant for discharging its wastewater to Manila Bay. Photo by rico b. cruz

ater – a mere three days without it, man will perish. Though people are becoming more environmentally aware, it can’t be denied that one of Earth’s most important resources continues to be taken for granted. Though priding itself for having a green campus, the Ateneo does lack a key component in the sustainability equation – a sewage treatment plant (STP). Because of this, wastewater coming from the campus is discharged in waterways that lead to Manila Bay, the Metro Manila area’s wastewater basin. With the absence of an STP and the continuous discharge of wastewater by the Ateneo, are there any plans to answer to this environmental concern?

inquiry

September 2007

Two pathways According to the Environment Management Bureau’s National Water Quality Status Report from 2001 to 2005, the wastewater that Metro Manila discharges goes through any of the four major waterways. These bodies of water, namely, the Marikina, San Juan, Parañaque, and Pasig Rivers, are then connected to Manila Bay. Wastewater discharged by the Metro Manila area is emptied out by two means. Some of this waste is directly carried by the Parañaque River toward the Manila

“The status quo is that the Ateneo doesn’t have a treatment facility, but it does have a system.” Rob Roque Bay. Meanwhile, Pasig River receives the wastewater collected by the Marikina and San Juan Rivers, then

Observatory to the Ateneo High School, acts as the boundary between these two areas. All buildings east of

quake and fire drills] twice a year,” says Almosera. In the grade school and high school departments, however, drills are conducted once a year. Meanwhile, the administration still has to deal with the irregularity of the entire LS community in terms of members’ schedules. This year, the administration decided to conduct both

could bring about. Before the drills were conducted this year, the last fire drill took place in 2002 while the last earthquake drill was in 2006. Responses to the recent drills conducted were mixed, with some people complaining that they were unable to hear the alarms. Miralao observed that some members of the LS community did not comply with the drill. “The high school and grade school [populations] are more obedient,” he says. Drills, however, are not a foolproof plan in case of an actual emergency. “When an actual earthquake happens, there will be no alarm to alert the school,” says Almosera in a mix of English and Filipino. “Students and teachers alike should take them seriously and commit the

Run, duck, and take cover CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

they shall not have less than two exits. Occupant load is determined by dividing the floor area by the square feet per occupant. Every exit should also lead to a public way, exit court, or exit passageway. Besides the required exits, these passages should not have other openings and should be made of material that can resist fire for one hour or beyond. In the Inquiry article entitled “Reduced to ashes,” published in The GUIDON’s June 2004 issue, it says that all classroom doors should be made to swing outwards. This is because it would be more difficult to open an inward swinging door in case a panicking crowd is pressed against the exit in a fire scene. Similar to what the Code

states regarding door swings, exit doors should swing in the direction of exit travel when serving any hazardous area. On the other hand, double acting doors, which can either be pushed or pulled by the crowd, shouldn’t be used when a fire occurs because, unlike fire exits, they don’t swing wide enough for a lot of people to pass through. As for stairways, the Code states that stairways should have handrails on each side. Meanwhile, those capable of holding an occupant load of 50 or more shall not be less than 3 feet and 8 inches or 1.12 meters in width. Finally, stairways that are required to be more than 9 feet in width should have one or more intermediate handrails. Emergency plans Miralao says that, by conducting earthquake and

fire drills in the Ateneo, the administration would be able to point out the problems the community might encounter and find out how they could be solved. Another objective of holding these drills is to educate students and teachers on what should be done in the event of an emergency. Ensuring the preparedness of the LS, however, is not

“Students and teachers alike should take them seriously and commit the procedures to memory.” Miguel Lizada an easy task. “Actually the requirement of CHED [Commission on Higher Education] is that we conduct [earth-

directly empties it at the same bay. The Ateneo’s wastewater is discharged in a similar manner. According to University Physical Plant (UPP) Administrator Leoncio Miralao, understanding the campus’ process of discharging wastewater means understanding where its buildings are located. According to him, some parts of the Ateneo are located in Marikina City, while others can be found in Quezon City. Fr. Masterson Drive, which extends from Manila

earthquake and fire drills in the same month in order to minimize the hassle they

the road are in Quezon City, while those in the west are in Marikina. Wastewater coming from the Fr. Masterson Drive’s east side, which includes the College Complex, drains toward Katipunan, particularly within the National Bookstore area. Its release, says Miralao, partly explains why places near the footbridge and the flyover near the said bookstore are frequently flooded. Meanwhile, water coming from the west side, which includes the College Covered Courts, and the former Communication Department Building, is pumped to Marikina River. Reducing by recycling According to the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, establishments like the Ateneo are required to be connected to an STP, or similar sewage facilities. As also defined by the law, these facilities are comprised of any network of pipelines and other needed appli-

procedures to memory,” says Lizada. Actual disasters can occur anytime. Miralao shares that, during the earthquake in 1990, not everyone who was part of the disaster management plan was in their designated areas. School administration can only do so much to prepare students and faculty for actual disasters. It is then up to the individual to act upon himself in case of an emergency. The best way to prepare in the event of an emergency is to be familiar with the steps one should take to ensure the safety of the majority. “When things happen, no matter where you are [and] there’s an earthquake or a fire, that’s when natural leaders would emerge,” says Miralao. 

Photos taken from the University archives; photos by Rico b. cruz and trisha s. de la paz

The GUIDON

UIDON

INQUIRY

September 2007 inquiry

August July 20072008n 333

David Peralta: ances that collect, transport, and treat wastewater before it is to be disposed. Meanwhile, the Philippine Sanitation Sourcebook and Decision Aid defines wastewater treatment as the process of removing or reducing the amount of waste found in the water that we use. The Ateneo, however, has yet to comply with the law because it doesn’t have an STP. According to Miralao, this is because of the law’s recent enactment. Among the Philippines’ Pollution Control laws, which also include the Clean Water, Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste, and Ecological Waste Management Acts, the Clean Water Act is the youngest. Despite its lack of an STP, the Ateneo does have a system in place to treat and recycle most of the water used within campus grounds. “The status quo is that the Ateneo doesn’t have a treatment facility, but it does have a system,” says Sanggunian Committee on Social Concern and External Affiliations Chairperson Rob Roque (II BS CH-MSE). This system involves the use of the Ateneo’s ponds, such as Meron Pond near de la Costa Hall, Eagle Lagoon behind the John Gokongwei School of Management, and Blue Lagoon near the campus’ diversion road. These ponds provide the initial treatment of the

school’s wastewater. Some of the water from the offices,

Miralao.

“We are looking at a system that is more natural... but also quite efficient.” Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Ph.D. as well as those collected from rain, are then stored in these ponds, where the water is recycled for watering the Ateneo’s plants. Pipe dreams? The Ateneo doesn’t have to look far, however, to find a major STP to pattern the school’s wastewater management system from. The only existing STP in the Katipunan-Diliman area, which is located at Commonwealth Avenue, is controlled by the University of the Philippines (UP). Funded by the Manila Water Company (MWC), UP’s STP is centralized, which means that all the wastewater it produces is pumped to the Commonwealth-based STP. According to the Philippine Sanitation Sourcebook, the waste that centralized systems collect is then moved to areas, like the Commonwealth-based STP, that are as far away as possible from the community that produces it. MWC also proposed this system for the Ateneo, says

Implementing a centralized STP, however, is costly. Because of the high costs local government units could incur from investing in and maintaining these facilities, the country’s sanitation system continues to be poorly constructed and maintained. As identified by the Philippine Sanitation Sourcebook, only 10 of about 1,650 of the Philippines’ towns have sewage systems, all of which are limited in scope. Also, according to Miralao, centralized STPs are less environmentally-friendly compared to the decentralized wastewater treatment system (DEWATS), the system that the Ateneo is currently considering to implement. “Even if it’s decentralized, you [use] machines, equipment, and chemicals. But, there’s also the other way where you can get the water, the sewage… with the use of plants and [other] natural ways,” says Miralao. DEWATS is also cheaper because it avoids making use of energy-dependent, imported or mechanical materi-

als. According to the Philippine Sanitation Sourcebook, costs for maintaining this system are not as expensive as the centralized system because it only requires simple operation and maintenance. According to Miralao, the proposed DEWATS for the Ateneo would mean installing several, smaller STPs in various areas of the campus. These facilities would then collect the wastewater produced in these particular areas and the buildings near them, filtrate and purify it before disposing it in the Marikina River. Testing, testing According to Miralao, the Ateneo is considering two options in implementing DEWATS. The first proposes the construction of a small treatment facility, which would be located behind the college baseball field. This facility would then link smaller STPs, which could be found in various areas of the campus. According to the Ateneo’s Site Development Plan, these STPs would be located near Faura Hall, Manny V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership, de la Costa Hall, Rizal Library and the Social Sciences Building. The water that they would treat would then pass through Katipunan’s sewage lines. The second is to test DEWATS on the proposed new library building first, to be constructed in the Meron CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Managing wastewater the right way Below are some explanations from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources’ (DENR’s) Environmental Management Bureau on how the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 will be implemented. How will water quality be managed? Management of water quality will either be based on watershed, river basin, or water resources region. Water quality management areas with similar hydrological, hydrogeological, meteorological, or geographical conditions which affect the reaction and diffusion of pollutants in water bodies are to be designated by the DENR together with the National Water Resources Board. How will discharges of wastewater be controlled? All owners or operators of facilities that discharge wastewater are required to get a permit to discharge from the DENR or the Laguna Lake Development Authority. Existing industries without any permit are given 12 months from the effectivity of the implementing rules and regulations announced with this Act to secure a permit to discharge. How will domestic wastewater be addressed? The Department of Public Works and Highways, together with local government units (LGUs) will prepare a national program on sewage and septage management not later than 12 months from effectivity of this Act. The will also prepare a priority list, which will be the national government’s basis for alloting annual funds for the construction and rehabilitation of required facilities. Meanwhile, LGUs should provide the land, including roads, to construct sewage and/or septage treatment facilities and to raise funds for operating and maintaining said facilities. The Department of Health will formulate guidelines and standards for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage as well as guidelines for the establishment and operation of centralized sewage treatment system. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and other agencies mandated to provide water supply and sewerage facilities are required to connect existing sewage lines within five years following effectivity of this Act. All sources of sewage and septage are required to comply with the law. How will the discharge of wastewater be discouraged? Anyone discharging wastewater into a water body will have to pay a wastewater charge. This economic instrument is expected to encourage investments in cleaner production and pollution control technologies. Effluent trading per management area will also be allowed. Rewards will also be given to those whose wastewater discharge is better than the water quality criteria of the receiving body of water. Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives will also be given to LGUs, water districts, enterprise, private entities and individuals who develop and undertake outstanding and innovative projects in water quality management. What safeguards are provided for? All possible dischargers are required to put up an environmental guarantee fund (EGF) as part of their environmental management plan. The EGF will finance the conservation of watersheds and aquifers, and the needs of emergency response, clean up, or rehabilitation. Data taken from the article entitled “What You Should Know about the Clean Water Act” by the Water Quality Management Section of DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau

When little means big

Early beginnings. Assistant Instructor David Peralta (BS Chem ‘06) relays his high school experiences that sealed the deal for his love for chemistry. Photo by jake r. nallas

by Jesse Emmanuel F. Rosario

“C

hemistry is a central science… Even if you’re not in the sciences, the very fact that you experience everyday things, different phenomena, [like] the cars you ride, the clothes you wear, what you eat, that is chemistry.” This is what Chemistry Department Assistant Instructor David Peralta (BS Chem ‘06), topnotcher of the 2007 Chemistry Board Exam by the Professional Regulations Commission, always tells his class. As a grade school student in the Ateneo, he was initially fond of math and computers, the latter because it was the ‘in thing’ during his time. The passion lingered until his stay at the Ateneo High School (AHS) where his teachers changed his life bit by bit. His first influence was his biology teacher Bella Queaño in the Advanced Science class. Under her, Peralta learned that biology was mostly centered on molecular biology, a subject that explains how carbohydrates, DNA, and proteins interact with each other. He was so amazed at how Queaño, who is currently the AHS Science and Technology Department chairman, and her positive demeanor was able to condense a semester’s lesson to a single week that he considered becoming a doctor for life. During his third year, he had Vice President Assunta Cuyegkeng, Ph.D. as his chemistry teacher. Little did Peralta know that his journey toward the path of chemistry was about to begin. “I think that changed it. Really, your High School teachers have a significant impact,” he says. “I didn’t know what it was; [whether] it was… her clarity in teaching, [or] her approach in making chemistry very student-friendly.” Challenging yet easy to comprehend is how he characterizes Cuyegkeng’s chemistry classes. He recalls how she made sandwiches in class just to show how substances called limiting reagents are used up during a chemical reaction. He also remembers their field trip to renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina’s art exhibit and how he learned about the science working behind glass art. His choice of courses when he applied for college, however, still reflected his desire to become a doctor, instead of to become a chemist. According to Peralta, the only chemistry program he considered applying into was the Management of Applied Chemistry (MAC) program offered by the John Gokongwei School of Management. “Chemistry was nowhere there except for the small part in MAC. It’s not there,” he says, as he was set to enroll under the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) program offered by the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP). Peralta, however, eventually went to the Ateneo as a Biology major. He said it’s because he was already familiar with the school and how he it gave him a holistic formation. A few months later, he shifted to become a Chemistry major. As an undergraduate, he recalls being a member of student organizations that engaged in science and education. As a Junior, he was the Ateneo Chemical Society’s Vice President for Academics, and then its President a year later. Soon, he was able to fulfill his dream of taking up MBB by cross-enrolling in UP. After his study tour in Germany in 2007, as he also holds a Minor in German Studies, the Chemistry Department offered him a teaching post for the incoming school year. He started teaching part-time, going full-time during the school year’s second semester. He then took the board exam and topped it, which made him quite a popular icon in school. “People got to know me because the Department put up a tarp with my face on it. So I would be walking and there would be some students recognizing me. I didn’t know them, but they would recognize me,” he says. “I would have some new students coming in who were scared immediately because they knew that I topped [the board exams] so they were scared [that] the professor might be a terror teacher, perhaps demanding,” When he faces his classes, he makes it a point to drive home the notion that chemistry is a central science – a science that has bearing on most disciplines. For example, in wastewater management, he believes that what should happen is to eliminate as many contaminants as possible to ensure environmental safety. “The only problem here in the Philippines is that if it’s a normal sewage system, it’s septic-tank based. For industries, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

The The GUIDON GUIDON

INQUIRY INQUIRY

44

September August 2007 2008 PHOTOS BY KEVIN C. TATCO

by Joanie C. Ipili and Maria Angela C. Espinas

“I

didn’t believe it until I saw it.” This was how Terry*, a sophomore, reacted when he saw his photo posted on a site that allowed other people to freely comment about his physical appearance. But he wasn’t its only attraction. It featured other students whose photos were handpicked and posted by its moderator, because the moderator found them attractive. Like Terry, these Ateneans didn’t know that their photos were used for this purpose. Like most of them, Terry only knew that his photo was posted because a friend saw it first. Terry wasn’t greatly affected by what he saw. “I didn’t consider it as an invasion of privacy,” he says. “It didn’t reveal any of my secrets.” “Actually, it was flattering what [the visitors] put there.” This flattery, however, overshadows the fact that these sites might be going against any citizen’s right to maintaining his privacy and protecting his intellectual property.

god.blogspot.com) was a blog that featured photos of female Ateneans its moderator found physically attractive. This site recently closed down, however, since its moderator was able to reach more than the 25,000 hits he and his friend bet on. As of press time, the site maintains a record of 29,443 hits. When Maxine Ang (II BS Mgt-H) discovered that she was featured on that site, she got surprised. Like Terry, however, she didn’t mind it

attractive the featured male Ateneans are. Sanggunian Sophomore Central Board Representative Kurt Cendaña (II AB IS) was one of its featured male students. He didn’t immediately know that his photo was in the site because, at the time the site was starting to gain its popularity, he went on a vacation outside of the country. “I didn’t mind it,” he says in Filipino. “I just laughed it off.”

“[These sites become] the benchmark for the blogger’s sense of self.” Cecilia Palma-del Rosario that much. “It wasn’t really that bad,” she says in a mix of Filipino and English. “I just thought that it was indicative of how shallow [the] Ateneo has become. They [devote their time to sites] showcasing girls that are pretty.” Sites like Goodjobgod, however, aren’t only limited to the typical male Atenean’s desires. Goodjobguysss (www.goodjobguysss. blogspot.com)** was set up to allow visitors to judge how

“I was a bit off by it, however, because the photo of me that was featured can be found in my Multiply and Facebook sites. So I thought that maybe, this person [Goodjobguysss’ moderator] is my friend [in Multiply or in Facebook].”

A psychological benchmark According to Ateneo Graduate School of Psychology Harmless but… Instructor Cecilia Palma-del Created in April 2008, Rosario, these posted photos may serve as a benchmark Goodjobgod (www.goodjobfor both the sites’ moderators and their viewers on what makes a person physically attractive. They might also be comparing themselves, and other people, against the featured students in terms of physical appearance. “[These sites become] the benchmark for the blogger’s sense of self,” she says. Psychology Lecturer Lorenzo Lerma, on the other hand, says that another possible reason for the moderators to run these sites is the sense of control they get. According to him, although they might not have the power to control the featured students’ physical appearance, they Spotted. Sarah Sarmiento (II BFA AM) and Kurt Cendaña (II AB IS) were have the power to control two of the Ateneans featured in Goodjobguysss and Goodjobgod, how other people would view respectively. these students. Photo by ean l. dacay Palma-del Rosario says,

however, that various psychological and sociological factors are at play when it comes to this issue. These sites reflect the Filipinos’ fondness for knowing anything that could be known about a person. “[These sites could be] a reflection of our cultural habit [to gossip],” she says. “We have to know what other people know.” Invading one’s privacy The sites’ moderators, on the other hand, may have acted against the law. Article 26 of the Civil Code of the Philippines states, “Every person shall respect the dignity, personality, privacy and peace of mind of his neighbors and other persons.” A person is liable to paying damages if he were to pry into the privacy of another person’s residence, meddle with, or disturb his private life. He could also act against what the law states if his acts were to cause that person to be alienated from his friends, or feel humiliated on account of his religious beliefs, physical defects, or other personal conditions. These sites’ moderators violated the students’ privacy by posting photos of themselves for public viewing purposes. Also, these moderators could be violating laws concerning a person’s intellectual property rights. According to Business Software Alliance Philippines Committee Consultant and lawyer Atty. Bienvenido Marquez III,the person owns the copyright to a photo or any other object if he were the one who took it. This means that all of that person’s photos cannot be published without his permission. Like Cendaña, people who took photos of themselves could have them removed from the said sites, especially when their moderators didn’t seek their approval. People who violate these laws can either be imprisoned

There she goes. Sites such as Goodjobgod and Goodjobguysss invade some Ateneans’ right to privacy as their photos were being featured without their approval. Photo by ean l. dacay

or made to pay damages. For those who violated laws relating to copyright use, they could pay for as large as P1.5 million, and be jailed for as long as nine years, depending on the number of times they did the offense. Omniscient Although Cendaña remains flattered by the compliments he got from the site, he believes that these sites shouldn’t be done again. He also believes that the moderators might have published these sites out of boredom during the summer vacation, and that it is less likely that these sites would thrive during the school year. Meanwhile, Terry believes that the sites’ moderators should have asked the approval of the students they would have planned to feature. “Ask for the person’s permission before you put him in the site and give out information to [the people],”

Toward bluer waters

David Peralta...

Pond area, before it would be implemented universitywide. “It’s not the end [of this project]. It’s just the beginning,” says Miralao. “From there, we’ll learn from it and then we’ll try to come up with [facilities in other areas of the Ateneo] because it’s fairly spread out.” Besides these options, the school is also assisted by United States Agency for International Development, an organization that aims to help certain countries with

it’s very private,” he says in Filipino. The typical sewage system consists of a septic tank connected to a wastewater treatment facility, which then degrades all organic matter into wastewater. This is to prevent bacteria from infecting it upon its release, which could damage the environment. We don’t have to thoroughly understand every detail, says Peralta, as far as the nitty-gritty of environmental chemistry is concerned. According to him, what we

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their economic and social development. As part of its program, it presents the different water facilities to Ateneo, and in other cases, local government units and companies that would best suit their needs. Despite the readiness of these plans, the administration continues to probe into this matter. According to Vice President Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Ph.D., most STP designs are energy-consuming, although in this case, it’s because of the limited space allotted for them. She points

out, however, that the Ateneo might not have that much of a problem with installing STPs because of the campus’ wide lands. “We are looking at a system that is more natural... but also quite efficient,” she says. “We do have a way of treating the water the more traditional way... [But], maybe the perspective [with the current system] is different. We would like to be able to reuse the wastewater.” 

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need is an understanding of how simple actions like waste segregation and walking over riding can help our environment. What we need is awareness and an advocacy that remains constant and unwavering. “We have to start small. You start in your own home, how you personally behave or act,” he says. “Imagine how many students buy lunch there [cafeteria], either [Styrofoam] container or paper with a wax lining. There’s even plastic sometimes. Imagine

he says. Ang, on the other hand, believes that Goodjobgod represents the moderators’ and viewers’ collective unconscious. According to her, she cannot help but think that the people she passes by might have contributed to the site’s subsequent success. “It feels like everyone who’s looking at you is Goodjobgod,” she says in Filipino. “He’s becoming omniscient already.”  - with a report from Sara Mae D. Mawis *Name has been changed to protect the individual. ** As of press time, the Goodjobguysss website has been removed from the Internet.

how many thousands is that everyday. How many times will they eat? You have plastic cups, everything. That’s a lot of waste.” At the end of the day, Peralta believes that there are many ways to reach these goals. What’s important is that something is done to address the conflict. “There are many levels on how to achieve these goals, but there will always be a way,” he says in Filipino. “We can always do something.” 