Equilibrium 2010-2011

We have witnessed the his-

torical inauguration of the

15th president of the Republic

of the Philippines, Benigno

Simeon Cojuangco Aquino

III, together with the new

Vice-President, Jejomar Ca-

bauatan Binay last June 30,

2010. The event was truly

endearing since there were

countless of people, includ-

ing celebrities and delegates

from other countries, who

came to see the most antici-

pated inauguration of the

year. The highlight of the

event was the President‘s

inaugural speech, which con-

sists his platform for the next

six years.

More than 400,000

people flocked to the Quirino

Grandstand to witness the

unfolding of a new chapter in

Philippine history. But be-

fore the most awaited inau-

guration, singers, Noel Ca-

bangon, Juana Change,

Christian Bautista, etc., of-

fered an entertainment to the

audience. The inaugural pro-

gram officially started when

the incoming President and

Vice-President came. The

National Anthem was led by

Charice Pempengco fol-

lowed by the Ecumenical

Invocation. Came after were

more singers i.e. Madrigal

Singers, APO Hiking Soci-

ety, Ogie Alcasid, and

Regine Velasquez. More-

over, there were more than

85 international delegates

from other countries who

were sent as representatives.

Senate President

Juan Ponce Enrile read the

result of the election and

proclaimed the new Presi-

dent and Vice-President.

After that, the oath taking

ceremony took place, con-

ducted by Associate Justice

Conchita Carpio-Moralez.

The first one to take the oath

was the Vice-President elect

Jejomar Binay followed by

the President elect Benigno

Aquino III. A 21-gun salute

was rendered after the oath

taking.

Finally, the long

wait for the delivery of his

speech is over. The President

started by declaring the

source of his inspiration, that

is, the thousands of people

who believe in him. The

speech was in Tagalog so that

people will understand him.

(Cont. Page 2)

July 26, 2010, a day which

everyone was anxious about.

This is when our newly

elected president, Benigno

Cojuanco Aquino III deliv-

ered his first State of the

Nation Address (SONA).

Politicians, celebrities, every

Filipino, even the foreigners

were very interested in what

the President has to say. As

all of the SONA‘s delivered

by the past leaders of our

country, Pres. Aquino started

his report about the things

that the past administration

has done for the country.

Anomalies with the budget

and different agencies were

his main concerns. Startling

amounts of money were re-

ported to have been placed

on less useful purposes just

before the former president

leaves her post. This led to a

further increase in the budget

deficit of our country. (Cont.

Page 2)

V OLUME 2 , ISSUE 1

JUNE—OCTOBER 2010

Equilibrium: The Official Publication of UST-EcoSoc

Ka-1 sa 2011 4

MMITE 6

GA 7

EcoSoc Officers 8-9

Why Indonesia

Overperforms RP 10

Interview with a Prof 13

Economists as Writers 15

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Born of New Legacy The Inauguration of President—elect Benigno C. Aquino Jr.

Presdent Benigno Aquino

giving his inaugural speech.

Photo by April Maligayo

P. Noy on the State of Our Nation By: Genesa Rosales

EQUILIBRIUM EDITORIAL

STAFF

Shalom Makasiar

Editor-in-Chief

Kristine Distor

Associate Editor

Kristine Vergara

Managing Editor

Salvador Briggs Calo III

Hazel de Guzman

Features Editors

Jason Comia Literary Editor

Jhoanna Pontanos News Editor

Christian Lacia

Marinelle Marron

Layout Artists

April Maligayo

Karen Vidar Senior

Photographers

V OLUME 2 , ISSUE 1 P AGE 2

Born… (cont. from page 1)

P.Noy… (cont. from page 1)

President Benigno Aquino com-

menced his first hand salute as

the new Commander-in-Chief of

AFP. Photo by April Maligayo

Corruption was the main

theme of his address with the

saying ―kung walang korap,

walang mahirap‖ as the foun-

dation of his administration.

He promised to design and

implement an interaction and

feedback mechanism that can

effectively respond to the

people‘s needs and aspira-

tions; stated the problems of

the country for the past few

years; and shared that he is

tired of a government that has

been blind and deaf to the

people‘s cry. The President

vowed that under his admini-

stration, no more junkets, no

more senseless spending, and

no more turning back on

pledges made during the cam-

paign; whether today or in the

coming challenges over the

next six years. Walang wang

-wang, walang counterflow,

walang tong were the words

that were instilled in the peo-

ple‘s minds.

In addition to his

speech, his platform con-

tained the promises of change

that his administration

pledged to implement. The

President assured a good, honest

and effective governance that

will transform the government

from one that is self-serving to

one that works for the welfare

of the nation; ethical, honest and

true public servants and leaders;

reviewing midnight appoint-

ments; lessen the lack of infra-

structures for transportation,

tourism and trade; revival of the

emergency employment pro-

gram; quality education, includ-

ing vocational education and

addressing the glaring shortage

in classrooms and educational

facilities; improve public health

services such as PhilHealth for

all within three years; a home

for every family, within safe

communities; strengthen the

armed forces and the police;

security for farmers to to help

them with irrigation, extension

services, and marketing their

products at the best possible

prices; create employment at

home; however, while working

towards that end, tasked are

relevant agencies to be more

responsive to the needs and

welfare of the overseas Filipino

workers; strengthen the process

of consultation and feedback;

Products such as rice and

water which were some of the

aggravating problems of our

nation were also mentioned. In

2008, there was a shortage in

the supply of rice in our coun-

try. Our fellow citizens lined

up for long hours in order to

get little amount of rice to eat

when according to Pres.

Aquino, the National Food

Authority (NFA) has imported

excessive amounts of rice in

the years before. These exces-

sive supplies of rice have only

been stored in warehouses and

ended up rotting which

brought forth the rice short-

age. And just recently, we also

experienced water failures.

Many people also suffered

from not having water to drink.

The funds that were supposed to

be used for maintaining our wa-

tersheds in order to improve

water supply was said to be

wrongfully used by giving too

much salaries and benefits to the

officials of Metropolitan Water-

works and Sewage System

(MWSS).

Many more anomalies

and misuse of fund were men-

tioned by Pres. Aquino. Some of

them are startling, while some of

them, we already knew of. The

President‘s solution to these

problems is a zero-based ap-

proach by stopping the wasteful

use of government funds and

creating a budget that focuses

attention on solving the prob-

lems that were not addressed in

the past administration. A Truth

Commission was also said to

have been formed in order to

address the frauds that were

committed in the last nine years.

While according to the

President, many investors have

expressed interest in supporting

the nation‘s needs through pub-

lic-private partnerships without

having the government spend

much of its budget or even none

of it, many things are yet to hap-

pen in the next six years. What

we are left to do is to be good

citizens and we can only hope

that the plans in Pres. Benigno

Aquino III‘s first State of the

Nation Address become reality

when he delivers his next one.

and lastly, committed peaceful

and just settlement of conflict in

Mindanao. After the speech, he

was given honor and recognition

by the AFP (Armed Forces of the

Philippines) as the new president

of the Republic of the Philippines.

Another 21-gun salute was given

when the president arrived at the

Malacañang Palace.

The inauguration cere-

mony was peaceful, successful,

and remarkable. The attendees

were joyful and contented with

what the President had said. In

spite of the hot weather, they all

went home with a smile in their

faces. Jhoanna Pontanos

UST Economics Department

Faculty

Almario-Miguel, Alma Aileen, M.A.

Economics Department Chairperson

Quijano-Arsenio, Jodylyn, Ph. D.

UST Economics Society Adviser

Baluyot, Mary Hildence, M.A.

Cabauatan, Ronaldo, M.A.

Cabral, Cristina, Ph. D.

Calara, Ma. Socorro , Ph. D.

Dinio, Rosemary, Ph. D.

Paguta, Ronald, M.A.

Quesada, Francis Ian, MSF Candidate

Racho, Clarissa Ruth, MDE

Rosete, Marie Antoinette, MDE

Valdez, Karen Grace, MBA

Villasis, George, M.A.

The Administration

Prof. Ma. Socorro P. Calara, Ph. D.

College Dean

Rev. Fr. Senen R. Ecleo, O.P.

College Regent

Prof. Mary Hildence M. Baluyot, M.A.

Assistant Dean

Asst. Prof. Maureen H. Gelle

College Secretary

EQUILIBRIUM:

THE O FFICIAL P UBLICATION OF UST-ECOSOC P AGE 3

The country again has undergone a change of administration.

Not all were happy with the result yet the people had spoken.

During the campaign period, the country had been bombarded

with the never-ending promises and pledges from the candidates,

and we, the voters were hanging by the hope of getting all of

them done as promised. Here is the platform* of the newly

elected President Benigno S. Aquino III, which he says, his So-

cial Contract to the Filipino People:

The Vision for the Philippines:

A country with…

1. A re-awakened sense of right and wrong, through the liv-

ing examples of our highest leaders;

2. An organized and widely-shared rapid expansion of

our economy through a government dedicated to honing

and mobilizing our people‘s skills and energies as well as

the responsible harnessing of our natural resources;

3. A collective belief that doing the right thing does not only

make sense morally, but translates into economic value as well;

4. Public institutions rebuilt on the strong solidarity of our soci-

ety and its communities.

Our Mission: We will start to make these changes first in ourselves—by doing

the right things, by giving value to excellence and integrity and

rejecting mediocrity and dishonesty, and by giving priority to

others over ourselves.

We will make these changes across many aspects of our national

life.

A Commitment to Transformational Leadership: 1. From a President who tolerates corruption to a President who is

the nation‘s first and most determined fighter of corruption.

2. From a government that merely conjures economic

growth statistics that our people know to be unreal to

a government that prioritizes jobs that empower the people

and provide them with opportunities to rise above poverty.

3. From relegating education to just one of many con-

cerns to making education the central strategy for investing in

our people, reducing poverty and building na-

tional competitiveness.

4. From treating health as just another area for politi-

cal patronage to recognizing the advancement and protection of

public health, which includes responsible parenthood, as key

measures of good governance.

5. From justice that money and connections can buy to a

truly impartial system of institutions that deliver equal justice to

rich or poor.

Economy 6. From government policies influenced by well-

connected private interests to a leadership that executes all the

laws of the land with impartiality and decisiveness.

7. From treating the rural economy as just a source of prob-

lems, to recognizing farms and rural enterprises as vital

to achieving food security and more equitable economic

growth, worthy of re-investment for sustained productivity.

8. From government anti-poverty programs that instill a dole-

out mentality to well-considered programs that build capacity and

create opportunity among the poor and the marginalized in the

country.

9. From a government that dampens private initiative

and enterprise to a government that creates conditions conducive

to the growth and competitiveness of private businesses, big,

medium and small.

10. From a government that treats its people as an ex-

port commodity and a means to earn foreign ex-

change, disregarding the social cost to Filipino families to

a government that creates jobs at home, so that working

abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity; and when its citi-

zens do choose to become OFWs, their welfare and protection

will still be the government‘s priority.

Government Service 11. From Presidential appointees chosen mainly out of politi-

cal accommodation to discerning selection based on integ-

rity, competence and performance in serving the public good.

12. From demoralized but dedicated civil servants, military

and police personnel destined for failure and frustration due

to inadequate operational support to professional, motivated and

energized bureaucracies with adequate means to perform their

public service missions.

Gender Equality 13. From a lack of concern for gender disparities and shortfalls,

to the promotion of equal gender opportunity in all spheres

of public policies and programs.

Peace & Order 14. From a disjointed, short-sighted Mindanao policy that

merely reacts to events and incidents to one that seeks a

broadly supported just peace and will redress decades of neglect

of the Moro and other peoples of Mindanao.

Environment 15. From allowing environmental blight to spoil our cities,

where both the rich and the poor bear with congestion and ur-

ban decay to planning alternative, inclusive urban developments

where people of varying income levels are integrated in produc-

tive, healthy and safe communities.

16. From a government obsessed with exploiting the country

for immediate gains to the detriment of its environment to

a government that will encourage sustainable use of resources to

benefit the present and future generations.

President Aquino promises a term of service served with integrity

and transparency. Let‘s be vigilant, cautious and responsible with

the power we vested to the new administration. It is our rights

and it is the people‘s power that we freely surrendered to the

government, hoping that we will see the face of ‗A new Philip-

pines‘ at the end of 6 years. Kristine Distor

*from NOYPIPOL: The Official Blog of Sen. Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino

Remembering the Platform


The very first event held as a tribute to the upcoming celebration

of UST‘s 400 years of Unending Grace was the Ka-1 sa 2011,

organized by the College of Commerce and Business Admini-

stration‘s Staff, Faculty, and Students. It was also served as an

Alumni Homecoming that happened on June 19, 2010.

At the St. Raymund‘s Building, the Economic Society

prepared a Confluence about an alumnus‘ life after graduation.

The speaker was a Cum Laude of College of Commerce and

Business Administration Major in Economics Batch 2002; started

as a writer/reporter of the publication Business World; have

worked in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Treasury Department

for four (4) years. She is none other than Ms. Liezel Antonio.

At first, she had a hard time of finding job – went

through a lot of interviews. She has been doing various works

within different companies and as she went through the transition

of working environment, she realized that her first job was the

point of comparison. As a result she started to weigh the pros and

cons of being in a government office and private companies. She

would rather stay in a private company since the pay is high, the

processing of papers is faster, fresh ideas are welcomed, promo-

tion is easy, and less bureaucracy. On the other hand, government

offices pays low compare to the private companies, and ideas are

limited since there are norms or rules to be followed. In spite of

the differences between the two sectors, both have the same po-

litical problems.

She also gave tips on how to land a good job. Accord-

ing to Ms. Antonio, one must have a good communication skills,

good in academics, active in organizations, and most of all, one

must have a leadership skill. Almost all of the Thomasians have

these characteristics but the problem is, according to her, Thoma-

sians are less assertive. She also added that, nowadays, compa-

nies are looking for those applicants with higher EI (emotional

intelligence) than IQ (intelligence Quotient), which is a charac-

teristic that the Thomasians has. It is also important to build

contact with other people inside the job.

Before the talk ends, she entertained some of the audi-

ences‘ questions.

Q: Is the on-the-job training (OJT) helpful for the students to be

hired easily?

A: I think it is. Since the company has the idea of what the stu-

dents are capable of doing and they are already knowledgeable

on the given tasks.

Q: Is it better to have a Master‘s degree before applying to work?

A: No. I think it is always better to work before having a Mas-

ter‘s degree since some private companies require it.

After the confluence some still have time to linger

around the classrooms, while some left to wait for the start of the

raffle at the Quadri Park. Everybody was excited as their raffle

ticket‘s numbers were called. Major prizes were given away to

the students, faculty and alumni.

The program ended after the Pledge of Commitment,

led Dr. Cristina Castro – Cabral. The weather was patiently wait-

ing for the program to end before the clouds let go of its droplets.

Shalom Makasiar

Prof. Alma Almario – Miguel with the speaker, Ms. Liezel Antonio, and two other alumni of Economic Society. Photo by

Shalom Makasiar

A Tribute to the 400 years of Uneding Grace

Economics Society Junior

Orientation By Jeriline Garcia

Last June 30 2010, the Economics Soci-

ety held the junior orientation at the Com-

merce AVR. The event started with a

prayer led by Ken Ucang from 3E5, fol-

lowed by an opening remark by the presi-

dent of Economics Society, Aldric Ar-

riola. He started his talk regarding the

activities (i.e. seminars, interclass compe-

titions, exhibits and outreach programs)

that the Economics Society planned for

the two semesters.

Soon after, Assistant Prof.

Alma Aileen Almario-Miguel mentioned

the vision and the goals of the organiza-

tion. She proceeded by discussing the

curriculum of the third year and fourth

year levels including a reminder of the

general guidelines enclosed in the hand-

book. She ended the discussion by asking

―who is an economist?‖

While Prof. Alma is quoting each line of

the ―who is an economist?‖ the juniors

were reflecting and assessing themselves

and knew that they have some concerns

about this and upcoming semesters.

The concerns of the juniors, pri-

marily, are the challenging subjects. The

juniors have come this far that they are

pressured to pass all of the subjects. Secon-

darily, the new people they met. Some were

happy, some were not. But regardless of

how each one of the juniors, they have to

face this new set of classmates and just be

who they are and make the best out of each

other. And finally, to defend their thesis

and to be able to graduate in time.

As they push through with their

degree, the excitement, fear and apprehen-

sion is visible. As fresh as they may be in

this department, the juniors know what to

expect from their subjects. They know it

wouldn‘t be easy and are wishfully thinking

that their professors would be as supportive

as they can be.

The juniors would be supporting

all the activities of the Economic society

and they trust the council that there would

be a very open communication between

them.

The adviser of the Economic

Society Prof. Jodelyn Quijano-Arsenio

presented a short speech to the juniors.

Aldric Arriola, then, ended the program

by giving thanks to the juniors and telling

them to support their programs.

The juniors have a long year

ahead of them, a long year accompanied

by learning, excitement, and excellence.

EQUILIBRIUM:


Reduce poverty through improved education and youth opportunities.

Under the Medium-Term Philippines Development Plan, 2004–2010, the government aims ―to fight poverty by building

prosperity for the greatest number of the Filipino people.‖ One of the five main parts of the plan is through education and

youth opportunity. So far, some of the targets are most likely to be attained while some are not. According to the report

from National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB);

(cont. to page 12)

Target Comparison Performance

On Basic Education SY

04-05

SY

05-06

SY

06-07

SY

07-08

SY

08-09

Net enrolment ratio (NER) at elemen-

tary level will increase to 91.0% in SY

2005-2006 93.0% in SY 2010-2011.

87.1 84.4 83.2 84.8 85.1

The net enrolment ratio at the ele-

mentary level showed a fluctuating

trend with the 2010 target not likely

to be attained.

Net enrolment ratio at the secondary

level will increase to 67.5% in SY

2005-2006 and 83.7% in SY 2010-2011

60.0 58.5 58.6 60.3 60.7

The net enrolment ratio at the sec-

ondary level has exhibited minimal

changes since SY 2004-06 and re-

mains far from the 2010 target.

Cohort survival rate at the elementary


2005-2006 and 78.0% in SY 2010-2011

71.3 70.0 73.4 75.3 75.4

The cohort survival rate at the ele-

mentary level is generally increas-

ing and the target is likely to be

attained.

Cohort survival rate at the secondary


2005-2006 and 71.5% in SY 2010-2011 78.1 67.3 77.3 79.9 79.9

Cohort survival rate at the secon-

dary level experienced increments

starting in in SY 2006-2007, and

hovering near the 80 percent mark,

thereby exceeding the target in the

last five years, except in SY 2005-

06

Dropout rate at the elementary level

will decrease to 5.5% in SY 2005-2006

and 4.3% in SY 2010-2011 8.6 5.5 6.4 6.0 6.0

Dropout rate at the elementary level

showed big improvement in SY

2006-2007 but remained at around 6

percent since then but still higher

than the target.

Dropout rate at the secondary level will

decrease to 11.2% in SY 2005-2006

and 8.1% in SY 2010-2011 15.0 11.2 8.0 7.5 7.5

Dropout rate at the secondary level

improved starting from SY 2006-

2007 and remained at around 8

percent in the succeeding years;

thus, the target has been attained.

Maintain a classroom-

pupil/student ratio at an aver-

age of 1:50

P 59 37 37 39 39 The target number of pupils per

classroom has already been

achieved at the elementary level

since the start of the plan period. S 57 56 56 54 56

Close the classroom gap; 6,000 class-

rooms built per year 12,490 9,407 10,541 15,215 9,835

Construction of more classrooms

was vigorously pursued, thus, ex-

ceeding the target since

SY 2004-2005.

Maintain a 1:1 textbook-

pupil/student ratio

P 1 1 1 1 1 The number of textbooks per pu-

pil/student for both levels was

maintained as targeted S 1 1 1 1 1

Maintain a 1:50 teacher-

pupil/student ratio

P 35 35 35 35 35 Number of pupils/students per

teacher for both levels maintained

but lower since the start of the plan

period. S 41 40 39 39 39

*P=Primary; S=Secondary


environment‖. During the debate, we

can observe slight stutters coming from

the government while a lack of nuance

from the opposition.

What is the verdict then? A split deci-

sion of 4-1, 4 for the government leav-

ing the opposition with only 1 point.

This decision provided confusion to

deputy leader of opposition, Prince Jay

Mayuyo, who was also awarded best

speaker of the debate and even other

members of the house because of the

speculation on the opposition‘s strength

which clamored for an explanation from

the judicators.

The judicators justified with

statements such as ―everything the op-

position said was in line with the mo-

tion when in fact, they have to be

against the

motion‖, ―it

was full of

s u b s t a n c e

with lack of

nuance to the

m o t i o n ‖ ,

―and the

o p p o s i t i o n

should have

focused on

development

just as how

the govern-

ment focused

on the envi-

r o n m e n t ‖ .

James An-

drew Obejas, one of the judicators, even

expressed that it was as if ―nag-shoot

ang Adamson (referring to the opposi-

tion) sa ring ng UST (referring to the

government).

Overall, it was a pretty thrill-

ing debate, with some bets on 3E3 and

some on 4E1, with 4E1 not apprehend-

ing the win as confirmed by prime min-

ister Patricia Sanchez, ―this is my first

time to compete, and I wasn‘t expecting

at all, we just gave our best and tried to

win‖. Well, in the words of Vince

Lombardi ―winning is not everything,

but wanting to is‖ and with this, I rest

Last July 25, 2010, the Economics Soci-

ety held their inter-class debate entitled

―Motions‖ with a total of 7 sections in-

cluding 1 swing team vying for the gold

bullion. The Economics Society touched

on topics such as social networking sites,

the euro, religion, human organs, and

finally, mama earth which was the last

motion tasked to the final contestants.

First, they had a warm-up round in order

to classify the different sections, followed

by the quarter-finals with 4 sets of duel-

ing teams.

These sets were composed of

3E1 vs. 4E1, 4E3 vs. 3E4, 3E2 vs. 4E5,

and lastly 3E3 vs. a swing team. Now you

might be wondering who played the

swing team‘s role. Yes, they are the sen-

ior board officers of the Economics Soci-

ety, neverthe-

less, 3E3 failed

to flinch as

proved by their

victory in this

round. Along

with 3E3, the

sections 4E1,

3E4, and 4E5,

all who were

from the oppo-

sition side ex-

c e p t 3 E 3 ,

emerged trium-

phant with re-

spect to this

division.

Moving on, the semi-finals

dwelt on 2 sets of battling groups namely

4E1 vs. 3E4 and 4E5 vs. 3E3 tackling

motions related to human life. As a result,

both 4E1 and 3E3 were able to seize the

upper hand and thus, they were able to

reach the end of the ladder. As previ-

ously mentioned, they were tasked to

expound on the motion concerning

mother earth, specifically ―Development

trumps the environment‖.

The debate started with 4E1 as

the government and 3E3 the opposition.

Nuance against substance, this is the cen-

tral issue, with 4E1 focusing on the nu-

ance while 3E3 gaining all the substance

as affirmed by the government insisting

on their claim directly related to the mo-

tion, ―negative issues about the environ-

ment rose in response to development‖

while the opposition asserting that

―development is contingent upon the

Finessing the motions: EcoSoc inter-class debate By Teffanie Quibod with reports from Shaira Manliclic and Jeriline Garcia

Winners of the inter-class debate competition

along with UST alumni Franz Bacani, one of

the judicators Photo by Gerbert Rubio

October 22, 2010, the UST Economics Soci-

ety conducted ―Mr. and Ms. Ideal Thomasian

Economists: Seeing Beauty through environ-

mental consciousness.‖ As what the title

suggests, the whole point of the event is envi-

ronmental consciousness. Ms. Jezzeline Fer-

rer, together with her co-project head Mr.

Paul June San Diego, believes that it is im-

portant to expose us, Economics students, to

the current environmental issues at hand

because as researchers and scholars, we play

a significant role in informing and educating

the society.

At the very beginning of the event,

contestants were asked to give their own

insights regarding environment, where each

one has done a great job in expressing their

own. In every phrase given by the contest-

ants, realization hits the audience. But since

there was ―perfect competition‖ between our

gorgeous contestants deafening cheers were

created inside the room.

The cheering even grew louder

when talent portion of the pageant starts. But

like any other pageant, the best part will al-

ways be the Q&A portion. It is that time

when audience quietly anticipates how their

bets would answer or react to the question

given to them. The Q&A portion was quite

different from the past pageants since the

contestants were asked to state their observa-

tion about the flashed picture on the screen,

which portrays the current state of our envi-

ronment.

Afterwards, Mark Lorenz

Sta.Maria and Lenard Paul Sumalde offered a

song to the audience followed by awarding of

certificate of appreciation to Mr. Rolando

Vittorio Gatmaitan and Ms. Yvette Hernan-

dez who acted as judges for the event.

The most awaiting announcement

of winners finally came. The second runner-

up winners were Mr. Myles Anciento (3E4)

and Ms. Sheena Pelimiano (4E3); first run-

ner-ups were Mr. Jeroen de Leon (3E2) and

Ms. Seong Jyeong Kim (3E2) and; Mr. and

Ms. Thomasian Economists were Mr.

Nicolo Barcelona (4E4) and Ms. Marah Paula

Villanueva (4E4).

Special Awardees were Mr. Jeroen

de Leon (3E2) and Ms. Jeriline Garcia (3E3)

for People’s Choice... (Cont. Next page)

Seeing Beauty through

Environmental Consciousness:

The Search for Mr. and Ms.

Thomasian Economists

“We, economists are scarce,

therefore our relative price is

HIGH.” — R. B. Paguta

EQUILIBRIUM:


The event took place at the Medicine

Auditorium last August 23, 2010. It

was attended by students, professors

and, alumni as well as other people

who supported the said event. The pro-

gram started with an entertaining short

skit done by the two Junior Board train-

ees, Roberta Obispo, and Sheen Pay-

san; followed by the appearance of the

Masters of Ceremony (MC), Mark Lo-

renz Sta. Maria and Ron Villacorta.

Then, the opening remarks, done by

Mr. Francis Ian Quesada; followed by a

game called Gayahin ang Video; show-

ing of last year‘s Economics Society‘s

events; Introduction of Economic Soci-

ety‘s players, JPES‘s, and PhilCE‘s

representatives. Furthermore, the Glee-

conomics singers did a beautiful sample

song entitled Seasons of Love. After-

wards, Ms. Gladys Pagdato, Mr. Louis

Asistio III and Ms. Diane Camille Cor-

tez were introduced as the judges for

the presentations that will be done by

the Economics students. The show

started as the first batch of the perform-

ers entered the stage. The class of 3E2

performed with the theme of Poverty;

followed by the presentation of 4E2

with the theme of Unemployment; the

class of 4E1 showed the effects of Pa-

triotism and Migration when used as

theme; 3E1 having the theme Human

Development, and the class of 4E3

carrying the theme Import and Ex-

port.During the break, an intermission

was given by the EcoScyphers to ener-

gize the crowd, followed by a dance

number from the Junior Board trainees.

Then, the last batch of performers be-

gan as the class of 3E3 took the stage

with their theme, Education; the class of

4E5 presented with the theme Bloated

Bureaucracy; the class of 4E4 with the

theme Technological Advancement. And

last but definitely not the least, the class

of 3E4 with the theme of Foreign Ex-

change. After the breathtaking perform-

ances, while waiting for the announce-

ments of winners, another ice-breaker,

named Hephep! Hurray!, was conducted

by the hosts. After that was a dance pres-

entation of Senior Board of Officers

with the surprise appearances of Mr.

Quesada and Mr. Cabauatan. This

drew loud cheers and claps from the

crowd.

Moreover, the president of Eco-

nomics Society, Mr. Aldric Arriola

talked about the advocacy, together

with the AVP presentation of the

Senior Board; pledging of the stu-

dents led by Vice President for Ex-

ternal Affairs, Ms. Jezzelene Ferrer.

The crowd sang together with the

host, Mark Sta. Maria and the

EcoSoc‘s VP for Treasury as his

partner, Carmina Milla when they

offered a song Two is Better Than

One; followed by an AVP of Mr. and Ms.

Ideal Thomasian Economists (MMITE)

and Inquest finalists. The

awarding of Certificate of

Appreciation to the judges

came after, led by Mr. Ar-

riola, and the Social Events

Director, Mr. Paul June San

Diego and Ms. Ferrer.

The most awaited

announcement of winners has

finally come. Firstly, Special

Awards were given. 3E1 got

the Best Teaser; 4E2 for Best

Poster; 4E5 for Best in Arts

and Design; 4E1 for Best

Actress; and 3E1 for Best

Actor. Came after was the

announcement of the top

three performances; third place

was given to 3E1; second place

came from 4E5; and the highest award

was given to 4E1.

The closing remark was given

by Mr. San Diego and was followed by

the prayer and the UST Hymn.

Jhoanna Pontanos

Mash-Up: East meets West: The Economics Society General

Assembly

Introduction of Economic Society’s players, JPES’s, and PhilCE’s representatives. Photo by

April Maligayo

Seeing… (Cont. from Prev. page)

Award and; Mr. Miguel Zapanta (4E1)

and Ms. Seong Kyeong Kim (3E2) for

Best in Talent. Nicolo and Marah will be

the representative of the Economics De-

partment for Mr. and Ms. Commerce

Personality 2010 Pageant.

At the end of the day, the ―Mr.

and Ms. Ideal Thomasian Economists:

Seeing Beauty through environmental

consciousness‖ was successful. It pre-

sents ―Beauty‖ not for our own vanity but

instead it shows ―beauty with a purpose‖.

Environmental issues are an urgent mat-

ter and everybody is expected to lend a

hand and participate. If we truly want to

save Mother Nature, now is the time.

Ms. Jezzelene Ferrer said in an

interview: ―I am thankful to everybody;

this won‘t be possible without the help of

our fellow Senior and junior Board offi-

cers, and most especially to everybody

who participated in this event. I hope that

everybody put into mind that the environ-

ment is already on a critical state and I

hope everybody would take their own

initiative. This is our fight.‖ Indeed, this

is our fight. L.P. Sumalde

Mr. and Ms. Thomasian Economists Mr. Nicolo Barcelona

and Ms. Marah Villanueva Photo by Sherry Mae Diño

“Economics is an easy subject,

at which very few excel!” — J. M. Keynes


Aldric B. Arriola President

Jezzelene C.

Ferrer VP for External

Affairs

Kristian Dean

P. Mongis

VP for Internal Af-

fairs

Jane Mariz S.

Tagle VP for Administrative

Affairs

Ma. Carmina

Aurora G. Milla

VP for Treasury Dave Jr. H. Diao VP for Internal Audit

Mark Lorenz C.

Sta. Maria VP for Promotions and

Communications

Maria Cecilia M.

Castillo

Wits Circle Directress

Jason Kristopher

T. Comia Wits Circle Director

Jan Erle T.

Manalaysay

Ways and Means

Director Paul D.L.

San Diego Social Events Director

Sonny E.

Tongco

Socio-Cultural

Director

Quadricentennial Officers of College of Commerce Economics Society

EQUILIBRIUM:


Michelle Pieffer

G. Fenix Powertalks Directress

Lhea L.

Pereira Powertalks

Directress

Ma. Blessie Conception L.

Dimatulac

Socio-Apostolate

Directress

Gerard G.

Dimalanta

Socio-

Apostolate

Director

Patricia Kay L.

Sanchez

Promotions and

Advertising

Directress

Paul Oliver C.

Sayco

Sports Director

Ma. Theresa B.

Borra PhilCes Directress

Theodore Christian

D. Residilla

JPES Director

Shalom S.

Makasiar Equilibrium Directress

GARENA can save the

Earth By Genesa Rosales

Many of our biggest problems

are because of the obliteration of

the environment. Too much heat,

floods, water shortages, and un-

predictable weather changes are

only few of what we suffer be-

cause of environment exploita-

tion. Now is the right time for us

to start compensating for our

abuse by reducing the damages

that we have caused this planet.

When we hear the word

GARENA, the first thing that

comes to our mind is a computer

game that is known by almost all

of us. Who would have known

that GARENA will also help save

our environment?

The Economics Society

was able to use this famous word

for their environmental awareness

program called Green Advocacy

to Raise Environment and Natu-

ral Awareness or GARENA.

Each section in the Economics

Department participated by mak-

ing a video presentation that en-

courages people to take necessary

actions to help our environment.

Economics students

gathered last July 31, 2010 at the

Rizal Auditorium in St. Ray-

mund‘s building to watch the

products of their sweat. All of the

video presentations showed crea-

tivity and inspiration. Each had

different ways of showing how

we could help improve our envi-

ronment‘s condition. Nonethe-

less, there were few whose pres-

entations stood out. Among them

were the videos of sections 3E1,

3E2, and 4E1.

The winning presenta-

tion was awarded to 4E1 last

August 23, 2010 during the Eco-

nomics Society‘s general assem-

bly at the Medicine Auditorium.

Moreover, everyone‘s

efforts paid-off since the pro-

gram, including all of the video

presentations created by each

section, achieved its purpose. It

made the students aware of

what is happening to the envi-

ronment and it also made them

think of ways to be able to help.

Not only that, they were able to

share what they have learned in

a creative way.

Through GARENA,

Economics students have not

only gained knowledge from

one another, but they have also

helped save Mother Earth.

V OLUME 2 , ISSUE 1 P AGE 10 V OLUME 2 , ISSUE 1 P AGE 10

Why Indonesia outperforms RP? A summary of the issue by Eduardo Climaco Tadem from

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Indonesia once faced a financial crisis with a hardest hit from 1997

to 1998 and, afterwards, fell into political and social turmoil and

economic decline. Today, Indonesia has attained stability and pros-

perity that little would have imagined possible.

This was the conclusion reached by scholars of Indone-

sian studies at a recent First Indonesia Forum held at the Kyoto

University Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

Japan‘s most distinguished Indonesianist, Takashi Shirai-

shi, pointed out the three factors that led to Indonesia‘s significant

upturn: (1) a successful decentralization program (2) the contain-

ment of religious and ethnic conflicts at the local level – Indone-

sians now look at politics as a way of achieving economic growth

rather than as a vehicle for asserting one‘s ethnic or religious iden-

tity, and (3) a strong nationalist imprint traceable throughout the

country‘s history – democracy and decentralization may have led

to a fragmented local political scene but it has not jeopardized the

sense of national identity or ―Indonesianess.‖

Economist Kosuke Mizuno, on the other hand, notes the

ability of the Indonesian economy to weather the worst effects of

the 2008-2009 global economic meltdown by keeping a balanced

financial and current accounts while increasing employment.

Professor Mizuno views the Indonesian economic resil-

iency as offering an ―alternative model of development‖ that con-

trasts with the East Asian experience of export-based authoritarian-

ism. Instead, investments focused on expanding a domestic market

to take advantage of high levels of consumption among the public.

Rather than relying mainly on financial instruments tied with the

global system, the country leaned on what Mizuno calls

―vernacular financial networks.‖

Mizuno concludes that Indonesia‘s strength lies in its

―balanced and open economy that relies heavily on a large domes-

tic market, strong private consumption, vital family businesses and

vernacular financial networks.‖

In his keynote speech at the Kyoto University Forum,

Professor Shiraishi made pointed references to the Philippine ex-

perience and contrasted this with the Indonesian case. What makes

for the disparity between the two Southeast Asian neighbors?

Philippine case

After the glory of its 1986 EDSA revolution that ended

the Marcos dictatorship, the Philippines has been relieved from its

suffering. In the long run, however, the country fell short on har-

vesting benefit from its victory. A government decentralization

program succeeded only in worsening its political state as local

government units became even more dependent on the central gov-

ernment for their internal revenue allotments.

All these were evident during the nine years of Gloria

Macapagal-Arroyo‘s unstable term. With her 2004 election flawed

by serious charges of a manipulated count, Arroyo had to fend off

continuous challenges from both the political opposition and re-

formist military officers.

In only 12 years, and despite bumps along the way, Indo-

nesia has managed well the transition from centralized authoritari-

anism to a vibrant and stable democracy, a feat none of its South-

east Asian neighbors have been able to achieve.

Its economy still lags behind the top regional perform-

ers—Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand—but it appears, for the

moment, to have its fundamentals figured out. Shiraishi expects

Indonesia‘s current upsurge to continue for the next 10 years.

As for the Philippines, 24 years after the historic EDSA

revolt, its political life remains spineless and its economy brittle. It

remains to be seen whether current President Aquino, riding on the

wave of a landslide electoral victory, can rectify the overindul-

gence of the Arroyo years, invigorate the economy, restore confi-

dence in government, and steer the country and its people forward.

The 2009 statistical data graphically tells the story of how Indone-

sia now outperforms the Philippines.

Indonesia‘s per capita GDP, at $2,362, was 35 percent

higher than the Philippines‘ per capita GDP of $1,750. Its GDP

growth rate of 4.5 percent was four times higher than the Philip-

pines‘ measly 1.1 percent performance. (cont. on page 14)

ID PH

ECONOMIC:

GDP at current prices (2009, in US$B) 546.4 182.7

Per capita GDP (2009, in US$) 2362 1750

Growth rate of GDP (2009) 4.5 1.1

Inflation rate (2009) 2.8 4.4

Unemployment rate (2005-2008) 8.4 7.4

Unemployment (2010, World Factbook) 7.14 8

Budget deficit as % of GDP 2.3 3.9

Gross domestic investment as % of GDP 31 14

Foreign investments inflow (2008-2009,

US$B) 14.2 3.5

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT:

Poverty index (% living under $2/day) 53.8 57.4

Birth rate (2005-2010, per 1,000 persons, UN) 18.7 25.8

Income inequality (2009, UN; Gini, 0 = per-

fect equality) 34.3 44.5

Life expectancy (2005-2010, UN) 70.7 71.7

Infant mortality (2005-2010, UN)

deaths/1,000 births 26.6 23.1

Education index (1 = perfect education attain-

ment) 0.83 0.88

Literacy rate 92 93.4

OTHER:

Corruption index (2010, higher rank, less

corruption) 110TH 134TH

Tourist arrivals (2009, in million arrivals) 6.45 2.71

Happy Planet index (Higher rank, more

happy) 14TH 16TH

EQUILIBRIUM:


EDITORIAL Reality Step-Back

―Life is not always the Disney Land that you’ve

been dreaming of…‖

I remember a time back in my good old fresh-

men days. Our professor once asked us if it will

be possible for our planet to regain its condition

before given only 50 years span of time. As ex-

pected, a lot of my blockmates took the verdict

on answering YES. I sighed.

I did not want to kill their false hopes, but reality

-check lang ha? 50 years is NOT enough.

The damage that we did for more than a century

cannot be undone with five decades span. It‘s not

that I‘m pessimistic about the idea on saving the

planet but we need to look at the status quo.

There may be existing programs that cater the

environment but, still, a lot of people have never

involved themselves. Educational institutions

have already been teaching the role of the stu-

dents as a steward of the planet and keep on in-

stilling them the hazards of the effect of global

warming but they still haven‘t learned, even if

they do, they never walk the talk. We don‘t need

to go far to cite an example ‗cause right here, in

our college, we might have some people that I

am referring to. Ask yourself if you‘re one of

them.

My day never end without seeing someone

throwing his waste right on the streets. Every

day, as I traverse my way from home to school

(and vice versa), I see people of different ages

and gender, doing the act of littering. Just throw

up here and there, and it never fails. What a

shame.

This led me to my conclusion that we will never

be able to achieve the so called Green Earth if

with this simple acts of ours will always belong

to the record of epic failure. We keep on saying

that we can have a nice place to live, but I beg to

disagree. Unless we learn, and practice what we

have learned, then only we can attain that Disney

Land of ours. The planet has already taken its

toll on us. We must learn from it ‗because we

need to face the reality that our world is in the

brink of destruction. Jason Comia

Manila – Philippines was watched live on global television during the

August 23 hostage crisis. The ex-police Senior Inspector Ronaldo

Mendoza, armed with an M-16, hijacked a tourist bus carrying 21

Hong Kong nationals and 4 Filipinos. The 12-hours ordeal ended with

Mendoza shot dead by a sniper and had left eight tourists dead. More

than the hostage taker himself, the government of the two countries,

the media people, and the citizens bombard networking sites and blog

sites of who is to blame for the turn out of the incident. No consensus

decision has been patched up.

The event could have strained the nation‘s relationship with

the Hong Kong government and its people. The act of one outrageous

man put a threat to the struggling economy of our nation. Series of

economic implications can be derived from the standoff. 1) HK is the

third largest employer of RP‘s land-based overseas Filipino workers

as of 2009. The tension between the two countries might decrease job

orders by HK employers for Filipino workers (i.e. withdrawal or can-

celling of contracts of domestic workers). When this happens, tempo-

rary unemployment and low revenues for the country will arise. Con-

sequently, there will be a severe poverty and surge crimes rates. 2)

The ill tactics and rescue operation of the policemen and the Special

Forces puts the country to the list of dangerous places for tourists. The

threat of terror and chaos will discourage foreigners to visit the coun-

try and will result to a decline in the revenue for the country‘s tourism

industry. This will later result to the shutting down of firms and laying

off of workers. Again, unemployment and poverty subsists. And, 3)

the perception of incompetent security will displease investors to es-

tablish investments and launch business endeavours in the country.

This means forgone work opportunities for the unemployed and for-

gone revenues.

Above all, the pursuit of a self-interested man will literally cause serious predicaments, if revenge and hatred

will prevail. It is heartbreaking that some works hard to face-lift our nation, while some selfishly razed all the efforts

down to the ground. No wonder why RP was far left behind by its neighbouring countries. God bless, The Philippines!

Kristine Distor

Ex-policeman puts Pressure to HK-RP Linkages


Technical Vocational Education and

Training 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

1 million persons trained annually 840K 1,154K 1,341K 1,702K 946K

The number of persons trained on tech-

nical vocational skills steadily increased

and went beyond the target from 2005 to

2007, but dropped by 44.4 percent in

2008

29 training regulations developed and

promulgated by 2005 15 36 55 60 37

The target number of training regula-

tions developed and promulgated has

been met since 2005 but posted a big

drop in 2008, which is still beyond

the target.

At least 50% certification rate annually 50.5 48.4 62.4 73.5 78.1

Certification rate on an increasing trend

and target already achieved, except in

2005.

1,000 TVET programs registered annu-

ally 2,882 1,944 3,395 4,893

Number of TVET programs registered

far above the target during the plan pe-

riod.

At least P50M additional funding for

TVET budget annually

1,738

Million

1,777Mi

llion

2.338M

illion

2,334

Million

3,295

Million

Higher budget allocated to TVET con-

tinuously increasing thru the plan period.

13,800 PESFA slots for 2005 and 34,500

PESA slots per year from 2006 to 2010 13,796 13,944 13,869 16,158 28,488

The target number of available PESFA

slots was met only in 2005, but remained

below the target in succeeding years

despite the big jump in 2008. less than

the target in the succeeding years.

Higher Education AY

04-05

AY

05-06

AY

06-07

AY

07-08

AY

08-09

42,600 scholarships in priority courses

annually 34,530 33,466 58,547 54,188 72,729

Scholarships provided in higher educa-

tion met targets in the last three aca-

demic years.

Proportion of HEI faculty with Master's

degree will increase from 30.0% in AY

2004-2005 to 60.0% by AY 2010-2011

30.6% 35.7% 35.6% 35,7% 35%

Proportion of faculty with Master's de-

gree has been consistently at 35% and

far below achieving the 2010-11 target

Proportion of HEI faculty with Doctorate

degree will increase from 9.0% in AY

2004-2005 to 18.0% by AY 2010-2011

9.2% 10.7% 10.9% 10.9% 10.0%

Proportion of faculty with doctorate

degrees remained almost unchanged at

10% and almost 8 points short of target

for 2010-11

Source: Basic Education – DepEd; Technical Vocational Education and Training – TESDA; Higher Education – CHED

Reduce… (cont. from page 5)

The target percentage of Net en-

rolment ratio (percentage of students en-

rolled in a year) for elementary and secon-

dary level was far beyond the reach of the

actual percentage caused by a little number

of enrollees for the said years. Nonetheless,

the Cohort survival rate (the effectiveness of

an institution that will make the student last

another year of schooling) exceeds the target

rate that resulted from the good performance

of the students. Another reason why the

students prefer to stay in school was the

implemented project of the past president,

such as the daily ration of 1kg rice for poor

pre-school and Grade 1 pupils for 120

school days. However, the Dropout rate

(percentage of students that flank out during

the School Year) of elementary students was

not likely attainable, but attainable for the

secondary level. The Dropout rate of the

secondary level was less than the targeted

rate since more of the secondary students

can afford the increase in tuition fee.

Classroom shortage, caused by the continu-

ing increase in student population and de-

struction made by natural and man-made

calamities, resulted to a decline in student-

classroom rate. More classrooms were built,

maintained a 1:1 textbook, and at least 1:50

teacher-student ratio. The ratio may be

higher in some remote areas due to high

population density and teachers‘ preference

to be stationed in urban centers and safer

places.

The number of students that took

up Technical Vocation Education and Train-

ing (TVET) has increased since it provides

immediate employment even though the pay

is lower than those who finished college.

More and more of students receive the cer-

tificate of competency (proof that the

worker is a job-ready skilled worker). How-

ever, enrollment for TVET slightly de-

creased because employers still prefer to

have a degree holder employee.

Private Education Student Finan-

cial Assistance (PESFA) increases as more

of the students perform better as anyone

else. Nevertheless, the rate of increase de-

creased since several student prefer to stop

or avail other program.

Scholarships for Higher Education

increased since more of the students avail

this program to attain higher level of em-

ployment. However, less of the faculty

members study for Master‘s degree and

Doctorate since it is costly and some of the

teachers have families to feed.

6 out of 19 targets did not meet the set ob-

jectives. However, the gaps between the

figures are becoming smaller and smaller

that it may result to the attainment of the

targets by the end of 2010.

Shalom Makasiar

EQUILIBRIUM:


People in the field of Economics are often type-casted as boring

people with dead social lives. Strong words such as weird, bizarre,

and eccentric are frequently used to describe them. That‘s when

stereotypes go wrong. Because in the UST College of Commerce,

Economics professors are anything but boring people with dead

social lives.

As proof, I asked Ma‘am Karen Grace Valdez to answer some

random questions to erase the labels. And the interview starts…

***

1. What would you be doing if you weren’t teaching economics

in UST?

I refuse to be an accomplice to corruption, and I cannot imagine

myself being a corporate slave all my life contributing to the

wealth of the capitalists. I would want to do something that is more

significant. There is a constant drive in me to be someone who can

make a difference in this chaotic world we all live in. Given a

chance, I‘ll probably work in the United Nations or be a social

worker. Or if I have the money, I‘ll probably own a

school and a bahayampunan for the street children.

2. Have you ever stolen anything?

Time. Once in my life, I was able to steal time.

Don‘t ask me how. Don‘t ask me why. *smiles*

3. If you were stranded in an island but miracu-

lously it had a fridge, what one food would you

wish was in it?

I would say isaw ni manong sa P. Noval. Kaya lang, hindi na ma-

sarap yun pagnilagay sa fridge. So maybe New York Cheesecake

or Mint Chocolate gelato from Amici, or an unlimited supply of

éclair from Tinapayan, or a gallon of coffee crumble ice cream, or

a box of brownies from Becky‘s, or a box of cake from Banapple,

or bukopandan from Nathaniel‘s, or any dark chocolate with mint.

Sorry ang dami kong naisip. *smiles*

One nga lang pala *laughs*. On second thought, if I was stranded

and having a foul mood, then maybe I‘d rather have a case of Gil-

bey‘s premium.

4. Who is your biggest “Econ-prof” crush?

To be honest, WALA! For me, Economics professors (local and

international) seem to have that certain peculiarity and eccentricity

that is very interesting, but never in a romantic sense. *laughs*

5. What is your best childhood memory?

When I won in an open belt national judo competition. I was a

rookie then, wearing a white belt and I won the gold over a brown

belter. Grabe yungfeeling. Adrenaline. That time, my heart danced

a different tune, a different beat.

6. Do you idolize economists? Who and why?

Malthus. He has pink hair, and an Aquarian. And like any other

economists, he is eccentric. He believes that the power of popula-

tion is greater

than the

earth‘s power

to produce

subsistence

for man.

Because of

him; popula-

tion became a

topic of seri-

ous academic

study.

Malthus talks

about moderation and the natural mechanism that address human

superfluity. That is my guiding principle. That anything done in

excess is bad, tangible and intangible. Vices and love. One is re-

sponsible for his excess; he must suffer the consequences of his

actions.

7. Did it cross your mind to model in the women’s plus

size fashion industry?

No. Never. But I dreamt of owning a women‘s plus size

store, and be one of its designers too. *smiles*

8. Do you think there is a “deadweight loss” when it

comes to loving?

Is that Hicksian or Marshallian deadweight loss? Any-

way, if you‘re talking about a welfare loss that nobody

else gains, well I say yes, there could be a deadweight loss in lov-

ing. I say COULD!!! Not absolute. Sometimes people love com-

plexities, and some people love each other even if they are both in

the losing end. It‘s not a perfect world.

9. What would you be doing if your vital statistics is 36-24-36?

You'll probably see me on a billboard along EDSA, in a flimsy two

piece. *laughs out loud* Kidding aside, I‘d still be doing the same

things. And probably eat more frequent than usual. I love food. :)

10. Do you believe your time here on earth has been a success?

I had my fair share of ups and downs. There are good days. There

are bad days. I kept things I can keep and endured fleeting things

that come and go. I can say I‘ve built lifelong friendships with

good people, shared smiles to sad souls and lent my shoulder to

troubled ones. I‘ve seen beautiful places and appreciated the not-so

-beautiful ones. I‘ve climbed a mountain, rolled on the shore, float

on the sea and let the waves take me. I‘ve laughed hard and cried

hard. This is success for me—not money, not power, not wealth,

but living, loving and learning.

***

That‘s how Ma‘am Karen sees it! All throughout the interview,

Ma‘am Karen‘s bubbly personality stayed. There was never a dull

moment and obviously no trace of boredom and weirdness. Do you

still think that people in the field of Economics are boring? Guess

not! Salvador Calo

FEATURED: Subjects & Motions: How Ma’am Karen Sees It!

“I refuse to be an accomplice to

corruption, and I cannot imagine myself being a corporate slave

all my life…”


DepEd Eyes Textbook-Free Education A Summary Report from September 27, 2010 issue of Manila Bulletin By

MARIO B. CASAYURAN

In a hearing by a Senate finance sub-committee chaired by Sen. Ed-

gardo J. Angara, DepEd Secretary Armin F. Luistro said he recently

met with the United States Agency for International Development

(USAID) officials on this issue where they (USAID officials) agreed

to finance a study on a possible textbook-free Philippine education

setting. Luistro said DepEd Undersecretary Francis Varela would sit

down with the UISAID to map out strategies in implementing the

textbook-free education system.

He hinted that this system might begin in the next two years

as the DepEd budget has a substantial IT budget. Before Luisto re-

vealed the DepEd-USAID meeting on a textbook-free education,

Angara mentioned a possible shift from textbooks to a computer-

based education after DepEd officials told Angara that their textbook

budget for next year is P3.65 billion.

Angara pushed for this radical shift in education as the cost of com-

puters in the international market is decreasing with price tags rang-

ing from $100 per computer in the US to $37 per computer in India.

The former Senate president said that the modernization of Philippine

education requires a powerful political will as it takes time to repair

the damaged or deteriorating education standards and facilities.

The current DepEd budget of P170.74 billion has been in-

creased to P207.05 billion for 2011 or an increase of 18 percent. The

proposed 2011 DepEd budget summary stated that the Ulat ng Bayan

survey conducted in Feb. 2009 labeled DepEd as ―the least corrupt

government agency,‘‘ the highest public approval rating. As of De-

cember 2009 5,296 out of the 6,650 high schools are already pro-

vided with computer laboratories. The DepEd has also started its goal

of promoting ICT in the elementary level with 2,534 elementary

schools are targeted to be given multi-media equipment.

―Moreover, curriculum enhancement through ICT is being

highly promoted by the department to give students a good place in

the world of technology, in partnership with different stakeholders

from the private sector and non-government organizations,‖ the sum-

mary stated. Hazel de Guzman

Why… (cont. from page 10)

Inflation was kept at a low 2.8 percent while the Phil-

ippines struggled with a 4.4-percent rate.

From 2005 to 2008, Indonesia had a higher unemploy-

ment rate (8.4 percent against 7.4 percent) but by mid-2010,

Indonesia had improved with a 7.14 percent rate while the Phil-

ippines fell behind with 8.0 percent.

As a percentage of GDP, Indonesia‘s budget deficit of

2.3 percent was more manageable than the Philippines‘ 3.9 per-

cent. The strength of Indonesia‘s economy was shown by a

gross domestic investment inflow that was 31 percent of GDP

while the Philippines turned in an anemic 14 percent. Despite

Indonesia‘s inward-looking policy, foreign investments poured

$14 billion into its economy for 2008-2009 while the Philip-

pines had to make do with only $3.5 billion.

While the UNDP human development index for 2009

shows the Philippines with a higher ranking of 105th to Indone-

sia‘s 111th, the more important indicators show the latter to be

ahead. Poverty rates in Indonesia are lower—53.8 percent of

Indonesians living under $2 a day compared with the Philip-

pines‘ ratio of 57.4 percent. Indonesia also has a lower birth rate

of 18.7 per 1,000 persons compared with the Philippines‘ 25.8

percent.

The biggest surprise was a Transparency International assess-

ment of Indonesia as being less corrupt than the Philippines. For

whatever it is worth, the Happy Planet index also ranks the In-

donesian people as happier than Filipinos.

Kristine April Vergara

Youth Employment Challenges in

the Philippines

During the Commerce week last September 22, the

Economics Department invited Mr. Alvin P. Ang, Ph.D

of the UST Thomas Aquinas Research Center to give a

seminar entitled ―Youth Employment Challenges in the

Philippines‖ at the TARC Auditorium.

Amidst the hard rain and strong wind, Eco-

nomics students, especially PM sections, managed to

attend the seminar that started around 2 o‘clock in the

afternoon.

Mr. Ang discussed the situation of education

and child employment in the Philippines by presenting

statistics from the BLES Integrated Survey BITS 2007-

2008. According to the data, out of 100 grade one pu-

pils, only 66 finished grade six, only 58 of 66 of those

graduates continued to first year high school, and only

43 finished high school. Of the 43 who finished high

school, only 23 enrolled in college and only 14 out of

23 graduated from college. On the other hand, 35% and

up of high school graduates became unemployed.

Meanwhile, Only 20% of GDP comes from

agricultural sector but it is the largest sector in terms of

employment. 4.4% is the growth rate of GDP while

1.6% is the growth rate of jobs, therefore, improvement

in GDP didn‘t create jobs. With high labor supply and

low labor demand, workers were forced to leave the

country and work abroad. Mr Ang concluded that there

should be a strong linkage between the academe and

industry; the mismatch in supply and labor demand is

worsening; and the government is creating a subsistent

employment but not a sustainable employment.

With this fact imparted to us, it is a challenge

for us to be better in class because we are lucky for

having the opportunity of studying.

Kristine April Vergara

EQUILIBRIUM:


A PHILIPPINE STATE OF MIND John Martin Villarama

A Philippine state of mind,

A person's right to unwind

On what everyone would like to find.

When it rains, it pours.

Just like the dengue outbreak,

Everyone shouldn't ignore.

With deaths at a high rate,

Expect more cases to increase in rate.

With the recent Hostage crisis,

Media, police, officials and everyone should know,

That they lacked in analysis.

It's never too late to make up,

For next time, any failure or mistake

Could lead to any break up.

MRT subsidies are a hot topic,

Think about people as critic

For they are elastic - any price increase,

Expect them to prefer other,

And consider that automatic.

Better education and Health bill in the works,

People should consider the perks

For People's standard of living is in jeopardy,

Just so you know, Philippine's future is still a mystery.

And in this Philippine state of mind,

No one can't afford to be blind

For no one should be left behind.

THE TWO SIDES OF THE COIN

Kristine Distor I am an Economist and I am a writer as well. A good economist must be a good writer, for an economist

speaks of facts and of theories prevalent in our surroundings. I am an economist, my tools are my graphs. I

am a writer, I make use of letters. Graphs are like poetry, they speak of hundreds or probably thousands of

words.

The quadrants are my margins and the lines and curves make up the story. Graphs for an economist

are more than just graphs; they are stories and works of art. Graphs can tell you the story of the household's

demand for children or the likelihood to have more of work or more of leisure. I bet it takes intelligence to

figure that out.

We, economists, are taught to be au fait with the use of these lines and curves; to always assume and

to realize the meanings implicit with every shifts and rotations. That we may no longer see the lines and

curves written by our pens but that these may become our letters, our words and our story.

Life is a Lesson

Jeriline Garcia

This is my life.

Sometimes it‘s like a

knife.

Always ready to fight,

Fight for the things

that are right.

My life is a circle,

Never knowing where

to settle.

I can either be up or

down,

But the latter will

make me frown.

My life is a question.

Always in confusion.

Where to go?

Or simply go with the

flow.

My life is a wheel.

Never knowing what

to feel.

Always torn between

joy and grief,

Indeed my life is in

stiff

My life is a doorway.

People come and go

every day.

But my life is a choice.

So out goes my voice:

―whose hand to hold?;

whose hand to set

free?‖

Thus, my life is a les-

son

With its own version.

It teaches in a mysteri-

ous way,

But is always worth

the pay.

Economists as Writers Background by Teffanie Quibod

“Those who are willing to wait are the ones

who will succeed.” — Delayed Gratification; G. Villasis


Inspiration by Gerbert Rubio

SAMPID SA PANAGINIP

Dave H. Diao Jr.

Sampid sa panaginip, di taga rito

Gising dito tulog naman doon

Bihag ko ang sarili

Habang ako‘y malaya

Sampid sa panaginip, Isinulat na

eksena

Aking realidad panandalian

Perpekto ang lahat!

Ang mundo, mga karakter, ang

pagkakasulat

Sampid sa panaginip, di rin

magtatagal

Buhay na nilikha

hahantong sa wakas

Andyan na ang magpapalayas

Sampid sa panaginip, pinalayas

ako

Nang Lumiwanag ang dilim

Nang Uminit na ang lamig

Tulog na ako roon gising naman

dito

HUWEBES

Jason Comia

Natupad ang kahilingang

tayo‘y minsan magkasabay.

Isang pagkakataong

aking inasam na tunay.

Sa aking diwa,

pagkakataong di na dapat mawala.

Ang hinihintay na sandali

huwag na sana tumila.

Ang oras ng pag-amin,

ng isang itinatagong damdamin.

Mga salitang di masabi ng harapan,

sa hangin na lamang ba idaraan?

Sa yugto ng pagkakataon,

aking sasambitin.

Makapiling ka lamang,

laman ng panalangin.

Kung sakaling

maunahan man ng kaba,

isipin sa sarili,

ito na lamang ang pag-asa.

At kung sa aking pagkabigo,

tanging dalangin ko na lamang,

maipagpalit ang kinabukasan

sa isang kahapong nagdaan.

Jeriline Garcia

Shaira Manliclic

Teffanie Quibod

Genesa Rosales

Writers

Teffanie Quibod

Gerbert Rubio Artist & Photographer

Lenard Sumalde

John Villarama

Contributors

EQUILIBRIUM EDITORIAL STAFF

Documents

Equilibrium 2010-2011