The atch

U nv eiling Truths, I l l umi nat i ng Pers pect i ves

2 3
The Offficial Publication of JournCon: Take off
Volume 1 | Issue 1 | August 2023

#79
PH ranks last in
BOOSTING SKILLS SPJ coordinator: Make reading a subject
Iridium
2018 PISA
source: PISA
W ith the low level of reading literacy in the Philippines, Jestene Delos Reyes, Spe-

(DepEd) to
Revamped Curriculum: create
: Jestene
Photo by: Cesium
cial Program in Journalism
programs
Delos Reyes, SPJfor
(SPJ) coordinator urged the Department of Education
reading to improve the students’ reading ability.
coordinator
pleas DepEd to make a reading subject in the curriculum.
“They need to really make programs, the best way is to make subject for reading only. Iba
talaga kung may reading subject and time or reading para sa mga bata to enhanced their
reading skills” the SPJ coordinator expressed.
She shared that the DepEd should remove a subject from the curriculum and change it to
a reading subject.
“Tanggalin dapat ang ibang subject, tanggalin ang EsP na subject then palitan ito ng
DepEd ng reading subject,” the 31 years old teacher.
The SPJ coordina- tor stressed that some students have the ability to read but
cannot fully understand what they are reading.
“Yung iba marunong nga mag basa pero hindi naman
ma ka comprehend sa binabasa nila, so ano pa ang silbi ng
binabasa nila,” the grade 10 teacher stated.
Delos Reyes further explained that students have no enough
time for reading especially in English.
“Ang mga students kasi wala ng time for reading, sa 6 hours na
klase wala nang time dahil they need to discuss other lessons, tapos
pag uwi hindi rin sila nagbabasa,” she said.
According to the Program International Students Assessment (PISA)
the Philippines ranked last in the reading comprehension levels with a score
of 340.

To keep the Philippines a tourist attraction

SPJ coordinator Delos Reyes urges LGU to enact law for tourist-spots

“
counsels writers to Iridium

fact-check first Maintaining the good state of tourist spots in

the Philippines, Jestene Delos Reyes, Special
Hindi lang mga foreigners but also
Iridium Program in Journalism (SPJ) coordinator, en- ang mga residents dapat ang mag
couraged the Local Government Units (LGU) to maintain sa kapaligiran nila.
The Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) implement an act for land marks.
Jestene Delos Reyes
coordinator, Jestene Delos Reyes advised “When you see the tourist, they like to visit the SPJ Coordinator
journalists to do fact-checking first before the Philippines. LGU should make an ordinance
sharing information to everyone to protect to keep our tourist spot in our country,” Delos
their safety. Reyes explained during the Regional School
“As a part of campus journalism you have Press Conference 2023.
the rights to inform but you also need to She further said that the people who live in
verify your data, you need to make sure that tourist places should also help to preserve the
you are informing them a factual information,” place not only the foreigners.
Delos Reyes stated. “Hindi lang mga foreigners but also ang mga
She further explained that there are some residents-spot ang mag maintain sa kapaligiran
journalists who died due to red-tagging. nila,” the SPJ coordinator added.
“I have heard the cases about the journal- The 31 years old teacher stated that Philip-
ist killing, 2 journalists were killed in Marcos pines has many benefits but the problem is the
Administration and there are journalists were people who live in the country.
assaulted dahil sa red-tagging. This means “Maganda ang Pilipinas, dina-
that the protection of journalist is not strong,” dayo ito because of the hospitality
SPJ coordinator said. but ang problema is ang mga tao,
The coordinator added that the govern- nasa airport pa lang hinarang na.
ment should have a strong law to give the Sayang ang opportunity na ipakita
journalists an enough protection. ang ating magagandang lugar,” Delos
Reyes expressed. Photo by: Cesium
According to Department of Tourism Preserving Nature: SPJ coordinator, Jestene Delos Reyes
(DOT) there are more than 2,000 tourist visits the suggested making ordinances for our tourist spots.
Philippines annually.
 The atch
Unveiling Tru th s, Illuminating Per s pectives

Editor-in-Chief:
News Writer:
Feature Writer/Photojournalist:
Sports Writer:
Cesium
Iridium
Silver
E=mc2
PRESS POWER
Protecting journalists against death threats
Editorial Cartoonist/Lay-out Artist: Vanadium
EDITORIAL

E very human being in this world

is granted the right to express
and to be protected; and
Nevertheless, despite the threat
towards journalists’ safety, Republic
Act 7079 is what they hold onto. This
journalists are no exemption. law seeks to give them opportunity
However, according to the Union to express their ideas
of Journalists of the Philippines, in the community. Although the strong
197 journalists have been as- safeguarding of journalists can’t be
sassinated since 1986. As one of assured, they still have the liberty to
the powerful voices in the society, use the power of their pens and be
journalists and the rest of the press influential.
should be guaranteed safety and While Republic Act 7079 is lively
stronger protection by the government. existing, we can’t deny the fact that
During the Regional Schools Press they are still not safe in our current so-
Conference, Special Program in ciety. Lawmakers of the country should
Journalism Coordinator Jestene Delos implement more laws protecting jour-
Reyes admitted that during the Marcos nalists and the rest of the press. We
OPINION

administration, assassination of jour- people should also be an advocate of

nalists was very rampant. “I heard that not just press freedom but
2 journalists were assassinated during also press protection.
the Marcos administration, from the Together, we can keep
word Marcos, there is an issue there.
Even now that BBM is the president,
there are also journalists who are
being assaulted, “said the SPJ Coordi-
the scorching power
of the press burning.
197
nator. That being said, it can be seen were assassinated
that the protection for journalists is not since 1986
strong enough and can be ineffective if
their work involves big people. source: UJP

Deprived Minds
Letter to the Editor
EYE SPY
Good day editors! I am Karen
Cesium
Poverty robs’ Filipinos right to education Daria and my only concern is, when
I’m looking for the news I get very
Education is one of the human rights everyone To still nurture these people’s potential and prepare confused. Where can I search for
should experience, however, a great population of them to face the real world, DepEd has offered them the latest news?
Filipinos are out of school. According to DepEd, 9% Alternative Learning System (ALS) program. This Yours truly,
Karen Daria
or more than 3 million out of the 39 million estimated gives them the chance to learn basic and essential
Filipinos aged 6-24 are out of school people. I believe, knowledge which will help them in their future endeav- Response from the Editor
poverty is the greatest factor as to why Filipinos are ors. Despite being robbed of their right to learn, Good day Karen! Thank you
deprived of their opportunities to learn. Although there are a lot of reasons why some Filipi- for raising this concern to us. The
In a press conference with Special Program in Jour- nos are out of school, I still firmly believe that poverty editorial board says that the news is
nalism Coordinator Jestene Delos Reyes, she said is its greatest contributor. Families under poverty all over the internet just search for it
that this phenomenon is caused by several factors should be taught proper financing and family planning. and the media got it. If you don’t have
which includes poverty. According to Family Income The government should also open job opportunities social media purchasing a newspaper
and Expenditure Survey (FIES), the latest poverty rate for these people for them to be able to afford their can also be where news articles are
in the Philippines is 13.2 % of families. Considering necessities, especially education. We can’t let them found. Yours truly,
these families’ unfortunate situation, I doubt that they remain deprived when their minds has everything it Editors
have the capability to send their children to school. takes to learn.
WALL of SENTIMENTS

TRUTH
SEEKER
NURTURE FUTURE Is it important to teach stu-
dents to fact check?
Cesium Improving students’ reading skills Yes, it is important especially
fake news nowadays are very
As the Philippines continues to evolve in every will greatly affect not just students but also educators. rampant.
- Akuiza Yu
aspect of living, one of the issues that continues to be Having these in mind, Special Program in Journal-
invisible to our eyes is the low reading comprehension ism Coordinator Jestene Delos Reyes claimed that
of Filipino schoolchildren. According to the Programme DepEd should make reading a subject. “The best It is really important to teach
International Students Assessment reading test results thing to do about this issue is to make a subject for students how to fact check so
in 2018, the Philippines ranked lowest out of 79 reading,” said the SPJ coordinator. If we make this that they can avoid spreading fake
countries. Hence, the Department of Education should a subject, we can implant a behavior which values news.
provide more reading programs and improve the reading among learners. -Kerrie Faba
current education system of the country. Although there are programs in schools which pro-
Instead of being able to cope from the devastating motes reading, I believe it won’t suffice. DepEd should
score of the country from the 2018 PISA results, after make more reading programs to nurture students and For me yes, because
sharing an information without
the pandemic, the issue about reading amplified. reading should be made a subject. They should really fact-checking might cause
According to World Bank, after the pandemic, reading make the curriculum better and effective. Afterall, trouble for someone.
poverty in the Philippines rose to 90.7%. Seeing these these are all for the students—our future. -Hyn D. Nagh
numbers, I believe this issue can lead to a crisis which
 RUSTY MINDS
Looking for a solution in the reading illiteracy of learners Silver

A s the sun rises,

the morning
breeze engulfs them
the reading poverty rate in the
Philippines has increased since
2019 to 2022 from 65.9 percent to
pa ng maraming programa ang schools
for reading,” Delos Reyes commands
hoping for a change.
into a warm embrace, 90.7 percent. This is agitating to hear Long before the Philippines was
students arrive in school after because the Philippines has always hailed like a king for its immense ex-
the tremendous quarantine. been praised in the field of reading. cellence in reading, now what we have
After three years of hellish “I think this problem is caused by left are the rusty minds of our learners.
lockdown, students the Philippines poverty, not being Let us be more open in reinforcing pro-
have long fallen able to provide learners with grams that can be the soul saving grace
into the knowl- sufficient materials,” Jestene B. to this reading crisis.
edge sucking Delos Reyes SPJ coordinator
traps of the explained feeling blue about
pandemic. this situation.
According Reading is an essential

90.7%

FEATURE
to World value every student needs
Bank, to master. Designing the
hope of our future,
every child must
never neglect the
magical fun of
books. Solving this
reading misery,
Reading poverty rate
the educational in the Philippines
system must find
ways to bring back
Photo by: Cesium the colorful bliss of source: World Bank
RESILIENT MINDS: After the pandemic, students of F. Bangoy NHS educational pages.
practice frequent reading. “Dapat gumawa

Rules of journalism
DIVINE COMMITMENT Silver
Molding the future of truth-seekers As a journalist, do you know the do’s and dont’s of
Silver your career?
Being the information carrier of the media means
being extra careful with the news you report and pub-
Molding the best is a difficult task. lish. To be a journalist requires the power of knowl-
edge and a fearless voice for the many. Here are the
must followed rules of every journalist.
Jestene Delos Reyes
SPJ Coordinator

As the competition day crawls near, campus journalist representatives trains from day

1
to night, one woman looks over their work lending them her knowledge about the field of Use the power of your pen
journalism. As a journalist you have the
She is Jestene B. Delos Reyes, one of the school paper advisers of F. Bangoy National High freedom of sharing absolutely
School. anything, just put it into good
“I have been handling this pub- use.
lication since 2017, so almost
six years na,” Delos Reyes Check your facts

2
dictates counting the years of Facts are in fact the strong
her teaching. fundamental foundation of every
Having a history of nine article, however, journalism does
years teaching, two years in not spread fake news. Always
private and seven years in pub- verify your facts.
lic, she has seen every student
and trained many journalists.

3
Inform
“The power of journalism
When you see a story worth
holds so much. Being a jour-
publishing, take the opportunity
nalist, you must be accurate,”
and share it, but report it wisely.
Jestene advised highlighting
the responsibilities she learned
over the years.
Braving the hurdles of her
As a journalist you have so much power
life, she was patient in her cho-
within the words you share, nevertheless
sen job. Creating responsible
Photo by: Silver always obey the rules of journalism and take
and smart students isn’t easy,
it to heart.
but with her divine commitment JOURNO MAKER: SPJ Coordinator Jestene Delos Reyes shares her experi-
she got to where she is today. ences in molding campus journalists during the RSPC.
 The atch
Un v e ilin g Tr ut hs , I l l um i n at i n g P e r s p e c t i v e s SPORTS
The Offficial Publication of JournCon: Take off

EPIC COMEBACK
Volume 1 | Issue 1 | August 2023

COMMENTARY

TIRED MIND Rafael crushes Ogtip, wins Badminton Exhibition Game

Ogtip’s exhaustion causing her E=mc2
defeat against Rafael
RAFAEL OGTIP
E=mc2
set 1 10 15
Hannah Ogtip was too weary to win set 2 15 13
the Badminton Exhibition Game on
set 3 15 11
June 6, 2023.
Hannah Kristina Ogtip focused
primarily on hitting the shuttlecock
in the angle of the wind’s path while
gaining 25 hits and 14 violation points
resulting to 39 points in total.
Ogtip showed impressive skills Photo by: Silver

“
during the match, however, she WINNING SMASH: Xevier Rafael wins Badminton Exhibition game held at F.
succumbed to her weak immune Bangoy National High School after pouring powerful hits to his opponent.
system, therefore losing on the rest
of the sets. The 14-year-old couldn’t
keep jumping and dashing throughout
game as her stamina and endurance X evier Rafael decimates Hannah
Kristina Ogtip with heavy strikes
at the Badminton Exhibition Game at
the set in his favor, 15-13.
In the heat of the third set,
players started to exchange
would drop.
Ogtip could have improved her F. Bangoy National High School on heavy hits until Rafael ultimately
performance if she had only budgeted June 6,2023.
Xevier M. Rafael finally won after
Pakusgon won after a successful winning
point strike, ending the game,
her strength to buy more time to fight
and have a greater chance of winning dealing the enemy with power-
ful blows, gaining 28 hits and 12
jud nako ang 15-11.
Regardless of her defeat,
against her opponent.
Nonetheless, Hannah Kristina violation points resulting to 40 total tira para ma Ogtip laughed it off and thanked
points. the opponent for inspiring her to
Ogtip lost ever since her exhaustion
set in. “Pakusgon jud nako ang tira para akoa gihapon improve more towards her weak-
ma akoa gihapon ang points kung
ang points nesses and strategy.

14
dili niya masalo,” the 14-years-old “Haw’d siya, wala siya’y
replied. kung dili niya technique pero maka inspire
violation By the start of the game, Ogtip
reigned supreme and sends unstop- masalo.
iyahang way sa pag dula,” Ogtip
expressed happily.
points pable hits to her enemy, 10-15.
However, Rafael gained his
Xavier Rafael
Xevier M. Rafael is now the
winner for the Badminton Exhibi-
momentum in the second round and tion Game.
Badminton Player
delivered a comeback blow, ending

INSPIRATION FROM THE PAST

“
The Revelations of Hannah Ogtip E=mc2

A girl was walking along the road happily.

until she passed a court, it was a court Due to her first-place victory,
looking like a volleyball field with a green Ogtip was sent to Cagayan De Oro
floor and some markings. And then she City to participate a Badminton
heard some soft hits and a ricochet Meet, she then left with the 2nd
of a triangular ball they call a shuttle- Kung passion place because of the injury she
cock; her excitement increases while attained during the first set.
witnessing this mystery of a game and jud na ninyo ang “Nasabak mi sa Cagayan tungod
so she learned unknowingly that this sa among pagkadaog sa among
game would turn into one of her greatest badminton edi e lugar, na second place lang ko kay
achievements. wala natarong ang dula tungod sa
The girl was Hannah Kristina Ogtip, keep jud na ninyo akong injury sa tiil,” Ogtip replied.
now a campus journalist of F. Bangoy The player advised the rest of
NHS. Her talent in badminton was ug dula hantod the badminton players to improve
discovered ever since she was a kid and their skills to become the best
her development towards this sport is mahimo namo’ng badminton player.
improving day by day. “Kung passion jud na ninyo ang
“Since elementary pako naga dula ug elite badminton badminton edi e keep jud na ninyo
badminton, past time nako ni siya,” the ug dula hantod mahimo namo’ng
Photo by: Silver
14-year-old claims. player elite badminton player,” said Ogtip.
She once played a Badminton Dou- Hannah Kristina Ogtip continues
DEFEATED SOUL: 14-year-old, defeated bles Competition in their place and won to play badminton but as a past
Hannah Ogtip gives her best strikes during the first place. Hannah Ogtip time as she now focuses to be the
the RSPC Exhibition Game. “Sa among lugar, nadaog mi first Badminton Player best on her journalism field.
place sa doubles,” the 5ft expressed