...is a Journalism student at the University of the Philippines (which is currently being pushed to commercialization by the administration and the incumbent regime, defeating its purpose of democratic access).

...is an activist who claims that journalistic objectivity is possible amidst the impossibility of neutrality.

...is someone who loves the color black but prefers red when it comes to writing and beliefs.

Dripping.

Like the dripping of dilapidated dormitory ceilings, the necessary education budget has been slipping through the hands of the people and into buckets of misappropriation and corruption.

The University of the Philippines is known to be the premier state university in the country, but like other state colleges, universities and public schools, its facilities are considered inadequate.

New infrastructure and facilities are sparse in its campuses, depending on sponsorship grants and donations – physical reminders of the unequal “progress” inside.

The College of Mass Communication auditorium was cold as usual; it’s refrigerator-sized air conditioners on full blast. Another forum was brewing that day – one that sought to kill the cold hegemonic apathy that University of the Philippines students were said to be falling into.

On Jan. 24, a student-initiated event was organized by the League of Filipino Students – CMC and the Union of Journalists of the Philippines with Alvin Peters from the National Union of Students of the Philippines and Student Regent Terry Ridon as guest speakers.

“UP for Grabs: The State of the Philippine Educational System (with a UP Charter discussion)” was in accordance to the University Student Council’s “Class Struggle” theme for the Alternative Classroom Learning Experience (ACLE) this semester.

Advocating Advocacy Journalism, September 2007

Adrian Cristobal’s “The Great Propagandist” article published last Aug. 29 in BusinessMirror pushed further my belief that there is black propaganda against propaganda.

If we look back, really, journalism started out biased in the Philippines, biased towards the colonizers. May it be Sucesos Felices or Del Superior Govierno, either reported or commentated mostly about Spanish successes against the Filipino “rebels” or other countries.

I would like to think that the first real Filipino publication would be something like the La Solidaridad (although it still has its contentions since it was written in Spanish).

The site title Talimhaga is inspired by Teo Antonio's poems "Talinghaga" (Figurative speech) and "Ang Aking Panulat ay Isang Tag-araw" (My pen is a summer's day). Both poems tackle writing and its ability to push for change.

This site was created as a requirement for the online journalism class that I am taking under Prof. Danilo Arao (dannyarao.com). At the same time, it will house my opinions about writing and social issues. It is mainly a site about a UP activist/journalism student's insights (plus several photographs, literature and music) on media and society.

As the primary color suggests, expect that the content of my articles would be far from neutral (as there really is no such thing as neutrality) and would be as critical as my own critical mind would permit.