A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: DECOLONIZATION VIS-À-VIS THE CULTIVATION OF A LOCALIZED EPISTEMOLOGY

EDITOR'S NOT

EDCA as the Geopolitics of Imperialist Crises and its Threat to Peace in the Philippines

The authors, through the theory of capitalist crisis and the theory of imperialism, aim to make an exposé and critique of the Enhanced Defense Cooperative Agreement or EDCA. We employ a methodological framework of historical-geographical materialism and critique of internal relations, entwined with the crisis theory of capitalism manifesting in its late phase of imperialism. We apply such theories to the problem of EDCA as evidenced by various points and experiences of people living in an area near EDCA sites based on the peace mission conducted by the nationalist democratic alliance organization of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) or BAYAN and Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (Filipinos United for Sovereignty) or P1NAS. Moreover, we argue that the United States of America is enjoying proven-and-tested political and military impunity, from its imperial sovereignty to meddle in affairs of other sovereignties, based on the political concept of a global state of exception through American exceptionalism. From the US genocidal spree against the Filipinos during the Filipino-American war at the outset of the 20th century killed revolutionaries and innocent ones altogether; to its nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima; the massacre of Vietnamese during the Vietnam War and Laotian people during Operation Barrel Roll; and to its support of dictatorial states in South America and in Asia to buffer popular antiimperialist politics. We investigate how EDCA poses hurdles for peace since it is a geopolitical agenda of continued US hegemony in the world, particularly extending its rotting power and political paranoia in the Asia Pacific Region, which brings spatial and economic logic for a solution to continuing crises of American and Western capitalist domination. Such historical backdrops provide empirical and historized aspects of why EDCA should be seen as a threat to peace and therefore must be continually exposed and resisted

A Gewirthian Analysis of the Rights of the LGBTQ+ in the Philippines

Politics is essential in ensuring the state’s security to uphold the common interest and the rights of the people. This paper examines the current political climate amid the political conflicts that affect the LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines due to the disproportion among the interests and beliefs of the state and the people. As such, Gewirth propounded the Principle of Generic Consistency, which focused on the imposition of duties on individual agents to do an action out of respect for one’s human rights. However, several thinkers contradicted the claim of Gewirth regarding the moral action of an individual, but I will expand on the analysis of Gewirth as to how any action of an individual does not limit the freedom of another and is a just metric. Meanwhile, an individual’s oppressive tendencies and unjust actions toward the LGBTQ+ community damage and hinder the progress toward social recognition of such rights. This is why I aim to utilize Gewirth’s analysis to show the possibilities for social justice and actualize a just society that respects and protects the human rights of a minority group in the Philippines

Book review: The Singing Detainee and the Librarian with One Book: Essays on Exile (2023) by Michael Beltran

As founding chairperson of the reestablished Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1968, Jose Maria Sison’s life is inscribed in the revolution. He penned tracts on the history of the CPP, prospects of the National Democratic revolution and international solidarity building. However, his life story is mainly told in the interview format to show the foremost Filipino revolutionary answering questions to an interested reader. Interspersed with political analysis regarding the Philippine semi-feudal and semi-colonial state, he narrates his ancestry from the landed elite in Ilocos Sur, political awakenings and student activism in the University of the Philippines, rebuilding of the movement, torture and arrest during Martial Law, and exile in the Netherlands after the 1986 EDSA Revolution.

The Evidence-Informed Learning Cycle of Experiential Learning in the Core Subjects and its Relationship to Academic Performance of Grade 10 Students in Manila Ecclesiastical Province School Association (MaPSA), NCR

The aim of the study titled: The Evidence-Informed Experiential Learning Cycle in Building Knowledge and Skills in the Core Subjectsand its Relationship to Student Academic Performance of Manila Ecclesiastical Province School Association (MAPSA) generallyaims to review the evidence-informed experiential learning cycle as perceived by teacher-respondents teaching the core subjects:Math, Science and English in Grade 10 level of MAPSA) NCR. The primary objective of the study is to establish evidence of students’ability to build knowledge and skills through DepEd’s learning competencies of the core subjects: Math, Science, and English in Grade 10 level. The basis of the study was the experiential learning theoretical model of David Kolb which advocates that the success of students’ learning depends on the four elements of the experiential learning cycles namely: concrete experience (doing), reflective observation (reflection), abstract conceptualization (thinking), and active experimentation (application). Quantitative in nature, the study employed statistical tools such as weighted mean and Spearman Rank Correlation. The findings of the study revealed that the elements of experiential learning is evident in the core subjects, with active experimentation and reflective observation as the most evident. Concrete experience and abstract conceptualization on the other hand, are the least evident. The study likewise suggested that the academic performance rating of students in the core subjects is very satisfactory. The study also revealed that experiential learning is not correlated with the students’ academic performance in the core subjects. As a result, the possibility of including experiential learning in the basic education curriculum can be considered, with the hope of providing effective teaching learning experience to both students and teachers

Appreciation of Disturbing Art: Arthur Schopenhauer’s Aesthetic Perception on the Appreciation of the Art and Transcendence

The standard of pleasing art creates a notion that is axiological in the nature of the art itself. Given this claim Schopenhauer asserts that disturbing art does not provide relief for the spectator, therefore it may not be viewed as a temporary escape from life’s suffering. This opus claims otherwise using the very same principle of Arthur Schopenhauer on aesthetics and the Will to Life. The introduction provides the philosophical inquests of Arthur Schopenhauer that are associated with the metaphysical position of the very banal action of appreciation. This opens the threshold for a review of written positions on the variables that would ascertain this principle of the Will to Life, the material of disturbing art, and the framework of the transcendence argument. These are crucial to establish the argument that this paper asserts in accordance to the research questions provided in the introduction, which focuses primarily on the transcendental analysis of the value of a qualified disturbing art. Following this review, the methodological means and the framework of transcendence is given premium. Deriving these contents from the hermeneutical processes, the opus provides a graphic representation on employing the transcendental method through hermeneutical procedures. Thus, creates a framework for the apparent philosophical investigation. Given these, the explications and discussions allow a better view on justifying and qualifying disturbing art according to its metaphysical and phenomenological connection with the Being as a natural spectator. Thus, leads to a possible novel argument utilized under the principles of Arthur Schopenhauer

Coral Cover and Fish Abundance in Sicogon Island, Northern Iloilo, Philippines

Corals are tiny animals called polyps that live in colonies underwater, either in patches or extensive reefs. The country has an estimated 27,000 km2 of coral reef with only about 5% of this area still in excellent condition. The coral reefs provide high primary productivity and high fishery yields for food security, coastal protection, tourism, education, research and aesthetic value. Sicogon Island is an island in northern Iloilo Province, which is part of the municipality of Carles and it is approximately 140 kilometers from Iloilo City. It is comprised of three barangays namely Buaya, San Fernando and Alipata with an estimated coral reef area of 9.5 hectares. The existing live hard coral reef cover in Sicogon Island, Carles, Iloilo is in fair to good condition (40.44% - 65.51%). In four sites surveyed, fringing reefs off-shore of Brgy. Alipata and Brgy. San Fernando were in good coral cover condition while the two sites in Brgy. Buaya (Timberland and Purok 2) surveyed were in fair condition. The reef fish’s abundance and density in the reefs of four sites were low and fishes belong to Pomacentridae family (damsel fish) dominated the fishes observed in the area. This study will serve as baseline data to be used by the Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College (NIPSC), Sicogon Development Corporation (SIDECO) as well as for the LGU – Carles in the formulation of comprehensive management plan to sustainably protect and conserve this most precious resource

Social-Emotional Development amid Mobile Learning: Pros, Cons, and Actions

Mobile learning became one of the most prevalent forms of education during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of necessity, many young students gained access to mobile phones and utilized them for both educational and non-educational purposes. Research indicates that while mobile learning can enhance educational outcomes, it may also negatively affect the socio-emotional development of young students if used improperly. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning and explores potential strategies to optimize learning and minimize, if not eliminate, its adverse effects. Key recommendations include integrating social-emotional learning (SEL), managing screen time, encouraging co-viewing, promoting moderate use of digital devices, early detection of socio-emotional disorders, and implementing relevant policies. Furthermore, incorporating moral training, character building, and habit formation is suggested as beneficial, especially for children

Tracer Study sa mga Nagsipagtapos ng Master ng Artessa Filipino sa Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (2017-2020)

This research primarily identified the current employment profile of the graduates of Master of Arts in Filipino of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (2017-2020). Specifically, it sought to determine the progress on their professional status and the relevance of institutional and academic factors to it. This descriptive study utilized purposive sampling and involved an iterative process of frequency distribution, percentage, rank, and average weighted mean. This study found out that the majority of the respondents: are currently employed before and after they took up MAF; are permanent/regular teachers in public secondary schools; have received job promotions and salary increase after graduating; and have acquired several professional skills and values relevant to their profession. The study generally concludes that the program has succeeded in providing quality education to its respondents as analyzed from their positive feedbacks. The researchers, however, recommend improving areas relative to influencing graduates to conduct and publish studies in refereed journals, be active members of discipline-related organizations, and attend several conferences, workshops, seminars, etc

Noam Chomsky on Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Contemporary Critique of the Concept of Language Privatization

In contemporary sociological studies, Wittgenstein, in his Philosophical Investigations, contends that the concept of a private language is unattainable due to the inherent necessity of shared meanings and societal conventions within language. Wittgenstein posits that language is intrinsically tied to social norms and communal practices, asserting that the acquisition of language is inseparable from cultural immersion and participation in shared activities – what he terms “playing the game” of language. In contrast, Noam Chomsky challenges this perspective by proposing the existence of a universal grammar innate to humanity, irrespective of factors like race, ethnicity, or demographics. According to Chomsky, while diverse languages may exhibit different word arrangements, there exists a fundamental universality in the underlying meaning of sentences. He suggests that this universal grammar is accessible to individuals through a theoretical cognitive mechanism known as the Language Acquisition Device. Chomsky’s theory posits that humans possess an inborn capacity for language, allowing them to grasp the fundamental structures and rules of any language they encounter, transcending cultural or social boundaries. In this philosophical research project, the authors will re-introduce the debate and its contemporary status. The authors aim to give a strategic in-depth Chomskyan criticism of what Wittgenstein has deemed impossible to arise: Private Language