Rizal: Ang Dakilang Manunulat

Click on the video below to watch this Jose Rizal documentary.



Credits: GMA News

Nagallo, Mateo Participates in JENESYS 2.0 Batch 9

Fannie M. Nagallo, PSSO, Inc. asst. secretary and Megan Mary F, Mateo (treasurer), both senior AB in Political Science students, were among the Philippine delegates to the Jenesys 2.0 Batch 9 - Traditional Culture/ Heritage/ Art held on May 26 - June 7, 2014 in Tokyo and Okayama, Japan.  

Passing through the screening process conducted by the National Youth Commission and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, they joined the Philippine delegation and had experienced different Japanese Culture like Sado (Japanese Tea Ceremony) and got a chance to visit different Tourist attractions such as Edo -Tokyo Museum (where they had been introduced to Tokyo's history and culture and the city's future), Harajuku (Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles), Meiji Shrine, Kurashiki Bikab Historical Quarter, Kurabo Memorial Hall, Okayama Orient Museum, Korakuen and Okayama Castle, Okayama Prefectural Museum and Takata Orimono Manufacturing. They were also exposed to Japanese daily way of living through their respective host families.

This event is part of the many youth exchange programs, under Jenesys 2.0, to Japan from 2013 to 2014 and is sponsored by Japan International Cooperation Center.

Katherine Rose F. Kapunan Attends JENESYS 2.0 Disaster Prevention Course

Katherine Rose F. Kapunan, AB in Political Science Batch 2014, was chosen to be one of the 35 Youth Representatives of the Philippines in the JENESYS 2.0 Disaster Prevention Course on May 27-June 4, 2014 in Tokyo and Miyagi Prefectures.

The Philippine delegation spent most of their days in Miyagi Prefecture particularly in Sendai City where they had site visits of Onagawa, Ishikawa and Kesennuma , areas which are greatly damaged by the Great Tsunami of 2011. They also heard stories from survivors during the disaster and had series of disaster prevention lectures from Sendai City government and Miyagi University of Education. They were also allowed to experience simulated typhoon, earthquake, and fire and other life threatening situations in times of disaster in Honjo Life Center in Tokyo.

The delegates also experienced Japanese traditional and pop culture through visits all over Tokyo and Miyagi prefectures through cultural exchanges with the Japanese. They experienced traditional culture through making rice cakes (mochi), traditional Kokeshi dolls and living in a traditional Japanese house in the laidback town of Minamisanrikuchuo. They also experienced pop culture and advanced technology through visits in Akihabara, Japan Mint and Panasonic Center.

The JENESYS 2.0 Disaster Prevention Course is under the thematic area of Social Community and it focuses on introducing Japan’s advanced methods for social community development and exchange with people involved in the related activities. This project also aims to revitalize the Japanese economy through introduction of Japan’s attractions to foreign tourists and consumers by promoting international understanding on the nation’s potential strengths, allure and values including the "Cool Japan Concept."

Delegates were divided in 8 groups and presented their own Cool Japan Concept to the representative of Ministry of Foreign affairs and Japan Overseas Cooperation Association.

PSSO Chair Sherwin Latosa, Philippine Delagate to Sri Lanka

PSSO, Inc. Chairperson Sherwin Latosa attended the 2014 World Conference on Youth last May 6-10, 2014 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka and participated in various anchored discussions and activities relating to mainstreaming youth in the post-2015 development agenda.

This world conference aimed to: create an inclusive youth participation platform that enables young people to review the progress on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; share ideas, experiences and innovative approaches for effectively contributing to the post-2015 development agenda and its implementation; facilitate a process that increases awareness on and implementation of the World Programme for Action on Youth (WPAY); facilitate effective partnerships with youth, youth-led organisations and youth movements to further strengthen inclusive youth participation in the decision-making processes and implementation of the post-2015 development agenda; and contribute to the establishment of a permanent youth engagement mechanism that ensures consistent follow- up with young people and further boosts their participation and partnership in the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda at national, regional and global levels.

Latosa, the only Philippine delegate coming from outside of Luzon, joined the rest of the 1500 participating youth - half of them young people, aged 18 to 29, and 350 of them came from marginalized backgrounds. There were also 350 more young people belonging to under-represented groups were selected by the International Youth Task Force and about 100 youth delegates who are Sri Lankan nationals were selected.

The Government of Sri Lanka sponsored all young people attended the conference and was considered as one of the most well represented youth events at the global level.

The conference ended with the realization of the Colombo Declaration on Youth.

WVSU Debate Team, Champion in Debate sa Bombo 2013-2014 Series

The West Visayas State University Debate Team was declared Champion in Debate sa Bombo 2013-2014 Series College Edition after defeating the Central Philippine University Debate Team during the championship match on April 14, 2014 held at the WVSU Cultural Center in a proposition, "Resolved, that national elective officials be at least college graduate.”

Defending the status quo (negative side), the WVSU debate team had convinced the judges to buy their strong, consistent and well-studied arguments and got a 90% average rating.

The team is composed of Nestor Jeremy Moreno (AB Pol.Sci. 2014), Runniel Reel Matorres (AB Pol.Sci. 2014), Job Aldin Nabuab (AB Pol.Sci. 2014), Hyacinth Bangero (Broadcasting 2014), and two researchers - Paolo Nazareno (AB Pol.Sci. 2015) and Jonald Dorado (AB Pol.Sci. 2015). Hyacinth Bangero got the Best Speaker and Best Debater awards during the match.

The debate series started its first match on December 13, 2013, were WVSU Team won over the team of the University of the Philippines – Visayas with Nestor Jeremy Moreno and Runiel Reel Matorres as Best Speaker and Best Debater respectively.

In a proposition, “Resolved, that the opening of classes in the Philippines be set on September," against CPU Team, WVSU debaters (Negative Side) got their second win and took the lead in the ranking. Nestor Jeremy Moreno was proclaimed Best Speaker and Best Debater.

The defeat of CPU Debate Team was not their end in the competition as they successfully survived their succeeding matches that brought them to the championship round.

Standing on the negative side against Team WVCST during the semi-finals on April 2, 2014, the team had advanced to the final round, while Job Aldin Nabuab of WVSU was judged as Best Speaker and Best Debater.

Professors Voltaire Jacinto and Reymund Flores served as team advisers while Dr. Ma. Elfleda Ecube and Prof. Shim Lester de Pio were the team managers - all are faculty members of the Social Science Department.

Kapunan and Moreno, 2014 Outstanding Political Science Students in the Philippines

Two Senior Political Science Students, Katherine Rose Kapunan and Nestor Jeremy Moreno ranked 4th and 7th respectively in the Search for the Ten Outstanding Political Science Students of the Philippines (TOPSSP) for 2014 last February 8 during the 6th Political Science Students Association of the Philippines National Convention held in Liceo De Cagayan University, Cagayan de Oro City.

20 Finalists were selected from applicants who are outstanding in academics, co-curricular activities and leadership ideals.

The Finalists underwent a panel interview composed of five distinct people from the academe, law, international community, and the public sector.

Katherine Rose Kapunan represented the Philippines this year in the ASEAN Youth Exchange Program in Chulalongkorn University, Thailand while Nestor Jeremy Moreno was among the Philippine Youth Ambassadors sent to Japan for JENESYS 2.0 (Batch 2). Both of them are officers of the WVSU Forensic League and had been part of the young legislators during the conduct of the Philippine Model Congress at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City.

Latosa, Tubiano join First IOV Youth-Asia Congress

Sherwin Latosa and Princess Tubiano, junior political science students joined the Philippine Delegation to the First IOV Youth-Asia Congress, at Curtin University in Sarawak, Malaysia, January 20 - 26, 2014.

Latosa and Tubiano are the only delegates from the Visayas area that were included in 77 accepted applicants from all over Asia.

Folk art and culture, intangible heritage, tradition and their applications in the 21st Cen­tury are the subjects of discussions, workshops and lectures during this week-long meeting. IOV Youth are professionals and students seeking new ideas and fresh approaches to their work as teachers, arts administrators, handicraft counsellors and artists. They are also amateur hobbyists and students, whose interests include storytelling, singing, weaving and dancing. IOV Youth are brought together by a shared interest in folk art.

The 2014 Congress focused on the issues and relationships of traditional food and life:

• Intangible Cultural Heritage of Food (Traditional Cultures, Religions, Medicine, etc.)
• UNESCO Mandate on the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Why We Should Protect It
• Shaping a New Narrative for Globalization, Consumption and Mass Production in the Global Economy

IOV is a worldwide organization of individuals and institutions working to document, preserve, and promote all forms of folk art, both tangible and intangible.

IOV sponsors national and international folk art festivals, as well as cultural exchanges of performing artists and visual art. Through scientific and pedagogical symposia and workshops, IOV supports scholarly research, documentation, and publication on a board range of topics relating to folk art and folk culture.

The UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with its emphasis on research and documentation, and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, provide the foundation for IOV programs and projects.

The delegates to this event were students, researchers, and activists, as well as young professionals and others interested in folk art and folk culture, folk art history, civil society administration and related fields.

Jonald Dorado Wins Dinagyang Festival 2014 Binalaybay Title

Jonald Dorado, junior political science student, won over representatives of various colleges and universities in Iloilo City during Iloilo Dinagyang 2014 Binalaybay Contest held last January 21 at SM City Iloilo.

The Binalaybay Contest is one of the competitions of the Ilonggo Arts Festival - a side-event of the festivities. Other contests during the said event are Vocal Solo, Folk Dance and Latin Dance Sport.

The Iloilo Dinagyang Festival is celebrated on the 4th weekend of January in Honor of Sr. Santo Nino (Child Jesus), as a celebration of the Ilonggos' rich culture and heritage through merry-making.

Get Ready for the AEC

Click on the video below to play:


Credits: ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), AIM, SM Investments, MAP, and EON

Nazareno Represents PH for JENESYS 2.0 Students' Conference

Third year political science student Paolo J. Nazareno was chosen to as one of the participants for the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths popularly known as JENESYS 2.0. He was one of the 150 chosen delegates in ASEAN countries, together with 30 Japanese participating youths, for the program Japan-ASEAN Student Conference last December 07-16, 2013.

The 15 representatives of the Philippines coming from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao had a pre-departure briefing last December 6, 2013 conducted by the National Youth Commission.

The 150 ASEAN delegates were divided into 5 five discussion topics: Education, Entrepreneurship, Environment and Corporate Social Contribution (CSC), Social Contribution Activities by Youth based on the Volunteerism, and Traditional Culture. Each group visited different Prefectures such as Shiga, Wakayama, Tottori, Hokkaido and Kagoshima prefectures respectively; and exposed them to Japanese culture.

Through these discussion topics, the delegates were tasked to make an action plan that will solve the existing problems of Asian countries.

Asean-Japan Special Summit Meeting from Dec. 13-15 coincided with the The Japan-Asean Students' Conference, in celebration of the 40th year of Asean-Japan Friendship, with the theme “Thoughts Connected, Future Connected.”

This student conference focused on “the cooperative role of youth in Asean and Japan toward peace, stability, and development, and prosperity in Asia.”

Jenesys 2.0, was an offshoot of the original Jenesys program way back in 2007. It was opened this year by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the purpose of offering varied youth exchange opportunities to Japan.

As part of Jenesys 2.0, the Japan-Asean Student Conference served as an instrument for youth involvement in building the Asian community, and building camaraderie among Asian youths.