By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
The last two weeks were a tense one for the Philippines. There’s the oil spill near Negros island, the transport strike of some jeepney operators, the daring cold-blooded murder of Gov. R. Degamo of Negros Oriental right inside his own compound, and the senseless death of an Adamson University student due to hazing.
All of them resulted to, or may result to death.
The oil spill destroyed biodiversity in the area, killed the sources of income of a lot of fisherfolks, and brought medical maladies among the local people together with untold miseries in the lives of the same people.
It was an accident that nobody wanted to happen. But it happened. It was not due to force majeur. The accident brought into fore several concerns. One, who is accountable and responsible to pay for the lost income and job of the people, and the widespread damages to the environment wrought by the accident? Two, the seaworthiness of our ocean-going vessels are not always checked? Three, maybe there was general mismanagement of the ship’s owner, and what’s his/her role in cleaning the spill?
As it is, the government is actually shouldering the brunt of the oil misadventure-cleaning, providing the necessary support to the affected population using taxpayers money, etc. While the ship’s owner should have a huge responsibility and accountability, the maritime industry authority (MARINA) is tasked to make sure that all sea-going vessels are safe, the seas and oceans within our territory are environmentally clean and safe too. Seems MARINA was remiss in its duty?
There should be a law that should spell out how such spill could be prevented, and the accountabilities and responsibilities of concerned people or agencies if it happens.
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The one-day tigil-pasada of two transport groups last week was due to the unclear and “un-Filipino” jeepney modernization program. The program aims to replace all old jeepneys still plying the streets of the country. Along with it is the consolidation of jeepney operators into a cooperative, and their mandatory membership to such organization.
What was wrong with the program among others, as far as this author is concerned, is that the iconic jeepney will be replaced by foreign-made models that are not jeepneys thus displacing workers in the industry. The cost of the replacement is too high for comfort, not affordable by most single unit operators. Also why wipe out a symbol of Filipino ingenuity and resilience that is even praised by other people? In fact, some air conditioned jeepney units were already exported a country (to Papua New Guinea if am not mistaken) not so long ago.
It is like replacing your family name with a tongue-twisting, foreign sounding name that will obliterate vestiges of your identity. This may result to the death of such iconic Filipino creation, if the program as originally envisioned, will roll through.
It should be a matter of redesigning the jeepney with the government fully supporting the initial capitalization for its manufacture, at the same time making sure that at least 51% will be bought by coops as replacements. This way, there will be more local employment; the jeepney will still gaily cruise the streets; it will somehow make Filipinos feel some pride; and that local economy will be boosted.
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The story of a hazing victim that came to fore last March 1, 2023 was so sad, you cant help to become very emotional.
Last Feb 28, a shallow grave was dug in Imus Cavite where John Matthew Salilig, a neophyte of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity and an Adamson University student was buried. Salilig, from Zamboanga city was a victim of fraternity hazing and died 10 days earlier, or last Feb 18.
The boy, all of 24 summers, appear to be very jovial and full of hope in pictures. He was the youngest and brainiest among the seven siblings, according to his oldest brother Michael, who is himself a member of the Tau Gamma fraternity.
To unceremoniously snuff out the life of such a promising kid through hazing is not just utterly regrettable but more so a manifestly inglorious act. It should never happen.
I can succinctly remember my time undergoing hazing during my college days. Even before the finals (as we called the final initiation and terminal rites to join the fraternity), we had already undergone preliminary physical hazing-an act of physical contact between a neophyte and a master using a wooden paddle. Much more will come in the finals. There is another side of hazing which is a non-physical contact. In a way, it is the use of “mental torture”.
The pain from physical hazing is so unexpectedly deep that many actually quit at the first sign of horrific violence from the supposedly concerned masters. I experienced such kind of pain. During my watch as Vice Archon, I was in-charge of the final rites. One of our neophytes passed out but miraculously recovered in no time at all. After the rites another, already considered a brod for passing the final initiation, experienced blackening of the tips of all his fingers- a sure sign of lack of oxygen circulating in the body. He also recovered fast.
Those incidents, together with my own experiences and what I saw, convinced me that hazing is unreasonable, unjustifiable. Thus, when I became Grand Archon of the Sigma Rho fraternity, UPLB chapter, I drastically reduced the amount of hazing given to neophytes. I was roundly criticized by alumni members who came to me to lecture that hazing is a tradition that will cement the relationships among brothers, and more. I was not convinced, of course. Most brods anyway, do not relish excessive “punishment”. Like myself, they are in favor of having a brother who is healthy and normal than one that passed the usual hazing but became handicapped.
I think, those who favor excessive hazing are those who are violence-prone who make rash decisions based on emotions but can not always decide rationally. This idea alone should be enough basis to stop hazing altogether in fraternity rites. Am glad to know last Oct, 2022 that physical hazing in our fraternity had been totally scrapped.
But recent Senate committee hearings show the irrationality of some of the current senators. They are again in their average elements. They uttered statements on the fly, without much thinking. Emotions rather reasons were the bases of utterances of the day.
For example: One said, “Panagutin ang lahat, kasama ang owner ng property na pinangyarihan”. I laughed over that one. Another said, “R.A. 11053-The Anti-hazing Law has no teeth”. What, you passed something that was half-cooked? That is self-indictment, even if the senator who uttered the statement was not a framer of that law. That is how many senators are thinking. Pass a law with thorough study, then revise it based on what will happen next, even if that happens just in the first year of implementation of the law. Nincompoops.
There was also a suggestion by a senator that fraternity should be totally banned from school. I heard former Pres R. Duterte in an interview that he holds same opinion. Our constitution guarantees the right of the people to peaceful assembly or to form peaceful organizations. The fraternities serve a novel purpose just like any peaceful organization. They offer a “home” for students especially those from far away places. Ban them and you are curtailing a constitutional right of students. You just have to manage them.
But let me cite a good example related to the fraternities. Some years back, the Benguet State University withdraw recognition of all fraternities/sororities in its campuses because of some unruly behavior and activities of some members. To date, not one of such organizations is existing in its campuses.
One senator was more sober and thoughtful. He commented that “the anti-hazing law has enough restrictions, we just have to refine it to include responsibilities of concerned parties like the school, and the community”.
Perhaps, schools should encourage more organizations that subscribe to peaceful religious teachings such as Bible-based groups.**
