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Paghahanda: Ang Mga Hakbang Taong 2022 nang simulang maaprubahan ang limitadong face-to-face classes ng mga piling eskwelahan sa mga low-risk area. Kaya naman mula Pebrero ay nagsimula na ito sa mga piling lugar na kadalasan ay sa mga probinsya. Matapos ang mga magagandang resulta sa limitadong face-to-face classes, kasunod nito ang diskusyong pagpapalawak nito, kaya naman sa pagpasok ng bagong administrasyon ay kasabay rin ang anunsyong pagbubukas ng mga paaralan para sa mga mag-aaral ng buong bansa sa bagong taong akademiko, kaya naman tanong ng mga QCians, “Handa na ba ang QCU para sa amin?”. Nakaraang taong akademiko 2021-2022 nang magsimulang palawigin ng unibersidad ang pagbibigay ng bakuna para sa mga mag-aaral, personnel at maging residente ng QC, kung saan ang booster shot na kasunod nito ay hindi pumapalyang binibigyan ng panahon. July 8, 2022 ay ang araw ng vaccination rollout na extended para sa mga hindi pa nabibigyan ng panibagong booster shot, humigit kumulang 300 rehistradong indibidwal para sa vaccination shots ang matagumpay na naturukan sa araw na iyon. Bago tuluyang magsimula ang panibagong taon ng akademiko ay nagkaroon ng online townhall meeting kung saan ay ipinahayag ng University President na si Dr. Teresita V. Atienza na ang panibagong set-up ng QCU para ngayong taong akademiko ay Hybrid Learning, kasunod nito ay ang diskusyon patungkol sa tuition at iba pang mahahalagang bagay. July 28, 2022 nang mag baba ng Notice of Medical Requirements ang QCU para sa lahat ng mag-aaral nito mula freshman, at ito ay inaasahan nilang matanggap lahat hanggang August 3 at na-extend hangang ika-5 ng Agosto. Pagbubukas ng Pinto: Ang Muling Pagbabalik August 15, 2022 — kasalukuyang araw ay nagsimula nang buksan ng QCU ang kanilang pintuan sa mga piling mag-aaral para sa limitadong face-to-face classes, ilang building din ng unibersidad ang nilinis, inayos at hinanda para sa mga guro at mag-aaral nito. Nagsimula ng alas otso ng umaga ang flag ceremony ng unibesidad, kasabay rito ang mga iilang importanteng anunsyo. Nang matapos na iyon ay agarang pinapunta ang mga mag-aaral sa kani-kanilang nakatalagang silid, maitatalang hangang anim o pitong classrooms ang binubuksan sa bawat building na gagamitin, kung saan ang bawat pinto ng silid aralan ay naka-marka ang room number, upag madali lamang itong makita ng mga estudyante. Hindi hihigit sa 40 ang laman ng bawat silid aralan, kabilang na rito ang mga Instructor. Mahigpit ding ipinatutupad ang laging pagsusuot ng face mask, social distancing, at ipinagbabawal ang pagtambay sa mga lugar na hindi pinapagamit. Mahigpit rin ang pagtatalaga ng magbabantay sa bawat gate para sa seguridad ng mga mag-aaral, ang sanitizer alcohol, at temperature scanner ay makikita sa bawat gate upang masiguro na rin na walang masama ang pakiramdam na pumapasok sa eskuwelahan. Ang bawat silid aralan na ginagamit ay malaki na para sa hindi sosobrang 40 na tao, hindi kulang ang upuan at madalas dito ay gumagana ang lahat ng ilaw at electric fan ng silid. Sa oras naman ng uwian, mahigpit na pinapauwi agad ang mga estudyante at hindi pinapayagang tumambay pa sa loob ng unibersidad. Simula pa lamang yan ng kahandaan ng unibersidad para sa muling balik-eskuwela ng mga mag-aaral. Sa ngayon ay hindi pa nabababaan ng kumpletong schedule ang mga iilang estudyante, ngunit ito ay napag-usapan at napagplanuhan na rin ng QCU para sa bagong sistema ng akademiko sa taon na ito. Ang pagbabalik classroom sa QCU ay tunay talagang nakapagbigay ng kagalakan sa mga mag-aaral nito, at nagbalik gana na matuto. Kaya naman ang unibersidad ay lubos na naghahanda upang makapaghatid ng hindi lamang solidong pagkatuto, kung hindi ay pagkatutong walang banta ng sakit at sigurado.

An orientation with the theme "Sa Booster Pinalakas, Sabay Tayong Babangon, Magpabooster Ngayon" was held last August 10, 2022 via Zoom Meeting and was attended by students, parents, and faculty members of Quezon City University. Dr. Bradford Antonio C. Martinez, DBA, QCU's Vice President for Academic Affairs, made the opening remarks and encouraged everyone to get vaccinated and boosted. He stated that face-to-face interaction will be frequent, especially since QCU's learning modality is blended learning, and he encourages everyone to get their booster shots. Dr. Theresita V. Atienza, the university president, complemented Dr. Martinez opening statement with a speech and presentation. She claimed that practically all QCU faculty members and 90% or more of the university's students had received immunizations. She spoke about the value of booster shots and the positive effects that individuals will experience from them during the orientation. Dr. Atienza further stated, "Beyond the stats, what we need is a booster shot." She also expressed her gratitude to the Quezon City Health Department for supporting this kind of endeavour. Dr. Malu Elaria, the overall in charge for the vaccination activities within the Quezon City, explained what PinasLakas is. She said that it is a 100 days vaccination campaign ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos to promote safety and protection against the Covid19 Virus. The said campaign will simultaneously happen in different parts of each city. The forthcoming deployment of booster shots on Monday, August 15, 2022 (today) at QCU Batasan Campus beginning at 8 am was also promoted by Dr. Atienza.

The 2022 International Youth Fellowship (IYF) World Camp, which is primarily hosted in Korea, was attended by several student and youth leaders from various colleges on July 27, 2022 at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. It is said to be the largest hub for youngsters and strives to shape the next generation of global leaders. IYF Philippines, which has been around for 10 years, staged the 2022 IYF World Camp. In his introductory remarks, Rev. Abraham Nam, the president of IYF Philippines, welcomed the youth and shared the history of the organization. The director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Brig. Gen. Remus B. Medina, spoke after him and thanked the event's organizers for their efforts. He said that everyone should try to set a positive example for others because youth development is everyone's concern. He ended his speech by a quotation from Franklin Roosevelt saying, “We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can always build our youth for the future”. Additionally, Rev. Ock Soo Park, the founder of IYF, led the event's major activity, the Mind Lecturing. He discussed the two ways of thinking with the guests and stressed the value of mind training for young people. He claimed that he had already discussed including mind education in the curriculum with the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte, but that the conversation had to wait because of the COVID lockdown. In order for the young people to develop into leaders who are humble and have a strong heart, Rev. Park also discussed the importance of the world of the heart. The event was filled with different activities and performances coming from the world-renowned Gracias Choir, Litz, G22, Kaia, The Righteous Stars, and Lincoln School of Arts and Languages. Meanwhile, tv personality Ryan Bang, showed up at the event as a surprise guest which thrilled many of the attendees. In addition to bringing happiness, Ryan Bang inspired everyone by sharing his life story at the conclusion. He explained that being frugal rather than having more revenue sources is the key to success. Additionally, he advised youth to consider their passions and choose a profession that makes them happy. Meanwhile, Ms. Chona Rino, a former volunteer in Good News Corps under IYF, encouraged everyone to join them and be a volunteer who is willing to be sent abroad and help people out there.

July 26 - Various barangay leaders of Quezon City and also the officers of different organizations at QCU— who participated the QCU-BleSDS session that lasted for 6 months finally graduated via Youth Summit. It is also attended with the partners United States Agency International Development (USAID) and Education Development Center (EDC). QCU Barangay Leaders on System Delivery Support for the Out-of-School Youth (QCU-BLeSDS for the OSY) is an executive training course that aims to train the leaders of Quezon City to formulate programs, projects, and activities via project proposals to solve the problems in the situation of OSY’s. The course lasted for six months, starting from November 27, 2021 up until May 7, 2022. The youth summit was opened with the welcoming remarks of the University President, Dr. Theresita V. Atienza. She congratulated all the students for participating and completing the executive training course. Likewise, Dr. David Hall, Chief of Party for USAID Opportunity 2.0, delivered a statement of thanks after the program. In addition to applauding the participants' project suggestions, he expressed gratitude to those who make the executive course possible. According to Dr. Hall, they will grant the best proposal that can make difference and is potentially scalable and sustainable. Dr. Thomas LeBlanc, Director of USAID Philippines' Office of Education, then offers his words of encouragement. Citing statistics on the number of Filipino youngsters who are not in school, he described how USAID's involvement in the Philippines began in the past six decades and explained how this led to the organization holding a USAID-funded executive course. “With your commitments, your resilience, and your hard work. More young Filipinos will be supported to upskill, to be successful and to become productive members and leaders in their communities. As we continue to celebrate more than 75 years of diplomatic relations between our two great countries and more than 60 years of USAID working in development here in the Philippines, the US government, through USAID, remains committed to working with all of you in our shared goal of equipping all Filipino youth with the tools and opportunities they need so that they can have a better tomorrow.” Dr. LeBlanc concluded his speech. Furthermore, the testimonies of selected QCU-BLeSDS students are followed. They discussed their experiences during the training with their groupmates, as well as what they learned throughout the sessions. Some of their project proposals were put into action with their chosen beneficiaries or communities. Following their attestations, they were given a photo opportunity before proceeding to the presentation of project proposals from various groups. There are a total of seven proposals, each with a different focus (Education & Training, Labor & Employment, Peace & Order, Health, and Responsible Parenthood). The granting of certificates of completion to all participants comes after the presentation of their project proposals. For students who finished all the modules and activities provided throughout the session, there is also a certificate of acknowledgment. The message of solidarity from Quezon City Mayor and QCU Board of Regents Chairperson, Ma. Josefina “Joy” Belmonte comes after. It was represented by Ms. Maricris F. Veloso, the Head of Quezon City Education Affairs Unit on the Mayor’s behalf. To finish the QCU-BLeSDS for the OSY Youth Summit, the Project Leader of the Executive Course, Dr. Racidon P. Benarte gave his speech. He summarized the journey of the whole session starting from virtual session up to face-to-face final session. Sending inspiration and gratitude to all the personnel, partner organizations, and participants. Dr. Bernarte ended his message with this, “Congratulations on completing the training program. With that, I would say this project QCU BLeSDS for OSY is truly a blessing. Not just for QC and QCU, but for many of us. Making and realizing the output of discourse will also be a blessing to many OSY. Let us all be a blessing to everyone.” he said. Therefore, the QCU BLeSDS for the OSY Executive Course is a great mechanism to train all the local leaders so that they can develop new strategies and solutions to end or lessen the number of OSYs in the city. With the new projects to apply within their community, they can uplift the lives of out-of-school youth together with determination, perseverance, and pure service.

Another vaccination rollout was extended to all QCU students, personnel, and residents in QC, which was done at the Administrative Building. Many of whom used the chance to acquire their COVID-19 booster shots to adhere to the IATF's minimal health guidelines. There are about 300 registered individuals for the vaccination of booster shots — 130 persons for the 1st booster and 170 being for the 2nd booster. The university opened an online registration before the vaccination for the students, employees, and their relatives. There's also a registration desk on the actual day for those who didn't make it online. Additionally, Ms. Rochelle Pascual, the QCU Chief of Medical and Dental Services, stated that seniors and those with comorbidities should wait three months before receiving a second booster injection. For some people, it will be in four months. The next vaccine has not yet been planned. It still depends on how many people are immunized and how many are not. In order to be prepared and to have additional protection for the impending face-to-face sessions this school year, they urged all students to receive booster jabs. The vaccine injected for the 1st booster was AstraZeneca, while the vaccine for the 2nd booster shot was Moderna.

"Sex talk is an issue that should and should be open to the public as part of the learning process." We grew up in a community where sex was an embarrassing conversation you would hear in public, but the result of hiding knowledge about this can no longer be hidden. "Are you open to sex education?" is a question you can ask different groups in our society where you can get a variety of opinions. Others agree some disagree, and some slightly agree, but for them, it is too early, especially for our young people, to be educated on that kind of discussion. But if you look closely, is it truly too early for young people to deal with this issue, or do we past the point when the primary treatment for early pregnancy and future delays is still viable? Do you believe it would be better for them if they discovered the solution to their question through adequate education rather than through their own experiment that will surely lead to a mistake? Comprehensive sex education may prevent teen pregnancies, according to a recent study, and there is no evidence that it increases rates of sexual activity or sexually transmitted illnesses. The primary author of the study asserted that it is not hazardous to teach kids about birth control, besides abstinence. In the year 2021, we had 19,978 births per 1,000 people in the Philippine population, and this number continues to increase with each passing year. That is the "alarming" reality that we can consider in the current situation of our population. The higher the population, the lower our ability to adequately support every Filipino family. Every day of birth, there are about 568 newborns from unprepared parents. For every 10 women, one of them becomes pregnant early, and it is often because of a lack of open knowledge regarding sex education. The assemblies and discussions on the continued growth of our population are constantly being debated and discussed, the discussion on the drafting of an ordinance stating that sex education should be part of our curriculum is constantly being debated and in each middle of the discussion a variety of reasons it needs to be done and why we oppose this type of social teaching are suggested and shared, in such matters, we realize we need to start from the beginning. In the Philippines sex is illicit, and over time the sudden opening of this issue to the public is considered an intuitive issue that should not be taught to our youth in their early stages. Preluding it slowly until we're all ready to face and serve this kind of discussion at the table is a key and primary medicine to the artistic minds of our society. Remind that a planned family is much better than a family formed by experiment and wonder.

In keeping with Quezon City University's goal of being the No. 1 local university with employable graduates, the QCU Career Placement Division held a career fair last June 20 and 21, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ayala Fairview Terraces - Activity Center for QCU graduates and all QC residents. It was a two-day event, with the first day reserved for QCU fresh graduates and the second day open to all QC residents. Nearly 20 businesses, which are hiring for more than 3,000 open positions from entry level, took part and provided the QCians with employment chances. The QC Public Employment Service Office (QCPESO) and the Ayala Malls Fairview Terraces both contributed to the success of the said event. A total of 3,290 job openings have been advertised at the said career fair, with 1,630 males and 1,660 females. On the first day, no applicants were hired on the spot, while 7 were hired on the second. Meanwhile, 650 applicants have yet to be contacted for further interviews.

June 23 - QCU Batch Natatangi students celebrate their conferral and recognition, and on June 24, 2022, they officially graduate under the banner "Natatanging katatagan tungo sa matagumpay na kinabukasan." At the Quezon City Memorial Circle Covered Court, both events took place. It’s been two years since the start of online classes. Only virtual graduation ceremonies were held by the batch graduates from Manawari (2019–2020) and Padayon (2020–2021). Now that the situation is returning to normal, it is the first time Quezon City University has staged a face-to-face graduation rites again since the outbreak of COVID-19, while still adhering to bare minimum safety protocols. All of the graduates received their degree titles during the conferral and recognition ceremony, which was presided over by Mayor Joy Belmonte and QCU President Dr. Theresita V. Atienza. Several students also received awards. The honors given to those students are “MLQ Youth Leadership Award”, “Academic Honors” which includes the Latin Honors, and “Academic Excellence Award” granted for the highest general weighted average overall. Before the awarding, Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte gave an inspiring message to all the graduates of Batch Natatangi. She encouraged all the students to follow God’s will for them, “Sometimes what we want is not what God wants for us. So just keep an open mind, continue to pray, and continue to put that God’s will is what we will follow”. Mayor Joy ended her message by motivating them to make their life valuable, “Be productive. Do not waste the life that God gave you. You only have one life. Make it matter. Make it important. Make it a life that your parents will be proud”. Additionally, Ms. Vanessa C. Ubaldo from the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy is the recipient of the Manuel Luis Quezon Youth Leadership Award. 181 Cum Laude Awardees and 14 Magna Cum Laude Awardees are among the 195 students that achieved Academic Honors. Pamella A. Ramos, a student in the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship program, receives the Academic Excellence Award. Ms. Ramos gave her valedictorian speech after receiving the Academic Excellence Award. She expressed her gratitude to those who became part of her life journey. And she also shared her struggles and experiences on how she overcome the challenges to motivate her fellow students, “Sa Batch Natatangi, umpisahan nating pagkatiwalaan ang ating mga sarili. Huwag nating lamunin ang ating sarili ng mga pangamba at takot. Ang mundo ay hindi limitado para sa mga naniniwala. Tandaan din nating kung may isang pintong nagsara, mayroon pang mga pinto na maaari nating buksan, o kusang magbubukas para sa atin.” she said. Following Ms. Ramos' address as valedictorian, Mr. Daryl Panganiban, the president of the QCU Alumni Association, led a pledge to close the recognition ceremony. To confirm that the Batch Natatangi graduates would be alumni of Quezon City University. There are two (2) sessions for the graduation ceremony proper, which is held the day after. The morning session is attended by students from the College of Computer Studies and the College of Engineering. The second is the afternoon session for College of Business Administration and Accountancy graduates. The morning session was participated by 1,141 Bachelor of Science in Information Technology students— including those from the old curriculum. The engineering students were also there consisting 71 students from Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering and 257 students from Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, also including those from the old curriculum. With a total of 328 students from the College of Engineering. It was proceeded by the speech of Hon. Michael Kelly P. Tiu Lim, the representative of Business/Industry and a Member of QCU Board of Regents. He gave an inspiring message that the graduates should never forget to serve others and use their talents for any good. Mr. Tiu Lim ended his message with a quote from Confucious, “A child without education is like a child without wings”. Then he further convey his message about the importance of education and continuing to fly high to reach their dreams. Moreover, the awarding of diplomas have began and the commencement speech for the morning session follows. The speech was led by Ms. Elanie J. Quilang from the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. She shared all the related experiences of their batch and motivate them, “College life is like we stranded in the middle of the sea. Bakit? Kasi maaaring hayaan mo na lang ang iyong sarili na lumubog, sumuko, at tuluyan nang malunod, o tutulungan mo ang iyong sarili [na] lumangoy upang makaahon at makaligtas.” she said. Ms. Quilang concluded her message with this, “Ipakita natin kung ano ang tatak QCians. Good luck sa journey na lalakbayin ng bawat isa sa’tin. The future is all yours now, go for it!”. The graduation for the College of Computer Studies and College of Engineering has ended, then took a break, and was followed by the afternoon session. After the graduation of BSIT and Engineering students in the morning, the last session was participated by 198 students from Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, and 1,183 students from Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship, including those from the old curriculum. They made up the 1,381 students from the College of Business Administration and Accountancy. It was headed by the speech of Mr. Antonio Joselito G. Lambino II, the Director of Management, Strategic Communication and Advocacy of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He emphasized how serious climate change is, and that everyone should be environmentally responsible in their own households. He also stated that his friend, Climate Change Commission Chairperson, Carlos G. Dominguez said that, “People do not realize it, but climate change will hit us like a tsunami if we continue to do nothing about this worsening crisis”. Mr. Lambini also explained his point that the call to action on climate should resonate more with young people— who will live beyond the next few decades. He finished his speech by reminding the students to never give up and do their best in everything. With the commitment and determination, get up when life knocks them down. The awarding ceremony for their diploma follows, then Ms. Nicole P. Padre from BS Entrepreneurship started her commencement speech by thanking God and her mom. She also shared with everyone the key to her success. She said that there is no secret, but it depends on how a student will practice habits that will help them a lot in their studies. She also extended her congratulations to her batchmates— especially to working students for she herself experienced being one. Ms. Padre said that BS Accountancy was initially her top option, but there weren't any slots at that time. As a result, she was forced to enroll in her current course, which she eventually came to love and perform admirably in. She also thanked her mother, late father, her best friend— Mara Malapitan, her aunties, her friends, and the Megaworld Foundation— which is with her throughout her journey. She closed her speech saying, “Beautiful things in life don’t come easily. I’m hoping and praying that no matter what life throws to us, may we all overcome”. Therefore, the morning and afternoon graduation ceremonies culminated by singing of the graduation song “Liwanag sa Dilim” covered by Yeng Constantino and “Imno ng Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Quezon”. The graduation was indeed memorable for all the graduates of Batch Natatangi because of the struggles they went through all their college years. Their efforts are worth the prize with face-to-face graduation of QCU after 2 years. Congratulations to the first batch of K to 12 graduates. All of them were indeed “natatangi”, unique, or distinct from others. They were the light in the midst of their darkest times. This chapter may end for them, but a new page of reality will unfold ahead for another journey. By Jericho Paqueo & Rozi Broqueza

Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a public servant, judge, legal scholar, and excellent Philippine senator, was born in Iloilo on June 15, 1945. Miriam was born with the ability to lead. She was the eldest of seven children and was directing the home before she finished elementary school. Her mother was a career lady who shrewd housekeeping, so she was in charge of the daily marketing, as well as directing the family's unskilled rural maids and organizing her younger brothers and sisters to do their responsibilities. Defensor studied so effectively as a college student that she had plenty of time for other things. She was the editor of the campus monthly magazine from her freshman year onward. She also participated in debates and studied journalism and stenography classes over the summers. She thought that she could create better stories than the ones she was reading and began selling them to big publications after deciding that she could. She was the recipient of several awards. She received first place in university competitions in orator poems, short tales, and essays in 1963, for example. She kept her grades up throughout, and when she graduated in 1965, she was awarded as magna cum laude. In the United States, she received her Doctor of Juridical Science degree. Because of her legal genius and daring example in combating corruption, the former senator is a worldwide recognized figure. Her honesty shines like a beacon in the darkness in a country where many public officials are accused or suspected of looting. In numerous ways, she has given respect to the Philippines. She is the first Filipino and Asian from a developing country to be chosen to the International Criminal Court by the United Nations. The International Criminal Court considers proceedings involving heads of state. As a result, she helped to place the Philippines on the world map in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, she had to decline the opportunity to serve as an ICC judge due to a serious illness. She had been suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome for two years. She was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in June 2014. (the last stage). But she battled back with her trademark wit and tenacity, and her cancer has now retreated, even cancer cells are terrified of her! She was named a recipient of the Magsaysay Award for Government Service, which is recognized as Asia's Nobel Prize. She was designated one of "The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World" by The Australian magazine for her "strong and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government department." She has received accolades for exceptional performance in all three branches of government, making her the most decorated public official in the country today. She has earned accolades such as The Outstanding Young Men, or TOYM; The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service, or TOWNS; and Most Outstanding Alumna in Law from the University of Pennsylvania, to name a few. Sen. Santiago has submitted the most legislation and authored some of the most important laws in the Philippine Senate, where she is serving her third term. Anti-dynasty law; an act establishing an age-appropriate curriculum to combat child abduction, exploitation, and sexual abuse; anti-epal bill; freedom of information measure; and magna carta for Philippine internet freedom are some of her most significant pending bills. In legislative investigations, she has been brave in exposing and naming prominent criminal offenders, notably jueteng lords and illegal logging lords. She was the one who initiated the national plunder probe (which is now a historic scandal). She reported in December 2012 that the Senate president had given cash presents using Senate funds, except for Senator Santiago and two others, every senator received a P2 million Christmas present from public monies. That controversy led to the infamous pork barrel affair, for which the Senate president is currently suspended and in jail after the Ombudsman charged him with plunder, unlike her colleagues in Congress, her "pork barrel," commonly known as PDAF, was never tainted by a bribe, according to COA records. The former senator will be recognized as a true hero of her people throughout Philippine history. The platinum woman, the tiger lady, the dragon lady, the iron lady of Asia, the queen of popularity surveys, and the unquestioned campus hero have all been given to her. But she is most known to her millions of followers for her particular brand of charismatic leadership, dubbed "Miriam Magic" by the media. She is a true form of women strength and power, a leader with untainted dignity.

Consumers, brace yourselves and fill up your tanks earlier as oil companies projected another major hike in petroleum in the coming week. Oil industry earlier said that diesel prices will soar between P 4.20 to P 4.50 per liter; and gasoline might rise by P 1.40 to P 1.90 per liter. These massive trains of hike are the result of European Union (EU) banning Russian seaborne imports, in line with its' invasion to Ukraine, thus Middle Eastern countries shoulders the production of oil to the global market. At present, consumers suffer from this event, albeit Department of Energy (DOE) Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi, on March 2, assured the public of the sufficiency of the country's oil supply. But this alone doesn't guarantee us enough supply of petroleum products, as demands overtake supplies, we know for a fact that this product will soon be scarce - and in return to this scarcity, the oil commodities will sooner be astronomically pricier than before. These hikes one after another will indubitably whack consumer's pockets. Prior to this impending hike, it will be a continuous burden for most of us, but above all to all PUB, PUJ, and PUV operators as well as other consumers of petroleum commodities. Such a gradual shift to renewable sources of energy would be the government's turning-point to answer the call of this unprecedented time. If only the government invested more on renewable energy than being obsessed with importing fossil fuels, this would change everything. For commuters, it turns out investing or buying a bike would be beneficial for your health and for your wealth. After all, Department of Transportation (DOTr) setup a network of bike lanes in the metro.

People all over the world have suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the longest school closures and a predicted recession, this is the worst disruption to education systems in recent years. Education system disruptions in the last year have already resulted in significant losses and learning imbalances. While all of the national and local governments' efforts to provide remote training are admirable, they have demonstrated that through proper planning and programs that will allow students to continue their studies despite the global pandemic situation. Despite the difficulties, Filipinos demonstrated creativity and perseverance during the epidemic. Societal pressures to mobilize contributions from various sectors to combat the pandemic prompted Higher Education Institutions (HIEs) to take on these problems. A recent record of Covid-19 cases was dropped in Quezon City, as well as other areas, in accordance with the Commission of Higher Education's provision (CHED). With the assistance and support of the Quezon City LGU, the Quezon City University began its pilot implementation of face-to-face classes on selected courses with their respective subjects, which included laboratories, the last week of March. The pilot implementation of face-to-face in the university consists of five courses offered in the university that are participating in the program for the upcoming Academic Year 2022-2023 in August. This pilot implementation will assist the university in plotting its plans for expansion or possible upgrade in terms of capacity or number of students, number of rooms or facilities, and overall university adjustments to accommodate students in light of the new normal situation. This coming new Academic Year 2022-2023, students can expect a different academic setup than in previous years. We're embracing the new normal. A lot of changes occurred. This preparation by Quezon City University will provide students with the opportunity to be physically present in the classroom set-up within the university, but with some changes and a new set of rules regarding health protocols. This pandemic has heralded a new era of challenges, uncertainties, and opportunities. It is our responsibility to adapt and transform the challenges and issues into opportunities for our country and the global community to thrive and prosper.

If you are to be asked “Are we free?” or “Malaya ba tayo?” It is an easy question to answer. You may gladly and easily give your yes. However, if I ask you again “Are we truly free?” or “Malaya ba talaga tayo?” That's when you start thinking deeply and questioning your own thoughts. It is easy to say yes and just move on to the question but what do we mean when we say yes? Is it a yes because we are physically free? When we say yes to that manner, why can’t you take off your mask if you have the freedom to do so? If you are not free to do that, does the restraint from taking off the mask in public be a threat to your freedom? And when you think of it, more than your mask, there are many things in this world that we can do but we don’t do because of the law, otherwise, we can be imprisoned and let others take more of our freedom from us. In that case, is freedom a game of trade? Truly, there is no absolute freedom in this world, I believe, that is another thing to be discussed. But freedom can be a tradeoff. When we say freedom, in the Oxford Dictionary, it is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. So, when we are talking about being free, we are also talking about our power or right to act without being shackled to anything. In the example, taking off your mask in public, you are taking away your power to act accordingly for a greater freedom like being free to CoVid-19 or any illnesses. If we apply this in today’s generation where almost everyone has their social media accounts where we can post whatever and whenever we like, does this impose freedom? Does something that is taking an ample amount of our time a greater tradeoff than the other productive activities that we could have accomplished? Malaya ba talaga tayo? When we ask that to ourselves, we also imagine it in a nationalistic perception, “Are we, Filipinos, truly free?” Freedom will always be the power you exercise. If you don’t vote for a candidate that buys votes, you exercise your power to act in the right way, therefore, you choose freedom against corrupt officials. If you struggle researching for your candidates, you are choosing freedom from the ones who will later, may threaten your freedom to have equal justice and rights and a better future. If you choose candidates that are not friends with plunderers, you choose your freedom over the government that may free the criminals with a high status. Being free is acting using the power you have. It is also about the responsibility that you need to bear because you choose freedom. Now, the other question is, “The ones who do whatever they want, are they free?” The answer is no. They’re not free, they do not have freedom. They need to hide in the shadows of their lies until it becomes them. They are imprisoned by their vices and things that they are obsessed with because they choose to be owned by it. Our impulses, desires, addictions, fear, and the likes are the true threat to our freedom. If you ask me, are we truly free? It depends on what we choose to do or not to do. And you should also start answering the question for yourself, especially the youth of today. Are you truly free?