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                is putting recognition to. Yes, these acts are   who  commits  and  his  motive  under  his   the  law  progress   7

                                                           As what the law implies, regardless
 isrespect continues to roam in

                                                                                           onwards  since  the
 every  place  in  different  forms
                indeed stated in the 19-pages long context
                of the law that as well enumerate quite stiff
                                                                                           day  it  was  imple-
 not until it turns into a crime.
                                                      sleeves, still won't make him  an exception
 Early  this  year,  albeit  some
                                                                                           mented.
                                                      for  the  accountability  of  his  own  actions.
                sanctions over perpetrators.
                                                                                                 With  this
                      The  Safe  Spaces  Act  is  an  attempt
                                                      Prove  to  us  that  a  Filipino  man  is  better
 tinge  of  confusion  and  doubt
 like  what  Gabriela  Women's
                                                                                           “clad  compli-
                                                      Bastos Law , the game won't change over-
                because figures show that, violence against
 Party called the president as a

                women, discrimination and gender inequali-
                                                      night.  Some  people  will  remain  in  need  of
                                                                                           ments",  its
 “single  most  brazen  violator  of  the  law’s   to  eradicate  gender-based  harassment,   than  this.  Even  after  enacting  the  Bawal   law to return the
 intent", the law has been officially signed.    ty still persist despite the existing laws that   more  humanity  and  help  to  temper  their   g e n u i n e
 Implementing  rules  and  regulations   protect their welfares.    unjustified  behaviors.  Instead,  we  women   translation  into
 of Republic Act No. 11313, also known as   As  what  Philippine  Commission  on   and men alike, BE ADVOCATES.   actual  work,  and
 the Safe Spaces Act or the “Bawal Bastos”   Women Chairperson Rhodora Bucoy shared   Through the  collaborative efforts of   some changes to how        P
 law  penalizes  catcalling,  wolf-whistling,   lamenting over the slim number of women   different  agencies  and  non-government   we  regard  our  fel-
 misogynistic  and  homophobic  slurs,  un-  reporting  their  experience,  “2  in  5  women,   organizations,  an  existing  law  is  further   lows,  must  work
                                                                            expanded   to   enough to provide
                                                                            reach places of   positive  change
                                                                            literal  narrow   to  the  lives  of
                                                                            alleys.  Whoev-  the   Filipino
                                                                            er  has  experi-  people  and  to
                                                                            enced  sexism   never  let  sexu-
                                                                            and   received   al  violence  be
                                                                            unwanted  re-  t o l e r a t e d
                                                                            marks  as  they   again.
                                                                            stroll  in  malls    M e n
                                                                            or    streets,   and  wom-
                                                                            must  have  felt   en,  now
                                                                            the great insult   is  the
                                                                            that   lurked   time  to
 only persons in authority could be charged   that  is  41%,  aged  15  to  49  have  never   down  their  spines.  This  proves  that  even   have   a
 as  offenders  limited  to  specific  public  do-  sought help to end violence nor told anyone   without active terrorism, a different kind of   quick  grasp
 mains to where the act was committed.   about violence.  1 in 4 told someone about   violence still lingers around which primarily   of   your
 Now that sexual harassment seems   violence but did not seek help”.   targets the vulnerability and dignity mostly   rights  and
 to  happen  almost  anywhere,  offenders   Nobody  wants  the  spot  of  a  victim   of women and the LGBTQ+ community.   r o l e s
 could now be anyone too. This law includes   although in these trying times, least we can   Let this law remind us all on how we   a b o u t
 the  host  of  acts  often  regarded  today  as   do is learn how to properly deal with a hos-  must behave as humans who have potential   changing
 'usual' such as but not limited to catcalling   tile environment through gearing ourselves   to  carry  violence  in  our  own  tongues  and   the  game
 whistling,  considered  as  gender-  with  reasonable  knowledge  of  the  protec-  gestures. Everybody should practice liberty   for   good.
 based street and public spaces sexual har-  tion we are accustomed to. Have the cour-  while respecting the rights of others. There   One   that   re-
 assment committed through unwanted and   age to report to the authority and never let   are always humble and noble ways to com-  quires all Filipinos
 uninvited sexual actions or remarks against   justice keep in silence.   pliment  other  people  whoever  they  are.   involved  in  bring-
 any  person,  regardless  of  the  motive.  Not   On  the  other  hand,  it  is  said  that   Right from this moment, let’s observe gen-  ing  both  cultural
 excluding  cyberspaces  where  most  of  us   most  noted  offenses  were  committed  par-  der-sensitivity and respect in our language   and   behavioral
 have  direct  access  to,  portray  a  venue  of   ticularly  by  men  who  could  have  mistaken   and  actions,  for  obeying  the  new  law  is   changes   that
 threats  intimidating  and  harassing  victims’   their  rights  to  freedom  of  expression.  As-  something anyone could not afford not to.    makes  a  safer  envi-
 online.  In  these  platforms  allowing  sexist   suming  them  to  comply  compliments  that   Nevertheless,  to  take  a  crucial  part   ronment  to  share
 remarks,  cyberstalking,  incessant  messag-  surpassed  beyond  the  right  use  of  their   are  ones  who  have  the  authority  to  appre-  with everyone.
 ing, and impersonating identities of victims   language and actions, relaying oddity to the   hend  perpetrators  and  enforce  the  law,
 also require security and protection the law   physical safety of other people.   hopefully  with  their  full  commitment  may
                                                                                                                                 6NHWFKHV  .LP $OH[DQGUD &RUGH]
              h o m e -  I'm not going to take a risk                         t the beginning of his    That  has  been  refuted  by   With  all  those  projects  we
              w o r k   with anything that needs to                           tenure,   President   officials  of  the  government,  citing   talked  about,  one  thing  is  clear,
                       be risky when life comes to
                   e
                 r
              a
    not  to  burden  students.   gram  seems  to  send  stu-        A  war  on  drugs.            ed  to  around  100,  even  though   Works  and  Highways  (  DPWH)  is
                                                                                                                                 infrastructure is the game 's name,
                                                                                                  ongoing programs and pointing out
                                                                              Duterte  launched  an
                       crushing me hard.
              m a d e
                                                                                         develop-
                                                                                                  that the list has only been extend-
                                                                                                                                 and  the  Department  of  Public
                                                                              ambitious
                             This  K  to  12  pro-
                                                                              ment  plan  along  with
 The K-12 program calls so
                                                                              his
                                                                                                  certain  programs  have  been
                                                                                                                                 called to the frame.
                       dents  into  a  war  without
 much  so  that  our  perfor-
                                                                                                  dropped.
                                                                    Dubbed "Build Build, Build," it listed
                                  them
                                         with
 mance assessment system
                       supplying
                                                                         75  flagship  projects  target-
                                                                                                                                      We  have  become  too  com-
                       enough  weapons.  The  war
 ensures  its  implementa-
                                                                                                                                 fortable with the fact that DPWH is
                                                                                                        Database  from  the  govern-
                                                                           ing  completion  or  signifi-
 tion,. However, on the con-
                       were already left unarmed,
 trary,  students  are  clearly
                                                                              progress by the time it
                                                                                                  took office in June 2016, a total of
                                                                                                                                 having  been  tasked  with  running
                       groping  in  the  field  for
 burdened  with  the  over-  was just starting, yet some                    cant   implementation   ment has shown that, since Duterte   notoriously corrupt and inefficient,
                                                                                                  9,845  km  of  roads,  2,709  bridges,
                                                                               steps  down  in  2022,
                                                                                                                                 the program. We wish we could tell
 whelming amount of these   something  with  which  to                          procuring it as the   4,536  flood  control  projects,  82   the private side of the construction
 homeworks  being  loaded   live,  uncertain  of  their  fu-                     "golden  age  of   evacuation  centers  and  a  total  of   industry differently.
 into their bags.      ture.  I  can't  help  but  won-                          infrastructure."   71,803  classrooms  have  already
    The  Dignity  Coali-  der  what  this  challenging                                            been  completed  and  constructed   Though, this is not to com-
 tion  for  Teachers  that   path  is  awaiting  for  those                       Nevertheless,  a   under  the  Build  Build,  Buiild   mit ourselves to this political mess
 homework  in  turn  hones   students.                                            few months later,   scheme.  And  if  the  forecasts  are   of  failure  and  corruption  for  ever,
 the capacity of students to   The   government                                   the   ambitious   correct,  the  second  half  with  the   but to straighten our priorities.
 be  responsible  and  devel-  has reportedly taken action                        "Build,   Build,   imminent completion of the much-
 op  independent  problem-  and  helped  to  ease  those                          Build,"  the  gov-  awaited  big-ticket  ventures  would   Indeed, many infrastructure
 solving skills. But to some-  burdens.  This  long  term,                        ernment  recently   be even more promising.    spending need to be implemented
 one  who  isn't  fortunate   however, only has a limited                         came     under                                            more quickly. Any of
 enough  to  have  resources   resource.  Educational  suc-                       scrutiny  as  only                                        the  measures  pro-
 in life, sometimes solving a   cess remains a formidable                         nine  of  the  75                                         posed  can  be  imple-
 problem  will  mean  getting   challenge for a developing                       key  projects  have                                        mented with no spe-
                            country  to  get  the                              begun construction.                                          cial  powers.  In  par-
                            big picture.                                                                                                    ticular,  local  govern-
                             We can't just turn a                            However,  as  in  many                                         ment  units  can  be
                            blind eye to the ones                               of  this  country's                                         prodded  into  cutting
                            that hang slightly off                               in f ra st r u ct u re                                     red  tape  when  pro-
                            the  cliff.  We  can't                               programs,  those                                           cessing  the  neces-
                            just roar to success                                 under Build, Build,                                        sary  project  imple-
                            with  the  engine  and                               Build  have  faced                                         mentation  permits.
                            have  left  somebody                                  red tape, right-of -                                      LGU  executives  can
                            behind.  With  formal                                way    problems,                                           show  more  leader-
                            education  no  child                                court   injunctions,                                        ship and political will
                            should  be  left  be-                             faulty project expecta-   There  was  also  a  plan  to   in  dealing  with  the  residents  who
                            hind.  But  then,  with                         tions,  utter  inefficiency   give  the  President  special  powers   are  affected  by  certain  develop-
                            just  one  hand,  it  is                       and other concerns.    to  remove  red  tape  and  other  is-  ments.
 into another issue. Despite   hard  to  lift  someone  up                                        sues and to speed up implementa-
 difficulties  to  cope  with,   over a cliff.                           Thus, Senate Minority Lead-  tion  of  the  project.  However,  with   Lastly,  I  never  said  that
 determination  helps  them   Probably   sooner,                         er  Franklin  Drilon  strongly   only two and a half years left in the   infrastructure is bad. Never get me
 grasp  their  bright  future   they can go down deep the                concluded  it  as  a  “dismal   administration,  the  House  of  Rep-  wrong. Only that, with this govern-
 and pull the rope. But who   sea  and  see  what  is  more              failure.”                resentatives  speaker  and  other   ment also ambitious funding taken
 knows  that  throwing  such   than  these  plainly  shallow                                      near-the-President officials say the   directly  from  our  taxes,  hopefully
 desperate  move  could  un-  reasons.  What's  in  the                  Expectedly,  the  Duterte   proposal is heading too late.   we  don’t  build,  build,  bleed  dry,
 consciously   pull   them   deepest  part,  that  seemed                 administration   quickly                               because  at  the  end  of  the  day,  if
 down?                 to  be  the  darkest,  are  the                     came  to  the  defense  of   By  October,  Duterte  admin   there  is  really  something  more
    And  for  someone   unheard  voices  of  drown-                         its flagship plan, display-  revokes its current plan to amend   important  to  be  build,  build,  build,
 like me who has nothing to   ing  souls  which  calls  for                ing all the numbers under   and  minimize  the  number  of  big-  they are not roads nor railways, but
 inherit from my parents but   help.  We  can  never  imag-                the  P8-trillion  develop-  ticket projects  through the Nation-  competence and political will.
 these  genes  and  the  edu-  ine  a  grievous  truth  that               ment  project  to  attest  to   al  Economic  and  Development
 cation  they  promised,  it's   actually  exists  below  the              the accomplishments thus   Authority  (NEDA),  invoking  the
 either  I'm  going  to  'hit'  or   horizon.                              far.                   decisions  as  "a  necessary  adjust-
 'miss' this chance in life if                                                                    ment."
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