The Equilibrium - JPES USLS

22/04/2026

𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝

By the riverbend, I see the water
like a mirror, ebbing away forward
The fishes are dancing in it
And the cranes skedaddling over

Behind me, a little church is cradled
by the rolling hills, verdant as ever
Its little bells humming softly
The song of the journeyman’s trek

As I walk, feeling to my bones
the wondrous miracles around me
I remember the days of how
Such things seem to be foreign

The factories were my bassinet
Its putrid air my iron lungs
Chemicals flow as if it’s the Seine
And a gang of carcass were my zoo

As I feel the grass on my feet
The prickling of a thousand needles
I began to savor the moment's sweetness
Myself, free from that nightmare

Hope fuels me to stay alive
That there is more good than bad
Though ugly some things may be
Beauty still hides in the most unassuming

A journal is fixed by my hands
As I sketch and try to etch
The euphoric spark of it all
A testament to the great beyond

The little bells called out again
Its sound still travelling a thousand
I cannot ignore it no more
For the Fates resigned me to this

As I hop, bop, and trop the road
I’m back to where I started in kirsch
For what is a journeyman’s destiny
If there’s nothing at all in the first place

Content | Paul Corral
Illustration | Antoinette Gendran

20/04/2026

𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝟭𝟬𝟭 | 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 between 𝐀 and 𝐁 when your 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 reminds you that 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 is a 𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵.

Content | Valerie Pajotea
Layout | Meryl Olaybar

16/04/2026

🗳️ 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻!

The wait is over—voting for the 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 (𝗝𝗣𝗘𝗦) 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 is now officially open starting 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠!

Voting links have been sent to your respective batch group chats. Make sure to check your GC and cast your vote.

Your voice matters. Your vote shapes the future of our organization. This is your opportunity to choose leaders who will represent your ideas, uphold your values, and drive meaningful change.

Exercise your right to suffrage—be heard, be counted, and be part of the decision.

🕗 Voting starts at 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠
🕗 Voting ends at 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
📩 Check your batch GC for the voting link
🗳️ Vote wisely. Vote responsibly.

Make your vote count. The future of JPES is in your hands.





Layout | Immanuel Vasquez
Caption | A***n Sasi

15/04/2026

𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗗 | 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮?

It's April, and the heat isn't just in the air 🥵💨 it's in catching up on all those quizzes, reports, and projects our profs piled on! With the academic year coming to an end, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙠𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

Content | Charlotte Duff
Layout | Elloisa Tamisan

13/04/2026

13/04/2026

𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝟭𝟬𝟭 | 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

As the end of the 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 approaches, we aspiring economists look forward to the day of our 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. This moment is not just one of personal achievements but is also shaped by the laws of 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬.

Content | Vincent Lim
Layout | Beatrice Biscocho

03/04/2026

𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 | 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞: 𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲

In this house, hope is the color of a heart-shaped fruit. The kitchen is a flurry of graham crackers and heavy cream, a scent of sticky sweet mangoes clinging to the air.

To Trixy Mae Lim, graduating senior Ekonomista, each layer is a labor of love. As she juggles internship requirements with the general demands expected from someone about to step into adulthood in only a matter of three weeks, her tireless hands also carry the drive of a pet owner doing everything she can to give her best friend a fighting chance.

“I was in 8th grade pa sang gin-adopt siya namon… She was a cute little puppy when we got her,” Trixy recalled, looking back at the point in her life when she first met Pebble, a Japanese Spitz-Maltese who is now eight years old. “Buot buot gid si Pebble. In her years of life, never pa siya naka-kagat tawo. She loves getting belly rubs and being baby-talked.”

“Fighter gid ni siya,” she expressed, beaming with pride at how Pebble continues to stay energetic despite a two-month-long battle with ehrlichiosis and pyometra. As of March 21, her most recent blood test revealed that the toll of these conditions had dragged her platelet and white blood cell counts to critically low levels: a mere 12 and 1, respectively.

Since the first diagnosis back in February, Pebble has cycled through six different medications and supplements. Every ten days, Trixy sets aside over P1,500 for these prescriptions—a figure that, when coupled with biweekly veterinary visits, has already climbed to P15,000. It is a steep mountain to climb, but the peak is still ahead: once Pebble's platelet count stabilizes, she will need to undergo surgery, with costs estimated between P25,000 and P30,000.

Though it may be an uphill battle, it is not being fought alone. Adulthood isn't just about finishing an internship or receiving a diploma. And while it is often defined by responsibilities, it is also about honoring those who have shown us constant loyalty and companionship. With every tray that leaves Trixy's kitchen, a stone is laid on Pebble's road back to health. A path made smoother, layer by layer.

Content | Kailah May Paceno
Layout | Beatrice Biscocho

To support their journey and enjoy a sweet treat made with care, please refer to this link:

🔗https://tinyurl.com/PebblesPath

02/04/2026

𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝟭𝟬𝟭 | 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤

As we approach the climax of this year's 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, this edition of 𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝟭𝟬𝟭 shows how significantly this holiday affects our 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 and 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 all at once.

Content | Vincent Lim
Layout | Beatrice Biscocho

01/04/2026

𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 | 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 gathered the most 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 to ensure you stay sharp and informed throughout the month.

Caption and Layout | Beatrice Biscocho
Writers | Chielsey De la Peña, Beatrice Biscocho, Marienne Lopez

30/03/2026

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛 | 𝐕𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬

Buying it for the 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠, not the 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭.

Content | Paul Corral
Layout | Meryl Olaybar

25/03/2026

𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞

War goes on,
And prices climb.
But who bears the weight?
The poor—every time.

Drivers who spends more than earns,
Students who'd rather work than go to school.
Commuters crushed by shrinking pay,
All hoping costs will fall someday.

Peso has reached it lowest point.
What happens next?
The world has been vexed.
We, atleast, deserve the best.

These are not our wars to fight,
But the aftermath made us suffer otherwise.
In silent loss, in daily strife,
They steal the ease from ordinary life.

Content | Valerie Pajotea
Illustration | Antoinette Gendran

23/03/2026

𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝟭𝟬𝟭 | 𝐎𝐢𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐤𝐞

𝗙𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 are no longer just 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 — they are a daily 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 for every Filipino.

Content | Charlotte Duff
Layout | Janna Remus