The Ruralite

13/10/2025

: Face to face classes in Laguna for both public and private schools are suspended from October 14 to 31, Governor Sol Aragones recently announced.

This decision comes after Governor Aragones' consultation meeting with DepEd officials and university representatives to address the recent increase in earthquake cases in the country, alongside the rise of flu-like cases.

The University of the Philippines Rural High School has yet to make an announcement regarding this shift.

11/10/2025

| SciMath Fair & Exhibits Day 2 features inter-high school competitions and seminars
By Izabella Mae Bidula

Day 2 of the SciMath Fair & Exhibits 2025 showcases inter-high school activities, teacher seminar sessions, and competitions open for Ruralites.

Hosts Reanne Quilloy and Mishcka Dimapilis opened the program, followed by opening remarks from Asst. Prof. Leopoldo B. Laser, Jr.. After which, the UPRHS Filipiniana Dance Troupe took the stage with their performance of Maglalatik, Lapay Bantigue, and Sayaw sa Bangko, showcasing the Filipino culture.

Asst. Prof. Gabriella Monica M. Gonzales from the UPLB Department of Electrical Engineering held the plenary session, delivering the final portion of the opening program.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫
Three inter-high school events were held in the morning from 9:00 AM-12:00 NN: AccesED: Design for Change in Education, Graph-It-Green (GIG): Geogebra to Impact a Generation, and Generals of Knowledge (GOK).

AccesED: Design for Change in Education, held at the SHS 101, representatives Jhelxea Kimira S. Oliva, Justine Gabriel O. Dela Cruz, and Pierre Sigmund B. Mendoza from San Pablo City Integrated High School were awarded first place. Meanwhile, Adriel Jacob P. Velasco, Corey Gabriel G. Cortez, and Simon Kriscien G. Quintans from Christian School International, placed second.

Additionally, Sam Marius M. Cecilio of Christian School International clinched the first place for Graph-It-Green (GIG): Geogebra to Impact a Generation, while Miriam College Nuvali representatives Manuel Kozo Ilagan and Elizabeth Marie Beltran placed second and third, respectively.

For Generals of Knowledge (GOK), Avrylle L. Ayuda, John Rey P. Escueta, and Mariella Kaitlin Coronado of San Pablo City Science Integrated High School emerged in first place. Khang Nhat Le, Zacharraya Sun A. Sison, and Sebastian Caleb G. Donovan of Christian School International placed second, while Jayzer Dane P. Tenio, Carl Melo P. Gulay, and Hannie Christensen L. Ilagan of San Pablo City Integrated High School took third place.

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
Asst. Prof. Ma. Grechelle Lyn D. Perez, Mr. John Cedric C. Gaza, and Assoc. Prof. Abriel S. Bulasag led the ENLYTE Teacher Seminars with their talk BioBytes: Applying Computational Thinking in Science Education. Topics centered on how to infuse science teaching with computational ideas.

At the same time, the On-the-Spot Water Rocket Challenge was held at the UPRHS Field, while the Balloon Car Race for Grade 10 students was taking place at the UPRHS Gymnasium.

Hosts Andrea Alcantara and Bryson Gabitanan led the closing program, featuring performances from the UPRHS Maestro and Bandarito.

Day 2 of the Sci-Math Fairs & Exhibits finally came to a close as the Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, and Statistics (AlGeoTriCS) Adviser Asst. Prof. Jerryco M. Jaurige delivered the closing remarks.

Photos by Lee Kenji Abanto, Juliana Franceska Fellizar, Matthieu Alexxis Malolos, Ziah Maegan Reyes, Keziah Safranca, Maria Celine Tallud, Gilfred Pacifico Vergara, and Kate Villarica

08/10/2025

| SciMath Fair & Exhibits makes grand comeback with Day 1 inter-elementary events
By Elisa Marie Lareza

After 2 years, the inter-school SciMath Fair & Exhibits officially makes its grand comeback with the theme “Reverb”. Day 1 formally commenced with a series of inter-elementary competitions, seminars, and activities.

Hosts Ysabelle Rayos and Cedric Estrella opened the event, while Asst. Prof. Mabel S. Buela delivered the opening remarks for the entire program, underscoring the importance of utilizing math, science, and innovation towards the common good amidst the current culture of corruption. Performances from the UPRHS Glee Club soon followed, where they showcased their rendition of “Next in Line” by AfterImage and “Salamin, Salamin” by BINI.

The first plenary speaker of the event, Assoc. Prof. Ronilo Jose D. Flores of the UPLB Graduate School delivered his talk in the final leg of the opening program.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫
Three inter-elementary competitions were held in the morning from 9:00 AM-12:00 NN, namely the Sci-Math Poster Making Contest, Sci-Math Spelling Battle, and Sci-Math Showdown.

11 teams composed of 2 representative teams per school competed in the Sci-Math Showdown. Eventually, Jerahyal Borlagdan, Micholo Samuel Sarmiento, and Cachi Francien Pervera from the Jose Rizal Memorial School emerged victorious as the grand prize winners. Kean Ramirez, Allan Gaddiel Capilit, and Rod Hugo Fuentes of the Morning Star Montessori School Los Baños Campus clinched 2nd place, while Merlia Khloe Sioko, Mirana Socorro Gonzales, and Nicolo Adan Pua of the Christian School International emerged as 3rd placers.

The Sci-Math Spelling Battle would see representatives from 9 competing elementary schools go head to head in 3 rounds. In the end, Terence Matthew A. Maralit of the Del Remedio Elementary School emerged as 1st placer, with Andrei Benedict B. Rebong and Elias Tadeo F. Gomez of the Morning Star Montessori School-Los Baños Campus as the 2nd and 3rd placers, respectively.

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
4 events commenced in the afternoon leg of Day 1. In IB 201, the ENLYTE Teacher Seminars, starring Asst. Prof. Erica Mae Reyes’ talk entitled “Craft and Code: Arduino Basics for Teachers”, and “Empowering Education: Harnessing Generative AI in Mathematics Training” facilitated by Asst. Prof. Jerryco Jaurigue took center stage. Teachers across participating elementary schools, along with members of the UPRHS Faculty, attended the seminar.

Meanwhile, elementary students and Ruralites alike attended the Grade 12 SH-SCI 5 Project Demonstrations, entitled “ChemShows”. The events were facilitated by the 3 Grade 12 STEAM sections, in SHS 202, 204, and 205 respectively. Each section was given a specific theme to focus on, with Kalantas focusing on an astronomy theme, Lauan with a forest theme, and Mancono with a Minecraft theme.

In SHS 104-105, the Grade 8 students participated in MathGaling. Teams from Dungon, Kamagong, and Katmon showcased their Top 16 Hackathon Projects, a submission in partial fulfillment of their requirements for their Computer Science (CS) and Mathematics projects.

Lastly, a techno-demo of cheese-making was facilitated by the Dairy Training and Research Institute of UPLB. The event was attended by students from the Grade 11 STEAM sections.

Day 1 of the Sci-Math Fairs & Exhibits finally came to a close with Delta Theta Epsilon Science Society (DTESS) Adviser Asst. Prof. Job Jonas Ruzgal’s closing remarks.

The 2025 edition of the Sci-Math Fair & Exhibits is a 3-day event featuring inter-school competitions and exhibits from different members of the mathematics and science community. This year marks its full return to its original format after the pandemic.

Photos by Lee Kenji Abanto, Rhianne De La Torre, Juliana Franceska Fellizar, Matthieu Alexxis Malolos, Ziah Maegan Reyes, Keziah Safranca, Maria Celine Tallud, and Gilfred Pacifico Vergara

07/10/2025

| Schedule of Events for Day 3 (Ruralites Day) of the SciMath Fair & Exhibits 2025

Stay tuned for TR's official coverage of the event on our official X account: https://x.com/uprhstr?s=09

Photo from Information Systems Committee UP Rural High School

06/10/2025

| Schedule of Events for Day 2 (Inter-High School Day) of the SciMath Fair & Exhibits 2025

Stay tuned for TR's official coverage of the event on our official X account: https://x.com/uprhstr?s=09

Photo from Information Systems Committee UP Rural High School

06/10/2025

| UPRHS parties to AKWE 2025 "Whimsical Magic: Jump into the Spotlight"

UP Rural High School’s Acquaintance Party (AKWE 2025) with the theme “Whimsical Magic: Jump Into the Spotlight!” was officially celebrated last September 12, 2025 in the UPRHS JSLS Gymnasium. This school-level program centered on welcoming newcomers—particularly, Grade 7 students, Grade 8 or 11 transferees, and new faculty—through a Pixar-themed party.

To kick off the afternoon program, the party’s emcees Andrea Freyce Alcantara and Jessica Francheska Daliuag introduced the Grade 7 sections and their candidates through a parade walk. This was then followed by opening remarks from Asst. Prof. Mabel S. Buela, after which the new faculty and staff were introduced in front of the student body.

Two bands, “Indecisive” and “Bandarito,” also performed a couple of songs before proceeding into what many considered the most anticipated segment of the entire event—the freshie icon contest for Grade 7 students. Once the judges for this contest were revealed, the freshie icon candidates were given a chance to present themselves, their sociopolitical advocacies, and their talent showcase for the school. The paired candidates per section are as follows:

•7-Dao: Ms. Alizia Grace Llorca and Ms. Erin Jaime Felipe
•7-Ipil: Ms. Maria Gaia Leolinn Alcala and Mr. Eishann Jacob Lorenzana
•7-Tindalo: Mr. Marcus Lyle Calderon and Ms. Hannah Dindi Layaoen

A Q&A portion also came next for these freshie icon candidates, wherein each candidate received a question based on the random number that they picked.

Following this, the dinner segment took place, featuring a lineup of bands and dancers who took the stage. These include “Amplify,” “Black Static,” UPRHS Maestro, a faculty performance, “ILLUMIN8,” and the UPRHS Filipiniana Dance Troupe.

Afterward, the awarding for the best dressed students and faculty was held before announcing the winners of the mentioned freshie icon contest:

•Freshie Icons 2025: Mr. Eishann Jacob Lorenzana and Ms. Erin Jaime Felipe
•Popularity Icons: Ms. Maria Gaia Leolinn Alcala and Mr. Eishann Jacob Lorenzana
•Best in Q&A: Mr. Eishann Jacob Lorenzana and Ms. Erin Jaime Felipe
•Most Photogenic: Ms. Hannah Dindi Layaoen and Ms. Maria Gaia Leolinn Alcala
•Best in Talent: Ms. Maria Gaia Leolinn Alcala and Mr. Eishann Jacob Lorenzana

To close the night, the band “10-31 Na Ba?” performed two songs from the movie KPop Demon Hunters before a dance party was hosted in order to officially conclude the event.

“AKWE 2025 was more than just an acquaintance party—it was a celebration of unity, joy, and new beginnings. Beyond the music and dancing, it became a moment for Ruralites to pause from academics, create lasting memories, and warmly welcome our freshies and transferees into the community,” AKWE heads Mitisha Cempron and JM Quilloy expressed.

They further added: “The success of this event was made possible through the dedication of our teachers, committee heads, and volunteers, whose teamwork turned challenges into triumphs. As overall project heads, we, Mitisha Cempron and JM Quilloy, are deeply grateful to everyone who made AKWE 2025 a night to remember, proving once again that when we come together, we create experiences that truly bring us closer as one Rural family.”

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Photos by Lee Kenji Abanto, Juliana Franceska Felizar, and Gilfred Pacifico Vergara

05/10/2025

| Schedule of Events for Day 1 (Inter-Elementary Day) of the SciMath Fair & Exhibits 2025

Stay tuned for TR's official coverage of the event on our official X account: https://x.com/uprhstr?s=09

Photo from Information Systems Committee UP Rural High School

05/10/2025

| Lone running partylist Motto Stella takes center stage at JHS-SC Miting de Avance

The Junior High School-Student Council (JHS-SC) election season has officially concluded with the Miting de Avance, centering lone running partylist Motto Stella.

Hosts Dana Espino and Abby Rebong officially commenced the Miting de Avance with the Introduction of Candidates, where the 9 members of the running partylist formally presented their individual advocacies. This year’s MDA also saw the return of the Lightning Round, where aspirants are given a prompt pertaining to a variety of school-wide issues in which they are asked to vote in agreement or in opposition to.

In her closing remarks, newly elected JHS-SC President Mitisha Cempron underscored the importance of youth participation in political engagement.

The 2025 JHS-SC Elections mark the third year an SC election has been held unopposed. It also sees the introduction of face to face voting held during Homeroom hours.

Official results for the JHS-SC Elections are posted in the official UP Rural Student Council page.

Photos by Lee Kenji Abanto and Juliana Francheska Felizar

21/09/2025

To forget history is to allow it to repeat itself.

On this day, September 21, marks the fifty-third anniversary of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s declaration of Martial Law. The Ruralite, as the official student publication of UPRHS, firmly and collectively stands with all 70,000 imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and 3,240 killed teachers, activists, and journalists during the bloody regime.

Amidst the return of yet another Marcos, the continuous distortion of the exploitative and tyrannical dictatorship period remains a deep-seated issue within the fabric of our nation. Journalists, a primary target of the administration’s attempts to oppress and silence, are bound by the duty to ensure that the truth is re-asserted.

This day reminds us of all the people who courageously spoke out against the dictatorship, despite the threats and dangers of doing so. Among them was Liliosa Hilao, an activist and student journalist, who wrote articles during Martial Law, was arrested, and became the first prisoner to die in detention. Hilao’s case is only one of the thousands of extrajudicial killings that occurred under the dictatorial rule of Marcos Sr.

Our commemoration of this dark era surpasses remembrance, as protests and rallies are being staged to demand accountability from the ongoing perpetuation of a corrupt political system. The EDSA and Luneta demonstrations, an eerie yet fulfilling callback to the mass movements of the past, are attestations of the youth’s role in calling for meaningful change in our society.

As campus journalists, we hold the power and responsibility of continuing the fight that has been long started 53 years ago. The battle will never end if the Marcoses will continue to hold power in our country. Heroes from years ago left us these missions:

to NEVER FORGET.
and to NEVER let Martial Law happen AGAIN.




References

Marcelo, E. (2023, February 26). Activists to Marcos: No reconciliation without justice. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/02/27/2247909/activists-marcos-no-reconciliation-without-justice
Balonzo, R. (2024, September 21). Remembering Lilli Hilao: Campus journalist turned Martial Law martyr. RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/luzon/campus-journalist-liliosa-hilao-martial-law-martyr/

Layout by Pol Marxquzj Laset

20/09/2025

| Opisyal na pahayag mula sa Punong Patnugot ng The Ruralite, Elisa Marie Lareza, sa ginanap na UP Day of Remembrance sa Mataas na Paaralan ng UP kahapon, Setyembre 19, 2025.

Ang UP Day of Remembrance ay isang paalala sa mga pangyayari noong Batas Militar at pagpapatibay ng panawagan manindigan laban sa katiwalian gamit ang boses ng bayan—lalo na sa mga naglilitawang isyu ng maling paggamit sa pondo ng mga proyektong pang-flood control.

Narito ang buong transcript ng kaniyang talumpati:

“ “The line of fire is always a place of honor”

Sa aking apat na taon bilang campus-journalist dito sa Rural, ilang beses ko nang napagtanto ang tunay na kahulugan ng kasabihang ito. Ang bawat cover story at editorial, online caption at live coverage, ang mismong pangangasiwa ng isang student publication sa UP system, ay pagsabak sa linya ng apoy. Masalimuot ang paghanap ng angkop na news angle, pag-cut ng article word length, pag-layout ng sangkatutak ng picture, miski pag-post sa Facebook, matrabaho na gawa ng mahinang WiFi. Pero gaya nga ng sabi ni Lean Alejandro, it is always a place of honor.

Hindi nagtatapos ang papel ng isang Ruralite journalist sa event documentation o sa pag-publish ng dyaryo. Ang pagiging Ruralite journalist ay isang ganap na responsibilidad, hindi lang sa responsable at mapagpalayang pamamahayag, kundi sa aming likas na tungkulin na makielam at makibaka.

At noong 2022, nakibaka ang The Ruralite, nang mahalal ang tambalang Marcos-Duterte sa eleksyon. Tandang tanda ko pa ang gabing iyon, 1 AM nang nakatanggap kami ng mensahe mula sa aming EIC. Sig**o mga ilang araw din kami nagkulong sa kwarto, nagwala, nagpuyat, umiyak at nawalan ng pag-asa. Pero sa kabila ng aming pagluluksa, pinili pa rin naming magsulat.

Nagsulat at nakibaka ang TR laban sa katiwaliang itinataguyod ng mga pasista’t imperyalistang naghaharing uri. Nakibaka ang TR laban sa sisteming pilit na ginigiit ang kultura ng mga korap at trapo. Nakibaka ang TR para sa mga Ruralites, at para sa Mutyang inaasam nating lahat. Ngunit sa gitna ng aming pakikibaka, kami ay pinatahimik. Limang buwang ipinahinto ang aming operations. Tila nawala ang ingay at sigla ng dating maingay na newsroom, at sa halip na halalhak ng matagumpay na coverage team ang aming naririnig, isang espasyong walang laman at nawalan ng buhay ang aming nasulyapan.

Ano na ngayon ang trabaho ng isang student publication na tinanggalan ng karapatan bumoses ng saloobin? Ano nga ba talaga ang mga dapat gampanan ng isang high school campus journalist? At kung ang pagiging Ruralite ay isang pagsabak sa linya ng apoy, saan na ngayon aalab ang apoy?

Malipas ang tatlong taon, sa kabila ng mga pagtatangkang patayin ito, umaalab pa rin ang apoy. Lumalakas ito, hindi lang sa TR, kundi sa bawat sulok ng klasrum dito sa Rural, sa kalsada, sa mga kakampi nating g**o para sa bayan, sa mga kapwa kong lider-estudyanteng pinipili pa ring kumayod, sa kabila ng pagmamaltrato sa kanila ng sistema.

Ramdam ko rin ang pag-alab ng apoy kay Chad Booc at ang New Bataan 5, na pinatahimik at pinatay ng estado at militar, kay Frenchie Mae Cumpio, isang community journalist, na walang-bisang nakakulong ngayon, kay Dexter Capuyan at kay Bazoo de Jesus, at sa lahat ng mga desaparecidong hanggang ngayon, di pa rin nabibigyan ng hustisya. Sa mga biktima at aktibista noong panahon ng Martial Law, kay Lino Brocka, kay Lean Alejandro, lalong lalo na kay Rizalina Ilagan, isang Ruralite na piniling lumaban at makiisa sa hamon ng kilusan—sila ang mga nagsisilbing gabay at inspirasyon sa ating patuloy na pakikibaka.

Sa mga hindi nagsasalita, sa mga pinipiling tumahimik lamang at di makialam, alam kong hindi madali ang paglabas ng saloobin ngayon. We live in a political environment where telling the truth is a death sentence. But it is also the very act of collectively speaking these truths into power where we are granted the right to live and thrive.

So, let’s turn our grief into revolutionary courage. Darkness can win, but only for a time. It is only through activism and militancy that we can truly free ourselves of the systemic shackle put upon us by our oppressors. Tandaan ninyo na ang mukha ng tunay na terorista ay hindi mukha ng aktibista, o mukha ng manggagawa, o estudyante. Ang tunay na terorista ay ang kapulisan, ang militar, at ang mga tao sa Malacañang na nanguguna sa pag-iral ng kultura ng madugong pagpatay. Sila ang kalaban, sila ang dapat managot—hindi ang taumbayan.

Kaya nagsasalita ako ngayon sa harapan ninyong lahat, hindi bilang Editor-in-Chief lamang, kundi bilang isang babae, bilang isang miyembro ng sangkabaklaan, bilang isang ate, kaibigan, anak, bilang isang Ruralite. At bilang mga Ruralite, hinihikayat ko kayong lahat na magsilbing panday ng pagbabago. Sa narating na mga araw, linggo, buwan, at taon, hanggang sa makamit natin ang tunay na tagumpay, huwag sana natin talikuran ang sigaw ng bayan. Panahon nang wakasan natin ang isang paralisadong sistemang binuo para sa pansariling interes ng mga sinungaling at magnanakaw. Sama-sama tayo lumabaw at mag-mobilisa. Sama-sama nating harapin ang linya ng apoy. ”





Kuha mula kay Meir Bejona

15/09/2025