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FORWARD Publications

The official student publication of the University of San Jose-Recoletos established in 1947. These people agree that creativity and accuracy go together.

Established in 1947, FORWARD, the official student publication of the University of San Jose – Recoletos, is one of the oldest student publications in Cebu. For more than 70 years, FORWARD Publications has been publishing articles to enhance students’ social and political awareness, encourage critical thinking, help mold public opinion, and convey students’ rights and responsibilities in the unive

rsity and in the society as a whole. FORWARD Publications is a brew of students who are skaters, bookworms, rocktivists, stylists, obsessive-compulsives, etc. This group of students who produce the FORWARD magazine adheres to journalism ethics – verifying and confirming facts before writing articles. For them, credibility is the greatest treasure journalists could ever have and the world ends when they lose it by carelessness and stupidity. They have to be liable to every action they make. Why do these group of students do such things? It is because they believe that this is their contribution to the country, no matter how small, no matter how ridiculous and no matter how irrelevant it is to some. They want to make students aware that they are not living in a perfect world but in a world where they can do something. FORWARD Publications is located at Ground Floor, San Agustin Building, University of San Jose – Recoletos, Magallanes Street, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines. For comments, reactions, suggestions, and contributions, do contact us at (032) 253-7900 loc. 381 or e-mail us at [email protected].

31/10/2025

[JOSENIANS MOVING FORWARD]

CTRL + ALT + Begin: A Life Unpaused
by Kristian John Wahing | FORWARD Probationary Writer

Life doesn’t always run smoothly. Sometimes, it crashes, freezes, and forces you to hit restart.

For Jed Tumulak, a 25-year-old first-year BS Accountancy student, that reset came after seven years of navigating the monotony and exhaustion of the call center industry—a world he entered when college felt like an unreachable dream.

While most of his classmates pursued their degrees after senior high, Jed traded classrooms for cubicles, lectures for ringing phones, and youthful idealism for the demands of survival.

Now, after years of working through the noise of ringing lines and restless shifts, he’s back in a classroom—not to chase what’s been lost, but to reclaim what’s always been his: a chance to build the life he once had to postpone.

System on Hold

After senior high, Jed’s plans collapsed with his family’s finances. His younger sister’s battle with leukemia drained their savings and left their family business struggling.

“When you see your parents struggling, you just do what you can,” he said.

For three years, Jed sold coconuts in the public market before moving into the BPO industry. At first, the job felt like freedom—his first paycheck, his first taste of independence.

“Nakapalit ko og mga butang nga sauna, pangandoy ra. For the first time, I felt independent,” he shared.

But that freedom came with at a cost. Working through the night, enduring insults from strangers, and living by the rhythm of ringing phones took its toll. The repetition was numbing.

“They say ‘don’t take it personally,’ but it gets to you. Matingala na lang ka nga wala na kay gana, murag robot ka,” he admitted.

Six companies later, nothing changed. The paychecks kept him alive, but not fulfilled.

The Reboot Decision

Jed’s turning point didn’t come in a single moment of inspiration—it came from weariness. The job that once gave him stability had turned into a loop. The cycle of fatigue, rent, and empty paydays felt endless.

“I thought I was okay. I was earning, helping my family. Pero sa tinuod lang, wala koy kalipay,” he reflected.

Then came heartbreak. Falling in love and losing her forced him to face himself. It was a small pain that opened a deeper truth: that he had been moving without direction.

“When you lose something important, you start questioning everything. Gipangutana nako akong kaugalingon, mao ra ba gyud ni kutob nako?” he mused.

Starting over wasn’t easy. There were doubts heavier than any night shift—questions of whether his mind was still sharp enough for school, whether his age would set him apart, or whether the world would even wait for him.

“Hadlok ko nga basin dili nako kabalo mo-iskwela. Dugay na kaayo nga wala koy gi-answer nga exam or nagbasa og libro,” he confessed.

Even the idea of balancing work and study felt impossible.

With a night job that ended at dawn, and classes that began by morning, time became a luxury he didn’t have.
Still, his mother’s faith in him outweighed his fear.

“She told me, ‘ikaw napud, anak.’ Mao to nga ni-resign ko. Ana ko sa akong kaugalingon, basta, sugdan na gyud ni,” he said.

New System, Old Lessons

Walking into a college classroom again after seven years felt surreal. During the JCAT, he joked that he looked more like the parent of an examinee than an actual student.

“It was a weird experience since I looked like I was accompanying my siblings who were about to take the entrance exams,” he said.

When the first day of classes came, nerves took over.
“I felt out of place, and something inside me was screaming ‘go home,’ but I knew it was too late to turn back,” he added.

Over time, though, he realized that age mattered less than effort. Everyone in that classroom was starting from the same point of uncertainty.

His maturity, once something that made him feel distant, became his advantage. Years in the workforce taught him discipline, patience, and perspective. He no longer feared failure the way he once did.

“I used to think education was optional. Now I couldn’t stress enough the opposite. Diskarte and credentials shouldn’t be separate—they should work together,” he shared.

Jed’s mother now supports his education, encouraging him to focus solely on studying, especially since Accountancy demands full commitment.

“But I don’t want her to carry that burden for five years, so I’m exploring freelancing with my brother to help pay for my tuition,” he added.

For him, education is no longer a race, rather it’s a reconstruction. A way of reclaiming control over a life that once moved only out of necessity.

Unpausing the Future

For Jed, starting again is both a return and a rebirth—an act of strength against the years that told him it was too late.
Fear almost held him back: the fear of being left behind, of repeating mistakes, of no longer belonging.

But somewhere between the weight of regret and the whisper of hope, he chose to move.

“Dili ko magpaabot nga naay moingon nga proud sila nako. Ang importante, proud ko sa akong kaugalingon nga nisugod ko balik,” he said.

Every quiz answered, every page turned, and every sleepless night spent studying becomes proof that time, once lost, can still be redeemed through courage.

Because courage, for Jed, isn’t found in grand gestures—it’s found in quiet persistence. In the will to try again after years of doubt. In the strength to believe that change is still possible.

And as he continues to move forward, Jed Tumulak reminds us that no matter how long the break or how heavy the doubts, it’s never too late to unpause the future.

Visuals by Therese Margarette Racaza | FORWARD Staff Artist

31/10/2025

LOOK: Civil Engineering students from USJ-R emerged as champions in the Retaining Wall Building Contest during the MIDAS Academic Festival 2025 held at the SMX Convention Center in Manila on Friday, October 24.

Fourth-year students Suzane Susas, Toni Angelo Alob, Hannah Misal, Leonor Sacedon, and Alleya Salinas, with their faculty coach Engr. Yuriy Sesican, outperformed 30 other participating schools.

Team members Misal and Alob shared that despite not having prior practice in constructing the retaining wall, their innovative design and strong collaboration ultimately secured them the top spot.

The MIDAS Academic Festival is an annual national event that gathers top civil engineering schools across the Philippines to test students’ mastery of structural design, innovation, and teamwork.

via Regem Mae Rivera | FORWARD Probationary Writer

Photos Courtesy: Toni Angelo Alob

31/10/2025

[LITERARY]

The Wake
by invidia

No one mentions his name anymore. Not out of anger, but out of fatigue.

He left without closing the door, without a word, only the sound of drawers being emptied at dawn.

He left without turning off the lights, and somehow, they’ve stayed on ever since.

He left like an unfixable crack in the floor, a wound the rest of us learned to walk around.

The house just… paused, waiting for a sound that never came back.

Mother began setting the table for five instead of six, but still bought enough rice for six.

Father stopped laughing at dinner.
My brother learned to swallow his sentiments.
My sister learned to measure silence before speaking.
And I learned how to disappear without moving.

People spoke of his brilliance in the past tense, even when the candles were still burning on the night he disappeared.

Nobody ever said “gone,” only softer words that meant the same thing.

They said he was meant for something greater, because gifted ones always outgrow small rooms.

They said it kindly, as if that made the rest of us fortunate to stay behind and inherit what he abandoned.

Sometimes I wonder if brilliance burns through families like fire—leaving behind the careful and the breakable, an apology for the loss of something precious.

There are traces of him still:
his golden medals nailed crooked to the wall,
his accomplishments written on old school newspapers,
his photographs turned face down in the attic.

His potential is a relic now, worshiped in silence but never dusted.

Father never says it aloud, but I think he blames himself for building the stage too early.
Mother blames the world.
And the rest of us learned to perform on command without wanting too much.

I sweep the same corner every Sunday, where the light hits the floor like a question no one answers.

Oftentimes I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and see the outline of his face on mine—like the house still remembers who it was truly built for.

They say he carried the family’s future.
After all, he was the young master.
But when he left, the burden didn’t vanish.

It only slid downward; onto smaller shoulders, thinner wrists, steadier smiles.

In his wake, the rest of us had to reflect, pretending we were whole.

Sometimes, I dream of him standing in the hallway, untouched by time. He looks at me the way a thunderstorm watches the shore.

And I wake wondering whether he ever meant to leave or if the house simply forgot to be a home.

Illustration by Khen Fernandez | FORWARD Staff Artist

30/10/2025

Jaguars seize 63-61 thriller against Fighting Maroons

The USJ-R Jaguars roared back from defeat, clawing a 63-61 win over the University of the Philippines-Cebu (UPC) Fighting Maroons in the Cesafi Season ‘25 Men’s Basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Tuesday, October 28.

Both teams opened the game with strong defense and a seesaw exchange of points before the Jaguars prevailed in the closing seconds of the initial quarter, 17-14.

The Jaguars maintained a slim edge throughout the second quarter, entering halftime with a one-point margin, 29-28.

Coming out of the break, the Jaguars tightened their offense and sank multiple three-pointers, which augmented their advantage to 51-43.

However, the Fighting Maroons mounted a valiant position in the final quarter, cushioning and even taking the lead in the last two minutes of the game.

Refusing to yield, the Jaguars tied the score at 61-61 before Fritz Gonzales delivered the dagger with a clutch, game-winning shot that sealed the victory for USJ-R.

He was later named “Player of the Game” after tallying 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Meanwhile, Jaguars’ coach Julius Cadavis shared that he trusted his players to execute during the crucial moments of the match.

“They played their defense maong naka-convert pa mi last second,” he said.

Looking ahead, Cadavis emphasized focusing on the team’s efficiency and ex*****on.

“Sa next game kay dapat namo i-improve among mga percentage [sa] shooting ug sa decision-making,” he added.

With this victory, the Jaguars now hold a 4-4 win-loss record and are set to face defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers on November 8 at the same venue.

via Kristian John Wahing | FORWARD Probationary Writer

Photos Courtesy: Rheiz Janae Montecillo | FORWARD Probationary Artist

28/10/2025

JUST IN: USJ-R Jaguars edges the University of the Philippines-Cebu (UPC) Fighting Maroons in a hard-fought match, 63-61, in the Cesafi ‘25 Men’s Basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Thursday, October 28.

via Kristian John Wahing | FORWARD Probationary Writer

27/10/2025

IN PHOTOS: USJ-R Jaguars fell short in defeating the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, 55-64, in an overwhelming match at the Cebu Coliseum on Sunday, October 26.

Jaguars were off to a solid start, syncing with each other, going neck-and-neck with the Webmasters in the early phase. They took the lead, 17-14, with a three-point shot sunk by Fritz Gonzales.

Struggling to maintain their momentum, their opponents seized the opportunity to turn the tide ending the halftime, 32-36.

In an attempt to recover, Jaguars’ Rodge Aldrich Balbao, Eljohn Lacaya, and Lorenzo Saraom, consecutively fired three-point shots, initially retrieving their dominance at the beginning of the third frame.

However, their perseverance failed as they stumbled to break Webmasters’ iron-clad defense, wrapping up the second half of the game with 55-64.

Jaguars are set to redeem themselves in their upcoming match against the University of the Philippines-Cebu (UPC) Fighting Maroons on Tuesday, October 28, at the same venue.

via Khara Angelique Davis | FORWARD Probationary Writer

Screengrab from Cesafi page

24/10/2025

Eyes here, Josenians!

The USJ-R Office of the President (OP) has announced that from October 27 to November 3, college-level classes will be conducted through blended learning (synchronous and asynchronous).

The School of Law, CPA Review, Graduate School, RITTC, and ETEEAP will continue online, while OP and ANTF offices will follow a temporary work setup, and READS scholars will remain on skeletal duty.

Meanwhile, there will be no classes and no office work from October 31 to November 3 in observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Regular onsite duties and examinations will resume on November 4.

Please be guided accordingly.

24/10/2025

[LITERARY]

Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
by arielle

Glass—clear, fragile, and feared for its breaking.

I never thought much of it before. It was something ordinary, something that existed only to be looked through. But perhaps that is why I always felt invisible—because people looked past me, never at me.

They saw what was beyond, never the reflection that glass held. And for a long time, I thought that was all I was meant to be—a surface that caught light but never kept it.

Growing up q***r felt much like being that glass. Transparent. Fragile. Breakable.

The world I knew adored perfection and strength—unyielding, solid, cold. And I? I was soft. I spoke too gently, felt too deeply, smiled too brightly. Those were my sins.

When they called me bayot, it was never as truth. It was a word flung like a stone, sharp and mocking. They said it when I hesitated, when I faltered, when I dared to be different.

Bayot.

A word that cracked me, again and again.
So I tried to hide the fractures. I pressed my voice lower, straightened my walk, built walls where tenderness once bloomed. I wanted to be steel. I wanted to be what they would not break.

But even the strongest glass will splinter under enough pressure. And I did too.

In every reflection, I saw not the person I was, but the person I erased.

When I shattered, I expected to disappear—to fade into the silence they had left for me. But instead, something glimmered within those shards. A faint glow. A quiet hum.
It was q***rness—gentle, patient, like light seeping through a crack.

It did not demand I be fixed. It simply asked me to see.
To see that beauty could exist in the fragments. That strength could live in fragility. That every crack could bend light into something new.

Slowly, I began to notice it—the way broken glass reflects rainbows when sunlight hits just right. The way something shattered could still shimmer. The way I still shimmered.

And maybe that was the first time I understood what it meant to exist—truly exist. Not as what they wanted me to be, but as who I already was.

I have come to understand that there is strength in silence—beauty in choosing gentleness when the world grows harsh. To love, even when it would be easier to turn away, is its own quiet form of courage. And q***rness, I realized, was never my ruin—it was the moment I finally opened my eyes to myself.

There are still days when I feel the weight of their words, the sting of their laughter, the ache of trying to belong. But each time I catch my reflection, I remind myself: glass may break, but light endures. It passes through everything, reshaping the darkness it touches.

And when that light spills out of me, I do not hide it anymore. I let it dance across the room, filling every space they once told me to keep dim. I let it rest on others who are still learning that they, too, are not broken—only becoming.

Now, when they call me bayot, I no longer shrink beneath it.

The word still echoes, but it sounds different now. It sounds like freedom. Like truth. Like me.

To be q***r is not to stand in defiance of the world—it is to stand in truth within it. It is to embrace the softness they once called weakness, and to let it shine until it blinds the world that feared it.

It is to stand amid the shards of what was meant to break me and realize I have built something new.

A body that stands firm, a heart that shines, a spirit that bends for no one.

I am unbowed in the face of scorn, unbent beneath the pressure to conform, unbroken by the world’s demand to change.

I once thought I was made of glass, destined only to break.

But now I know: I am the light that moves through it—ever-changing, ever-bright.

I bend, I glow, I refract.

Unbowed. Unbent. Unbroken.

And through the colors I cast, I finally see myself—brilliant, whole, and free—not merely surviving the breaking, but becoming something unbreakably alive.

Illustration by Allyza Nicole Marimon | FORWARD Probationary Artist

23/10/2025

Midterms week is fast approaching, Josenians!

After weeks of synchronous and asynchronous classes brought about by the recent earthquake adjustments, it’s finally time to put your preparation to the test.

Stay focused and give it your best.

Good luck on your exams!

Note: Updates on whether exams will be held onsite or online are still awaiting official confirmation.

22/10/2025

[JOSENIANS MOVING FORWARD]

The Call Amidst the Chaos
by Sharry Cuizon | FORWARD Staff Writer & Khara Angelique Davis | FORWARD Probationary Writer

The fragrance of fresh roses, the luminous glow of candles, and the aroma of incense smoke reminds us that October not only commemorates the importance of mental health, it also honors the Blessed Virgin Mary.

First-year BA Communication student Elias Marco Codilla, sought sanctuary in the arms of the Blessed Mother by serving as a Secretary of Cofradia del Nuestra Señora del Carmen, La Limpia, and a Social Media Coordinator of the Sanctuario del Carmen-Recoletos—all while conquering his unspoken battles.

First Mystery

Marco’s path to Christ stemmed from his awe of the beauty and piety practiced by the people around him since he was a child, along with the activities of his former local parish in the National Shrine of Saint Joseph, Centro, Mandaue City.

When they moved towns, he became an altar server at San Isidro Labrador Parish, Maya Daanbantayan, Cebu.

“Before, I was just joining in the life of the Parish for no clear reason, until I grew older, my intentions were purified. I have realized [what] motivates me in serving the Church is the reward, not from this world, but from Heaven,” he recalled.

Aside from being a secretary and a social media coordinator, Marco also served in parishes in and out of Cebu Province in the field of liturgical arts and social media communication.

According to him, the genuine joy in serving is surreal and different from other tangible forms of happiness.

“Despite the exhaustion along the way, there is this sense of fulfillment because of the thought that [everyone gained something] beyond the physical aspect, ” he added.

Second Mystery

As human beings, there will always be a point where all hope is forlorn, and Marco is no exception to that.

Aside from the Triune God, he also expressed his veneration to Mother Mary, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, his patroness and refuge in trying times.

“They saved me from my near-death experience after having my first seizure episode in 2019,” Marco shared.

The ultimate test of faith for Marco was experiencing a seizure due to academic stress.

He admitted feeling helpless as he was sent to the hospital.

Blessedly, there were no abnormalities found in his brain, and he was discharged the day before the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Salud—the patron for the sick and their caregivers.

Third Mystery

Following the hurdles he faced, Marco began to question God’s love, to which he confessed that it is normal in his mortal frailty.

“I guess there are times that I really questioned why He placed me in such a disposition that is really painful,” he said.

Amidst his confusion, it was prayers that kept him afloat.

The Rosary to him is more than just a “repetitive” form of prayer.

It served as his spiritual direction in times when he was trying to uncover the mystery life holds.

In honor of his vow since 2022, the very same year he was diagnosed with seizure disorder, Marco has made it a tradition to pray the novena every October in honor of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de La Naval de Manila.

Fourth Mystery

With his deep devotion to the Virgin Mary, Marco is often told that the Church will always wait for him, and so he should always prioritize his studies.

He admitted it became a struggle to juggle both, but he eventually learned to manage without losing sight of his devotion.

“Balance is essential because I believe that the ability of both studying and working in the life of the Church is already a big grace,” he explained.

In times of desolation, the immense love of God and the gentleness of the Blessed Mother’s love became his solace.

Fifth Mystery

To Marco, faith itself is a journey—something neither spontaneous nor forced.

Each prayer bead he holds reminds him of how fear gradually turned into surrender to God’s plans.

“God’s love is immeasurable, unfathomable, and something beyond words can explain. His love is always evident in my daily life, through his Most Sacred Heart. It is in His Heart where we can find comfort and reassurance,” he stated.

The Almighty’s mysterious ways may be too intricate for Marco’s temporal being, yet to him, it is the Blessed Mother’s warmth that allows him to persevere—even in moments when the chaos comes not from the outside, but from within.

Visuals by Heron Augustus Flores | FORWARD Staff Artist

22/10/2025

IN PHOTOS: Now on its fifth year of celebrating the creativity of local artists across regions, the Cebu Culture Arts & Design (CCAD) announced its three-part event series at Oakridge Business Park on Tuesday, October 22.

In partnership with sponsoring companies and government agencies, CCAD will feature the Visayas Art Fair, Bodega Design Caravan, and the Blue Mango Award.

The event series, which aims to strengthen collaboration and craftsmanship among aspiring youth, will run from November 13 to 16.

via Louise Lambiquit | FORWARD Staff Writer

Photos Courtesy: Kimberly Tumilap | FORWARD Staff Artist

21/10/2025

LOOK: Students from the Kabataan Partylist of Cebu Normal University (CNU) staged a protest at the CNU Main Campus front gate on Tuesday, October 21.

Following the school’s proposal to shift to online classes for the entire academic year, Normalites demanded transparency and accountability from its administration.

Further, advocates addressed issues including the University’s post-earthquake recovery of the Academic Center for Arts and Sciences (ACAS) building, firmly opposing its 20-story replacement.

via Ma. Ehla Fatima Inanod | FORWARD Staff Writer

Photos Courtesy: Allyza Nicole Marimon | FORWARD Probationary Artist

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Established in 1947, FORWARD, the official student publication of the University of San Jose – Recoletos, is the oldest student publication in Cebu. For more than 60 years, FORWARD Publications has been publishing articles to enhance students’ social and political awareness, encourage critical thinking, help mold public opinion, and convey students’ rights and responsibilities in the university and in the society as a whole. FORWARD Publications is a brew of students who are skaters, bookworms, rocktivists, stylists, obsessive-compulsives, etc. This group of students who produce the FORWARD magazine adheres to journalism ethics – verifying and confirming facts before writing articles. These people agree that creativity and accuracy go together. For them, credibility is the greatest treasure journalists could ever have and the world ends when they lose it by carelessness and stupidity. They have to be liable to every action they make. Why do these group of students do such things? It is because they believe that this is their contribution to the country, no matter how small, no matter how ridiculous and no matter how irrelevant it is to some. They want to make students aware that they are not living in a perfect world but in a world where they can do something. FORWARD Publications is located at Ground Floor, San Agustin Building, University of San Jose – Recoletos, Magallanes Street, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines. For comments, reactions, suggestions, and contributions, do contact us at (032) 253-7900 loc. 381 or e-mail us at [email protected].

FORWARD Publications

31/10/2025

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