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The Staple, F. A. Tiongson Avenue, Los Baños (2026)

08/06/2026

In the midst of worsening economic conditions, state-sponsored killings, and crises borne ceaselessly by the masses, the demand for truthful, unflinching reportage remains urgent as it is necessary.

The Staple, the sole student publication of the College of Economics and Management, formally opens its search for the next editor-in-chief who will lead the publication in its second year.

Applications are open to all bona fide CEM students. Interested applicants must send the required materials to the official email of The Staple at [email protected].

For inquiries and concerns regarding the selection process, reach The Staple via its official social media platforms or through email.

Mapanuri. Makabuluhan. Makabayan.

04/06/2026

Threads of Courage: Sewing the Narrative of Resistance in Ang Mga Mananahi

The Molawin Stage continues its second theatrical season, Homefire, with its closing production, Ang Mga Mananahi, happening on June 11 to 12, 2026 at the Sining Makiling Gallery, UP Los Baños. Audiences may catch the show at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM for an intimate 45-minute theatrical experience that stitches together stories of womanhood, resistance, and survival. Written by Rogelio Braga and directed by Gab Carmelo, the production brings audiences to Jolo, Sulu during the height of the government’s war against Bangsamoro freedom fighters in the 1970s.

First staged in 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ang Mga Mananahi follows four Tausug women whose quiet labor of sewing patches for the resistance transforms into an act of courage. As conflict slowly closes in around them, personal fears, tensions, and aspirations unravel alongside the threads they sew. Through compassionate storytelling, the play honors the strength of Muslim women and sheds light on histories often left unspoken and unheard.

Weaving the narrative of resilience and humanity, Ang Mga Mananahi stands as the culminating production of The Molawin Stage’s Homefire season—a season devoted to stories of self-determination and the enduring flame that keeps people connected to one another. Since its establishment in 2024, The Molawin Stage has remained committed to producing socially relevant theatre and nurturing transformative artistic experiences within the UPLB community.

Ang Mga Mananahi also serves as Carmelo’s undergraduate thesis production, capping off an illustrious run as a director for multiple plays within UPLB. His thesis on directing focuses on facilitating actors’ preparatory work through the practice of Stanislavski’s active analysis.

As voices rise and stories are stitched together onstage, Ang Mga Mananahi reminds audiences that bravery is not always loud—it can live in gentle hands, shared grief, and collective resistance. More than a theatrical production, the play becomes a space for remembering, reflecting, and recognizing the quiet strength carried by communities in times of struggle.

Come witness a story sewn with courage, compassion, and conviction. Purchase your tickets via bit.ly/TMSAngMgaMananahi. Tickets are priced at ₱100 for students, and ₱120 for non-students or general public attendees.

Follow The Molawin Stage and on social media for updates. Magkita-kita tayo sa tanghalan!

The Staple is an official media partner of Ang Mga Mananahi by The Molawin Stage.

28/05/2026

LOOK: The incoming officials of the College of Economics and Management Student Council (CEM SC) officially take their oath of office today, May 28, at the Fabian A. Tiongson Conference Room of the Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship.

Present at the oath-taking were Chairperson-elect Red Xavier Macarandang, Vice Chairperson-elect John Leo Venedict Perez, and College Representative-elect to the University Student Council Jana Oria, alongside Councilors Chris Danielle Ferrer and Jasmin Lopez.

Dr. Ma. Angeles O. Catelo, incumbent dean of the college, administered the oath, with members of the CEM Executive Board also in attendance.

Following the oath-taking, Chairperson-elect Macarandang acknowledged that in spite of the incomplete slate, the council vows to forward genuine student representation and assures that the welfare of the student body will remain their priority.

"The genuine student representation is crucial in advancing the calls of the studentry and forwarding their demands into action. Our mission is always to fight for the welfare of students, and to make sure no student gets left behind," said Macarandang.

Words and photos by Charles Rosel

26/05/2026

IN PHOTOS: Umalohokan, Inc. staged their three-day production “Nawawala 2026: Time Machine” at the NCAS Auditorium from May 13 to 15. Featuring the plays “Ka Sisa,” “Love Locally,” and “Para sa Thesis,” the production explored various social issues through powerful and creative performances.

“Ka Sisa” highlighted the importance of honoring people behind the scenes, recognizing them as pillars of strength that hold communities together. “Love Locally” emphasized how one’s roots, choices, and voice shape their own destiny. Meanwhile, “Para sa Thesis” reflected the country’s current political climate and warned of the future that awaits if people continue to remain silent and abandon their humanity.

Umalohokan, Inc. is a theatrical organization in UPLB composed of more than one hundred students engaged in writing, acting, directing, and production design. Through “Nawawala,” the organization aims to shed light on unseen stories, concealed realities, and fading voices against the passage of time.

Previous installments of the production include “Quarantine 5” and “Pútol” by Carlos Palanca Memorial Awardee Andrew Estacio, “Pilipinas, Geym Ka Na Ba?” which tackled the country’s war on drugs, and “Honor Thy Masses,” which explored the relationship between religion and the Filipino people.

The Staple is an official media partner of Umalohokan, Inc. for Nawawala 2026: Time Machine.

Words by Coelis Castor
Photos by Eula Therese Vergara

15/05/2026

: With a total college-wide turnout of 21.51%, here is the official results breakdown for the elections of the incoming College of Economics and Management Student Council (CEM SC).

Incumbent CEM SC Vice Chairperson and second-year BS Economics student Red Xavier Macarandang will lead the council for the upcoming term. Joining him are John Leo Venedict Perez, a second-year BS Agricultural and Applied Economics (BS AAE) student, as Vice Chairperson, and Princess Jana Oria, a first-year BS AAE student, as the College Representative to the USC.

Meanwhile, incumbent CEM SC councilor Chris Danielle Ferrer, a sophomore under the BS Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship program, and Jasmin Lopez, a first-year BS Economics student, have secured seats as councilors for the next term.

The college-wide voter turnout saw a decline in this year's elections relative to previous polls, decreasing to 21.51%. This represents a departure from the previous two years, where participation hovered at 47.74% in 2024 and at 48.32% in 2025.

15/05/2026

BREAKING: All candidates from the ADLAW-CEM slate have been proclaimed winners for the upcoming College of Economics and Management Student Council (CEM SC) term, as announced by the UPLB Central Electoral Board today, May 15, at the Student Union Building.

Red Xavier Macarandang will lead the incoming council as Chairperson-elect, joined by Vice Chairperson-elect John Leo Venedict Perez and College Representative-elect to the University Student Council Princess Jana Oria.

Chris Danielle Ferrer and Jasmin Lopez also secured councilor seats for the next term. However, eight of the 10 available councilor positions remain vacant.

This year’s polls saw a university-wide turnout of 22.45%, with a turnout of 314 voters out of 1,460 (21.51%) for the College of Economics and Management.

13/05/2026

LOOK: Several parts of Los Baños including Brgy. Batong Malake experience power interruption tonight, May 13.

In its latest advisory issued at 9 p.m., the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued a red alert on the Luzon grid from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and on yellow alert from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Manual-load dropping or rotational brownouts were implemented by Meralco across several areas in light of the recent alert.

The power interruption is estimated to last for three hours in Los Baños, according to an update issued by Meralco earlier.

12/05/2026

IN PHOTOS: Students and advocates joined RHEDEAFINE 2026 on May 10, a seminar and workshop designed to shed light on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and equip future communicators with inclusive skills.

Spearheaded by The Rhetoricians, a speech communication organization based in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), in partnership with the Lago Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association Inc. (LDHoHA), the annual event aims to foster a deeper appreciation for Filipino Sign Language (FSL) and advocate for the linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

The program opened with a pressing keynote address from incumbent President of The Rhetoricians, Tzerina Lumapas, who highlighted the daily struggles of millions of Filipino youth navigating a society designed primarily for those who can hear.

“Inclusive forms of communication, such as Filipino sign language interpretation, must no longer be treated as optional accommodations as they are democratic in essence,” Lumapas stated. “As leaders, educators, policymakers, students, and citizens, we must recognize that inclusion is not charity. It is accountability.”

Echoing this sentiment, LDHoHA President Mark Gumitao took the floor to share his message of support, stressing the severe inaccessibility faced by the deaf community. He underscored the community's desire to have their distinct linguistic identity acknowledged.

“We have so much inaccessibility here… and we want to be separated from PWD itself. We have our own group,” Gumitao shared.

The event then moved into the substantive educational rounds. LDHoHA volunteer and educator Lara led the Deaf Accessibility Awareness segment, giving participants a brief history of LDHoHA—formerly the Deaf Association of Laguna—and its ongoing livelihood and scholarship projects. She further discussed the highly visual nature of deaf culture, emphasizing the critical role of facial expressions and body language in communication.

Following this, LDHoHA Vice President John Patrick steered the training on Visual Gestural Communication. During this segment, participants were expected to learn the technical elements of sign language, specifically how Non-Manual Signals (NMS) and classifiers are utilized to construct clear meaning and compound sentences without the use of spoken words.

The seminar portion culminated in an interactive learning forum where attendees enthusiastically participated to demonstrate basic body movements and FSL translations.

To practically apply these lessons, the program then transitioned into hands-on workshop sessions. Participants were divided into smaller groups for collaborative exercises, allowing them to directly practice their foundational sign language skills with the guidance of the deaf facilitators.

Through these interactive group activities, the event successfully cemented the organizations’ overarching goal of fostering a more inclusive communication environment that celebrates diverse perspectives.

The Staple is an official media partner of The Rhetoricians for RHEDEAFINE.

Words by Enrico Garcia
Photos by Eula Therese Vergara

12/05/2026

: The voting period for the UPLB University Student Council–College Student Council (USC-CSC) elections officially commences today, May 12.

Students may go to halalan.uplb.edu.ph to officially cast their votes or visit the precinct at the College of Economics and Management Library to vote onsite.

Following rearrangements on the electoral schedule, the voting period will now last until Thursday, May 14, and results are set to be announced on May 15.

06/05/2026

READ: Here are the stances of the candidates for the upcoming term of the College of Economics and Management Student Council regarding the issues faced in the university, Southern Tagalog, and the country during the fast-talk segment of the CEM SC Miting de Avance tonight, May 6.

For live updates, follow the coverage of The Staple on X.

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