The Electron

10/08/2025

NOW | THE ELECTRON, HIMIG GO TO UPSA ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

Sing your heart out.

This is tonight's theme as The Electron scribes and Himig Scientia members watch multi-awarded University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors' (UPSA) 45th anniversary concert titled 'Lux in Corde: Light in the Heart' at the EVM Convention Center.

Photos | Thea Comines
Caption | Miguel Austria

08/08/2025

NOW | 'TARA USAP, G?' LAUNCHES IN QCSHS

Students gather at the QCSHS Dome for 'Tara Usap, G?', a mental wellness caravan launched by the office of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian in partnership with Philippine Educational Theater Education (PETA) and Balik Kalipay.

Caption | Dain Dela Cruz
Photos | Thea Comines, Angela Alcantara, Dain Dela Cruz

07/08/2025

SJDM NAT’L SCIENCE HS BENCHMARKS AT QCSHS
by Chloe Amara Basbas
Photos by Liana Margaux Carmona

With the hope to further improve their institution, more than 40 teachers of different subjects from City of San Jose Del Monte National Science High School benchmarked at Quezon City Science High School’s (QCSHS) August 5.

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent (ASDS) Mina Acosta, Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) Chief Rolando Sotelo, Education Program Supervisor-Mathematics Corazon Loja, Asst. School Principal II Sherilyn Escobar, and Public Schools District Supervisor Arlon Cadiz were present at the program to know about Quesci’s best practices.

QCSHS Research Advisers Genevieve Vasquez and Earl Merilles discussed the process of Research III and IV for Grade 9 and 10 students, which ASDS Acosta described to be admirable and commendable.

“I have seen the combined hard work of the administration, research teachers, and parents, who really cooperated in the process and conduct to help the students,” said Acosta.

Master teachers also tackled the school’s curriculum, teacher specialization, work immersion activities and facilities; along with the achievements and principles of student publications as discussed by the school paper advisers.

QCSHS Principal George Emmanuel F. Martin shared his gratitude to the City of San Jose Del Monte National High School, expressing that being chosen to spearhead a benchmarking activity is a great achievement for the school.

The benchmarking ceremony was followed by a school tour for the visitors.

05/08/2025

BATCH 2000 HOLDS “FANTASTIC FOUR” SCREENING
by Issa Gabrillo, Sophia San Gregorio, Dain Dela Cruz
Photos by Mia Agustin, Dain Dela Cruz

Quezon City Science High School’s (QCSHS) Batch 2000 hosted a block screening of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps,’ at the Fishermall VIP Cinema Parkway last August 1.

The event was conducted as a major fundraising effort in preparation for the upcoming 58th QCSHS Grand Alumni Homecoming on September 20.

“It’s not about the outcome but the journey,” said Albert Sumaculob, capturing the spirit of the event, with many alumni organizers describing the experience as challenging yet enriching.

The screening brought together members of the Scientian community in support of the homecoming event, as the alumni joined hands to bring the project to life.

Despite the pressure to stage a memorable homecoming as the previous batches did and limited leadership experience in organizing such events, the Steering Committee of Batch 2000 approached the task with dedication and enthusiasm, viewing it as both a learning experience and an opportunity to give back to their alma mater.

Batch 2000 also expressed their support for Batch 2001, the next batch to lead the Grand Alumni Homecoming; emphasizing the importance of early preparation, active participation, and connection.

04/08/2025

NEWLY-ELECTED PTA OFFICERS PLEDGE IN OATHTAKING CEREMONY
By Sophia Braganza

The newly-elected Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) officers from all grade levels took part in the Oathtaking Ceremony at the QCSHS dome today, August 4.

Schools Division Superintendent CESO V, Carleen S. Sedilla, spearheaded the oathtaking and gave an inspirational message for the PTA officers.

"The appeal is for our parents to take an acting part in the lives of our children. Parents, the first thing you need to do is establish a good relationship with your children, and the next thing you need to do is be a good officer to your school. Let all of you be a channel of peace and cooperation toward your school," said Sedilla.

SPTA President Tiffany Gamboa also had a message for fellow PTA officers, urging others to be part of the solution, not the problem.

"Marami pa po ang kulang sa eskwelahan. Ang gagaling po [ng mga estudyante], pero naiiwan po ang ating mga facilities," Gamboa emphasized.

School Principal George Martin gave the closing remarks, reminding the parents of their responsibilities as newly-elected officials and partners of the school.

"Leadership is not about position or authority, but about service. Let us move forward with one vision, one purpose, and one heart; for the welfare of our children and the future we want for them."

02/08/2025

QCSHS BATCH ‘99 TURNOVERS GUIDANCE CENTER PROJECT
By Jann Enzo Balanag
Photos by Mia Cueto

Quezon City Science High School’s (QCSHS) Alumni Batch 1999, in partnership with the school’s Guidance Advocates, officially turned over their guidance center renovation project today, August 1.

The guidance center was blessed by Father Errol Salcedo, followed by a ceremony led by Guidance Advocate Tricia Paraiso.

Edukasyon Sa Pagpapakatao Head Cristelle Alcano awarded Batch ‘99 their plaque of recognition, giving them praise for the successful give-back project.

As per Guidance Advocate Jackson Bacabac’s request, QCSHS Batch ‘99 spearheaded the renovation of the guidance center that began in 2022.

Batch ‘99 Alumnus Christopher Candelaria mentioned that the guidance center was their unrivaled choice for their give-back project.

“Guidance [Center] talaga yung pinakapumukaw sa amin, especially noong pandemic na maraming mental health difficulties. Priority namin na matulungan sila (students),” emphasized Candelaria.

He also said that funding the project was not an issue, as everyone from Batch ‘99 was willing to contribute, exceeding the expectations of their original plan.

In lieu of just being an office, QCSHS Principal George Emmanuel Martin stated that the guidance center is a safe space accessible to all students.

Bacabac shared that QCSHS lacked proper guidance facilities prior to this project, extending his deepest gratitude to Batch ‘99.

01/08/2025

NOW | QCSHS BATCH 2000 HOLDS BLOCK SCREENING FUNDRAISER

QCSHS Batch 2000 holds a block screening of 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' at Fishermall Parkway today, August 1, as a fundraising initiative for the upcoming 58th Alumni Homecoming this September.

Photos | Mia Agustin, Dain Dela Cruz
Caption | Dain Dela Cruz

31/07/2025

SWIMMING IN SHALLOW WATER
By Marcus Wayne Lugod

The voyage towards success looks smooth, but danger lurks beneath.

In the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (BBM) steered the ship of the country, intending to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. He addressed both economic and societal issues at hand. To some, it might seem like a smooth sail towards the path of progression. But upon closer inspection, his statements are more of a shallow cruise, too afraid to go deeper.

The President mentioned the steps taken to ensure the Philippines’ road to a continuous path of progression. He said a lot about the education sector, primarily his plan to allocate bigger funding for the Department of Education (DepEd). This would be for the construction of 40,000 new classrooms and increasing the salaries of teachers. He did not, however, make pronouncements about how his government would solve the persistently growing problem of illiteracy.

The President also touched on flood control and infrastructure funds, emphasizing the need for people to cooperate with the government. Camaraderie is indeed a necessity for such a crisis. But of course, the weight of accountability falls on the government. This is why it was such a highlight when Marcos called out those people involved in the pork barrel misuse. He referred to the portion of the Php 1.90 trillion given to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the 15 years since 2011, promising transparency for future implementations. Calling them out is one thing, sure. But missing again are the clear details of these promises. Such details would have made the promise hold water.

In the middle of applause, there were white elephants in the room that the public very much wanted to hear about.

First is the issue of the missing sabungeros. Sure, he mentioned that the authorities are working together to expose the syndicates behind the crime. But, that is nothing we haven’t heard from his last interviews. The skin-deep words of the President also etched a strong impression that justice for the victims and their families is far-fetched.

Highly tangled with the issue of the missing sabungeros is the rise of online gambling operations. There have been loud calls to ban online gambling due to its harms and regulatory gaps, but Marcos did not want to take a bet on saying something about it. I bet his silence is as good as protecting a group, an agreement or personal interests.

Though Marcos’ SONA has proven to have more substance than those of the previous administration, it still lacks in many ways. The country needs more from the administration – real actions, than strong words, workable solutions, than loud rants. It is only making such moves that the people could be convinced that we are being led by someone who feels like he’s just swimming in shallow water.

These problems continue to grow without real action. If we keep ignoring what lurks beneath, we will only be met with disaster. Yet, we keep pretending the waters are calm even though danger lies down below.

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30/07/2025

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗦 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗦!

That's a wrap! The Electron has concluded its membership application for this academic year. (For real, this time!)

Your journey with The Electron has just begun. Pat yourselves on the back! We look forward to working with you this academic year.

Kindly check your emails tonight for details to proceed with your membership.

To more words with you!

🎨 | Jillian Sarmiento
🖋️ | Sophia Braganza

28/07/2025

MARCOS LAYS OUT VISION IN SONA 2025
By Miguel Austria

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday at the Batasang Pambansa.

The President acknowledged the achievements of his administration and outlined plans for the second half of his six-year term.

Marcos mentioned the economic discontent of the Filipino people, expressing frustration with government services and the exclusion of the poor from economic growth.

"Ang lahat ng ito ay palamuti lamang kung ang ating mga kababayan ay hirap pa rin,” emphasized Marcos.

Aligned with this, Marcos encouraged the local government units (LGUs) to enroll people in the 4Ps program and other Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) initiatives to help them.

Marcos also mentioned the country’s evident flood control crisis and confronted the rampant graft in flood control and construction projects, then assuring the people that new evacuation centers will be built across the nation.

"Mahiya naman kayo sa mga kabahayan nating naanod o nalubog sa pagbaha! Mahiya naman kayo lalo sa mga anak natin na magmamana sa mga utang na ginawa ninyo, na binulsa niyo lang ang pera," he said.

He stated what his leadership has done, starting with the ₱20/kg rice goal, stating that the Philippines has proven it can be accomplished without farmers incurring a loss of profit due to traders taking advantage.

"Hahabulin namin kayo [traders]... Ang trato namin sa inyong ginagawa ay tinuturing naming economic sabotage," said Marcos, threatening rice hoarders who manipulate rice price and deceive farmers.

Marcos mentioned that he strengthened healthcare by implementing Zero-Balance Billing in public hospitals and securing a P1.7 B cancer assistance fund to provide free dialysis among Department of Health (DOH) facilities.

Despite this, Marcos stressed that problems with the high costs, limited facilities, and doctor shortages in rural healthcare areas still exist.

Talking about education, he highlighted the benefits of both teachers and students under the newly launched Yaman ng Kalusugan Program Para Malayo sa Sakit (YAKAP) Caravan, which include free medical check-ups, free lab tests, and free medicine.
Marcos claimed that there is an education crisis, as evidenced by low literacy rates, high dropout rates, and classroom shortages.

To solve this, he hopes to add 40,000 classrooms before the end of his administration with the help of the private sector.

He also announced that he will allocate ₱16 billion for free education in public colleges and that he plans to incorporate Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) education and training into senior high school curricula, enabling students to assess better which programs to pursue in college.

Marcos’ SONA lasted for one hour and 11 minutes.

27/07/2025

SINK OR SWIM
By Thien Than Mangubat

Filipinos are drowning in the flood of corruption, and yet the people have learned nothing, done nothing, and improved nothing.

Over the recent years, the Philippines has been a victim of hundreds of weather-related disasters. As a matter of fact, during this week alone, the recent disruptions caused by Typhoon Dante have affected an estimated 4.6 million people, with local government units (LGUs) receiving an uproar of criticisms from the public for their late, unorganized suspension announcements, and funds allocated for these flood control programs have shown nowhere near effectiveness. Evidence of improvement is lacking, funds continue to rise each year proportionally to casualties, and the government, despite its reported accomplishments and promises, is found to be nowhere near taking these matters seriously at all.

To prove this, despite flood control programs being implemented every year, the recent effects caused by the typhoon are estimated to cost about P24.48 million for the repair of national bridges, garnering a total of P483.69 million worth of damage to national roads. These all stemmed from poor and unfinished flood control systems, which immediately miss the whole purpose of the allocation of funds.

Following this, the P244.7 B budget for these projects was audited to be even higher in comparison to budgets allocated for healthcare, transportation, and environment, yet Filipinos continue to struggle even more with the modernization of drainage areas. To add to this, only a small fraction of the funds collected over the past years included the minimization of solid waste waterways, completely underestimating the impact it may have during floods and other disasters.

Permit challenges, right-of-way issues, and underfunded foreign-assisted schemes are reasons by the government for the delay of these projects. However, these reasons are not even near justifying the ₱1.9 trillion spent since 2011, hinting at a participation of corruption. At best, their efforts have shown to be ineffective, as proven by the recurring flooding, fatalities, and community devastation. Without genuine accountability, transparency, and long-term planning from the beginning, promises of change become hollow.

Let this be a reminder to the Filipino government that resilience is not a flood control plan. People need protection, but instead are drowning in the pool of corruption. The government must deal with this problem more seriously before Filipinos are caught once again in the cycle of learning nothing, doing nothing, and improving nothing – left to sink or swim.

Send a message to learn more

21/07/2025

All good things must come to an end, just as we must close our screening applications.

Due to the unexpected number of students who have expressed their interest in joining the publication, we will now be officially closing our applications for this academic year. This is to ensure that we will be able to efficiently and promptly facilitate this round of screening.

For those who have messaged our page, kindly check if you have received messages regarding the screening process.

Thank you for your interest in joining The Electron! We look forward to your participation in our future specials and in VERIS, our annual local press conference.

🖋️ | Sophia Braganza
🎨 | Dana Llenos, Jillian Sarmiento