The Torch Publications

17/07/2025

ADDENDUM | The PNU Management Information System Office (MISO) has informed the PNU community that Google Workspace services remain inaccessible due to the university’s ongoing transition and subscription renewal with its provider.

MISO assured that a follow-up advisory will be issued once the issue is resolved.

The full advisory can be accessed through the following link: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122254723358223237&set=a.122115588146223237

‼️𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲‼️

To all the faculty, students, and staff across the PNU system,

We would like to inform everyone about the current status of our Google Workspace (GWS) for Education Plus subscription.

At present, we are encountering 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 notifications as of 12:00nn today, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. This is due to the ongoing transition of our subscription renewal from the current provider to the new Google Workspace supplier, who was awarded through the recent bidding process.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please be assured that we are closely coordinating with our new GWS Education Plus supplier to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

We will release another advisory once the issue has been fully resolved.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐎 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦

17/07/2025

JUST IN | The publication has received reports from students that several Google services, including Google Docs, are no longer accessible for editing as of this writing, July 17.

According to a system notification, the university’s Google Workspace is full as it has reached its maximum storage capacity of 117 terabytes (TB).

The publication has reached out to the PNU Management Information System (MIS) regarding the concern and is still awaiting a response.

This is a developing story.

Written by Ralf Aaron Macapagal

05/07/2025

ELECTION | SIKHAY PNU dominates 2025 PNU-USC General Elections

With a total voter turnout of 72.57% or 2,445 electorates, the student body elected the new officers of the PNU-University Student Council Central Student Council (USC CSC) and the Faculty and Institute Representatives (FIR) for the Academic Year (A.Y.2025–2026).

Cloey Juliene Magana of SIKHAY PNU, running unopposed, was elected as the USC CSC Chairperson with 1728 votes, while 717 votes were marked as abstentions.

Meanwhile, Charmee Verginia of SIKHAY PNU secured the vice chairperson post with 1,238 votes, against John Rafael 'Rafa' Umali of SENTRO PNU, who garnered 952 votes, while 255 votes were abstentions.

The councilors and FIR officials for the A.Y 2025-2026 are as follows:

COUNCILORS:
Alcaraz, Meri Novell (SIKHAY PNU) - 1221 votes
Calubag, Irish Jian (SIKHAY PNU) - 1156 votes
Marapao, Angel Jasmin (SIKHAY PNU) - 1092 votes
Peralta, Keith Flint (SIKHAY PNU) - 1058 votes
Condat, Daniel John (SIKHAY PNU) - 1021 votes
Sioson, Angel Jhenine (SIKHAY PNU) - 1000 votes
Ruiz, Wilmari Angel (SIKHAY PNU) - 998 votes
Reambillo, Alexander Erik (SIKHAY PNU) - 965 votes
Sestoso, Catrina (SIKHAY PNU) - 995 votes
Dupalco, Jane Clouie (SENTRO PNU) - 929 votes

FIR:
Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences (FBeSS)
Riego, Hartley - 263 votes
Trasga, John Clare - 230 votes

Faculty of Education and Information Sciences (FEIS)
Faelnar, Kwern Jirah- 287 votes

Faculty of Languages and Literature (FLL)
Gabriel, Madrei- 399 votes

Faculty of Science, Technology, and Mathematics (FSTeM)
Latorre, Irish Claire - 237 votes
Margallo, Joseph Miles - 231 votes

Institute of Creative Expression and Human Movement Education (ICEHME)
Teniente, Mariane - 167 votes
Abalos, Jayfer 'Jaja' - 160 votes

For the councilor positions, 469 voters chose to abstain, comprising 19.18% of the total votes.

Meanwhile, for the FIR positions, 499 abstained, accounting for 20.41% of the total.

FBESS - 101 abstained
FEIS - 61 abstained
FLL - 146 abstained
FSTEM - 102 abstained
ICHEME - 89 abstained

In past elections, voters could skip names without an abstain option. This year, abstain was added, listed with candidates for chairperson and vice chairperson, and placed before the names of aspiring councilors and FIRs. The change allowed voters to skip voting for both positions more easily.

According to the SEC, the decision was based on an en banc deliberation by the Executive Board, aiming to align with the principles of free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible student elections.

The post-election protest is set on July 6 to 11, while the oath-taking ceremony is on July 12.

Written by Mark Andrew Cadion
Layout by John Paul Arellano

05/07/2025

Silipin ang mga tagpo mula sa 30th Gawad Genoveva Edroza-Matute at 9th Espasyo, tampok sa ika-24 na Literary Seminar na may temang “Kontemporanyong Panitikan: Daluyan ng Pakikibaka at Paglaya.”

Mula sa pagbibigay-parangal hanggang sa pagbubukas ng espasyong likhang-sining, iisa ang daloy ng midya panitikan—maging malaya at mapagpalaya.

Para sa sining, para sa bayan!

05/07/2025

ELECTION | The casting of votes for the final day of the 2025 PNU-University Student Council (USC) General Elections officially closed at exactly 3:23 P.M. today, July 5.

Voting precincts were originally scheduled to close at 12:00 P.M. but was extended until 3:00 P.M. due to technical issues concerning voter credentials.

All precincts were formally closed by the Head of the Board of Canvassers (HBoC), marking the official end of the three-day voting period.

Canvassing of votes is expected to begin shortly, with the total tally and proclamation of winners to follow later today.

Written by Joyce Marie Dizon

05/07/2025

ELECTION | Voting precincts for the final day of the three-day voting period will remain open until 3:00 P.M. today, following an official extension announcement by the PNU-USC Student Electoral Commission (SEC).

The extension was prompted by numerous student concerns regarding technical issues with voter credentials. According to a memorandum released by the Commission, these issues stemmed from complications in securing the official list of enrolled students for the current term.

Due to the Office of the University Registrar’s (OUR) refusal to provide the official undergraduate enrollment list, SEC directly coordinated with classroom assembly officers to verify student eligibility.

However, this initiative by the Commission led to several technical issues involving student names, email addresses, and related information required for voter access despite multiple rounds of verifications.

In response, the Commission affirmed its duty to ensure integrity and conduct responsive elections.

“The extended time will allow us to accommodate verification and resolution of affected credentials within the day,” PNU-USC SEC stated in the memorandum.

SEC further encouraged students to cast their votes as they opened the voting precincts earlier today.

“This is the last day of voting—make your voice count,” the Commission wrote in a Facebook post.

Vote counting is expected to commence immediately after the official closing of all precincts at 3:00 P.M.

Written by Joyce Marie Dizon

05/07/2025

ELECTION | All voting precincts for the final day of the three-day voting period are now officially open.

The Head of the Board of Canvassers (HBoC) declared at exactly 8:52 A.M. that all precincts were officially reopened.

Students may check their PNU email accounts to access their voter credentials. For questions or concerns, voters were advised to directly contact the Commission’s email or page.

The voting period for the third day will close at 12:00 P.M., followed immediately by the counting of votes once all precincts have closed.

Written by Joyce Marie Dizon

04/07/2025

ELECTION | The casting of votes for the second day of the 2025 PNU-USC General Elections officially closed at exactly 8:42 P.M. tonight, July 4.

However, additional votes were recorded between 8:44 P.M. and 8:48 P.M. during the verification of the first and last electorate codes in Precinct 1’s ballot—despite prior announcements that all precincts had already closed.

From an initial total of 96 votes, three more were cast, bringing the total to 99 on the said precinct.

The Head of the Board of Canvassers (HBoC) corrected the incident and proceeded with the reading of electorate codes, including those submitted beyond the official closing time.

Upon verification by the publication, it was confirmed that the response link to the official ballot form was still accessible during that window.

Meanwhile, the PNU-USC Student Electoral Commission (SEC) recorded a 44.61% voter turnout on the second day, with 737 votes cast.

Across the first two days of the voting period, a total of 1,503 votes have been counted.

Voting precincts for the third and final day will open at 8:00 A.M. and close at 12:00 P.M. tomorrow, July 5.

Written by Joyce Marie Dizon

04/07/2025

KULTURA | Charoterang Abstention

Hello, PhiAndYouOnes!

Stressamae ang lola nyey Ka Bute dahil isang malaking ilusyonada ang magsasabing may tunay na choice ang masang PNUan matapos kong makita ang bagong porma ng balotang inihain ng Student Electoral Consumission—ay, Commission pala! Kayo ulit ‘te? OVER!

Paano ba naman, ngayong 2025 PNU USC General Elections ay na-shockaru ang mga botante nang makitang pangalan na lang ang nakalagay sa Google Forms na nagsisilbing e-ballot. Waley man lang picture, partido, o mismong plataporma upang makilala man lang sana ang mga kandidato. At ang cherry sa ibabaw ng cupcake? Litaw na litaw ang ‘abstain’ hindi lang sa pagka-Chairperson at Vice Chairperson, kundi bago pa man makita ang listahan ng mga tumatakbo sa Councilor at Faculty/Institute Representatives. BFF, ano ‘to, press escape to democracy ang atake?

Sa ganitong anyo, parang speed dating ang pagboto—click lang nang click ng pangalan, tapos next! Tinanggalan na ng brilyanteng maging mapanuri ang mga botante sa pagtaya sa paninindigan ng mga kandidato. Kung ang balota mismo ang unang nagtutulak na huwag nang pumili, paano mahihimok ang mga botanteng magsuri at magpasya?

Ang two cents ko rito, bes: whether you vote or not, pareho lang ang ending. Dahil kulang sa malinaw na impormasyon, mukhang instant noodles, at pinababaw ang eleksiyon, wala na itong pinagkaiba sa pagboto at hindi pagboto.

Kung bumoto ka, parang tumaya ka na lang sa pangalang hindi mo naman lubos na kilala. Kung hindi naman, mas madali! Parang sinanay ka na lang na tanggaping walang saysay ang halalan sa pamantasan. Chz!

At sa ganitong sistema, paano ko itataya ang boto ko? Paano ko susuportahan ang panawagang wakasan na ang sabog na sistema ng OBTEC o ang nakakalito ever na daan ng TedPaths, kung hindi ko naman kilala kung sino ang matalas na may dala ng panininidigan dito? Ano, char char na lang tayo rito? Wit!

Sabi ng kumare kong SEC, ang dahilan daw ng “abstain first” ay technical limitation ng Google Forms.

“The reason why the 'abstain' or 'will you vote' option appeared first for the councilor and FIR positions is due to a technical limitation... Placing the abstain option alongside the candidates would cause submission errors…”

Pero mare, explain mo nga bakit noong mga nakaraang eleksiyon, wala namang ganyang hanash? Hindi ba’t dati puwede namang iwanang blanko kung ayaw mong bumoto sa iba? Ang tanong dito: bakit hindi ginawan ng paraan? Hindi ba't trabaho ng electoral body ang bumuo ng sistemang malinaw, makatao, at hindi ‘yung kung ano na lang ang mas madali—kahit magulo? Teh, hindi dapat trial version ang demokrasya!

Dahil sa totoo lang, kanino ba talaga pumapanig ang opsyong abstain? Sa sistemang kulang sa mukha, boses, at ugnayan, ang ‘abstain’ ay nagiging default, hindi desisyon. At kung dumami ang ganiyang boto, hindi kandidato ang talo kundi ang mga nakshie ni Inang na mawawalan ng kinatawan sa badyet, espasyo, at academic freedom. Gentle reminder lang, kumareng SEC, student representation ito at hindi lang survey-surveyhan.

Kapag naging normal na ang hindi pagpili, normal na rin ang pagkakait sa tinig ng PNUans. Kaya hindi sapat ang pagtingin sa abstain bilang karapatan, kung ang mismong sistema ang nagtutulak dito. Hindi ito tanong ng sipag bumoto, kundi kung may meaningful choice ba talaga.

To be fair, hindi naman totally sablay ang SEC today. May livestream, presscon, Miting de Avance (kahit ‘di dinig ang sound sa FB live–push pa rin!). May mga poster sa panel boards at talipapa, at paanyaya sa mga busyhey na anak ni Inang. Effort ‘yan at we see you, bestie. Pero kung layunin niyong buuin ang isang demokratikong espasyo, hindi sapat ang presence sa soc med kung sablay ang balota. Ang partisipasyon ay hindi nasusukat sa dami ng views o share sa page, kundi sa mismong akto ng pagpili at pagtasa sa mga kandidato.

Sa sobrang ikli ng campaign period, tapos may klase, thesis, at deadlines pa ang mga estudyante, natural lang na marami ang nangangapa. Pero imbes na gabayan ang botante, parang mismong balota pa ang nagtutulak na i-abstain na lang. Wish ko lang, my BFF, na tinaya niyo muna bago kayo gumawa ng big moves (not-so-gentle tapik).

Kasi kung ganito ang ‘pagsasanay sa demokrasya’ na gusto ninyong iparating, aba’y huwag na tayong magtaka kung bakit patuloy ang kawalang-interes, linaw, at kunekshewn sa mismong halalan. Kung voter’s turnout lang ang focus tuwing eleksiyon, tingnan niyo muna kung ilan ba riyan ang may sapat na batayan sa pagpili, ilan ang kilala talaga ang binoto nila, at ilan ang nag-click lang ng abstain sa option na dinagdag ninyo para done na agad?

Dahil sa totoo lang, ang mataas na turnout ay hindi awtomatikong tagumpay kung hindi naman empowered ang boto. Ang demokratikong proseso ay hindi lang tungkol sa numero, kundi sa kalidad ng pagdedesisyon. Kung mismong sistema na ang nagtutulak sa atin palabas, then girl… demokrasya ba talaga ‘to o any any na lang na halalan?

Let’s be honest, BFF, ang problema ay hindi na lang sa participation, kundi sa sistemang kulang sa transparency, empathy, at accountability. Invitation ito sa panibagong siklo ng kawalang-pananagutan at imbes itulak pasulong ang demokrasya, tinuturuan niyo ang PNUans na umatras sa kakayahang mamili at magtasa. At kung ganito palagi, mawawalan na talaga tayo ng gana mag-hope para sa next elections, dahil minadali ang serbisyo at atrasado ang sistema.

I rest my case!

Isinulat ni Ka Bute
Dibuho ni John Paul Arellano

04/07/2025

ELECTIONS | All voting precincts for the second day of the three-day voting period are now officially open.

According to the PNU-USC Student Electoral Commission (SEC), all precincts were declared reopened at exactly 8:38 A.M. by the Vice Chairperson of the PNU-USC SEC.

Students may check their PNU email accounts to access the voter credentials sent by the PNU-USC SEC yesterday, July 3.

For questions or concerns, voters were advised to directly contact the Commission’s email or page.

The voting period for the second day will close at exactly 8:00 P.M.

03/07/2025

ELECTIONS | The casting of votes for the first day of the 2025 General Elections has officially closed temporarily at exactly 9:15 P.M. tonight, July 3.

Voting precincts closed an hour later than originally scheduled due to earlier delays in opening.

The PNU-USC Student Electoral Commission (SEC) accumulated a 22.74% voter turnout, with a total of 766 votes, on the first day of the three-day voting period.

The voting precincts for the second day of the voting period will open at exactly 8:00 A.M. and will close at 8:00 P.M. tomorrow, July 4.

Written by Joyce Marie Dizon

03/07/2025

LOCAL NEWS | As voting period for the 2025 PNU-USC General Elections begins today, July 3, students have raised concerns about the placement of the "Abstain" option in the official e-ballot, which appears before the list of Councilor and Faculty and Institute Representative (FIR) candidates.

Low voter turnout has been a recurring issue during room-to-room campaigns, with many students pointing to limited awareness of the candidates, largely due to academic workload and time constraints.

The publication has reached out to the PNU-USC Student Electoral Commission (SEC) to clarify the rationale behind positioning the "Abstain" option ahead of the candidates’ names, as well as to assess its potential impact on voting behavior and the overall canvassing process.

Additionally, students questioned the absence of candidate photos in the e-ballots, an element present in previous elections.

"Pangatlong elections ko na [ito] and I wonder bakit this year wala ng pictures yung candidates. For me na busy na nga sa workloads, wala na akong time to recall the candidates and their party. Kung sa national elections nga naka-indicate ang party, [bakit] wala na ngayon?" an English education student said in an interview with the publication.

This election also marks a historic first: the inclusion of FIR representatives in the USC General Elections.

This is a developing story.