The Light Publication

06/09/2025

𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

In accordance with Republic Act 10121 also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and DRRMC XI Memorandum No. 11, series of 2025, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) will participate in the 3rd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 4 PM.

All campuses are directed to fully participate, with the University Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Emergency Management Team facilitating the activity.

Moreover, students, faculty, and staff are reminded to observe the “duck, cover, and hold” procedure once the alarm is heard and to proceed calmly to their designated evacuation areas.

A no-entry and no-exit policy will also be enforced during the drill to ensure an accurate attendance check of all personnel and students on campus.

06/09/2025

𝐏𝐒𝐀𝐁𝐄-𝐏𝐏𝐆 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

The Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers - Pre-Professional Group (PSABE-PPG) officially welcomed its new members during the Acceptance Ceremony held on September 5, 2025, at the CDIO Room.

The event brought together both old and new members of the organization, along with their newly appointed adviser, Master-Engineer Honeybee S. Limbaro, in a celebration of unity, growth, and shared commitment to excellence in the field of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

Highlights of the ceremony included heartfelt testimonies from both incoming members, reflecting on their journey and aspirations within the organization.

The program also featured the awarding of Certificates of Completion, the formal oath-taking of new members, and the induction of newly elected officers.

The event served not only as a warm welcome but also a reaffirmation of PSABE-PPG’s mission to foster leadership, camaraderie, and professional development among future engineers.

Written by Bryx Andrae Peralta
Photos by Ashley Agan, Josh Monilla, Julylie Montealto, Dietherson Darriguez

05/09/2025

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

Is the University of Southeastern Philippines a test of strength or a journey of becoming?

To enter USeP is to step into a place where dreams and difficulties meet. Every corner carries stories: sleepless nights before exams, deadlines chasing students down the corridors, and triumphs after long hours in the library. “Daghan gyud kaayo mi og kauban nga na-late og graduate tungod sa mga unexpected circumstances, pero nakaingon mi nga worth it ra tanan pagkahuman.” These words echo the reality that while many stumble, they rise stronger in the end.

Inside its classrooms, the air feels both heavy and alive. Challenge papers stack like mountains, professors’ questions cut sharp as arrows, and time always seems too quick to catch. Yet it is here where resilience is born, not by chance but by persistence, by bending and breaking, and by standing up again.

Amid the pressure, there is also light. Friends gather beneath the acacia trees, their laughter spilling into the afternoon and making burdens easier to carry. “Kung wala gyud mi nag-help with each other, murag dili gyud mi kalusot ug kagawas aning USeP." Competition may be present, but compassion runs deeper, forging ties that sustain every step forward.

Professors walk these halls as mentors and challengers alike. They do not clear the path but place stones along the way, trusting that each stumble uncovers strength. Their demands may feel heavy, yet beneath them rests a deep faith in what their students are capable of becoming.

“As I first set foot in USeP, I felt the pressure already. But at the same time, naay excitement since it will be a new step in my journey.” Perhaps the journey is best captured in the honesty of a first step. Pressure and promise are entwined in every heartbeat of its students.

And so, USeP becomes more than a university. It is fire and refuge, burden and blessing, sacrifice and privilege. Within its walls, failure cuts but also teaches, doubt whispers yet strengthens, and excellence is never given; it is earned.

𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 — 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Written by Elizahmae S. Minguita
Pubmat by Christian Jay Cua

05/09/2025

𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Our teachers are not just mentors; they are our second parents, filling the void that no one else can. They stand as pillars of wisdom, guiding us to become better individuals while showering us with love.

As we celebrate National Teachers’ Month, let us take a moment to honor the time, effort, and guidance they have given us. May we use our knowledge wisely, grow into responsible citizens, and become rays of hope for others. A simple 'thank you' will never be enough to express our heartfelt gratitude. Their sacrifices and unwavering support have truly borne fruit.

To all teachers, may you always feel the gratitude your efforts deserve.

Written by Naomi Albuna
Pubmat by Jimuel Taypin

05/09/2025

𝐔𝐒𝐞𝐏 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦

The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) has confirmed that an unauthorized disclosure of data occurred after a breach in its Student Records Information System (SRIS), following earlier online claims that a hacker was selling the institution’s database.

Last wednesday, cybersecurity monitoring group Deep Web Konek flagged a Facebook post allegedly made by a threat actor under the alias “MaxxX.”

The post advertised what was described as a dataset containing about 175,000 lines of information from USeP, including student ID numbers, names, email addresses, enrollment status, and academic monitoring records.

In an advisory released today, USeP acknowledged the incident and clarified that the SRIS functions only as a platform to manage and track requests for student credentials, not the credentials themselves.

The breach, the university said, was limited to the website that processes these requests for students and alumni.

“Immediately upon discovery of the breach, operations of the affected system were suspended,” the university stated.

USeP said it has since migrated to a newer and more secure server, removed malicious redirection codes, and begun implementing comprehensive measures to prevent future incidents.

Among these measures are regular vulnerability assessments and pe*******on testing, adoption of a more secure web development framework, improved web application firewall and intrusion detection, stricter authentication and access controls, and strengthened system patching and monitoring protocols.

The university advised all concerned data subjects—students, alumni, and other stakeholders—to closely monitor their personal and official accounts for unusual activity. It also urged them to update passwords, review security questions, and enable multifactor authentication, especially if similar credentials are used across different platforms.

Meanwhile, the university affirmed its compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, issuances of the National Privacy Commission, and its internal Data Privacy Manual in addressing the incident.

The incident adds to a string of recent breach claims targeting Philippine institutions, including the Department of Health, Saint Pedro Poveda College, and the Embassy of India in Manila.

Article by Albert Hans Lipura
Layout by Roxy Blue De Jesus

05/09/2025

𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌 | 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐚: 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚

Isipin natin ang isang mundo kung saan ang kasamaan ay napapawi ng kabutihan, kung saan ang pagpapatawad ay higit na nangingibabaw sa halip na p**t at galit, at ang pagmamahal sa kapwa ay kasinghalaga ng pagmamahal sa sariling diwa.

Higit isang libo’t apat na raang taon na ang nakalilipas, may isang taong nagngangalan Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wassalam) na namuhay ayon sa ganitong paniniwala. Hindi lamang siya isang mananampalataya, ngunit isa ring mahusay na lider—matapat, maawain, at may paninindigan.

Siya ay isang Muslim at kabilang sa relihiyong Islam, kilala bilang huling sugo ng Panginoong Allah. Ipinanganak siya sa Makkah noong taong 570 CE, sa panahong laganap ang kasakiman, kawalang-katarungan, hindi pagkakapantay-pantay, at pagsamba sa mga idolo. Sa kabila nito, siya’y lumaki nang tapat at mapagkatitiwalaan, dahilan upang tawagin siyang “Al-Amin,” na nangangahulugang “Ang Mapagkatitiwalaan.”

Namatay ang kaniyang ama habang siya’y nasa sinapupunan pa lamang ng kaniyang ina, at iniwan naman siya ng kaniyang ina ng siya’y anim na taong gulang pa lamang. Dahil dito, siya’y lumaking ulila at inaruga ng kaniyang mga tiyuhin. Sa edad na apatnapu, tinanggap ni Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ang unang kapahayagan mula kay Allah sa pamamagitan ng Anghel na si Jibreel (Gabriel A.S.). Ito ang naging simula ng kaniyang misyon bilang huling sugo ng Panginoon.

Ang kaniyang mensahe ay simple ngunit makapangyarihan: manampalataya lamang sa iisang Diyos—si Allah, mamuhay nang may katapatan, maging mabuti, at igalang ang lahat ng tao.
﴿ ]الذاريات 56: [ ﴾وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْنَِّْ وَالِْنْسَ إِلََّّ لِيَ.عْبُدُون

“At hindi ko nilikha ang jinn at sangkatauhan maliban sa pagsamba sa akin.” [Surah Adh-Dhariyat: Chapter 51, Verse 56]

Sa kabila ng pangungutya, pang-aapi, at matinding pag-uusig ng mga hindi naniniwala (mga di- mananampalataya), nanatili siyang matatag sa kaniyang paniniwala. Ang kaniyang buhay ay sumasalamin ng matinding pagmamahal sa Allah, kaya naman siya’y naging huwaran hindi lamang sa mga Muslim kundi maging sa mga hindi Muslim. Ipinakita niya ang kaniyang awa sa mga mahihirap, may malasakit sa mga ulila, at pagbibigay-halaga sa pagkakapantay-pantay—kahit sa kaniyang mga kaaway.

Itinuro niya na ang lahat ng tao ay pantay-pantay—hindi alintana ang lahi, yaman, o katayuan sa buhay. Hinihikayat niya ang pagpapatawad, pagtitiyaga, at pagpapakumbaba. Ang kaniyang mga turo ay naipreserba sa Qur’an at Hadith, na hanggang ngayon ay nagsisilbing gabay ng mga Muslim sa kanilang pananampalataya at pamumuhay. Si Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ay hindi lamang isang tapat na sugo at mahusay na lider, siya rin ay isang g**o na nagbago ng lipunan sa pamamagitan ng kapayapaan at karunungan.

Sinulat ni Janna Sanama
Pubmat ni Spencer Jules Ramirez

05/09/2025

02/09/2025

Sa pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika 2025, ang mga mag-aaral ng Pamantasan ng Timog-Silangang Pilipinas, Tagum-Mabini Campus ay sumalang sa isang panayam noong Agosto 29, 2025.

Ipinamalas nila kung gaano katalino at kagaling ang mga kabataan sa pagbibigay ng pananaw hinggil sa kaugnayan ng wikang Filipino sa ating kasaysayan.

Gayundin, ipinakita ng mga mag-aaral ang kanilang husay sa pagsagot sa mga tanong na kanilang napili.

Halina’t tunghayan ang panayam sa mga USePyano!

| Elizahmae Minguita, Andrei Crisologo
Videographer: Jerico Jagonoy
Video Edited by Jasper Arado

02/09/2025

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃

How fortunate I was to share a long bus ride with you tonight, yet not fortunate enough to take the empty seat beside you.

I have always favored the seat by the window, where the world unravels in fragments of passing lives. Along the highway, stories unfold in countless ways.

Some journey toward destinations long planned with family or friends. Others hurry home, weary from a day that has taken too much. A few rush to catch a flight, to arrive just in time for an appointment, or perhaps to save a life.

And here I am, pausing for a minute or two, wondering whether I should be brave enough to take the seat beside you or choose one farther away so you would not see the blood rush to my cheeks. In the end, I take a few more steps and settle into the seat behind yours. Close enough, yet still distant.

I only wanted to go home after a long day, yet as I sat down, I wished the ride would linger a little longer, if only to stay near you. The red lights felt like blessings, slowing the night so everyone could pause — to breathe, to check a message, to watch cars slip past on the other side, or simply to drift into thought.

And in that hush, I wondered why I was here, taking the seat from behind. Why could I not find the courage to say hello, to let a few words fall between us, to ask if I could share the seat beside you, even for a moment?

If I had been braver, I would have given in to the gentle pull of my heart. I would have shared a song from my playlist, laughed with you as your stories unfolded, and listened more closely to your voice as it spoke of wanting to go home, yet quietly missing the day as it passed.

If I had been braver, I would have spoken without restraint. Perhaps you would have thought me daring for the words I was unsure I meant, yet I would have offered them with honesty. You might have asked me questions, and I would have answered without fear. And when the night grew heavier, perhaps your head would have found its way to my shoulder.

If I had been braver, I would not have settled for the reflection of your face in the glass beside us. I would have looked at you fully, memorizing every line and every beautiful curve as though they were the last I would ever see.

If only I had been braver, I would not be left wondering about the next bus ride we might share, and whether, by then, I would finally take the seat beside you.

—Sinderela
Art by Marklevy Ongayo

01/09/2025

𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 | SeptemBer na gyud mga ka-Yanos! From yearning for love to yearning for the holidays? Hope we enjoy this month as much as we can.

Video by Kenn Depaz

01/09/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞….

Oopss….di pa start! But ber months is definitely about to begin!

Excited na ba ang tanan sa mango float ug spaghetti? Ready na ba sa mga nagbaha na bayronon ug LE sa Christmas season? O mas gina-anticipate nimo nga mu-greet niya og ‘Merry Christmas’ para maka-first move? Uy, namasin nga naay chance! Simbako, paduol—sa akong heart!

The month of August felt so long but just like everything else, it also had passed. September is about to make its waves, and little by little, we’ll be hearing Jose Mari Chan in every girl and boy selling lanterns on the streets.

May September gives us more reasons to smile, grant our early Yuletide wishes, and provide a little rest in the fast-paced living.

Don’t wait for September to end for you to wake up and make the most out of this month! Happy September, everyone!

— Chainy Jean Akiatan
Pubmat by Kimberly Ramos

01/09/2025

The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (DABE) of the University of Southeastern Philippines–Tagum City, held its Industry Immersion Program Ceremony, August 26, 2025, at the FTC Hall, USeP Tagum-Mabini Campus.

With the theme “Practice to Purpose: Journey of Growth and Achievement,” the event recognizes the successful completion of the internship program of DABE students. Organized by the Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Students (SABES) in collaboration with the department, the ceremony highlights the transformation of interns from academic trainees into future professionals.

The activity serves as a milestone for the interns, affirming their readiness to contribute to sustainable agricultural and biosystems development through innovation, integrity, and leadership.