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The Oculus

The Official English Student Publication of Ateneo de Zamboanga University Senior High School We are The Oculus. We are the eye of the Eagle. Join our movement.

An Eye for Reportage

The Oculus Publications is the official English-language student publication of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University - Senior High School. In its first year of existence, The Oculus was already declared the 2017 Campus Magazine of the Year by the School Press Advisers Movement, Inc. at the organization's 11th National Press Conference held on September 2017 at Boracay, Aklan. C

oming into the new school year, The Oculus aims to finally get up to full speed and to become the regional journalistic powerhouse it aspires to be. We write with purpose.

15/10/2025

INKTOBER | Worthless glory

What is deemed enough in a nation that craves for relentlessness?

Pride is the foundation of our blood; growing up in most Filipino households, children are taught the value of success even before taking their first steps in the real world. “Lang” has deprived the youth of rejoicing their individualities, with this, a palpable cycle of gratification from accomplishments is upheld.

But what lies behind this image of perseverance is the rigorous journey we have to take to make up for being Filipino. We have fostered an environment where achievements, persistence, and triumph are cultivated by "yan lang ba yung kaya mo?"

We are stepping on a land that measures our dignity by our capability. A place where the "lang" we attain determines how humanely we deserve to be treated.

Yet, the consistent rows we create are nowhere near success in a country that is poisoned with waves of disparity. We grow prejudice against each other and fight for prestige without realizing that those who sit above us basking in glory are the ones that should hear the echoes of "lang." It is they who fail in accomplishing even the bare minimum; those who sit in position with no action; the anomalistic figures who deter us from seeking the justice we need.

We are trapped in a system that constantly roars our unworthiness, but we have decided to do nothing to commence change. Maybe the "lang" we collectively attain is being able to only watch as our nation sinks as greed emerges. If we truly are relentless, why haven't we?

Feeding corruption with the successes we achieve speaks loudly of who we are as a nation. And at the end of the day, cowardice is our Filipino pride.

Caption by Reign Reynon
Illustration by Khenn Drexler Tuting
Layout by Fatima Nadifa Hataman

14/10/2025

INKTOBER | The danger of “bahala na.”

Two simple words—often said with a sigh, a shrug, or a forced smile—that reflect both our resilience and our resignation. A phrase often used to accept what shouldn’t be tolerated, to settle for what’s below standard, to surrender to what feels bigger than us. But when it comes to corruption, “bahala na” becomes dangerous.

It turns into a silent permission slip that allows injustice to continue.

When those in power misuse public funds, the burden isn’t shared equally. The rich can afford private hospitals when public ones fail, private schools when classrooms crumble, and gated subdivisions when roads remain broken. For the wealthy, corruption is an inconvenience; for the poor, it’s a stolen future—taken inch by inch, peso by peso.

The poor endure the long lines in understaffed hospitals, the leaking classrooms, and the lack of opportunities, while the rich simply buy their way out of the mess.

This is how corruption widens the gap—protecting privilege and punishing poverty.

As long as “bahala na” linger on our lips, the cycle will continue. But if those same words turn into “hindi na pwede,” we shift from resignation to reistance—and start demanding the justice everyone deserves.

Caption by Chris Ituralde
Illustration by Sandrielle Janina Anitan
Layout by Xyrus Pioquinto

13/10/2025

INKTOBER | The cost of ignorance

Everyone aspires for good governance and national progress, but how can we attain these if we continue to overlook the reality before us?

Corruption is written all over the country, soiling our streets and poisoning our government. The cries of the hungry go unheard, the pleas for justice left unanswered and the growing demand for reform remain ignored, we are met with a system governed by two-faced puppeteers whose lives are funded by ill-gotten wealth. These shameless people are the root cause of the nation's struggles, destroying the chance for accountability and silencing our efforts for change.

There are countless, obvious signs and yet, some continue to turn a blind eye, acting unbothered and unaffected to the very reason that slowly kills our nation. From the Philhealth anomalies, ghost flood-control projects to the reigning political dynasties that go unchecked, these are the cost of public ignorance, the very thing that fuels corruption.

The public remains oblivious to the fact that while the common people struggle to make ends meet, the unapologetic evils continue to rob us of transparency. This apathy toward the deceitful conforms to the vicious cycle of a dysfunctional government. Such tolerance not only sustains corruption but embeds it into the system.

Ignorance makes us vulnerable to manipulation—when naivety turns into denial to cease the abuse of power. At this point, ignorance is no longer “unawareness” but “refusing to know”. This disengagement from knowledge enables corrupt practices and social inequalities to widen, fueling a never-ending cycle of collapse.

How long will this indifference last—until the government’s coffers run dry, or until the greed of the power-hungry evils has exhausted everything that belongs to the people?

Ignorance is corruption’s best ally, but this does not equate to it being an inevitable condition. Being oblivious is different from choosing to stay oblivious. When we choose awareness and advocate for the truth, we open doors for justice and accountability, building and sustaining a progressive government.

Ignorance is no longer a choice we can afford, especially when the consequences of being uninformed are greatly imperative for our country’s future. Let this be a call for vigilance, to seek knowledge, question fallacies and demand accountability from those in power.

Caption by Princess Alvarez
Illustration by Janica Catbagan
Layout by Xyrus Pioquinto

12/10/2025

NOTICE | Final examinations to be held on October 13–16

The First Semester’s Final examinations of SY 2025–2026 will take place from October 13 to 16, 2025.

To ensure a smooth-sailing examination week, students are reminded of the following:

Grade 11 students’ examinations are scheduled in the morning, starting at 8:00 AM, while Grade 12 students will take their examinations in the afternoon, from 1:00 PM.

Grade 11 students will have their Senior High School (SHS) Achievement Test on October 16, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Grade 12 students will take it on October 15, from 1:00–3:00 PM. All SHS students are required to take the SHS Achievement Test.

All students are expected to secure their examination slip before their tests. To get their examination slip, students must settle their accounts in the Finance Office.

Next, every student is encouraged to be in their room 10 minutes before their scheduled examination as instructions will be given by their proctors before the examination.

Students must be in their prescribed uniform. Jackets, hoodies, and similar clothing are not permitted; students may opt to use their gala. Female students are to have their hair tied.

Furthermore, smart gadgets, including phones and smart watches, must be turned off or placed in silent mode in their bags. Bags must be placed at the front of the classroom.

Above all, students are expected to uphold the highest academic integrity throughout the examination week.

Good luck with your final term exams, Ateneans!

12/10/2025

VALIENTE | Are you ready to ace the finals, Ateneans?

The tension is in the air—pages flip, coffee brews, and exhaustion meets determination as Ateneans race against the clock. Finals week has arrived, and sleep has become a distant dream.

As deadlines close in and caffeine becomes our closest ally, the last stretch of the 1st semester unfolds. Time seems to move faster than ever, and before we know it, we’ll already be stepping into the finals.

The Oculus wonders—what fuels your sleepless nights this final stretch?

Drop a (👍) if you’re ready to conquer the finals—exam paper in one hand, ballpen in the other, feeling confident and unstoppable!

Manifesting those perfect scores in the report card? Share a (❤️) to manifest this positive energy this finals season!

Maybe studying with someone makes finals week a little easier. Because sometimes, a little love and prayer make learning lighter. (🥰)

Still haven’t settled your student account? Your exam slips are not ready yet? And your study materials are nowhere to be found? Hit that (😆) if your finals prep is off to a goofy start!

Feeling extra grateful for the reviewers and school organizations that keep the spirit alive? React with a (😮) if you’re amazed by their dedication this finals week!

Already running out of motivation? Still discerning whether to study or not? Maybe overthinking that studying before didn’t really help with the scores? It’s okay to let it out (😢)—remember, failure is part of the journey.

Never-ending performance tasks? Presentations left and right? Can’t focus on studying because of them? Smash that (😠) if you’re feeling the heat this finals week! 🔥

Caption by Pia Chandra Angelada
Layout by Jesse Ceazar San Luis

12/10/2025

INKTOBER | Blind by choice

Feigned outrage—a national hobby. We rage online, march the streets in fury, then quietly encircle the same names on election day. This is no longer blindness of sight, but blindness by choice. We shout for truth and justice, but we close our eyes when the truth becomes uncomfortable. In doing so, we become hypocrites of the very values we claim to stand for.

In the Philippines, corruption becomes so normalized that good governance seems too good to be true. Ironically, cynics attack the good ones, believing they are fake and manipulative, while the corrupt are left unscathed. Perhaps, we choose to be blind for survival—we vote for the familiar because we think we are indebted to them, we tolerate the corrupt because it is the only language we learned to understand.

This blindness becomes a cycle that repeats every election season. Filipinos seem to have amnesia—forgetting the lies of the past, believing the same promises that were oppressively broken. Have we become so blind that we can’t even recognize justice when it stands before us? We seek change, but fear what change truly demands. What kind of future are we building if we ignore this now?

This isn’t just a belief—this is reality. The 2025 Flood Control issue adds insult to injury. Even after the outrage of the masses, those same officials were still supported—even protected. And after all these pressures and cornering them into trials, they won’t be imprisoned. But there remains a chance to truly see beyond the comforting deceptions of politicians disguised as platforms and a never-ending litany of how to bring the country back to its glory. Does it make you wonder how they know the hindrance to progress, yet we never march forward to success?

Stop peeking through half-open eyes; open your eyes fully and see how our hypocrisy leads us to ruin. There is no tomorrow or soon; there is only today to be agents of change against unjust structures. We have already engraved corruption in our system, why must we now engrave hypocrisy in our nature?

If we turn a blind eye today, what will we be forced to confront tomorrow?

Caption by Christine Zarate
Illustration by Alisha Rita Amilasan
Layout by Angel Llagas

12/10/2025

FACTS WORTH SHARING | Viva! Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar!

A well-known holy figure in the heart of every Zamboangueño, the imprinted memory of being saved through her miracles at the fort.

The verbal stories passed down from various generations stem from the profound belief and trust of each individual to Our Lady of Pillar— the immense power of faith and prayer.

The feast of the Virgin of the Pillar, October 12, 1492, is the day Christoper Colombus first sighted the American land and the first mass in America was celebrated.

The Church of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, is the first church dedicated to Mary in history and it remains standing to this day despite countless threats and wars throughout history.

May we all dedicate this time to celebrate Our Lady of Pillar’s love and blessings shown upon us. Viva! Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar!

Caption by Lichelle Brianna Biel
Layout by Nina Angela Luza

11/10/2025

INKTOBER | Shimmering foolishness

Only a fool could fool oneself with false gold. Only the greedy leap at the shimmer of short-lived glory.

It is ironic that the Philippine’s hunger for quick wealth has become its slow, and excruciating undoing. Ayudas in exchange for civic autonomy, vote buying in exchange for integrity, luxury at the expense of the minority. A short-lived golden chance traded for a lifetime of mediocrity.

A nation rich in promises yet poor in progress will not be sustained by the limerence of falsified gold.

It is no wonder the Philippines remains stagnant—drowning in debt, outpaced by progress, and blinded by its own foolishness. The greed for short-term glory will never amount to longevity, and this country is doomed to always choose the wrong gold.

It is the fool’s choice—the Filipino choice—to stand between two roads: one of long, steady growth, the other glittering with false reward, and still choose what is wanted rather than what is needed.

Discernment has no place in a country mired by those who cannot see past the allure of golden glory. Truly, only a fool would be fooled by false gold, yet who can fault one for choosing survival over struggle?

For as long as fools mistake glitter for gold, the nation will keep selling its future for a fleeting shine.

Caption by Chelzy Cepalon
Illustration by Al-shaif Aiyub
Layout by Xyrus Pioquinto

11/10/2025

IN ACTION | AdZU-SHS misses glory; short of podium in Men's Swimming
Written by Miguel Dan Tan

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) boys’ swimming team faced a bittersweet ending at the Jesuit Athletic Meet (JAM) 2025 held last September 24-27 in the Xavier Ateneo Sports Centre of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan (XU-AdC).

The team, composed of determined members included Jose Gabriel Araneta, Slather Chiong, Jonsh Drapiza, Jose Manuel Galarosa, Fradznur Hakeem Ilaji, James Lawrence Juaton, Luke Meckryan Lim, Christopher Jr. Saaverdra, and Kurtweill Villanueva.

Facing tough competition from other Jesuit schools, the AdZU swimmers held their own in each event, displaying consistency and teamwork throughout the meet.

In the climax of most swimming events, the 4x100 freestyle relay, the squad fell just shy of a podium finish, placing fourth, the closest they came to glory throughout the entire event.

Despite falling short of recognition, Christopher Saavedra shared that “Regardless of our place, all schools including ours showed utmost sportsmanship congratulating the different schools.”

With this new exposure from competing against different Jesuit schools on a national scale, the team believes that they truly have improved, gaining crucial experience, boosting their confidence for future meets.

Not only have their skills improved but their bonds for one another have strengthened as well, Juaton mentions “It strengthened our camaraderie as we continued to support each other, win or lose."

Beyond the titles and medals, the team found their spirit of JAM 2025 in the new friendships and memories they made with one another, and as they put it, “Kalaro, hindi kalaban.”

The team continues to look forward, eyeing redemption as they prepare for the upcoming Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) regional and Mindanao meets, they aim to apply the lessons learned from their JAM experience by becoming more disciplined when it comes to their training, not just by showing up more, but putting meaning and effort in every stroke.

Layout by Jesse Ceazar San Luis

11/10/2025

LOOK | AdZU-SHS conducts PTC on 1st Semester Finals

Ateneo de Zamboanga University Senior High School (AdZU-SHS) held a Parent-Teacher Conference (PTC) at the Multi-Purpose Covered Courts 1 (MPCC-1) on October 11, 2025.

The conference allowed parents and guardians to consult with teachers regarding their child’s learning progressions during the final term of the first semester.

With the final exams just around the corner, this serves as a learning checkpoint for students and parents alike to identify areas for improvement and recognize which are necessary for the following semester.

Caption by Jaela Benisse Bazan
Photos by Yara Layne Alwadiy
Layout by Jenan Abubakar

10/10/2025

INKTOBER | The cost of standing still

I am angry. I am mad, I am annoyed, and I am frustrated.
And I hate those people.

Those people who stand in the foreground and act as though everything they do is for the betterment of this country. Those who think their disguises hide the anchors placed beneath: “solutions” that work in reverse, “change” that keeps us stuck, not steady. The thought of them makes my blood boil, and yours should too.

But, I am not talking about corrupt politicians.

I hate those people who say they care, but when the time comes to act, their care becomes performance. They confuse noise for change, their words loud but hollow, moving nothing. Those very same people who oppose our country’s sickness only when it is convenient, only when it is about a simple shared post, or a messenger note.

They call themselves advocates, yet while they wave their empty stances, our nation's wounds grow deeper. Their motionless steps blur the nation's problems until they seep back into our country's nature, sinking us farther than before.

If our feet are anchored by inaction, our future will never leave the shore.

Caption by Zyruz Labine
Illustration by Valerie Nicole Panes
Layout by Jane Salasain

10/10/2025

IN ACTION | AdZU volleyball girls stage fightback effort to place 5th during JAM
Written by Fletch Archer Arado

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University Senior High School (AdZU-SHS) girls' volleyball team achieved something greater than their fifth-place finish—they learned about resilience, and the will to win during the Jesuit Athletics Meet (JAM) 2025 held from September 22-27 at Xavier Ateneo Basic Education Campus in Cagayan de Oro.

In one of their crucial and toughest matches, the Azul Aguilas faced Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) and built an early 20–2 lead but later lost 25–22, disrupting their rhythm and affecting their momentum—an experience that taught them an important lesson: securing a winning advantage is only half the battle.

Driven by their resilience, AdDU managed to stage a comeback, powered by determination—something the Azul Aguilas underestimated.

Although this crushing defeat was a setback, it left them time to reflect and regain their momentum; allowing them to realize the formula for winning: composure, and pure willpower.

Following their defeat, the Azul Aguilas got back on their feet by demonstrating a masterclass in their game against Xavier School Nuvali (XSN), scoring a dominant victory that gave space for the Aguilas to re-establish their campaign; fueled by newfound confidence.

“We focused on supporting and uplifting each other to maintain a positive mindset. We relied on our disciplined teammates to help guide the team’s composure, ensuring that we stayed organized regardless of the game’s circumstances,” Wee shared proudly, noting the team’s strength in maintaining their composure and how it contributed to their ability to bounce back from a loss.

Looking back at the tournament, there are no real losers—you either win or learn.

In Wee’s case, she said, “We need to focus on staying mentally strong—by not dwelling on mistakes, encouraging each other, and quickly shifting our focus to the next play.”

Wee also explained that “practicing under pressure and supporting one another helps the team stay composed and consistent in crucial moments,” emphasizing how they work on their current weaknesses.

Despite not landing a podium finish, the team did not leave with heavy hearts but instead brought home newfound resilience and willpower—setting the stage for future success, leaving behind footprints for the next Aguilas to follow in the 2027 JAM Tournament.

Likewise, the AdZU girls’ volleyball team sets its sights on the upcoming District Meet this October, eager to gain more lessons and experiences along the way.

Layout by Veronica Isabelle Luna

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An Eye for Reportage

The Oculus Publications is the official English-language student publication of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University - Senior High School.

In its first year of existence, The Oculus was already declared the 2017 Campus Magazine of the Year by the School Press Advisers Movement, Inc. at the organization’s 11th National Press Conference held on September 2017 at Boracay, Aklan. Coming into the new school year, The Oculus aims to finally get up to full speed and to become the regional journalistic powerhouse it aspires to be.

We are The Oculus. We are the eye of the eagle. We write with purpose. Join our movement.

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