The Blueprint

KAGITINGANG HINDI MALILIMOT 🇵🇭

Ngayong ika-9 ng Abril, ginugunita ang Araw ng Kagitingan bilang pagpupugay sa di matatawarang tapang at sakripisyo ng mga Pilipinong lumaban para sa kalayaan ng bayan. Inaalala sa araw na ito ang pagbagsak ng Bataan noong 1942 at ang hirap na dinanas ng libo-libong sundalo sa Death March—mga pangyayaring naging sagisag ng katatagan ng lahing Pilipino.

Bilang pagkilala sa kanilang kabayanihan, idineklara ang araw na ito bilang isang pambansang paggunita upang parangalan ang kanilang sakripisyo at mapanatiling buhay sa kamalayan ng bawat Pilipino ang diwa ng katapangan at pagmamahal sa bayan.

𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 | 𝗚𝗮𝘀, 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱

A familiar atmosphere of panic hits once more as gas stations all over the world crowd with long lines as news and social media outlets buzz with news of skyrocketing fuel prices. In particular, oil prices have surge of up to about 50% to 60% globally as consequence of the tensions that have escalated in the Middle East. In the Philippines, the impact had proved to be severe, with the country globally ranking among the highest in fuel price increases in the recent months.

Though many have perceived weeks or months ago that the conflict was distant and purely economic, the geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other, have proven otherwise.

While these disruptions become prominent, a far more pressing issue rises to the surface: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗶𝗹-𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 . As the enduring patterns of inefficient and reactive governance come to the spotlight, ordinary citizens are left to shoulder it’s disruptive impacts.

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲; 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗙, 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬

“𝘕𝘢𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘦𝘯?”

Once a frustrating question from local tricycle drivers who’ve asked more than seemed fair, has now evolved. In the past, up until now, it was a common issue that some drivers had set aside fairness for many commuters. Today, however, jeepney drivers and other transportation services humbly demand similar requests, but with the exception that it is now empathized with and clearly reasonable.

Despite government measures to mitigate these kinds of scenarios, initiatives such as the distribution of assistance in the form of subsidies have shown to be limited in scope. Currently, the coverage targets only a fraction of the margin of the affected, focusing on Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) such as jeeps and public busses. Unfortunately, the initiative falters as various other transport workers such as delivery riders become overlooked.

On the other hand, the initiative on the fare hike was suspended by the president last month in order to protect commuters from additional financial burdens, thus, replacing it with the aforementioned subsidies. Although beneficial for commuters, subsidies remained insufficient for countless drivers. Despite that, the fare hike itself had proceeded with broad and commendable social acceptance, reflecting society’s acknowledgement of its necessity.

To add, the gap then widens as the impact extends far beyond the road. Although the government does provide additional subsidies to farmers, this again, raises the issue in limited coverage. A significant amount of workers across low- to middle-income groups are overlooked as they struggle to cope with heightening costs outpacing stagnant wages.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Alarmingly, the Philippine government has displayed a pattern of delayed and reactive measures. Its government DOES act — but inefficiently, and certainly not proactively.

For decades, the Philippines is amongst the countries known to heavily depend on various imported services and products. Nevertheless, when faced with issues regarding this fact, efficient and proactive governance lags behind urgency.

Before the government had officially announced an energy crisis, policy analyst Prof. Emmanuel Leyco had already warned that the country was in a “state of economic emergency” and urged the immediate suspension and reduction of fuel excise taxes. Yet, the relief measures were only considered awhile after the problem has escalated. Beyond these delays, a deeper issue emerges: the lack of institutionalized economic or monetary policies that could’ve have served another mitigation measure for the Philippines.

Such delays and the lack of forward-looking policies are particularly alarming considering that the country relies on approximately 98% imported crude oil according to the Department of Energy. Thus, private entities were forced to step in to this dilemma. With, Petron, one of the country’s leading fuel providers spearheading the recent procurement of 2.48 million barrels of Russian crude oil.

In times of national crisis, this kind of news leaves many to ponder: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀?

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱? 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁” 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀?

Consider this. Reports suggest that 25% to 70% of funds for public works, including essential infrastructure projects, are lost to corruption. With the Department of Finance estimating that corruption in flood control alone costed the economy ₱118.5 billion ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025. Projects meant to bolster the country’s resilience, from flood control to energy-related structures, are frequently underfunded or mismanaged, with only a fraction of allocated budgets reaching actual construction.

Evidently, the global oil price surge is more than just numbers displayed on the boards at gasoline stations, it became a reflection of the decades of inaction, inefficient governance, and misplaced priorities due to corruption. This issue, as well as many more that had passed without being acted upon, should propel not only the Philippines, but other countries to be reminded that the cost of negligence goes beyond immediate crises.

While much of the crisis has already escalated, the government still has the responsibility and power to improve its acts. It is long overdue that the people must demand more than just temporary fixes. With billions worth of corruption surfaced throughout the years, the urgency for integrity-driven leadership had never been clearer.

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀.

𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘒𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘈. 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯

𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗡 | 𝗗𝗼 𝗨 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀?
𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘒𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘈. 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | 𝗨𝗦𝗖 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗢𝗘 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀
𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘪𝘳𝘢 𝘍𝘢𝘺𝘦 𝘎. 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘻

The College of Engineering (COE) held a candidates’ rally on April 7 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the COE grounds, featuring aspirants for key positions in the University Student Council (USC). The event provided a platform for candidates to present their platforms and engage with students ahead of the upcoming university-wide elections.

Among those who addressed the audience were the candidates for USC Executive Chairperson, each outlining their vision for student leadership and governance.

Vinz Thyrone C. Asuncion, an independent candidate from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), emphasized student-centered leadership. He underscored the importance of ensuring that every student is heard and informed, particularly regarding the allocation and use of student funds. He also expressed a personal commitment to extending support to students when institutional resources fall short.

Also running as an independent candidate from CAS, Jay Lord G. Malabed presented a platform focused on community engagement and student empowerment. He highlighted initiatives aimed at strengthening culture and arts programs, promoting gender-safe spaces, and advancing safe s*x and s*xual health education within the university.

Representing Abrasa Partylist, Danniel James A. Corales from the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) centered his campaign on accountability and financial integrity. He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that every peso should be tracked and every report made visible. He further noted that strong systems and ethical governance are essential to effective leadership.

Also introduced during the rally was the slate of engineering student candidates under Abrasa Partylist. These include John Wayne B. Dalere for Executive Vice Chairperson, Deonell L. Galang for Assistant Executive Secretary, Mike Jhedrick R. Dapa for Executive for Finance, and Mary Ysabelle A. Calaoagan for COE Councilor.

The rally provided COE students with an opportunity to engage with the candidates and gain a clearer understanding of their platforms, contributing to a more informed student electorate.

The USC elections are set to take place from April 8 to April 10.

𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘰 𝘓𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) recorded a strong performance in the March 2026 Civil Engineers Licensure Examination (CELE), with 112 out of 172 examinees successfully earning their licenses.

As announced by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the university achieved an institutional passing rate of 65.12%, markedly surpassing the national average of 35.05%. Of the total passers, 111 are first-time takers.

The MMSU College of Engineering (COE) passers join the 6,438 newly licensed civil engineers out of 18,370 examinees who took the examination held on March 26–27, 2026, in various testing centers across the country. | 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘒𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘑𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘈. 𝘎𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘰𝘪

Observed at the close of Holy Week, today, Easter Sunday commemorates resurrection and renewal, carrying a message of hope that continues to resonate beyond the season.

Today marks the sacrifice of Jesus for humanity—the day of His crucifixion on the cross.

This Good Friday, let us practice forgiveness and humility, and contemplate our sins in search for redemption and eternal life.

Today, we remember the last meal of Jesus with his disciples before his crucifixion—the last supper.

Let us observe solemnity and humility as we commemorate this day, the falling of easter, Maundy Thursday.

Today, we commemorate the start of Holy Week—the day before the suffering of Jesus starts. This Palm Sunday, we honor Jesus with a heart full of praise and reflection—mirroring his coming sacrifices.

Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | 𝗖𝗢𝗘 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁
𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘑𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘈. 𝘎𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘰𝘪

Due to the recent Engineering Month 2026 activities of the College of Engineering (COE), Chief for Student Organizations, Publications, and Activities (SOPA) Mark Kelvin C. Villanueva gathered selected representatives from the college’s organizations, including the COE Student Council (COE-SC), and its student publication to participate in a survey at the COE Audio-Visual Room (AVR), March 25.

Each organization sent three student-respondents to complete questionnaires assessing stakeholders’ views on the importance, current status, perceptions, and expectations of digital transformation pillars in improving the allocation and utilization of university resources.

Despite multiple activities vying for limited spaces and organizations seeking reservations for university venues and resources for their student-run events, reliance on traditional communication procedures remained largely—prompting the conduction of the survey.

The consultation came at a time when organizations—including the COE-SC—were scrambling to secure university venues and resources, exposing recurring constraints in access, scheduling, and coordination.

The initiative sought to collect data supporting the digitalization of reservation and coordination processes, addressing persistent issues over efficiency and accessibility, particularly during peak periods of institutional events.

𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘩 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘰

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | 𝗙𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗠𝗦𝗨-𝗖𝗢𝗘 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺

Mariano Marcos State University's College of Engineering (MMSU-COE) has produced 15 newly licensed Electronics Technicians following the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) March 2026 Electronics Technician Licensure Examination (ETLE).

Results from the ETLE showed that 15 out of 19 examinees from the university successfully passed the exam, all of whom were first-time takers. This translates to an institutional passing rate of 78.95 percent, reflecting the college’s strong academic preparation and commitment to excellence in the field of electronics engineering.

In total, 251 out of 331 examinees passed the licensure examination nationwide, resulting to a national passing rate of 78.16 percent. This highlights a competitive pool of successful candidates across the country. | 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢