Ponce, Emlyn Salting Socio 10 THV

Socio 10 Bonus Reflection Papers Prof. Josephine Dionisio

I. LuMina UP Mining Engineering Society (September 15, Engineering Theater)

I admit, that because of this symposium that I fully became in favor of mining. The

hopeful in me is looking at responsible mining and the advantages that it will bring the country

economically. I totally forgot to be a critic in this issue. I forgot that they serve the private

companies and the government that do not put the community in their top priority, of course it is

because they are businessmen, and they have businesses to grow. I was entranced by facts and

figures that they showed us, like the trees they planted in exchange for the land where they had

their site, the money they donated to the community that was affected by their mining activities,

the jobs that they supplied to the community, and the income that helps the Philippine economy.

I forgot that the government, even though with enough power and the constitution to support

them, is sometimes turning a blind eye against minings harmful effects, like how it destroys the

environment, stealing land from the natives, underpaying the labor and the unsafe workplace that

they provide. If responsible mining truly exists, and the government is doing its job properly, I

might believe them once more. And now, my stand is only against the abuse to miners and to let

the natives claim and take care of their own land. If they would like to continue mining, thats

fine. We should encourage helping our fellow countrymen as part of our social responsibility as

Filipinos. But then again, as it was discussed during the debate, maybe its time to lessen the

mining or give Mother Nature a rest and look somewhere else to extract the minerals, like the

dumpsite. And it is also up to our future mining engineers to make a difference and help in

nation building.
II. Intersection The UP Repertory Company (November 19, Solair Auditorium)

A back-to-back performance of two short plays, Streetlight Manifesto and Eskinita,

these contrasting stories have undoubted entertainment value, but it will not leave your minds

empty. For example in Streetlight Manifesto, is there a difference in killing an innocent civilian

and someone who can be considered as a trash in the society? A very familiar scenario to us

Filipinos nowadays, because of the governments campaign against drugs. My stand will always

be the same, who are we to judge who should live and who should not? I still believe that

everyone has equal rights regardless of class and other factors. An evil deed should never be

repayed with another evil deed. It will only ruin a societys mutual trust and turn it into the

uncivilized survival of the fittest environment, regardless of how strong the concern to cleanse

the society someone has. On the contrary to the first story, Eskinita shows no compassion among

the neighborhood in that small alley. Just because they refer to that family as bad luck, they dont

want to let the coffin of the padre de pamilya to pass in their homes. It shows so many opposites

of the ten virtues suggested by Randy David like intolerance, close-mindedness, and discord. It

demonstrated our present situation, we live in dense communities but we dont even

communicate or connect to that someone who lives next door to us.