John Paul P. Corpuz

CHANGE starts with the youth.

The country has taken the first step against political dynasties in the form of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act or Republic Act 10742, a law that bans second-degree relatives of government officials from running for posts in the barangay youth council.

Section 10 of the SK Reform Act, which lists down the qualifications of an SK official, states that an SK official “either elective or appointee […] must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity” to any incumbent national or local government official which includes parents, grandparents, siblings and relations by law or marriage such as spouses and in-laws.

DESPITE strong opposition from UST officials, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is pushing through with the plan to build a flyover along Lacson Avenue.

Alex Bote, DPWH project manager of the Lacson flyover since 2014, said the start of the construction period was moved to late 2016 due to revisions in the design.

The four-lane flyover, aimed at easing traffic woes in the area, was originally designed to start at Alcantara Street and end near Dapitan Street. The endpoint has been extended three blocks further to Aragon Street.

ANXIETY is common among Thomasians, according to the UST Counseling and Career Center (CCC).

Results of the “depression scale report” of the CCC for Academic Year 2013-2014, the most recent data, yielded an average score of 57.21, which suggested that Thomasians, mostly sophomores, were feeling lethargic, sad and disinterested but that the score was “not enough to warrant a diagnosis for depression.”

The report added that none of the respondent groups got an average score of 60-69, the significant value indicating if depression was present or not.

The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”