Friday, September 30, 2011

HPP Volunteers

How to volunteer?

Tell us more about yourself, why you want to volunteer, pick one or two committees below that you want to serve in, and other things you have in mind. Just email all your necessary information at HazingPreventionPhilippines@gmail.com

Why Volunteer

HPP needs volunteers like you to pursue its mission to diminish hazing practices nationwide. We have a whole lot of types of volunteer work in which you can share your talents and abilities.

I hope that you would take time to explore the volunteer opportunities below, it will surely help us in our advocacy to diminish hazing practices and its tolerance in our society.

Volunteer Opportunities

Advisory Board

The role of the Advisory Board is to support the work of volunteers, and in an advisory role determines the extent to which activities HPP should be involve in.

Advisory Board shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the community and universities, parents, prominent alumni/alumnae of fraternities/sororities, and community leaders. It would also serve as consultants on hazing prevention and other related organizational issues.

Marketing Committee

The Marketing Committee develops a marketing plan and its implementation. These would include identifying potential markets and supply HPP products, services or programs to their needs. This would include graphic and web designers, marketing specialists, bloggers, and social media fanatics.

The committee will promote HPP and create more opportunities for awareness for hazing prevention initially through internet marketing and social media promotions. Eventually the committee will have the opportunity to organize HPP events and activities.

Research and Development

The purpose of this committee is to oversee the development of HPP and to provide materials from various sources, including hazing incidents, related statistics, alternative solutions and significant data that could support our programs.

Program Committee

The program committee will facilitate all programs of HPP. Each program will have its own mechanics and guidelines aligned to the mission of HPP.

Its role would also include evaluation and assessment of each program. It would oversee to maintain the quality and consistency of modules, lectures and other hazing prevention concepts.

OneVoice HPP

The victim’s cries for justice may be improve by a cohesive team of speakers, lecturers, writers, bloggers, video bloggers, podcasters, tweeps, and other media platform enthusiasts. We will be able to effectively communicate HPP’s advocacy through a variety of mediums. This may create a variety of audience that will surely increase awareness, that is align with our mission to empower Filipinos to prevent hazing.

Also, the following that has background or experts about the topics:
1. Lawyers on the Anti-Hazing Law (RA 8049)
2. Doctors on the medical risks and hazards of hazing
3. PNP officers on enforcing the Anti-Hazing Law (RA 8049)
4. Officers of fraternities and sororities on hazing traditions, initiation rites, compliance with the Anti-Hazing Law, and their action plans
5. Historical experts on origins and growth of hazing
6. Psychologists or anthropologists on why the need to haze
7. Hazing victims on trauma
8. Hazing victims that became hazers
9. People who want to abolish the fraternity system
10. Pro-hazing advocates on its benefits,

Publications

This committee will provide information about HPP programs and services to members and supporters through a monthly newsletter. All contents from social media, blogs or official publications should be approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

Ready to volunteer?

Again, tell us more about yourself, why you want to volunteer, pick one or two committees you want to serve in, and other things you have in mind. Email us at HazingPreventionPhilippines@gmail.com

Don’t worry if you only have only very little time to spare. In just one or two hours per week that you can allot for HPP, and we will be more than happy to accommodate your services. Also, we will be using mostly social media and other online applications for communication in these early stages of our organization.

Thank you for your time, looking forward to meet you and welcome to our HPP team


Like, follow, post a question: you can see all our social media accounts at: http://about.me/HazingPreventionPhilippines

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Hazing Prevention Philippines

About
Hazing Prevention Philippines (HPP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empower Filipinos to prevent hazing in youth or student organizations in communities, colleges and universities nationwide.

The HPP organization strive to develop a National Hazing Prevention Program in partnership with government and non-government organizations, especially with law-enforcement units, the legal profession, medical organizations and the academic community. It also intends to work in close relationship with fraternities and sororities to promote their genuine core values and support them with hazing prevention measures.

HPP is also focused on gathering information and resources for the benefit of fraternities, sororities, their prospective applicants or neophytes, to parents and the school or barangay authorities to learn more about prevention and alternative solutions for hazing.

HPP Mission
Hazing Prevention Philippines (HPP) strive empowering Filipinos to prevent hazing by developing programs, awareness campaigns, and support groups to diminish hazing practices especially in fraternities and sororities in the campuses and community nationwide.

HPP Vision
Hazing Prevention Philippines (HPP) envisions that it will be the leading national organization that will develop programs for sustainable hazing prevention and in support of fraternities and sororities adopting alternative hazing practices.

Programs
Philippine Hazing Prevention Week
Hazing prevention seminars for fraternities, sororities, students, faculty and parents
Webinars
Hazing Prevention News

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Death by hazing: Nor B. Silongan of Notre Dame of Tacurong College

Original post here

By Aquiles Z. Zonio
Friday, September 23, 2011

TACURONG CITY -- A criminology student of Notre Dame of Tacurong College here died at a hospital due to severe beatings he sustained from an initiation activity of Tau Gamma Phi-Triskelion fraternity.

Nor B. Silongan, 16, a resident of Lambayong town in Sultan Kudarat, died on September 15 and was buried the following day in accordance with the Muslim burial rites.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Noria Biang, the victim's mother, told Sun.Star Davao that the boy was able to tell her everything before he died at the Allah Valley Hospital in Koronadal City.

Biang said her son arrived home on September 12 unable to walk. Some friends carried him just to bring him home.

But the severity of his condition prompted her to bring Silongan to the hospital where he received medical treatment for five days.

"I kept on asking him but he refused to tell me what happened to him. Then, when he was about to die he decided to tell me everything," the mother recounted between sobs.

Based on what her son had told her, members of the fraternity brought the victim in an isolated area in Barangay New Isabela in Tacurong City where the hazing took place on September 9.

There, she said, 20 members of the Tau Gamma Phi-Triskelion took turns in beating him up.

"When he could no longer endure the pain, he decided to quit. He attempted to run but one of them grabbed his hair then punched him on the abdomen," she said.

While lying helpless on the ground, one of the fraternity members reportedly scooped sand with bare hand and rammed it through her son's mouth.

Aside from the victim, there were two others who were undergoing hazing that time but only Silongan sustained severe injuries, which resulted to his death.

The Silongan family reported the incident to the Tacurong City police immediately after the death of the victim.

The family of the victim also gave to the police the names of those involved in the incident.

"We heard that those involved in hazing were no longer attending classes at Notre Dame of Tacurong College. But, we hope the law enforcers could still apprehend them," the mother said.

She said her family is determined to file formal charges in court against the 20 suspects.

"We are filing charges not only to seek justice for our son but hopefully to prevent similar incident in the future," she said.

According to her, it took days before they finally decided to come out in the open and brought to the attention of the media what had happened to her son.

Sun.Star Davao texted Fr. Tony Pueyo, Notre Dame of Tacurong College director, to get his side but he did not reply. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)


Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on September 23, 2011.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Incomplete List of Fraternity Hazing Deaths



1. Gonzalo Mariano Albert of Upsilon Sigma Phi in 1954
2. Ferdinand Tabtab of Alpha Phi Omega in 1967
3. Mel Honasan of Beta Sigma in 1976
4. Arbel Liwag of Beta Sigma in 1984
5. Lenny Villa of Aquila Legis in 1991
6. Joselito Hernandez of Scintilla Juris in 1992
7. Mark Roland Martin of Epsilon Chi in 1995
8. Alexander Miguel Icasiano of Alpha Phi Beta in 1998
9. Marlon Villanueva of Alpha Phi Omega in 2006
10. Cris Anthony Mendez of Sigma Rho in 2007
11. Jan Angelo Dollete of Alpha Phi Omega in 2007
12. Chester Paulo Abracias of Tau Gamma Phi in 2008
13. John Daniel L. Samparada of Tau Gamma Phi in 2009
14. Elvis Sinaluan of Scout Royal Brotherhood in 2009
15. Glacy Monique Dimaranan of Scout Royal Brotherhood in 2009
16. Noel Borja of Tau Gamma Phi in 2010
17. EJ Karl Intia of Alpha Phi Omega in 2010
18. Daniel Lorenz Jacinto in 2010
19. Ronel de Guzman of Tau Gamma Phi in 2011
20. Nor Silongan of Tau Gamma Phi in 2011
21. Marvin Reglos of Lambda Rho Beta on January 18, 2012
22. Marc Andre Marcos of Lex Leonum Fraternitas on July 30, 2012


(Content from various news organizations)

Friendly Fire


A video produced to eradicate hazing in the college fraternity. Produced by BECK & CO. for the Greek Video Consortium -- a group of 20 national fraternities and sororites. 1995

A look into the Anti-Hazing Law of the Philippines

Original post at: http://www.up.edu.ph/upforum.php?i=171&archive=yes&yr=2007&mn=11

A look into the Anti-Hazing Law of the Philippines
Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

What constitutes hazing?
 
The anti-hazing law (Republic Act 8049) is not limited to acts committed by fraternities and sororities. Any organization or club may “commit hazing” on a recruit, neophyte or applicant by simply placing him or her “in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him or her to do menial, silly, foolish, and other similar tasks” in order to gain entry into the organization. The law is explicit that any act that causes both psychological and physical suffering and injury to the person joining an organization may be considered hazing.
 
Hazing covers any “initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership.” It includes activities which an organization might undertake to test the aptitude of a person for the demands of the organization.

The only exception the law makes is for “the physical, mental, and psychological testing and training procedure and practices to determine and enhance the physical, mental, and psychological fitness of prospective regular members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police…”

An online forum (www.peyups.com) contains testimonies on UP organizations with severe admission requirements. A forum participant code-named Gadrial says: “At [UP Los BaƱos] I had a more difficult time getting admitted into my org than my frat. I had to suffer mental and emotional torture, not to mention the finals that were extremely difficult. For three months we had to endure being applicants. But it’s OK, because I was able to join a cool org.”

Panira (code name) adds: “There are many special interest orgs that exist in the University, especially theater and performing orgs, that perform psychological hazing such as public humiliation and hell-week.”

The anti-hazing law, however, does not penalize or provide punishment for hazing that falls under the categories of humiliation, embarrassment, and mental or emotional torture. Punishments are spelled out for cases of death, rape, sodomy, mutilation, insanity, imbecility, impotence, or blindness in the extreme. There are penalties for loss of speech, hearing, smell; or an eye, a hand, a foot, an arm or a leg, or the use of such member. Penalties are also defined for some deformities; loss of any other part of the body, or their use; illness or incapacity to work; and physical injuries that may or may not require medical attendance.

The maximum penalty is imposed in cases where these have been accompanied by “force, violence, threat, intimidation, or deceit on the person of the recruit who refuses to join”; the recruit, neophyte, or applicant is prevented from quitting when he discovers that he will undergo hazing; and the hazing victim is prevented from reporting the act to his parents or guardians, to the proper school authorities, or to the police authorities, through force, violence, threat, or intimidation. Maximum penalty is also imposed when the hazing is committed outside the school or institution and when the victim is below 12 years old.

While included in the definition of hazing, there is no mention of embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forced menial, silly, foolish, and other similar tasks in the sections on penalty. They may have to be redressed through some other laws. The rest of the provisions of RA 8049, such as for determining liabilities, thus appear in the context of the physically injurious hazing.

Who can be charged?
The presence of any person during the hazing is prima facie evidence of his principal participation unless he prevents the hazing. If the hazing is committed at the home of an officer or a member of the organization, his parents shall be held liable as principals when they are aware of the hazing being conducted but fail to take any action to prevent it. The officers, former officers, or alumni of the organization who planned the hazing shall be liable as principals even if they are not present during the act. The persons charged are not entitled to the mitigating circumstance of not intending to commit so grave a wrong.

If it is proven that the owner of the place was aware of the hazing being conducted and failed to take any action to prevent it, he/she is liable as an accomplice. School authorities including faculty members who consent to or who are aware of the hazing but fail to take any action to prevent it are also considered accomplices.

Republic Act 8094 lays out the protocol for school monitoring of initiation rites. According to the law, no hazing or initiation rite in any form is allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities seven days before its conduct. The written notice indicates the period of the initiation. It shall not exceed three days. The notice includes the names of those to be subjected to initiation. It contains an undertaking that no physical violence will be employed during initiation.

The head of the school or their representatives must assign at least two representatives of the school to be present during initiation and see to it that no physical harm shall be inflicted upon a recruit, neophyte, or applicant.

The law explicitly allows the school to impose appropriate administrative sanctions on the person or persons charged with the punishable offenses even before their conviction.

The law is also clear that any form of hazing is illegal; that is, not sanctioned by the state, with or without defined penalties.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

I SURVIVED: BATCH '05 (TV-movie)

2010, Philippines
Directed by Pinggoy B. Generoso
Hosted and Narrated by Ces Drilon

Part 1
There are a variety of reasons for joining fraternities, and most of them are of noble purpose.


Part 2
The recruitment process of fraternities:
1. Networking through students members.
2. Pitching the benefits of members and its roster of notable alumni.
3. Hazing cliches, like, "Pain is temporary, glory is forever".


Part 3
Pledge Process:
1. Introduction and proper pledge decorum
2. Indoctrination of fraternity's principles, history, etc.
3. Physical and psychological tortures
4. Paddlings


Part 4
Risks of hazing
1. Hematoma
2. Internal hemorrhage
3. Death


Part 5
Philippine laws against hazing are sufficient.


Support Hazing Prevention Philippines...

Sine Totoo: Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Hazing



Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/video/26951/sine-totoo-kapuso-mo-jessica-soho-hazing

THE ANTI-HAZING LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

REPUBLIC ACT No. 8049

AN ACT REGULATING HAZING AND OTHER FORMS OF INITIATION RITES IN FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFORE.

Be enacted by Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Hazing as used in this Act is an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority or organization by placing the recruit, neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him/her to do menial, silly, foolish and similar tasks or activities or otherwise subjecting him/her to physical or psychological suffering or injury.

The term organization shall include any club or the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Philippine Military Academy, or cadet corps of the Citizen’s Military Training, or Citizen’s Army Training. The physical, mental and psychological testing and training procedure and practices to determine and enhance the physical, mental and psychological fitness of prospective regular members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as approved by the secretary of National Defense and the National Police Commission duly recommended by the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Director General of the Philippine National Police shall not be considered as hazing for the purpose of this act.

SECTION 2. No-hazing or initiation rites in any from or manner by a fraternity, sorority or organization shall be allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities or head of organization seven (7) days before the conduct of such initiations. The written notice shall indicate the period of the initiation activities which shall not exceed three (3) days, shall include the names of those to be subjected to such activities, and shall further contain an undertaking that no physical violence be employed by anybody during such initiation rites.

SECTION 3. The head of the school or organization or their representatives must assign at least two (2) representatives of the school or organization, as the case may be, to be present during initiation. It is the duty of such representative to see to it that no physical harm of any kind shall be inflicted upon a recruit, neophyte or applicant.

SECTION 4. If the person subjected to hazing or other forms of initiation rites suffers any physical injury or dies as a result thereof, the officers and members of the fraternity, sorority or organization who actually participated in the infliction of physical harm shall be liable as principals. The person or persons who participated in the hazing shall suffer.

a.) The penalty of reclusion perpetual if death, rape, sodomy or mutilation results therefrom.

b.) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall become insane, imbecile, impotent or blind.

c.) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have lost the use of speech or the power to hear or to smell, or shall have lost an eye, a hand, a foot, an arm or a leg shall have lost the use of nay such member shall have become incapacitated for the activity or work in which he/she was habitually engaged.

d.) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its minimum period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall become deformed or shall have lost any other part of his/her body, or shall have lost the use thereof or shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance of the activity or work in which he/she has habitually engaged for a period of more than ninety (90) days.

e.) The penalty of prison mayor in its maximum period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance of the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for more than thirty (30) days.

f.) The penalty of prison mayor in its medium period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or capacitated for the performance of the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for ten (10) days or more, or that the injury sustained shall require medical attendance for the same period.

g.) The penalty of the prison mayor in its period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance of the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged from one (1) to nine (9) days, or that the injury sustained shall require medical attendance for the same period.

h.) The penalty of prison correctional in its maximum period if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall sustain physical injuries, which do not prevent him/her from engaging in his habitual activity, or work nor require medical attendance.

The responsible officials of the school or of the police, military or citizen’s army training organization may impose the appropriate administrative sanctions on the person or persons charged under this provision even before their conviction.

The maximum penalty herein provided shall be imposed in any of the following instances:

a.) When the recruitment is accompanied by force, violence, threat, intimidation or deceit on the person of the recruit who refuses to join;

b.) When the recruit, neophyte or applicant initially consents to join but upon learning that hazing will be committed on his person, is prevented from quitting.

c.) When the recruit, neophyte or applicant having undergone hazing is prevented from reporting the unlawful act to his parents or guardians, to the proper school authorities or to the police authorities, through force, violence, threat or intimidation;

d.) When the hazing is committed outside of the school or institution; or

e.) When the victim is below twelve (12) years of age at he time of hazing.

The owner of the place where the hazing is conducted shall be liable as an accomplice, when he/she has actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring. If the hazing is held in the home of one of the officers of members of the fraternity, sorority, group, or organization, the parent shall be held liable as principals when they have actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring.

The school authorities including faculty members who consent to the hazing or who have actual knowledge thereof, but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring shall be punished as accomplices for the acts of hazing committed by the perpetrators.

The officers, former officers or alumni of the organization, group, fraternity or sorority who actually planned the hazing although not present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed shall be liable as principals. Officers or members of an organization, group, fraternity or sorority’s adviser who is present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed and failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring shall be liable as a principal.

The presence of any person during the hazing is prima facie evidence of participation therein as a principal unless he prevented the commission of the acts punishable herein.

Any person charged under this provision should not be entitled to the mitigating circumstances that there was no intention to commit so grave a wrong.

This section shall apply to the president, manager, director, or other responsible officer of a corporation engaged in hazing as a requirement for employment in the manner provided herein.

SECTION 5. If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or provision thereof shall remain valid and effective.

SECTION 6. All laws. Orders, rules of regulations, which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act, are hereby amended or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.



Approved: June 07, 1995



(Signed) FIDEL V. RAMOS

President of the Philippines