by Karl Diaz

Dr. Cedric Angelo M. Festin officially became the new Chair of the Department of Computer Science (DCS) last June 1, 2005, replacing Dr. Ronald M. Tuñgol, who has left for Canada after serving for three years at the helm of the DCS.

Dr. Festin has been teaching in UP since 1992. In 1995, he left for the United Kingdom to pursue his PhD and returned in 2002. He graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in Bachelor of Computer Science and in MS Electrical Engineering. For this semester, he is currently teaching CS 255 and supervises CS 198 and CS 298.

In appointing a new faculty member as department chair, the Dean of the College of Engineering meets with the faculty to discuss the selection process. There is then a two-week period where faculty members may submit their nominations for the new head of the DCS. Once the list of nominees is finalized, the Dean proceeds to interview the nominees, which will eventually be the basis for the appointment of the next Department Chair.

When asked about his plans as the new Chair, Dr. Festin said he will do what it takes for students to excel academically, for the faculty to succeed, and for all elements of the Department to “bring home the bacon”. His current tasks involve the relocation of the DCS to the new building.

By Erica Mae Abbass (http://cai.i.ph)

The UP Association of Computer Science Majors (UP CURSOR) and the UP Department of Computer Science held its annual College Survival for Computer Science Students (CS4CS) to welcome the new batch of CS freshmen to the Department on the morning of June 15, 2005 at the Engineering Theater.
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By Sophia Lucero (http://sofimi.i.ph)

Teams from the UP Diliman Department of Computer Science garnered first and third place in the local finals of Microsoft ImagineCup 2005, held at the Eugenio Lopez Activity training facility in Antipolo last June 7 and 8.
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By Phillip Kimpo Jr. (http://corsarius.i.ph)

The Association for Computing Machinery - University of the Philippines Student Chapter (UP ACM) bested 750 chapters worldwide — many of them from the US — by winning the recently concluded Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 2004-2005 Student Chapter Excellence Awards.
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By Carlos Miguel Lasa (http://carlooos.i.ph)

The Department Computer Science (DCS) won two awards in the 2005 Undergraduate Research Competition held last April 21 at the 2nd Floor Lobby of Melchor Hall.
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By Tristan Jed Roque (http://teejay.i.ph)

Two of the oldest organizations of the CS Network, UP CURSOR and UP CompSoc, along with 16 other Engineering-based organizations, participated in this year’s Freshmen Orientation Program Committee (FOPC 2005), with CURSOR placing an impressive fourth among all participants.
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By Sophia Lucero (http://sofimi.i.ph)

Prof. Rommel Feria, a senior faculty of the Department, is now a columnist of one of the country’s leading newspapers.
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By Phillip Kimpo Jr. (http://corsarius.i.ph)

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, but teach him how to fish, and you feed him for life.

This was the guiding axiom for the UP Diliman Department of Computer Science (DCS) and the Association for Computing Machinery - UP Student Chapter (UP ACM) as they conducted the Summer Computer Literacy Outreach Program (SCLOP) last April 11-12, 2005 at Room 209 of Melchor Hall.
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By Tristan Jed Roque (http://teejay.i.ph)

DCS student and UP Parser news editor Carlos Miguel M. Lasa was awarded the 2005 Procter & Gamble Student Excellence Award (SEA) last March 17 at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.
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By Phillip Kimpo Jr. (http://corsarius.i.ph)

Our very own Ma’am Riza Theresa B. Batista, together with Angel B. Calayag, won first place in the recently-concluded Call for Convergence: The Telic Communications, Inc. VoiceXML Contest with their project, the UP Diliman Voice Enabled Guide.

The University of the Philippines Diliman Voice-Enabled Visitor’s Guide conveniently and effectively finds directions within the UP Diliman campus using automated and interactive voice responses to user’s queries.

Batista and Calayag will be awarded $2000.00. The contest was sponsored by SUN Microsystems, Voxsant, and Kooltel.com.

Ms. Riza Batista and Ms. Angel Calayag are also currently completing their Masteral degrees in Computer Science, and are groupmates in CS 260: Advanced Software Engineering.

Visit http://www.callforconvergence.com for more details.

By Sophia Lucero (http://sofimi.i.ph)

Last April 13 and 22, 2005, the Association for Computing Machinery – UP Student Chapter (UP ACM) and the UP Association of Computer Science Majors (UP CURSOR) jointly held two Knowledge and Information Sharing Sessions (KISSes), one on Macromedia Flash and another on Adobe Photoshop.

Over 60 people attended the free KISSes, which were hosted by the Department of Computer Science at MH 209. Jason Masipiqueña and Pio Claudio, Gaming and Graphics SIG Heads of UP ACM, taught the basics of Flash on April 13 for two sessions — 9-12 AM as a members-only session, and 1-4 PM as a free for all. On April 22, Daniw de Leon of UP CURSOR gave a crash course on Photoshop from 1-5 PM. Participants also had the option to have primer CDs burned at a minimal fee. The CDs contained the programs’ trial versions and several tutorials.

Both organizations are planning to hold several more sessions within the coming months.

By Phillip Kimpo Jr. (http://corsarius.i.ph)

iBlog: The First Philippine Blogging Summit was held last May 7, 2005 at the National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED) Auditorium, UP Diliman.

The morning session, entitled “Blogging for Newbies” was conducted by Abe Olandres and Gail dela Cruz. Olandres, a founder of plogHost Web Services, presented “Blogging 101,” a crash course on how to make and register your own blog within minutes.

Dela Cruz, a freelance digital artist and creator of the 2004 Filipino Blog Site of the Year www.Kutitots.com, taught summit delegates the various techniques in beautifying their blogs.

The afternoon session kicked off with Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) Commissioner Damian Domingo “Dondi” Mapa’s talk on “Governance and Blogging.”

Up next was five-time Palanca awardee and internationally published author Dean Alfar, who entertained the crowd with his witty and informative talk on “Blogging Creatively”.

Alecks Pabico of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) followed, sharing his insights on the emergence of bloggers as journalists and the role of blogging in journalism.

Last to present was arguably the summit’s main speaker, Connie Veneracion, popularly known as “The Sassy Lawyer” in blog-circles. Veneracion, a lawyer by profession and recipient of the Most Informative Blog Award in 2003, enlightened the delegates on “How to Build a Bookmark-Worthy Blog.”

Over 300 persons registered in the event hosted by the UP Law Program on Internet and Society (UP Law ISP). Delegates were given the chance to raise questions in the open for a following each session.

Aside from free food, people were also given free i.ph domains worth $15.00. Various iBlog t-shirts were also sold.

The summit’s official website can be found at http://www.iblogph.org.

by Ardee Aram (http://ardee.i.ph)

Connie Veneracion, more popularly known as The Sassy Lawyer, is currently one the most controversial bloggers in the Philippines to date. Tagged as the “most famous Filipino blogger” by the iBlog Summit press committee, Connie has utilized the internet infrastructure and the blogging technology as a means to amplify her voice about socio-political matters not only of the country but also of the world. Parser Tech Editor Ardee Aram interviews Connie about how she thinks blogging affects society at large.
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By Abel Belmonte

Anime and video games don’t usually mix well, but make an exception for this one. If you’re an avid fan of fighting games, a certain yellow-haired ninja boy, or both, then you’d better try Naruto: Narutimate Hero 2. Let’s quickly go over the game’s details, so hold your Kage Bunshins tightly!
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by Jason Erick Masipiqueña & Frank Tan Jr.

With the rise in popularity of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) in the country, it’s no wonder software companies and network service providers are all trying to get a little piece of this new (and large) cash pie. Enter Mirinae Entertainment’s “Khan: The
Absolute Power” — one of the latest games to hit the Philippine scene.
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As harsh as it may sound, some people simply do not care.

There are those who choose not to take pride in the recent slew of victories for the Department of Computer Science — intra-university, regional, national, and even international competitions, all conquered by DCS students and faculty. There are those who choose not to give the UP Alliance of Computer Science Organizations (CS Network) even the most modest of respects. There are those who choose not to be thankful for the presence of the foremost venue for DCS students’ views, The UP Parser, choosing instead to carp at the presence of advertisements, which in the first place allow the effective dissemination of information vital to the DCS’ growth.

On the other hand, the people who choose to care are hurt by their colleagues’ (sometimes) blatant display of apathy. They are left to think, is this a sign of things to come, an ominous future where it is standard protocol for orgs to give each other the cold shoulder, where service and sacrifice is met with ratcalls and unappreciation, where people are concerned only with their own affiliations and snub the bigger family that is the Department?

This publication does not wish to enforce its opinion on anyone. It merely implores to those concerned to give even the littlest of efforts to understand all sides, to probe each circumstance, to do away with tactless and injurious words, and to respect the differences among affiliations.

Because ultimately, it is not a cadre of organizations nor persons which will benefit — it is the Department itself.

ANG TANONG: Sasali (o nakasali) ba kayo sa org/s ng CS Network? Kung oo, anong pagkakaabalahan mo doon? Socio-academic, purely academic, web development, software development, open source, Department service, journalism, or other pursuits? Kung hinde, bakit?
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By Daniel Joseph Saracin and Karl Oliver Diaz

According to wikipedia, a weblog (also known as a web log or blog) is a web application for entering, modifying and displaying periodic posts. It is also used to refer to the entire set of multimedia that constitutes a single account. Blogs, or online journals, have been in existence as far back as 1980’s. Indeed, the first Filipino blog was created in 1996; however, the concept of blogging rapidly gained popularity only recently. There are at least 9 million blogs in cyberspace, with 40,000 new ones sprouting out daily. Of course, most of them are just plain silly. Even by assuming that 99% of fresh blogs are senselessly off the point, at least 400 blogs still have the potential to influence your cause. Daily.
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By Cai

There’s really nothing good about staying up until 2AM when your last sleep was almost 24 hrs ago, your class starts at 7AM, and you’re an hour away from UP. It’s only been a month since the sem began yet here I am. I don’t know if the earth is rotating faster than 24hrs a day, or I am just running a turtle race. If it were so, I wouldn’t mind stepping on the brakes. Anyway, I’m tired of speeding up, just because everything is on fast mode and I’m being left behind.
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For more than two decades, the UP Association of Computer Science Majors (UP CURSOR) has served as the only organization in the University that is solely dedicated to the development and growth of the Department of Computer Science and its students. Each year, UP CURSOR holds a weeklong celebration of the organization’s founding called CURSOR Week.

This year marks CURSOR’s 22nd year, and we celebrate it with projects that are bigger, bolder than ever before. So mark your calendars, because from August 26 – September 22, 2005, we will give you the following scintillating activities:
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By Jeffrey Louie Quiambao (http://jefspeaks.i.ph)

Terms usually are vulnerable to misconceptions. It is for that very reason why the term “CS Network” accidentally misleads many people, especially those who are not well informed. Only through transparency can we effectively inform people with utmost truth and clarity. What is this CS Network, then?
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Bright and blazing with intensity, the Firefoxes of Computer Science are raring to set the College on fire. CS Firefoxes — fiery, foxy, and feverishly eager to excel. Fox you!
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By Geomar Lubaton (http://ramgee.i.ph)

The CS Graduation Dinner was held last April 20, 2005 at Balay Kalinaw in UP Diliman from 6:30 to 10:00 PM. One hour before the event, everything was going smoothly. The Grad Party Volcorps were almost finished setting up the place, giving the necessary forms to the early birds.

After waiting for the crowd to get bigger, Dino Lacdan and Geomar Lubaton, the event’s hosts, had the people settle down to get the party started. The event was started by an opening speech by the past Department Chair Dr. Ronald Tuñgol then was followed by a game called “Modified Human Photograph”. In this game, the grad students were asked to group into threes to test their creativity and acting skills by depicting scenes like “nasuntok ng lasing sa may McDo” and “nagka-kram sa thesis.”

Next was the much awaited dinner! Thanks to the gourmet skills of Michael Lee, an HRIM student in College of Saint Benilde (CSB), a delectable buffet of peppery stuffed pork roulade and fried chicken with béchamel sauce appeased approximately 80 hungry tummies of the people who attended that night. The food was good for 100 persons but there were few leftovers.

Mr. Ryzaldi Acmad Moti, Chief Operating Officer of 25by8, an e-solutions company, shared a talk on the quality of UP CS graduates, and gave them survival tips after graduation. Ms. Joyce Avestro, president of the Department of Computer Science Alumni Association (DCSAA), introduced the Association to the graduates and swore them in as the newest batch. She also announced Georgino Adriano and Ma. Christina Olpoc as the elected Batch Representatives. They will be in charge of contacting their batchmates in upcoming events such as alumni homecomings.

Awards and Recognitions were given to the cum laudes and magna cum laudes of the batch. Finalists in the Undergraduate Research Competition e-NoDes and AMASSIS (see related news article) were also recognized.

The highlight of the evening was the tribute for the graduates. Sighs and laughter filled the room as the screen flashed photos of their freshmen year, their barkada photographs, thesis presentations, and more. It reminded them of their stay in UP with all its ups and downs, and the challenges they are to meet as they welcome the real world. Ms. Joyce Avestro surprised everyone as she bid them goodbye with a musical number.

The party was officially ended by words from Dr. Susan Pancho-Festin at around 10 pm and the to-be-graduates were off to their own gimmicks and get togethers.

Here are the Parser staffers who have graduated last March 2005. All the best to you!
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by Germond Akome

DON’T TOUCH ME.
I DETEST THE WAY YOU MAKE MY SKIN
TINGLE EVERY TIME YOU BRUSH
AGAINST ME.
DON’T TALK TO ME.
I LOATHE THE VERY SOUND OF YOUR VOICE
THAT SEEMS TO CARESS ME
AND MAKE ME LONG FOR MORE.
DON’T LOOK AT ME.
I ABHOR YOUR GLANCE THAT MAKES
THE PAIN IN MY STOMACH ALL THE MORE
INTENSE.
DON’T GIVE ME ANYTHING.
EVEN THE SIMPLEST GIFT FORCES ME
TO YIELD MYSELF TO YOU.
STAY AWAY FROM ME.
I DON’T EVER WANT TO LOSE MY IDENTITY.

By DJ Saracin

…then we grew silent

I am still,
in monologue
with the silence
I’ve created to whisper
secrets to you.
With your hand in mine,
I shall speak to you
with a longing
that suffers the distance
in us.

I’ve grown deaf
to the echoes of my ranting.
I still listen.
Sometimes I think i hear you,
faintly.

There are moments when
I find you in my thoughts,
in places i’ve never been to,
then you speak to me
as though i’m lost.
I enjoy wandering in your daydreams…
if only longing
wasn’t such a far place.

In time
I shall head towards
this place
I remember you by,
where we never spoke,
nor touched.

…well, maybe we might have.
I can only see so little
without my words and yours.

By Jeric Cantos

Sa gabi, sa gabi, ika’y pinagpapawisan,
Nababagabag, mayroong pinagnanasahan.
Naghanap, naghanap, ngunit walang matagpuan,
Iyong paningin, ibinaling sa kadiliman.

Heto na, heto na, maari nang lasapin,
Tukso ng laman, maari nang abutin.
Sya na nga, sya na nga, nasa iyong harapan,
Ang tawag ng dugo, iyo bang pakikinggan?

Kay sarap, kay sarap, ligaya ng laman.
Sa wakas, ikaw rin ay mapagbibigyan.
Mapusok, Mapusok, ‘di mapipigilan,
‘Di pabibigo ang pangangailangan.

Lumabas, pumasok, walang inaalintana.
Umatras, sumulong, hanggang umapaw ang banga.
Napuno ang salop, walang ni anong babala,
Sumambulat sa wakas, ika’y napahilata.

Bata, batid mo ba ang mundong pinasok mo?
Ang bawat sarap ay may katumbas na presyo.
Malas ka pare, kapag ikaw ay nabisto,
Pangongopya sa M.P. katapat ay singko.

by Raeff

your hot breath wafted on my neck in the midst of a fitful slumber
I opened my eyes and saw the invisible nothing that had been here since…
the pain hurts so, not unlike acid burrowing too deep to take out
yet quite short of numbing me into deep peaceful unconsciousness

Hear me, O, moon goddess and take now my life.
Spare me, I beseech the, from this mortal strife.

teary-eyed i leaned back as fluid ice seeped into me as a glacier would
copper drops tainted what would have been clear rippling crystal
the metallic sting of the incision that had been mere seconds before
along with all my thoughts, my turmoil, now subside, now subdued

i long to see what changes you have been through after…
but i guess you would very much rather not have me nor have me know
as i fall into the dark and unexplored abyss of dreams, surging and ebbing
i wish i only knew, though i know i will not, where did you go,

now that I’m gone?

by Karl Diaz

And then I woke up.

It really was such a horrible nightmare that I’ve been having recently. I turned to my side and reassured myself that you are still there. Somehow, I can’t stop the nagging feeling that if I lose sight of you, there’s a chance I might lose you forever.
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by Cai

mahirap manganak ng tula
lalo pa’t walang binhi
ng kagalakan o kalungkutan
o kaya nama’y matinding sakit
na tumatagos sa kaibuturan

mahirap manganak ng tula
kung wala namang sinapupunang
kakanlong sa mga parikala’t talinghaga
walang magluluwal ng mga akda

mahirap manganak ng tula
kung walang kakagat sa bunga
ng matamis na tamod ng panulat

mahirap manganak ng tula
kung walang basbas ng kasal
ang manunulat at burador
walang lunsaran ng pagbabago

mahirap manganak ng tula
at pagtugma-tugmain ang mga salita

mahirap manganak ng tula…

By Jim Lerry C. Guiyab

Ika labing tatlo ng Hulyo dalawang libo’t lima. “Ano ba yan?” …yan ang aking natanong sa aking sarili habang naghihintay ng isang himala o pangitain sa gitna ng dagat ng mga tao na aking kasabay sa T.Sora. Wala talaga akong ideya kung saan ako pupunta sakay ng isang dyip upang makagawa ng isang ethnography.
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Ang ordinary barbeque ay barbeque.
Ang CS barbeque ay barbe-stack. First in. Last eaten.

Ang ayaw ng isang ordinary boyfriend ay materialistic na girlfriend.
Ang ayaw ng isang CS boyfriend ay object-oriented na girlfriend.

Ang ordinary single ay ayaw makipagrelasyon.
Ang CS single ay ayaw mag-commit.

Ang ordinaryong genes ay namamana sa father side o sa mother side.
Ang CS genes ay namamana sa left subtree or right subtree.

Ordinary customer: Two cups of rice, please.
CS Customer: Two instances of rice, please.

Ordinary McDo Crew: Sir, ang drinks po ba nila regular or large?
CS McDo Crew: Sir, ang drinks po ba natin float, long or double?

Maricel Soriano (MS): Get out of my house! I don’t need a parasite!
CS: Get out of my drive! I don’t need a virus nor a worm!

Vilma Santos (VS): Para kang karinderyang bukas-sara sa lahat ng gustong kumain!
CS: Para kang CD-writer na bukas-sara sa lahat ng gustong magburn!

Ang dalawang magkaibang ordinaryong bagay ay
Ordinary EEE: Exclusive OR.
Ordinary Math: Disjoint set.
Ang dalawang magkaibang CS stuff ay atomic.

Teka, pahinga lang ako…
Ordinary sosyal: beauty rest.
Ordinary athlete: recharge lang.
Teka, pahinga lang ako…
CS: Defrag(mentation) lang.

Ordinary workaholic: Do not disturb. Busy. Workaholic
CS: Do not disturb. Multitasking. Multithreading.

Ang ordinary taong hindi umaasa sa iba ay independent.
Ang CS People na hindi umaasa sa iba ay stand-alone.

Ang ordinary item na hindi madaling gamitin ay inconvenient.
Ang CS item na hindi madaling gamitin ay hindi user-friendly.

Ordinary student: Bumagsak na naman ako. Third take ko na ito!
CS student: Bumagsak na naman ako. Pangatlong iteration na ito!

In an IT-job interview…
“What languages do you know?”
Ordinary: Filipino, English, Spanish, Latin, French…
In an IT-job interview…
“What languages do you know?”
CS: C, C++, Java, Perl, Haskell, Python, Lisp, COBOL, Prolog…

Kapag ang event ay naantala… due to technical problems.
Kapag ang event ay naantala… due to runtime errors.

An ordinary good student manages his time well.
A good CS student synchronizes his processes well.

Monkey see, monkey do.
Override. Overload.

Ang ordinary boy scout ay laging handa.
Ang CS boy scout ay laging buffered.

Tara, gig tayo, bro!
Tera, giga tayo, bit!

Life is like a box of chocolates, don’t know what you gonna get.
Life is like a bin of spam, don’t know what you gonna get.

Ordinary CS Student: Ano yung persistence?
UP Diliman CS Student: Persistence? Hindi mo alam! I give up!
Ordinary CS Student: (sa sarili) Wala naman itong persistence!

By Jonas Roque (http://jonas.i.ph)

Thread 1
CS 155 Student 1: Anong tawag sa mga hindi pa natutulog dahil sa MP?
CS 155 Student 2: Ano?
CS 155 Student 1: Nontoken

Thread 2
Senior Student: Patulong naman sa 155 MP ko oh.
CS Alumni: May kilala akong magaling sa compiler… si Chris Clarin*

Thread 3
Teacher: Mag-share lang ako something off-topic pero related sa class

Thread 4
Trend Delegate: (while developing a software) Eis ang galing! (surprised!), ‘pag may nabago, naiiba!
Other Delegates: Wooh! The greatest revelation of all time!

Thread 5
Senior Student: Wala pa lang seniors sa juniors.
Junior Teachers: Ayan ka naman!

Thread 6
Webteam SA #1: Paano mag-chargenitong digital camera?
Webteam SA #2: Isaksak mo.

Thread 7
A Libre news headline: UP CURSOR, nakalibreng tanghalian

Thread 8
An Imagine Cup team is known to be the s.k.waters. Meanwhile, two among the ACM ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Competition) team names are UP WET, and, UP Team of Artistic Engineers

Thread 9
May taong hindi maka-download ng movies, kaya pinag-download siya ng Quicktime player.
Netguy: Ayan, may Quicktime na ‘ko. Pero ayaw gumana! Pwede bang i-rename ko lang ang .zip sa .mpeg?

Thread 10
Bago sumabak sa laban
CS Volleyball Team & “Star” Player: Go team!
CSV Team: Fox you!
“Star” Player: Fighters!

* Newly graduate Chris Clarin is the CS155 teacher

By Geomar Lubaton
(http://ramgee.i.ph)

We need you. Our Department needs you.

The Department of Computer Science (DCS), the CS Representatives, and the UP Alliance of Computer Science Organizations (CS Network) would like to gain your support in the soon-to- be-unveiled Engineering League of Excellence (ELE). It promotes academic excellence, student awareness, and participation in extracurricular activities of the college.

You can help the DCS through any of the following:

> Academic Excellence. Be the heroes of House Firefox! Students are encouraged to study and be University and College Scholars. Those who are graduating are also encouraged to finish with honors. Also, we would really appreciate it if you can submit your Math, CS, Physics, and other Engineering exams with a grade of 90% or better at the “EXAM IN” box at the CS Department. Please make sure that your exams are properly signed by your respective instructors. You can collect your exams at the “EXAM OUT” box at the CS Department.

> Extracurricular Activities. Be the most well-rounded students of the College! Activities such as the Freshmen Week, Engineering Week, Engineering Cup, CS Week, Student Council Elections, Dean’s Hour, and College Outreach Program entail participation from both students and faculty members. You are encouraged to join in these activities in order for our Department to garner merits for ELE.

> Special Awards. Be the best! If you happen to have won or participated in academic competitions outside the College and/or University, we request that you report this and submit any proof to any of the CS Representatives or to the staff of The UP Parser. These competitions include university, regional, national, and international contests – programming, photography, art, literary, sports, debate, research competitions, count them all! Be recognized.