The Season of Giving and Sharing

 

        Extravagant cars, big houses, cabinets of clothes, pairs of shoes, cellphones, DSLR's. We are showered with bountiful blessings. We are receiving more than just enough of what we need with each passing day. We are very luck that we can satisfy our daily needs. Very luck to eat three or more than three times a day. Very lucky to wear different clothes everyday. Very lucky to sleep in comfy bed On the other hand, our fellow citizens in Visayas are still in the state of shock from the wrath of Typhoon Yolanda which hit them recently. The question now is, what have you done to show your affection to your fellow brothers and sisters there?

        The season of giving and sharing is fast-approaching. Isn't the timing just exact? I hope this would serve as an excuse for you to be generous on this Christmas day. The true essence of Christmas is not on how many gifts we will be able to receive but on the number of times we are able to put a smile on other people's face and made them happy. It is about how the spark of love in our hearts can stay ignited despite of the cold weather this season is bringing. It is on how we are able to let the typhoon victims feel the presence of God and His hope that will keep them breathing.

        In this Christmas season, you are to celebrate it with your family and maybe even relatives. You are to eat delicious food together. You are to receive gifts which cost more than a dollar. You are to be happy in this Christmas season yet have you ever wondered how will our fellow citizens, the typhoon victims are able to celebrate Christmas? Some lost their families. Some lost their homes. Most of them have to food to eat nor water to drink. It is not yet too late to make a move. Let us share what we have for it is better to give than to receive. Let us continue being affectionate to our fellow brothers and sisters.

When Climate Changes..

 

               We are suffering from a phenomena which certainly can cause a huge impact on Earth as well as on the people living in it. This threat is non other than the Climate Change. Global warming is the gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans. This is a  change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. If this will not be put into an end in the soonest possible time, extinction of life on Earth would become possible.

        The causes are many of which the main culprit is the increase in the greenhouse gases that is produced by burning fossil fuel and deforestation, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect leading to global warming. The four main contributors of the greenhouse effect are, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Some regions may be wet with rain and some areas will suffer drought due to global warming. The climatic changes happen due to global warming. Seasonal changes are unpredictable unexpected thunderstorms might result as mentioned earlier.

        The excessive emissions of chlorofluorocarbons or CFC's is the main reason of the sudden abnormality of the climate so we must prevent using or even producing them. Remember that the effects of Global Warming can blow us all up. So are we not supposed to be standing up now and explore the world before it will be gone? But wait, how about the place where the next generation will be living in? Let us not be selfish. Let us think not only for ourselves but for the good of everybody. Let us stop Climate Change. Plant a tree.

Seeking the Equality of Lifestyle

        Our world was created with beauty and perfection by God. he created land to equalize the water part of the Earth. He created human beings to be stewards of His creations. Likewise, He created light to subdue the darkness. We were created by God in His own image and likeness.

        In the eyes of the Lord, we are all equal. No rich. no poor. All beautiful. no ugly. Each of us was spared with gifts and talents. Eliminate those social, academic and political classes. We are all people with the same mental capabilities sharing resources equally. Discarding the gaps among people enforces the stability of the bonds we can make together. This stability reduces the chances of bringing up unfavorable things. A world where the rich challenges the poor or the strong challenges the weak is undesired and should be vanished. Isn't it better if we seek the life style where everybody is equal so everybody would also have equal opportunities in making our dreams come true?

        Whether you are pretty, gay, lesbian, dark, poop, weak, helpless, short, loveless, we all have equal rights. We have all the right to fight for what we believe that is true. We all have equal chances of proving our worth in this world.

The Power of the English Language

     

         You may be wondering why in every places you go, signs are in English.  Why in every instructions, it's always translated in English. Why in every schools or universities they teach their students the English language. Why most international movies and books are written and have copies of it in English. Too many questions asked yet just one simple answer. The English language is our universal language.

        Different bodies of water surrounds and separates places in the globe but the English language serves as a bridge between the gaps of these places. Through the English language we are able to cross places around the world. It makes nations build closer relationships despite of the differences in national language, cultures, traditions, beliefs, races, color and many more. Imagine yourself unable to speak. Isn't it hard for you to communicate with others? To express how much you truly feel inside? Same as through when we don't have a universal language. It's like we are deprived from our freedom of speech. Why? It's because when we don't have this English language and learn it people aren't able to understand other people. The world will be in a total chaos. English is also a factor affecting each person's living. English is what makes a man a successful one. English is what makes a country a progressive one. English is what makes people build a stronger grasp of each other's hands. 

        So whether you want to learn English or not, it is still a must for you to do so. Because through the English language you are able to understand you subjects at school. If you are able to understand then you are able to excel at these subjects. if you are able to excel at these subjects then you are able to choose a course you want and finish college. if you are able to graduate then you are able to get a job which will lead you to a brighter tomorrow. Through the English language, you are able to make your dreams come true. 

Turning Through Pages of Life (A Reflection for the 2nd Quarter)

        Another chapter in the book. Can't go back but you can look. Yes, exactly, another quarter of our last year in our High School has ended and I ask myself again, "How far have I gone already?" I couldn't answer because I really don't know. Maybe, in the positive side, I can see it as I am halfway to the finish line.

      When we run through the race of life, we couldn't help but sometimes fall. I was still about to start the race when I already fell and that was the moment when I couldn't even take a glimpse of my name in the Honor's list for the First Grading Period. I keep telling to myself that it's okay though it's really hard because when you fall to the ground, you get bruises, you get wounds, and these are the things which causes hurt. Plus, there are also these people around you who keeps on asking why you didn't make it. And that wouldn't make it any better because if they think they're trying to help, they are actually not. And when you get home, your parents are there, expecting for a good news with wide smiles on their faces. I am even so ashamed to face them because honestly, I can't really disappoint them. I just can't turn those wide smiles to a frown. I just couldn't let them think of me as nothing. I want to prove them that I am someone. I want them to be proud. But all gave them is disappointment. And I hated myself for that. I was the worst daughter a parent could ever have.

      Time flew and that wound has been healed and that pain has been diminished. But the scars are still kept inside which serves now as my inspiration to stand up and continue because I know that my life wouldn't end at that very moment. So I stood up, brush the dusts off, wore a huge smile and began the race of life again. I am ready for the next level.

Teachers: The Unsung Heroes

         A teacher. A mentor. A coach. An instructor. An educator. A tutor. A preceptor. A pedagogue. What else can you call someone who is always there to look after you in the journey of life? Someone who is willing to break all the theories in life just to prove himself/herself worthy of being called a hero.

        They say that teaching is the noblest profession. Yes, it really is. For a teacher creates all profession. Without a teacher, there wouldn't be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, an architect or any other else. Entering into teaching profession is an act of selflessness because in this, you have to give yourself as a whole to be able to acquire the true identity and a heart of a teacher. Teachers stay late at night just to prepare the discussion for the next day. Teachers get tired and are sometimes hurt because of handling student's behaviors. The problems of their students are also theirs. Likewise, the happiness of their students. You may not have seen one, but I tell you that teachers do shed tears sometimes. They get to handle with about 40 students in a class a day. Sometimes, their students wouldn't even mind paying attention or even just to lend their ears. Sometimes, teachers are even being laughed at when they make mistakes. Sometimes, teachers are also being blamed at because of their reckless students. Now may I ask you, do you want to be a teacher? If yes, then I salute you and urge you to continue moving forward. If no, then maybe you can still think twice or even thrice.

        Teachers are unsung heroes. They may not have superpowers to control the world but they have hands to rule and touch lives of every student. They have the hands that will hold and pull you up when you fall. They have the hands that are willing to work for the good of all people. They have the hands that will change the whole world.

Take A Look at Yourself and Make A Change

   

      Gigantic buildings made of glass. Extravagant cars filling up the road. Baroquely made houses built in cities. Skyscrapers embracing the deep sky. Happy-go-lucky people wandering through the streets. Oh, didn't the world just change too fast? The world is now invaded with technologies thus, making life much easier and faster. But what is the use of these extravagance, profusion, innovation, progression if we don't have a decent place to put these on?

     Open your eyes into reality. The clear blue sea turned out gray. The verdant trees on mountains and hills became bald. Corals and other marine creatures are devastated. Some kind of animals were put to extinction. Fresh air from trees was changed to polluted air from factories and jeepneys. Kaingin, mining, illegal fishing became hobbies of most people. These foolish acts of people, can you really still bear?

     It is never wrong to aim for progress or much like betterment or our economy. It is not bad to dream for advancement. There is nothing wrong in achieving modernization. Of course, who doesn't want change? Especially if its a change for the better. Only ridiculous people will object. But we must held liable and accountable for the destruction it might take, for the unsatisfactory outcome it might end. We must not forget the responsibility we embraced.

     Let us put an end to these causes. We must not wait until it gets worse. All the world needs is a little care and a little act of kindness. It needs hands which will work and heal the world. Change starts within oneself. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.

My MotHEROINE

       

         Hero. Just a four-letter word but rich in meaning. I don't say that the way how you describe it is unacceptable but I'm gonna say what a hero for me is. A hero is someone who is willing to break all the theories in life just to prove himself/herself worthy of being called a hero.

        When someone does something unforgettable to us, we may consider him/her as the hero of our lives. My mother is worthy of being called a heroine. She has been through many trials, fell through her knees, cried thousand tears but she never uttered the word 'give up'. No matter how much she's hurt, how much her heart breaks, she always have the courage to pursue and fight. She's never afraid of shedding tears because she knows that every tear that falls in her eyes is a sign of a brave soul and strength. She'' be stronger than what she's been before. Her smile is but as sweet as honey and as lovely as a rose. Her smile is a medicine which heals any kind of sickness you may feel.
 
        I owe my life to my parents for without them, I wouldn't exist. My mother has carried my is her womb for nine months and raised me as her daughter for 16 years. She has been a light of the family and stood also as the role of a father at the same time since my father worked away from from. She has supported me to every step I take towards a brighter future. She never failed to give support to every decision I make.
   
        I couldn't imagine how my life is without her. It's like a flower never been watered, withered and slowly dying. Until there comes a point in life, when that dead flower becomes useless and devoid of meaning.

Wikang Filipino; Tatak ng Pagka-Pilipino

       

credits for the photo to http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl

          Ang wika ay pamamaraan ng pag-iisip ng tao. "Kapwa kayo nakalimot na habang ang mga tao ay may sariling wika ay mayroon kayong kalayaan, tulad ng tao na malaya habang nakapag-iisip sa kanyang sarili.", sabi nga ni Simoun kay Basilio sa tanyag na nobelang El Filibusterismo ni Dr. Jose Rizal. Masasabi nga na tunay niyang pinahalagahan ang paggamit ng ating sariling wika, and wikang Filipino.

         Why do we need to have a uniform and own language if there are different languages already spoken by each ethnic group in our country? What is the essence of having this national language in our daily lives? How important is this in molding us into true Filipino citizens? So many questions asked yet it is not enough to give answers to these by just merely on writing, drawing, acting, singing or even dancing. The easiest way to express one's thoughts and feelings is through a verbal communication. 

         There are more or less than 110 languages and dialect that are being used in the Philippines. Some of these are the Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano, Ilonggo and Pampango. Because there are so many languages being used in our country, they had an agreement to choose one as our national language. Manuel L. Quezon said to make Tagalog as our national language and was approved and signed by thew former Pres. Fidel V. Ramos. The month of August then was said to be as the 'Buwan ng Wika'.

         Because of having a national language which is the Filipino, every island of the Philippines are becoming one in turning our dreams into reality. Every citizen has the right to express whatever it is in our minds which make us free. Using this language makes us true citizens of the Philippines. Let us never be ashamed of who and what we are. We are true Filipinos in our hearts, mind and souls.

The Beginning... (A Reflection for the 1st Quarter)

         They say that first grading is just the start and there are still three gradings that are next. Because of this statement, most of us tend to be just a happy-go-lucky kid not knowing that first grading is a part of our school year. Just because it's still the first doesn't mean we are not going to give our best.

         I admit that sometimes that idea is poisoning my mind and paralyzing my whole body to make a move. It's the reason why no matter how much I wanted to do a thing, myself can't just seem to have life. I didn't get high scores during quizzes. I don't even find time to take a glance at my notes. But that didn't make me hopeless because I had given my full support in the different activities of the TLE and STEP Club in the Nutrition Month Celebration. I joined several contests which somehow improved my skills and abilities.

         First should never be just first because first means beginning. And for every beginning is a start of a journey. A beginning is a part of our journey. So if we are looking forward for a bright ending, we must not doubt to start a light-filled beginning.

Insights

       President Benigno "Noynoy" Aguino III just deliveredbhis 4th State of the Nation Address last July 22. He said earlier, a week before delivering his SONA that soon we are going to hear from him the realmstatus of the country, which he just did.

       In his recent SONA, he summarized the projects and thenthings the administration had accomplished in the 4 yearsmof being in service, and themprojects that are still about to come. The projects stated were further elaborated by the presidentnto gove an answer to the doubtful minds of the Filipinos. The president had given his visions in making our country a better place to live in. And it is in our hands the power to pursue these visions and make it to reality as our mission. These problems which need urgent solutions couldn't all be seen by the president and given immediate response which is the reason why in his SONA, he encouraged us to work hand in hand.

       As a citizen of the country, I need not to put my hopes too high that President Aquino will accomplish everything he just stated in his SONA because it takes time for these economic and social problems to put and end in it. But I do wish that as he leave his position, he will leave also a legacy that is worth keeping and remembering.

Health is Wealth

          We all know that as the month of July comes, the Department of Health together with the help of the Department of Education launches the month of Nutrition. They want to ensure that every Filipino should be aware of their health statuses and healthy lifestyle which is the reason why every school in the country is encouraged to join this celebration.

       
           In the celebration of the nutrition month, the Ilocos Sur National High School is currently conducting different activities prepared by the Students Technologist and Entrepreneur of the Philippines (STEP Club) and the Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE Club) guided with the theme, "Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-Sama Nating Wakasan". The activities prepared that are being pushed through are the : food festival, cook festival, poster-making contest, mural painting contest, nutri-jingle contest, nutri-fun-run and tree planting.

          The month of July and at the same time the month of Nutrition is indeed full of surprises and experiences. Let us enjoy this celebration and show our support together.

Letter to the President

Honorable Benigno Simeon 'Noynoy' Aquino III,

            Greetings of peace and joy!

            It's really indeed a great opportunity to be a president of a country and to lead the citizenry. It is a very rare chance because over millions of people living in the Philippines, you were chosen. Chosen by the people by which they're giving their trust in you. You were chosen because you had the power to convince and persuade them to vote for you in the election. However, it weighs a corresponding responsibility, an immense responsibility. 

         Our nation today suffers from different problems. Poverty is one of these. There is never really an instant way to end up poverty but there are several ways in which we can lessen poverty. Poverty affects how we live in our daily lives. Because of poverty, people tend to commit crimes just to satisfy themselves for their own needs. Poverty is also the reason why hundreds of people die with each passing day. They can no longer conquer the famine they are suffering from. It was then in your advocacy that your main goal in running as the president is to stop poverty. So we are very much assured and expecting that you are going to make really a move and act on this main problem. We are expecting for a change, a difference which only you can do that. We are hoping that you will never make us regret that we put our votes on you.

      As the president of the country, I know you are very busy and problems with crimes may seem trivial; however, this issue affects lives of most people and I hope you make fixing of this issue a top priority.

           Thank you very much and more power.

                                                                                  Respectfully yours,
                                                                                  Trisha Mae Ashley Alibin Pre