A Night To Remember

The Junior and Senior Promenade is one of my most awaited events in my entire life. What I was so excited of is how I look when that night will come. "What will be the best color of the gown that will fit me?" and "How do I fix my hair?” Questions flashed in my mind every time we talk about the preparation of the JS Prom. I know that this event is expensive and that I should be ready to spend a big amount of money. But this will not matter for I was longing and expecting for this event to happen. And at last, it was granted on the night of February 17, 2006 held in Waterfront Hotel, L:ahug, Cebu City.

The preparation for the Js Prom was quite expensive especially that it was held in a five-star hotel. But I was expecting it. I paid P 650 for the food, token, and the venue. I also bought a pair of sandals which was worth P 350 and my bag which was worth P 250. I only rented a gown and it cost P 500. And don't forget my total appearance, my hair and make-up, which cost P 410 in Juvel's Salon. Wow! I spent P 2160 just to attend this event!

But the affair was worth the effort, time and money. The venue was perfect for the occasion. We all looked like princes and princesses with our dashing outfits. Boys turned into gentlemen and girls turned into ladies. We were all elegant and fabulous that night which fit the magical atmosphere.

The food was palatable especially the chocolate cake. Actually, all food that was served was all appetizing. After eating, we, juniors, presented our tribute to the Seniors. It was a great privilege for us to present our mark of respect to them.

Time came that both parties will present their prophecy and legacy. And I’m proud to say that the prophecy and legacy clearly showed its meaning. That was really enthralling! Hail both to the Juniors and the Seniors!

The theme, "Tying Threads of Friendship", fit the second to the last part of the programme which was the Disco. The Juniors and Seniors danced both in fast beat and slow beat. We danced together as though we all forgot our fights and hatred with each other. After all, that affair was created to bring back our friendship.

Everyone was enjoying that night. We hardly noticed that it was almost time to end the programme. We sang the fellowship song and it reminded us that this is the last part of the event.

Indeed, one can really treasure this meaningful and memorable night. We should make Junior and Senior Promenade part of our lives. We are only high school once.

For the coming Juniors, just enjoy the night and make it meaningful for us all. I know that preparing for this is a difficult task to do but I assure you that your effort will worth it.
Good luck and God bless us all.

Improving Filipino Lives Through Science and Technology

Every year, the University of the Philippines High School in Cebu celebrates Science and Technology Week. It is a school event wherein all activities relating to science are applied here. These activities are investigatory projects for first years and second years, titration of vinegar for third years and Science Fair for fourth years. These were all exhibited the whole week of the event. Other related activities were also held such as Science Olympics, Research Defense, Poster-making Contests, Essay-Writing Contests and Radio Quiz.

This year's theme is "Improving Filipino lives Through Science and Technology". It is easy to comprehend what the theme tries to tell us so. The theme was explained further by the activities relating to it such as poster-making contest, essay-writing contest and Research Defense. As what I have observed, this year's research projects were all relevant for solving world's major problems.

I'm proud of my group's project which is Extraction of Ethanol from Potato, Sweet Potato and Taro. The ethanol extracted from them is one of the components of biodiesel to be used as gasoline for vehicles. This research project of ours helps lessen the occurrence of Global Warming. By using biodiesel as an alternative for petroleum, there will be less emission of harmful gases that triggers the expansion of the hole in the ozone layer. Our project is only one of the preventive measures in making our world a better place to live.

I am one of the contestants for poster-making contest. I drew a picture that clearly presented the theme. The essay-writing contest also contributed much in conveying the message of the theme. It clearly explained the problem that our world is experiencing today. And with that, we were awaken by the essays that the contestants had written.

Activities mentioned above are indirectly helping us to cope up with the problems our world facing today. The message hidden on them helps a lot in awakening people to reality. They also contribute much by having a list of solutions, such as Research Projects on different problems that we face today. Indirectly, the activities involved in the Science and Technology Week greatly contribute in the betterment of our world.

It is such a great fulfillment for us, student in UP High School that we are a great help in making this world a better place by means of different activities relating to Science.The last day in our Science and Technology Week was allotted to the Science Olympics, Radio Quiz and the Awarding Ceremony. The games in Science Olympics were supported with Physics Concepts, so we have to really think for the best angle or the best way just to win the game. The Radio Quiz had fed us additional knowledge and we enjoyed it much. The last activity for this event was the awarding ceremony. Our group won the first place in Cyberfair, a contest for the best website here in school. The GUI group won the first place both in Science Fair and Research Defense. We are so proud of them. And I am proud of the whole event. I can say that we really are a great help in improving the Filipino Lives Through Science and Technology

How Precious Are They?

Visiting institutions such as Home for the Aged and Home for the Dying Destitute seems heart pounding. You may wonder what the difference between these two institutions is, but I'll answer you anyway. Home for the Aged and Home for the Dying Destitutes are similar since they provide services, love and care for the oldies. But the difference between them is the level or age of the elders to be taken care upon. The Home for the Dying Destitute, obviously, takes care for those dying patients, particularly the aged people while Home for the Aged takes care for those elderly people only.

When we, CWTS, went to visit Gasa sa Gugma: Home for the Dying Destitute on February 2, 2007, I had an unexplainable feeling towards the environment. The place seems so quiet and holy that I only heard the whispers and murmurs of my fellow classmates. This deafening sound continued until Ms. Rodel instructed us to lead the patients to the chapel for them to attend mass. We followed the instruction and went inside the wards to fetch the patients. Upon nearing to the patients, I can see that my classmates started to feel. I, myself, started to feel the same way too. I can't go near to the patients not because I am “arte” but because I am afraid that they may not like me approaching to them after all. I only stood in an area watching the caretakers fetching the patients by a wheel chair. I saw some of my classmates shedding tears while they were struggling in getting up from their bed.

Minutes has passed until I bravely talked to one of the patients. I asked an old man about his life here in Gasa sa Gugma. And without hesitant, he shared his story to me. He revealed his experiences before he came to that place. I was so overwhelmed when he shared some breathtaking experiences that he encountered before he was brought up to that place. And that really fascinates me.

After that talk, I came near to an old man who spoke plainly English. He was so fluent in speaking English. I enjoyed talking to him because he always flatters me by saying I'm beautiful. I started believing in him. Laugh out loud!

I also went to two other men who had a slight problem with their memory. They kept on talking things that in the end they can't remember what they said a while ago. But they are fun to talk with. They were so jamming and they love talking some stuff to us. They even shared their love lives to us. I felt joy and belongingness to that place. It seemed that I am enjoying the moment.
Time has come to bid them goodbye. It is hard for me saying goodbye to them. All I did was to lead them in their respective seats to eat their dinner. By the way, they eat dinner at 4:00 in the afternoon. That moment, I came to know how they are so precious to me. They made me realized the value of taking care of those who are older than me especially my parents.

The Kiss of One's Eyes

How can we feel that we are loved? When we hear the word, “I love you”? When someone puts his or her lips on us? Or when somebody makes love to us? Is there really love from the choices above? Or are we so blind that we believe that love exists through the actions above.

Love is beautiful, astounding yet simple, and beautiful in a sense that both opposite eyes find happiness in it. Love makes us feel special, and with that, we do things which are good to the other’s sight, and that constitutes to our well-being. Love is also astounding. It is great. Every person finds love and gets love. Fool is a person who does not love for he or she will never find happiness in his or her life. We should value the greatness of love to make us feel happy and special in a way. Love is also simple. Simple is a sense that love could be expressed in just simple ways. You can see and find love through simple smiles, simple words, and a simple look.

Do you remember the time when you first admired a person? Was it his or her smile that made your head turn? Was it not his or her eyes staring at you that bothered you all day long? Was it not the reason why you wanted to know him or her better? Was it not those smiles and looks in his or her eyes that reflect his or her inner beauty? That is the simplicity of love. That was what Sarah Teasdale wanted to convey in her poem, The Look. With just a simple look of the eyes of Colin, Strephon’s kiss faded away. Colin looked at the persona with passion and love. The persona felt that love with that look. It even haunts her day and night.

See how powerful a simple look is? It won over Strephon’s passionate kiss. With simplicity, you find, love, you feel special in it.

We find love with only a look from a person. Maybe that is the power of such humility and gentleness inside that person. We may not notice the deep message hiding in those eyes when we do not care at all. It is nice to find a person who secretly loves you because we are sure that the love he or she had felt for us is deep and unselfish unlike a person that is so liberated and is so vulgar to tell his or her feelings towards another. A person who is so confident to tell his or her feelings to another person seems like not a trustworthy person. He or she could be confident enough to tell that feeling to the other person. What I am trying to say is that we should tell our feelings right there and then especially when that feeling is an unsure one. It is only my opinion based on my experiences and observations.

We could never conclude right away that what we feel now for that person is really the right one. We must know first if what we feel is really love, or is it just infatuation. That is what love really is, if it is selfless, sincere, sure and slow in developing. Infatuation is the opposite of what love really is. It is selfish, insincere, unsure and so quick to develop which is also very quick to fade. Love also begins in simple ways just like simple looks and stares. Love does not develop in kissing right away that person. That act could be a sign that the person is insecure to himself or herself that is why he or she kisses that person right away. That is not love after all. That is infatuation right?

The Beauty of a Poem

The Beauty of a Poem

How tranquil is the life
Of him, who, shunning the vain world’s uproar
May follow, free from strife,
The hidden path of yore
Chosen by the few who conned true wisdom’s lore!

-The Life Removed
-Luis de Leon

How did he write such wonderful poem? A poem with perfect selection of words and has a unique style.

How stunning is the life of the poet for he had written a poem of delicate style. I admire him for that. He really gave color to what we call, “poems”.

Poems is the oldest form of art and most flexible of all literary types. One can really appreciate poems for its diverse forms.

It has elements that bestow its beauty. First, it has a theme that conveys us the main point or idea. It also explores the real intention of the poet. Another element is the use of sound. Sound plays an important role in poetry. One can extract the theme of the poem by just studying the sound of the poem. Poems also have figurative speeches that provide the very foundation of poetry. It gives color and life to the poem. One can really enjoy reading poems full of figurative languages. There are also other elements that give exquisiteness to the poem. These are its form, voice, language, image and allusion that help us discover the main point or theme of the poem. All of these contribute much to the magnificence of the poem.

Long before, I never get interested with poems. I look at them as merely an ordinary field of literature. I did not see its importance until I knew that songs are one kind of a poem.

I thought that a poem is a merely literary art that only comprises lines and stanzas full of unfamiliar words and have no sense at all! Also, I thought that only world-known writers and authors can write a poem and poems are their means of communication or merely their language! I even thought that poems are merely puzzles that if you can decipher it, it will lead you to a key for a wanted treasure. What a shameful description from me.

I now know that a poem is a one kind of literature where themes are conveyed through keen selection of words that best fit for the message that the poet wants to express.

I also now realized that anyone can write a poem. We must not limit ourselves by mainly reading poems of other person. We must also try writing poems that would clearly express our inner thoughts and feelings. Writing poems can make us feel free and liberated. It can soothe us in a way that we can express boldly our hurts, fears, anger and bliss. One can really be proud and pleased of him/herself if his or her emotions and outlooks are conveyed through a poem with perfect selection of words.

Each poem has its own elegance, grace and beauty. We may not directly extract the theme of the poem, but by paraphrasing, we can now get the idea of it. Readers can surely appreciate the beauty of one’s poem.

What matters is, all of us can write poems. And all of us can appreciate the elegance of what we call, “poems”.

That Enchanted Prom

"Could you tell me what's the style and color of your gown?" This question was asked by my classmates a week before the prom. And almost everyone, except me, had an answer to it. I was not prepared for that prom. Honestly, I didn't feel joining it. Instead it gave me excitement, it seemed like a burden to me. P750 or more would be a great help for our Research and my other needs. But I have to join this event because this is a school activity.

Sunday before the Prom, my mother called me to go for this place to rent a gown for the upcoming Prom. I felt overwhelmed because my mother finally showed enthusiasm or the coming event but at the same time, I felt cold because I don't feel leaving the church just to choose a gown to be used for Prom. But I went to the boutique anyways. I chose the simplest gown there with no beads and no intricate style on it. I look so simple and yet elegant, my mother said. The rental for gowns in that boutique was do cheap. It is only P500 per gown. So I took it without hesitant. My mother told me that I should buy a pair of sandals that would fit for my gown. I said no. I would prefer to borrow sandals than buying them. Thank God, Gabby let me borrowed her gold-glittered sandals. It really fits my gown since the color of my gown is also gold. I just bought a golden bag for only P100. For my hair and make-up, Gabby influenced me to prefer Janjan's Salon and it costs P550. But I chose it anyways. Gabby let me borrowed accessories such as earrings and necklace that would fit my gown.

And now, for the Prom proper, everything was so perfect: the place, the program and the people. I enjoyed the prophecy. The third years did very well just to please us. Their tribute was so heart-pounding that I found myself singing with them. The legacy holders in the fourth year students presented a dramatic legacy with a music background of Gregorian chant. The food was so palatable that I kept on eating all throughout the program.

Now it's time for the crowning of the Prom Princes and Prom Princesses and the Prom King and Prom Queen. I was nominated and I didn't expect or that. But then my name was called for the Senior Prom Princess. I couldn't believe it! God allowed me to experience such unexplainable joy and gratitude. And it happened that the Prom Prince is Nico Martin Eñego, my closest friend. I am really thankful to God for the blessings that I received that day.

This program would never be exciting without the Disc part. This is where the real we will emerge. It is hard to be formal than being informal. And the only informal part of the program is the Disco part. So, all of us showed our greatest moves and grooves in the dance floor. That was the most enjoyable part of the program. One could really see the blazing trails of friendship.

But the time has finally come for us to leave that place. We sang our fellowship song with joyous voice. And off we go.

That Prom was an enchanting one for me, not because I became the Senior Prom Princess but because trails of friendship were everywhere that night. I really felt so special that night and I know that almost all the people there felt that too. My past mentality of the Prom was changed. This event was worth the money, the time and the effort. This event was really an astonishing one!

How I Want to be Remembered After I Leave High School

The scent of the trees, the chirping of the birds, the cracks of the buildings, the brownish grasses in the soccer field and the noise of the students- these are the usual scenario of the University of the Philippines High School in Cebu.

It’s hard to leave this school if you are used in coming in and out of it. I have been in this school for four consecutive years and it will be hard for me facing the reality that it’s going to be the end. Time will come that I have to leave this school. And that time would be on April 18, 2007, our Graduation Day.

What I want now is to treasure memories from this school and at the same time leave some footprints in this school. What I mean with footprints is all the memories from me that I want to be remembered after I leave High School.

It’s been hard for me staying in this school for four years. It is because you have to reach the standard of what a UP student would be. For this place is not just a middle-of-the-road, standard, second-rate school. It has no place for mediocrity; it only provides a high quality education. And with that, you have to muddle through with it.

I can say that I survived the challenges the school had set. Even though I struggled so much to have good grades, I manage to stay humble and thankful to my accomplishments. I would never graduate if I am not serious with my studies.

If I were given a legacy, that would be Legacy of Diligence. I’m proud enough to say that I have been so diligent with my studies that I almost put half of my life to it. Being assiduous, vigilant, attentive, and devoted student is the major qualities of a first-class student. This is somehow difficult to achieve but with perseverance and high-regard to ourselves, we can be what we deserve to be.

That’s what I want to be remembered, my perseverance that lead me to a first-class student. I have been so serious with my studies that God awarded me such uplifting gifts, my awards and accomplishments. I’m proud to say that I’ve been an honor student since I started schooling. Everyone can achieve that through perseverance and belief in one’s self.

Serious as what I am, I still manage to give a smile to other people. That’s what really I am: an affable, pleasant, jovial, easygoing and a jolly friend. I never tired smiling, giggling and laughing to other person’s jokes. I even laugh at the corniest jokes. I want to be remembered this way, a person who always wears a smile in her face.

But above all, I want to be remembered the entirely me. The “I” who share her talents to her classmates. The “I” who always dance with grace just to entertain God and other people. The “I” who never get tire of listening to other’s problems. The “I” who always wear a smile on her face. And lastly, the “I” who value her studies and the school itself.

God vs. Studies

“Mariel join ta fellowship this 3 pm ha?”, “Mag-unsa ka karong hapon?” Join ta fellowship ha!”, “Be here at 3 pm ha. Fellowship bya ron.”

This is usually happens in our church, the Bradford United Church of Christ, Inc. Young people tend to invite other people to join the activities and events held in the church. It seems to be an invitation of a lifetime.

But how sad the reality is, when almost all the young people in our church today are turning this down for a reason. “Naa man gud ko buhaton, magstudy.”

Hmm… That’s good! But is it really the studies that keep us avoiding such invitation? Or is it just a default in our mind that comes out when someone invites us to join activities?

Many young people today could not attend services or mass every Sunday and other church activities because they thought they’re busy in school. “They” always make their studies an excuse. What’s worst is “they” even sometimes deliberately make it a hindrance for their own spiritual growth.

Why am I saying this? Who am I anyway? Well, honestly, I was once of those “they”. Many times I had been invited but I always make my studies a reason for not coming though it was really for another reason. And that is I don’t feel comfortable mingling with other young people. Besides, studying as an excuse seems just and reasonable.

I was like those “they” who hesitated before coming to church because of the assignments undone. I was even one of those “they” whose heart and mind were not really in the church but in the school.

What’s really the core of this argument? Is there really such a point of choosing between God and Studies?

These questions were answered by Ate Leah, one of the Sunday school teachers, who was invited by the youth to be the speaker of the topic, God vs. Studies.

First, Ate Leah corrected the topic that afternoon. For her, there is no such thing as equating God with just an aspect of our lives and then contradict it. God, in the first place, should always be our first and highest regard; besides, God isn’t just a part of our lives but the life of our lives. Placing God and studies in opposite ends of the equilibrium is just like comparing a million-dollar-worth gem with a dust in a cupboard!

That was really striking! It was really a day full of realizations! In fact, those words are still playing in my mind.

I know now that the conflict isn’t really between God and our studies, but on how we manage our time. It is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “Everything on earth has its own time and season.” So let us not wait for the deadliest deadline of our school requirements. Accomplish it now!

As Christian, it is true that we also have to excel on our individual fields. I believe that Christian never fails. But if we come to the point of so much engrossment with our studies that we fail to acknowledge God, maybe it’s time for us to think, “Am I really doing it for God or myself only?” Or if we feel like our endurance and hard work in our studies are in vain, why won’t we ask ourselves again, “Is God really with me or am I too fast that I left Him behind?”

Matthew 6:33 states, “Seek ye fist the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all this things shall be added unto you.”

So now, stop that dilemma in our minds for we don’t have to make a choice. For us Christians, God is and always be our choice.

God vs. Studies.. Studies vs. God..not anymore! But God with studies and studies with God!

Humans: God's Assistants in Controlling Weather

The search for the mastery of the elements began in the late 1800s. It was Nikola Tesla who mastered almost all the elements and came up with the transmission of electrical energy through space. And this has become a reality.

Today, the two powerful countries have the ability to control weather around the world: the United States and Russia. Other countries are working feverishly to catch up. Weather can be used as a doomsday weapon.

In 1969, the US Patent Office granted a patent for a method in increasing the number of precipitation by the artificial introduction of sea water vapor into the atmosphere.

In 1971, a patent was issued to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation for as system of irradiation of planet surface areas. And in the same year, a patent was issued to the National Science Foundation for a weather modification method.

In the early 1970s, the United States Congressional Committee on Oceans and Internal Environment held hearings on our military research into weather and climate modification. They had found out that the defense department had plans for creating tidal waves through the coordinate use of nuclear weapons.

There was a great danger in the confrontation between the United States and Russia. In 1977, a United Nation’s treaty against weather modification for hostile purposes was signed by the US and Russia.

But this treaty did not signify the end of weather experimentation. In fact, the United States launched an experiment that created a downpour of rain over six countries in Northern Winconsin. The storm generated winds of 175 miles per hour that caused $50M damages. Russia, on the other hand, was selling weather control equipment tailored to specific needs. They used the slogan “Weather Made to Order”.

As the experiments in both countries continued, weather patterns began to change. Drastic changes in our environment are visible nowadays.

As we all know, weather is the most powerful force. It could disrupt world economies with perpetual rainstorms and tornadoes; wipe out crops in a drought, cause earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis, close airports and cause devastation on enemy battlefields. It could even destroy our economic activities. There are many other things that are disrupted when there is an occurrence of rainstorms, earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis.

Who could have thought such idea of controlling weather? They may have lost their minds or they just want to be all knowing just like God. Most scientists do not believe in God that’s why they have to prove to other people that all things is possible without God. They just want to overtake the place of God, as the maker and the destroyer.

Well, they got into a big mistake. Look at what they’ve done. They worsened the scenario of the world. They destroyed our properties and mostly, our environment.

We should not allow this to happen. Only God should be given the authority to control the weather. He’s the all knowing God, the only creator and the destroyer. And no one can take His place.

Loneliness: A Falling Leaf

Interpreting and understanding poems are one of the hardest things I encountered n Reading and Literature. I find it hard to read poems. That is why it takes 2 to 3 turns for me just to understand what the poem really tells us. My difficulty in reading poems must be an outcome of my utter disobedience to read books, short stories, poems and epics. I only know a few authors and sometimes, I forget about the stories they wrote. My attitude towards literature is really negative. I just enjoy fairy tale books because they have big font size and the background is colorful. The only novels that I have read were “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, “Charlotte’s Web”, and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” The book “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is really made for children same as Charlotte’s Web. The “Are You Afraid of the Dark”, however, is an investigative form of novel written by Sidney Sheldon. It is hard for me to read books like these since they contain many pages. I am not really interested in exploring the world of literature. And that is a big problem for me.

l(a

le
af
fa
ll

s)
one
l

iness

Being instructed to interpret a poem that only contains 22 characters is such a difficult task for me. I know that each character is important and also, their locations.

L(a leaf falls)oneliness is the poem itself. Hard, right? But if I were to analyze this poem, I see an arrow pointing to a word, “iness”. Iness here is a word referring to “I”, being all alone.

After all, this poem is all about loneliness.

Loneliness is being unfrequented by others, deserted, desolate, solitary and sad from lack of companionship or sympathy. For me, this talks about loneliness.

As what I have imagined, there is a tree. The L in the first line symbolizes a tree. The season is a fall for leaves are falling. One by one, they started to fall. And now, only one leaf left in the tree. It kept on hanging on the tree, clinging to its bough. Loneliness filled the air but still the leaf was determined to stay.

That is how we deal with problems. We may be the only one solving it but we should always be determined in winning over it. We have to hold on, never giving up. Sometimes we would lose hope, but we should hold on to it.

Loneliness was created by God to make us strong and independent. It is not a burden, nor a punishment. It is a special gift from God. That’s what I believed.

Strong willpower and confidence with ourselves give us high self esteem even though we are the only ones depending on our lives. Each of us has some difficult problems. Big or small, whatever the size it is, we should fight for that. When everyone seems helpless, when everyone leaves us and when everyone rejects us, let us be strong. Stand tall and believe that we can do it by ourselves. Just say to yourself, “I have a companion, and that is God”.

Absolute Divorce..in Philippines

Upon moving to the next question in our test in Practical Law, I was alarmed by what I have read. The essay question read like this, ‘Lisa Masa has filed a bill of absolute divorce in the Congress. The question is, “Are you in favor of it? Give me three good reasons why or why not you are in favor of it.’

Of course, my answer is no!

Marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with the law for the establishment of a conjugal and family life. This is in Article 1 of the Family Code.

We all know that Philippines is a Catholic country. It doesn’t allow absolute divorce to be imposed in the country. This bill will only bring liberation to the people. Just look at the United States today. Most of the people out there entered into marriage and after several years, months, or even days, they will go into divorce.

Marriage is not just an ordinary relationship like a “boyfriend and a girlfriend” thing. Marriage is the only permanent contract that will only perish when either of the party will die.

It’s hard to go into marriage. You have to be physically, psychologically, emotionally and financially fit. You have to consider all the factors when you go into marriage.

I’m also wondering why some people want absolute divorce when this country allows annulment and legal separation. Aren’t they enough?

In the first place, annulment and legal separation is somehow the same with absolute divorce. Both parties should discuss this matter seriously and should think hard in deciding it.

The couple is not the only one affected when they go into divorce. The children are also affected with it. In fact, they are the ones who really suffer when the couple decides to break apart. They will be affected emotionally with that. And it is hard finding those emotions. Let us be sensitive to other people. Let us not only think for ourselves but also for our loved ones.

Knowingly, marriage is a sacred act. It is holy for God made it holy. But what did we do with it? We made it unholy by making it easy for the people to acquire it selfishly and reject it easily.

God married His wife (the Church). But then we are not satisfied with His love so we reject Him. Yet, He remained faithful to us.

That’s the real beauty of marriage, loving a person eternally. We do it by not doing things disagreeable to our partner. We should lengthen our patience. We should observe mutual love, respect and fidelity. And lastly, we should render help and support to keep us bounded with our partner.

With that, both parties will really enjoy marriage. And no more people will be hurt.

So let us not think of selfish ideas such as absolute divorce. Let us not hurt our children.

Absolute divorce will never happen in a Christian country like the Philippines.

Love: An Act of Will, Not An Act of Heart

Each one of us has a different definition or interpretation of love. Love can be defined as a deep devotion of affection for another person. It can be a strong sexual passion for another person or a sexual passion in general or even, the gratification of it. Love could also be blind, patient or kind, depending on the person feeling it. Or maybe, like is like a river that flows forever. The definition of love is really up to the person feeling it.

We all want to love and be loved. That is the sweetest thing that happens to a person. But it is hard to achieve. People are so proud that they do not want to express for the person may not love them in return. It is hard to achieve love because as you go deeper in the true meaning of love, you may realize that it is not love you are feeling at after all. Love is selfless, sure and sincere. In true love, you cannot find the words selfish, unsure, insincere and insecure. Once you love a person you do everything for him or her to be happy. You love not to satisfy your desires, but to satisfy the desires of the other person. It is not all about “I” anymore like before. You have to love the “you”. And that is how the phrase I Love You came to be.

But is love an act of will and not of heart? I have read on the Reader’s Digest that love lasts for 12 to 18 months and after that, you choose to love continually the person, or you choose to leave. It stated that it is really in the brain that controls your desire for that person and after 12 to 18 months, tat desire may fade away and it is already up to you if you will love that person continually. I do not know if I have to believe this but it showed that love is an act of ill as what I have agreed.

Science has not yet discovered the center or the organ which our feelings emanate from. We believe that the organ that contains it is the heart. Some say the brain. Native Africans believe that it is the liver that controls our feelings while others say our limbic system. Wherever the feelings come from, it is an act of will and not the organ containing it. Our willingness to do it or express it is the one that really matters. It is not only the brain, live, heart or the limbic system that is affected by these feelings. Our min, body and soul are also affected. We love because we want to love. No one or nothing forces us to do such act. It is our own choice that we will do everything for it. It does not matter that the brain cells of the brain give up in loving someone. It is our own choice. If we love the person continually, our whole person operates in doing that. It is only up to us if we love or not. But to tell you, I think that there is no single person that does not love after all. If there is, he or she may be a victim of a short span of life.

It is nice to choose to love everyday, every minute and every second. Love God, love yourself and love your family. Love your friends and love your pets. Love everything!

English: Medium of Instruction

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has instructed the Department of Education (DepEd) to restore the use of English as the medium of instruction in the Philippines schools. This was taken from Gloria E. Melercio’s article of Arab News.

The president was said to be alarmed with the continued decline of English proficiency since the constitution was amended in 1989 in using Filipino as a medium of instruction.

Now why do we really need to use English as a medium of instruction? What are the advantages and the disadvantages?

The advantages of using English as a medium of instruction, is really beneficial for us Filipinos. This is because, we would be able to communicate well with people outside our country, with this, we could be a world-class civilization. Through this we could also be updated with what is going on in the world. We can also do well especially in foreign trade.

But I have much more to say regarding the disadvantages of using English as medium. Ten leading institutions and organizations, including the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and other schools, showed dismay regarding president Arroyo’s decision in replacing the former medium of instruction, Filipino. The president has misread what Article 14, Section 6 of the constitution trying to convey. She did not consider the fact that students would be able to learn more by using their native tongue. The Iloilo experiment in 1960 proved that Filipino youths will learn faster using their native language. Test results showed that the highest scores were obtained by those who studied science in their own language, just like the Japanese and the Korean youths.

And did you know that countries which use their own language as medium of instruction ranks on the tops during science and math exams? These countries are Singapore, South Korea, Czech Republic, Japan, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, and Belgium.

The TIMMS (Third International Math and Science Survey) advised the president that using English as primary medium of instruction is not a solution in making us an intellectual person. They are absolutely not directly proportional. It is also not the answer to our country’s poor economy.

I envy Malaysia for having a prosperous economy even though they only use their native tongue, Bahasu Melayu, in the classroom. But look at us, we rank third in the English speaking countries but what a shame that we are on the top rank as the most corrupt country in Asia.

We know to ourselves that most of the time, we have great ideas in our minds but we cannot express them since we have to speak English. That is the outcome of the students who have been taught of a language unfamiliar to them.

I am not saying that we will disregard the English language. We can learn English even though it is not our medium of instruction. We have to master our own language before we learn other languages. My point is, we should love our country. We have raise to it from regress by being intellectual people. We could express well our ideas and aspirations by using Filipino as medium of instruction. And we could be more effective people by learning the second language, English.

World: A Harmful Place To Live At

Oh, how cruel is the world! It keeps on destroying our homes and properties by continually sending its storms. Our environment is suffering from the severe heat coming from that crazy sun! Can’t you feel the heat biting? Isn’t it painful? Are we really that numb that we do not feel the anger of the world?

I just heard from the news and read some articles that the four seasons: spring summer, winter, and fall had moved to from their usual months of occurrence. These days, predicting the occurrence of the seasons is hard. You might wonder why leaves are still falling even though it’s already December.

Even here in the Philippines, there are certain climatic changes that are happening. There is a dramatic change in our weather. We feel the extreme heat of the sun during the dry season. And this feeling is not usual because the heat really penetrates to your skin only within a short span of time. I also noticed a fluctuating pattern in the weather of our country. I get amazed by the very sunny morning that will eventually turn into strong and rainy evenings.

Truly, when nature strikes, it strikes hard.

But is nature the one who is cruel, or is it the other way around? We, citizens of the world; are the ones who are destroying our earth Anything we do, big or small, can contribute to the world’s destruction. We are the ones who are destroying our own place. We have triggered the occurrence of global warming.

Global warming is the direct result of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, which is the effect of atmospheric gases on the balance of terrestrial and solar radiation. Solar radiation is short wavelength infrared waves, which is stronger than terrestrial radiation, a long wavelength infrared. If there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it will inhibit terrestrial radiation. This keeps our world a cozy place to live at. However, too much of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases will also inhibit the long waves, which are, supposed to be expelled in space. These waves come back to earth causing a grave change in temperature.

This phenomenon would not happen if we do not abuse our environment. If we are just give concern to what is happening in our world today, then we could still be raised from this turmoil. We, humans, comprise of the biggest part in destroying our place. We do it by using petroleum as gasoline for our vehicles, per se, and all other activities that emit greenhouse gases. We all know that petroleum comes from fossil fuels which compost mostly of carbon. By burning these products, exhaust gases are exposed to the atmosphere and eventually trap terrestrial radiation as well. Inefficient use of electricity or energy is also a factor.

All these things cause the global warming of the globe or what we call global warming. I see no curative way in bringing back the old beautiful world that we once lived. But I see sure preventive ways towards the continuous destruction of the world. The ways are as follows: using biodiesel than petroleum since it does not emit too much carbon dioxide, not burning plastics and rubbers and avoid too much consumption of energy.

These are just few ways in preventing continuous destruction of the globe. These could save our next generations from a polluted earth because of us. Let us be sensitive with what is happening to our world. Start loving the world.

Dramafest '07

Last March 2, 2007, the University of the Philippines High School in Cebu, celebrated their 32nd Dramafest. The event was held in the open stage on the night of that day. The fourth year students were the ones who hosted the program. Razel and Euvic, the producers, of each section, were the emcees of the program. We can see the audience and their excitement in waiting for the program to start. But in the case of the fourth year students, a variety of feelings can be seen in each other’s eyes. Some were excited, some were nervous and some were having mixed emotions. Nevertheless, we have to face this day since we have been preparing for this event long enough. This activity also served as our periodical test in Filipino for the grading period. The judges were divided into two groups, on for the technical aspect and one on the acting aspect. And so, it then came to a point wherein we had to start the program. Section Tan was the first one who presented.

Upon hearing the announcement, section Gonzalez was disappointed because of the two sections have more or less the same plot in their stories, so it was better to present first. But being the second one to present was a blessing in disguise. It is because something happened on the technical part of the play, the lights. The house lights did not function well. It kept on blinking and blinking. With that, the Tanikala Productions or the section Tan fixed the lights first and started again from the top. They presented well especially on the acting part. Each actor and actress performed their role well. I can really see that they really did their best just to please the people and theirselves. Their play almost lasted an hour. They gained several claps from the audience, mostly the students. Then it was Quevedo production or section Gonzalez’ turn to present.

I felt the air of excitement as it passed through my veins. I had no reason to be nervous about the outcome of our presentation since I saw the great improvement of our play as every rehearsal went by. I was assigned to hang the series lights on the stage wall. And since I was chairperson on the make-up committee, I made some retouches on the make-up of our actors and actresses. After the props, designs and technicals were ready, the Quevedo production started the play. The flow of the play was so smooth that you can see no error on technical and acting part. It was at the start of the program, but then, a problem occurred. Ralph, the musical director, lost his script. We went to look for it in all the possible places but we could not find it. Instead, we handed him another script. From that time on wrong timing of playing the music as background for a certain scene had frequently occurred. The spotlights also lost their functions nearly at the end of the program. But these faults were not regarded because the acting of the actors and actresses carried the people away. You can conclude that they really studied their role very well. Each of them did their best job. They gave justice to the story. People with teary eyes were visible anywhere from the audience. The acting of the presenters carried them away. Each of us performed our role well. And I am so proud of our production. There was a loud applause from the audience that was the cause why my tears dropped from my eyes, a sense of relief and gratitude.

The awarding ceremony added up to our hype that night. The awarding of the technical part, such as best in lights, music, wardrobe and makeup, poster, song, and set design, were all awarded to the Quevedo Productions. And the Tanikala Productions won most of the acting awards such as best actor, actress, and supporting actor. The Quevedo Productions got the Best Supporting actress performed by Juna Rose Dinglasa. But the Tanikala Productions got the two biggest awards, which were the Best Direction and Best Production.

Nevertheless, we were all happy of the results of the program. At last! It was all done. We all did our best to make the event a successful one. We thank God for the good weather and guidance that he has given us that day. We had proved our worth in making our production a presentable one. No one can take our relief and gratitude that day. And until now, we are happy, and that is all that matters.

Research Project: Ethanol From Potato, Sweet Potato and Taro: A Comparative Study

Philippines, our country, is a third world country that depends mainly on foreign products. And one of these products is energy from oil exports from the Middle East. We all know that petroleum come from fossil fuels. The production of fossil fuel is declining and not only that, the fossil fuel also emit harmful gases that cause air pollution. Fossil fuel is also a non-renewable resource. With these facts, the researchers came up with the idea of using an alternative source of fuel, which is biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel, which the raw materials are found here in the Philippines. Ethanol is the main component for biodiesel. It consists of raw materials such as sugary and starchy plants. Sugary plants are sugar canes and sugar beets while example of starchy plants are rice, corn and root crops. The researchers decided to use the root crops as a source for ethanol since it is widely available here in Cebu. These root crops are potatoes, sweet potatoes and taros. These three are abundant in Cebu that is why the researchers chose them specifically. The team conducted the study, hand in hand, in vision that many may benefit from this study.

It was the purpose of the researchers to compare the amount of extracted ethanol from 100ml of potato, sweet potato and taro. The researchers were also interested in knowing which of the three yielded the greatest amount of alcohol and the least amount of alcohol.

To have the data required for a fair conclusion, the researchers went on the procedure of distillation. First, we prepared the materials needed. The processes involved were divided into three major divisions: cooking, fermentation and distillation. Cooking involves the peeling and cooking of the root crops for 15 minutes. The process of cooking also included the blending of the root crops and the mixing 60 grams of yeast thoroughly. After the cooking process comes the fermentation process. In fermentation, the blended yeast and root crops are placed inside a jar and then was sealed airtight. The jar was placed in a cool dry place for 30 days without opening. This span of time was the fermentation period of the yeast. The yeast will perform the chemical reactions in order to produce ethanol. After 30 days of fermentation, the fermented root crops were then to undergo distillation in order to extract the ethanol. Three set-ups of distilling instruments were prepared in this process. The distillation process involves the separation of liquids from liquids. That has to be done with the fermented root crops. After each trial was distilled within 15 hours of distillation, they were subjected into a flame test. The sweet potatoes and taros sparked while the taro extract did not. The researchers also measured the mass and the volume of the distillate and the amount of ethanol extracted from the fermented root crops.

The researchers got the following data after performing the experiments: 4.7 ml of ethanol was extracted from potatoes, while 7.5 ml and 5.5 ml of ethanol was extracted from sweet potatoes and taros, respectively. With these data, sweet potato was found to be a better source of ethanol compared to potato and taro.

KYSD: What Is the Feeling of Being Taught By a Student

Know Your School Day, popularly known as KYSD, is one of the most awaited events here in the University of the Philippines. This event gives way to the students to show their teaching talents on other students and teachers. It gives them chance to teach others what they learn from the teachers.

Basically, KYSD is celebrated for one week. But this year's KYSD was only just for two days. Still, the students and the student-teachers were glad for having this two-day activity.

I did not apply for a teacher this year because I am tired of teaching others as what I have experienced the other years. Sometimes, you have to be excused from the class because you have a class to teach to. Although tiring, I still find it enjoyable. You get to know the lesson well than any other classmates. It is fun to teach people about your learnings.

The feeling of being a student still this KYSD, is self-fulfilling. Self-fulfilling in the sense that you are relaxed of such responsibility and you enjoyed every minute of discussion.

The professional teachers are incomparable to the student-teachers. But the student teachers did their job well just like the professional teachers. Some of them imitate the professional teachers by copying their style of test and their way of discussion. I find them very responsible ones. They took the challenge for they are determined to join such activity.

Having student-teachers make me feel confident in answering orally. It is because they are just my classmates and so I am comfortable to answer their questions whether I commit a mistake. And also, I find the class so noisy if the student-teachers will be the one handling it maybe because of the mentality that they are just your classmates and not some professional teachers.

But even though they are only students pretending to be teachers in those days, I still have respect on them as what I have for teachers. When the noise seems to kill their discussion, then that's the time that I will keep my mouth shut. Student-teachers must be respected as what we do on professional teachers.

KYSD is also a special event for the teachers since it gives them time to relax with all their school works. It is so memorable to them because students tend to give them a thank-you offering. It may be a form of presentation or a form of letter written by the students, or both. This event is really for the teachers. They are so special to us. They are our second parent, so we must give them our heartfelt thanks and gratitude.

False Friends

Friends carry heavy responsibilities on their shoulders. They are expected to understand a broken heart to the droning sob story that comes along with, to laugh at corny comments when no one else thinks it'd funny, to trail a crush, to share an ice cream, or many others. Genuine friendship requires a touching of hearts and a meeting of souls.
Picking the wrong friend can be disapponting, or even disastrous. Still, more crucial to friendship than choosing the right friend is being the right friend. A good friendship requires goodness in both sides. Moral good ness is the quality that makes friendship possible. Because from this, comes harmony, permanence and fidelity.
We frown on discriminations as we should. But we should always be careful lest while we forge some new friendships.
Friends can be thee when they need you, but once you're down and out, it's going to be a miracle o find them. Some can be clingers that always follow and copy your style. They could go wherever you wil go, wear some perfume and crimp their hair to get your look. This could dismiss the relationship as unhealthy and smothering. They could be detrimental to your well-being. Some could be possessive that they will get jealous when you start talking with someone. And lastly, they could be self-absorbed friends that dive you your blow-by-blow account of their weekend and detailed reports of their daily meals. You may end up wondering if they know anything about you or do they care at all.
Friends could be a pest in our lives. Wrong friends could lead our lives into a mess. They could even turn our lives into hell. But what really matter is that we should endure our hardships with each other's company. This is important in developing friendship.
For a friendship to actually work, it requires mutual compassion, consideration and understanding. We should value our friendships so much. Let's face it, they are one of the biggest part of our lives. They are the keeper of our secrets, the wiper of our tears, and the laugher of our corniest jokes. As what Aristotle said, "without friends, no one would chose to live, though he ahd all other goods."

Question: Why are Guys Checking Out the Boobs?

"They’re out there! Boobs were made for a purpose to catch attention." -Joe. Wow! This statement really alarmed me. I have taken this statement in the Candy Magazine. Who could have thought that boobs were made to catch attention? Well, maybe for some boys. They may think that boobs are there for them to be attracted. Boys like this are surely immature.

Good for me for I have flat boobs. That let me conclude that those boys who like me were attracted with my inner and outer beauty and not with my boobs!

But still, I pitied those girls who are innocent of boy's real intention to them. I mean, some boys may like only your boobs and not you’re whole. Girls should not also display their cleavages to the public for that may look like flirts or indecent women. They may look like helpless romantic when they use their boobs as their assets. Each of us has desirable talents and personalities to be use for good. So, we should not take advantage of what we have just to make ourselves a fool or an indecent one.

Another answer to this question also taken from Candy Magazine is this: "That's a big mystery. Maybe it has something to do with the notion that the bigger the girl's boobs are, the more 'womanly' she is. It's also a way of checking if you're turning gay or not."-Alex. If that is the case, then I am less womanly after all. This is such a lascivious statement from a guy. But I can't blame him if he actually thinks like that.

Still, I want to correct him of such mentality. A woman cannot be measured by how big your boobs are. It will be measured by what you think of yourself as a woman. And if boobs are made as basis or a way of checking if your turning gay or not, then that would mere offend the girls. It is also degrading for the part of the boys for having that kind of measurement.

Boobs were not made to measure how masculine the boys are or how womanly the girls are. They should not be made to purpose to catch attention. Boobs were made to enhance our beauty. Boys who think bad purposes of any part of our body were immature and crazy boys. We should beware ourselves from them.

"No Decisions in Life?"

When I was a young girl, about six years old, I dreamed of becoming a princess and a mermaid. I don’t know what’s gotten into me that time that I always daydreamed for that. Maybe because I am influenced by the things surrounding me. I have lots of fairytale books, Disneyland movies, and Barbie dolls. These things were always with me day and night when I was at this age.
But this ambition changed when I was nine years old. I felt that I want to be a teacher someday. I love teaching kids what I have learned from my teachers. Maybe I valued my teachers much at that time. I acted like I am the assistant to the teacher because she let me teach those who have difficulty in reading and those who have very poor grades. I love this job that I waste my free time just to teach my classmates how to read and how to solve Math problems.
This ambition continues until I became a Upian. My ambitions were far more great and exciting. I always dreamed of touring different countries in the whole world. My first visit would be in Jerusalem. I like to go to that place because that is the place of Jesus Christ, our Lord. There are also many biblical events happened in that place. I also want to go to Paris and shop fashionable clothes and garments that are comfortable to wear at. Another place would be in Canada. It is where my grandmother and other relatives residing recently. I missed them so much that I want to go there. Because of this dream, I have thought that it would be better if I will be a stewardess or a pilot.
It is so funny that I am so dependent with my wild dreams regarding with my future job. I once dreamed of becoming an agent, surgeon, army, architect, paleontologist, astronaut, and even scientist. Whatever is the most exciting and adventurous job, I then decide to go for it without noticing that I have several fears. I have fears in heights, blood, and risky adventures.
I am such a happy-go-lucky person. I do things that would only satisfy me. I hate making decisions in life. I avoid situations that require such strength and thinking.

But I don’t want to be like this. I want to change for the betterment of my life. I am so childish but I want to be mature. I really don’t know myself.
It is hard to unravel what I really want with my life. I am such a dependent person that let other people depend my decision. Deciding what course I will take is important to me since I am graduating. I am afraid of such responsibility obtains from deciding such matter like this. I just asked God for a sign regarding this. I always prayed for it.

"Tuition Fee Increase"

Tuition fee increase is the only solution of the UP System to somehow attain the demands caused by inflation. Inflation is a rise in the general level of prices, as measured against some baseline of purchasing power. It is caused by the interaction of the supply of money with output and interest rates. Cost-push inflation or supply-shock inflation is a type of inflation caused by large increases in the cost of important goods or services where no suitable alternative is available. A situation that has been often cited of this was the oil crisis of the 1970s, which some economists see as a major cause of the inflation experienced in the Western world in that decade. It is argued that this inflation resulted from increases in the cost of petroleum imposed by the member states of OPEC. Since petroleum is so important to industrialized economies, a large increase in its price can lead to the increase in the price of most products, raising the inflation rate.

With the increase of prices and goods, the school cannot afford to buy some equipments that are needed for the laboratory and other purposes. The school also can’t hire computer experts or experts of other fields because there is no enough money to pay them. As you notice, some of the wrecked buildings of the school have not been repaired. The school cannot afford to buy up-to-dates equipments used in different areas of the school. This is because of inflation.
I believe that the school is suffering from these problems because they are dependent with the budget given by the government. The budget is not enough to sustain or to improve the facilities of the school. The budget for education is low compared to other departments.
With that, I agree with the tuition fee increase. This is the only solution that the UP System has. There is no use of asking additional money from the government because they will not listen anyways. I mean, it is not bad to air out such discrepancies of the government but as what I have observed, they just ignore the people.
Amount of tuition fee increase will be according to the income of the parents of the students. The amount of increase is divided into brackets. Each bracket has corresponding amount of increase in the tuition fee. The bigger is the amount of your parent’s income, the higher is the amount of increase in the tuition fee.
Upians are gravely affected by this since this is a drastic change in the UP System. It is so hard for our batch, especially those who will take up college in UP since we are the first one to experience such change. Nevertheless, I still agree with the increase in tuition fee for I believe that this is the best solution with the financial problems faced by the UP System. Compare to other schools, UP has still less amount of tuition fee and yet offers high quality of education.
We should abide with the law. We chose this school, so we should cooperate with it. The increase will be for our own good. We are benefited from it. Buildings will be improved and up-to-date equipments will be bought for the progress of our studies and also to our schools.

"The Problem With Men and Women Is That..."

Before we tackle with this problem, let us first define the male and the female. Female is pertaining to the sex that brings forth young or produces ova while the male is pertaining to the sex that begets young and produces sperm cells. This is how the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary defines. The definition of both sexes clearly reveals their opposition. As you notice, they produce different type of cells that when combined together will bring forth young. What I mean here is that the contrast is beneficial for it gives a new life.

But if we study the differences between these sexes, even their finest detail, we can find several problems from them. These are not just differences in terms of physical aspect, but also in their mental and moral aspects.
What I would tackle here are problems towards men and women regarding their moral aspects.

We first tackle the problems girls that girls will always encounter with men. It is easy to observe problems with men but it is hard to understand them. You have to read their thoughts and actions before concluding what they are really up to. So, if I were asked to state the problems regarding men, I would prefer to my own perspective and experiences that I have encountered regarding this issue.

The problems I have with men were mostly their attitudes towards situations. First, I don’t understand why they have to promise if they can’t fulfill it. Is it for the sake of fun? I mean, to promise is a delicate thing to do since it can destroy our dignity. If we break our promises, we unconsciously lowered down our pride and dignity. People will not trust us anymore. We better not make promises to avoid losing other people’s trust on us.

Another problem I have with guys is that they require attitude that is hard to understand things. It took several arguments and talks just to let them understand what girls really mean. Guys are also fond of making fun with girls. I don’t understand why most men do that with girls. Maybe they feel that they are superior over girls.

Lastly, I also don’t understand why most men are vain. They look at the mirror fixing their selves like most girls do.

Now so much for the guy part. Let’s go with the girl part.

As what I have notice, most girls are narcistic or vain. They always go to the mirror, fix their selves as though they are ugly all the time. They always want to be appreciated and to be recognized with what they have and what they contributed. It’s hard to handle this kind of attitude.

Another thing is that girls have weak emotions. They cry even in less pain that they felt. They are easily carried away with their emotions with regard to the situation. That’s why boys have a hard time consoling and understanding girls.

Girls are also the most jealous creature. I don’t know if that’s a fact, but that’s how I see girls.
But girls and boys are who they are. Actually, we are what we are. These are just common problems that we have encountered and heard from other people. In spite of these problems, these two opposite sexes find greater assurance with each other. They enjoy being with each other.

We may encounter problems in meeting other people but that is one way of learning. We should not find problems with them. Instead, we should find good learning from them. We should enjoy each other’s company. Life is better when we find no problem with each other.

"My Breath-Taking Experience"

I have lots of exciting experiences this week . Yesterday, we had our outing held in Hadsan Beach. It was so fun because we were so many and there were lots of activities involved with it. I like the games because they were challenging for me. Some of them involved water and it so hard to play in the water because of the current. We were so blessed because the weather is fine. We were playing catch in the water. I even practiced swimming in there. Although I know how to swim, they taught me how to swim correctly. We even have a Beach Volleyball and I am one of the players. At first, I played nicely but then in later part, I did not hit the ball as expected. But at least, I enjoyed a lot.
I was enjoying much in the water when a tragedy happened. I rode in a boat together with the other youths. We enjoyed rowing within a specified area only. We were not allowed to go far so we were on the shallow part only. We kept on making fun with each other that we did not notice that it was deep already. We then decided to return to our group. We dealt that the one who will swim last would be the “it”. And so, we jumped over and started swimming toward the shore when a youth was drowning. We thought it was only a joke. We did not know that he doesn’t know how to swim. And the hardest part for me is that I was the one who is nearest to him. And so, I helped him swim out of the water. But he struggled so much that he grabbed my arms and neck. He almost tears my shirt. He was drowning me. I felt so weak and started losing my grip. Both of us now were drowning. Thank God our friend helped him out away from me. That eased me and started swimming toward the shore. I drank a lot of seawater. I told him that if you do not know how to swim, you should not join us in going to the deep sea. It was my mistake also because I helped him when I know that I am helpless in saving conscious people from drowning.
The tragedy was over when something happened to me. I had cramps! It was so painful that I cannot bear it. They brought me to the cottage and applied first aid on me. It took ten minutes before I was relieved. I rested for several minutes only. I ate peanuts and junk foods while talking to other people. I felt that I am so sleepy and so, I rested again. The time had finally come for us to leave the place. That was a great and exhausting experience for me. Though tiring and breath-taking, I still enjoyed much. And as usual, we rode in the car, still talking with each other. We were so sleepy but we forced ourselves not to be “knocked-out”, meaning, forcing ourselves not to sleep. We arrived at our house at six in the evening. But I did not rest. Instead, I watched Princess Hours. After that, I took a bath and then went to sleep. That is the end of my day.

"Nice Joke"

After the service in our church, we, the Bradford Youth, decided to go to a beach to have fellowship with one another. It is supposed to be Galilean but all were baptized already. So, we had our fellowship instead. The said activity happened the same day together with the Sinulog Festival. Every one of us was so excited to go there. We are about 50 young people who will join the activity. It was nine in the morning where all the cars used for transporting, have been prepared. We were not bothered with the transportation problems caused by Sinulog Festival.
The car that I have ridden was the first one to leave the church. We are the first one to leave because we have to buy food, drinks and utensils for us all. It was so hard for us to pass the usual road along the way going to our venue because of Sinulog. So instead, we took another route that is much farther but is less traffic. We took the Gullas Street instead of Jones.
We spent much of our time talking and teasing each other. We were so noisy and irritating if other people would hear us. We shared our personal experiences with each other. Some even tell corny jokes that let us think what part of the statement we would laugh. We were so childish at that time. Or maybe, all the time. Every thing that we would see, we then talk about it and laugh at it. There are more senseless talks than serious ones.
We continued that activity until we received a text message from our other youth there in the Church. He said that they had not left yet because the driver of the Bradford jeepney can’t make it to the church because of traffic. Some were texting that they want to go home because it is so hard for them to commute. That alarmed us. All of us in the car were texting them to pursue despite the problem they encountered. We contacted other car that would fetch them instead. But they don’t want to join anymore. We kept on encouraging them but they were not moved by it.
We were so sad when we arrived in the Gaisano Mactan Mall, where we would buy food for our outing. The environment was changed because of the problem. Some got angry because they gave up easily just for that problem. Some were sad because their loved ones were not joining. But still, we pursued and went to Hadsan despite of the problem. We were so less compared before when the plan was disseminated.
We arrived in the Hadsan Beach at 12 noon. We were less than expected. We waited for other people riding on the second car. We kept on texting for the people who decided not to join anymore. We decided to eat first because we are all hungry because of the journey. Time passed when the second car had arrived. They received the same news from the people left in the church. Until, minutes passed, people who decided not to join arrived. We have been punked! That’s it. It’s not a good joke really. But at least, they arrived. We were now complete.

"A Walk To Remember"

The alarm clock rung at exactly five in the morning. It was Sabbath Day. I began my day thanking God for giving the opportunity to live again in this awesome world He created. I woke up this early because I know that commuting will be hard for there is a Sinulog Festival. I took a bath for about 30 minutes and ate my breakfast for only 5 minutes. My brother and I left our house at exactly six in the morning.
At first, we traveled smoothly like there is no celebration in the City. We arrived in the Hi-Way with less people but numerous jeepneys. We looked for a jeepney that would take us to Jones but there is none. The route going to Jones was closed because of the big celebration held that day. So, we rode in a jeep that would take us to Plaza Independencia instead.
There were lots of people out there. I can sense that we will have to walk from Sto. Niño to Urgelio since there was no sign of vehicles passing there. And so, we started walking. It was a big mistake for us in passing the road across the Sto. Niño Church. We didn’t know that a mass was held in there until we found ourselves stuck up in a crowd of people. I was so worried because I didn’t know where to pass in that crowded place. It’s been half an hour already that we’ve been searching for a path that would lead us away from that place.
I started to push myself forward, begging the people to let us pass. I felt that I am so disrespectful with regards to their religion. We kept on walking while they were praying. But we have to attend service in our church. We have to move fast so that we will not be late. Thank God we have reached the less crowded area. But there’s a problem! No one of us knows what part it is in Colon. We don’t know where to ride a jeepney that would take us to Urgelio.
At last! We have found a jeepney going to our church. I felt so relieved until the jeepney dropped us again on the E-mall because the road going to Urgelio was already closed. Again, we have to walk from E-mall to Urgelio. I am sweating over already until we found a jeepney that would take us to our church. I am relieved again and thankful to God with that.
We arrived at the church a half-hour late. But at least we arrived safely. God doesn’t allow such troubles to hinder us in worshipping Him. I learned so much from His word that day. Truly, He deserves to be worshipped. If you think that He was glorified with your doings, then continue it. As what I said before, He should be the one who will be glorified and not us. Let us worship and adore Him in everything that we do. God bless us always.

"A Different Sinulog Festival"

Sinulog Festival is one my most awaited event. From the day that we came here in Cebu, I never missed watching the Sinulog Mardi gras. We have to get up early in the morning so that we can pass the route going to Mango Avenue. My father's cousin owned a truck that has chairs on it for all my relatives to sit upon. We need not to stand whole day watching the parade because we have a better place to see the parade. We are very lucky because the judge for the street dancing is just one meter away and that requires the dancers to stop and dance with all their grace.
I enjoy much in watching those colorful floats and joyous dancers dancing on the street. I have a hard time figuring who will be the winner because they are all competitive and elegant. But my vote is for the Tangub Contingent and Kadayaw Contingent. It is because they are my "kababayans". And to tell you, Tangub Contingent won three times, that's Grand slam! That makes me proud of my place and the people. And oh! I also cheer up for the showbiz artists that pass the place. It’s not that I’m a fan of them but only just for fun.
While watching the parade, I am busy putting some tattoos all over my body. Some of it are henna tattoos. I even put stickers all over my shirt. There was one time that I sprayed some color on my hair and struggled much in taking it away. My whole day is really a blast! After street dancing, we all go my cousin's restaurant and eat pizzas. We enjoy talking silly stuffs until we have to go to our home. I can say that I am really enjoying the festival, every minute of it.
But this year, would be different. I can't join the event because I chose my faith over it. We have our Galilean, some kind of a Baptism. I can't make it to the festival because of it. It wasn't hard for me to choose in between because this practice is more important than the big event. I know my faith more now. We, Protestants don't celebrate that because we don't have saints. I don't want to tackle much about it because it would lead to misconceptions.
Anyway, as long as we have our own faith and that would make us a better person, then live with that faith. I maybe not enjoy much with the colorful aura out there, but still it won't bother me.
Whoa! I just received a text message now that after the event, we will go to a beach! Yipee! Now, I can feel more excitement than before. I just prayed to God that both events would be a successful one. Let us know the true essence of each celebration. It is Jesus, our God that we worship. Let us serve Him with all that we can offer to Him. Let us glorify God and not ourselves in everything that we do. God bless us all.

My cousin's birthday

It was my wackiest night for this cold month, January. I went to my cousin's house on Sunday, January 14, because he invited me to come for his birthday. My brother and I went earlier that day. There are so many visitors. I think we are all 50. Actually my brother and I went there the day before. We celebrated his birthday with extra fun. It was a modified debut for it has 18 roses. But the roses here are boys. They will dance for the celebrant and after that, they should let the celebrant eat the banana that they bring. And for the girls, they shared their experiences with the celebrant. All the secrets were revealed that day. I can see his red face glaring at the one who told his deepest secret. He is cute when he is angry. After that funny event, we all ate and sang some merry songs. Until, it was time to go. Some rode to their multicab and others were commuted. Their car stopped us at the Robinsons Mall. It was already 10 o' clock in the evening. Kuya and I kept on waiting for the jeep that would take us home. But someone told us that there will no jeep for the way to Lapu-Lapu City because the road was closed for the Asean Summit. I felt the fear through my heartbeat. Both of us have no load or balance in our cellphone. We can't contact our mother. I can sense that I will walk from Robinsons to Lapu-Lapu City. But thank God! I saw the car of my cousin, the celebrant. We rode again and told them that we could not make it to our home. They told us that we could sleep at their house. Actually, I slept there two times already. After arriving at their house again, my cousins and I decided not to sleep, instead, we should tell each other our deepest secret. I said, "Game!". Why not? That would be fun. I forced my cousins to say their ultimate crushes or boyfriend. At first, they didn't want to say but later on, they abnegated and told their secrets. Now, it's my time. I'm on the hot seat. But I remained silent, I kept on smiling and changing the topics. They were the ones giving up. It was a success for me. That was really a great day for me. In fact, we kept on talking silly things until 4 am in the morning. That was really an exciting day for me.