In the Middle-of-the-Road (Blog 4.4)

                People say that high school life is the best part of every body’s life. They say that once you step in college, you will never ever forget your best memories in high school. Those first love, heart break, best friends, teachers, enemies and even the people surrounding you. Well maybe that’s true.

                After three years of studying, I’m half-way out the door in our school. Yes, half since I need to study three more years in high school because K-12 curriculum says so. But the question is, ”Why do I need to continue studying in our school?”

                This question is really hard to answer, seriously. But as I was longing for the answers, I realized so many things. First of all, I need to continue this challenge because I started this. I was the one who chose to be here in this school. Second, this school already imparted a lot of things in me as an individual. This school made me realize that I can do the things which I thought impossible for me to do. This school made me feel that I have a second family.

                I’m accepting the fact that studying isn’t easy. As a student of Cavite National Science High School, life hasn’t been easy to me. But I cannot deny to myself that I found my happiness there. I found friends who are truly great and very reliable in everything. I met some cool teachers who are like just our “barkada” also. I like how most of them teach like we’re just hanging out. And I also cannot deny that without them, I don’t think that the knowledge inside my head wouldn’t be the same.

                But the fact that our batch is the first one to experience the K-12 curriculum, I don’t think so that this curriculum really helped me in shaping me as an individual. Maybe the lessons I can get from the experiences that I am experiencing inside the school are the real effective way on how I can find myself but not really in academic way. Honestly speaking, I do prefer the curriculum before. Well maybe, K-12 can help the youths but not in our batch. We sometimes feel that people are just using us to know if the lessons/modules that they are giving are effective tool for the student to learn. And another thing is, every school year, we are receiving modules when it is already in last quarter. It is too hard for us to produce our own copy since we do have some problems financially. Three years has passed, same thing has just happened.

                I’m still hoping for big changes. 

The Fallen Heroes (Blog 4.3)

“January 30 2015, marks the day the whole Philippines mourned for The Fallen 44.”

            As a Filipino citizen of this beloved country, I also want to give my greatest salute to the “Fallen 44”. They served as a great heroes and leaders of this nation.

            They died not just because of the incident but because of their bravery in attempting to arrest the Malaysian terrorist   Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan” and Filipino militant Abdul Basit Usman in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. I do believe that this death is real worth it for the country in giving peace.

            As I was searching about the other’s story of this, I found this tumblr post...

“Right now I am dead. My body is riddled with bullets. My heart was punctured, my brain obliterated, and my soul is now wandering and wondering.
My blood is all over the marshes of Mamasapano, and slowly trickling down into the hands of those who betrayed me.
I am now lifeless. My family is now fatherless and brotherless, and this government has one less personnel to worry about.
I am dead, not because I want to, but because I have to. I am dead, not for my sake but for the sake of peace, and for the sake of everyone in this country.
I am dead because I followed an order. Just like that. As what was said in a movie about soldiers, I follow orders, or people die. In my case, I was the one who ended up dead.
I am dead because an armed struggle cannot be resolved. I am dead because there are dangers lurking in our midst, and I have to be used to shield everyone else against that danger.
I am dead because my leaders say I have to be dead, in order for their greed and ambition to remain alive. I have to die mercilessly and senselessly, because somebody up in our chain of command must live irresponsibly and shamelessly.
Am I the only one who died? Perhaps not. Even truth, decency, nobility and the sense of responsibility also died with me. These values are now dead as well, their importance punctured, their worth obliterated, and their meaning now wandering and wondering.
I am dead, and I am now silenced forever. But when you look into my remains, know that I am screaming, that I am shouting, that I am clamoring for the truth to come out!
I can no longer speak. But my death is more than enough message. Maybe I did not die in vain. Maybe with my demise, my countrymen will rise. I hope my death becomes a springboard for action. I hope not to become just a statistic, not just a body count, not just collateral damage, and not just a casualty of war.
I hope my death would make a difference.
I hope my death would bring change.
With my departure, I hope my fellowmen will become aware, and will be awaken from their stupor of indifference and discord.
Because now that I am dead, it is up to you to keep my cause alive.”

(Source: http://ohmeshed.tumblr.com/post/109634479006/right-now-i-am-dead-my-body-is-riddled-with)

And with this post, I realized that I must not waste their lives for nothing. Maybe something in me can make others inspired by their story and let the change in this world begin.

Again, I salute you, FALLEN 44!

How to be a Sayanista (Blog 4.2)

Passing the first screening for the entrance exam in CNSHS feels so great. Passing the second screening is so wonderful but passing all the screening is too good to be true. 

                I remember when our service was about to enter the school, I saw everyone especially the higher years are getting excited to start the classes. I can see everyone that it’s so great to study in this school knowing that it is one of the most well-known prestige schools in the country. But unknowingly, life in here isn’t just as easy as I thought.

                There are a lot of rules and regulations that every student must follow. And of course if one of them isn’t performed well, be sure you can face the consequences. Here are the following violations and disciplinary actions:

1^st Level (LATE COMERS)- Students studying in this school must arrive early in the morning to do their duty which is cleaning the assigned area every morning. If they failed to arrive within the time, they will be listed as late comers.

2^nd Level (NOT SO GOOD MONDAY MORNING)- Students must attend the flag raising ceremony every Monday morning. If they failed to attend the flag raising ceremony, they will have their own. They will not yet attend their class until they have finished the task. Most of the late comers can experience this.

3^rd Level (NO TO SLEEVES’ UP)- Students must always wear their complete uniform. If not, they can be also listed as the violators. Another record? Oh no!

4^th Level (PROPER HAIRCUT PLEASE!)- This is actually for the boys only. All of them must have clean haircut. It is usually called “Gupit Sayanista”. If some failed to do this, they sometimes take squats depending on the number commanded by the CAT officers. But sometimes they’ll be listed as violators. 1^st...2^nd...3^rd record?

5^th Level (WATCH OUT, YES-O OFFICERS ARE WATCHING YOU)- Every student is commanded to throw their garbages in their own. If someone throws a trash anywhere in the school, he must pick up all the litters around the school.

6^th Level (RECESS NO MORE)- In Canteen, there are also rules there like falling in line and be honest in paying. But some of the students are not following the rule of falling in line. Some are just going in front of another people who innocently fall in line. As a punishment, they cannot experience recess anymore. Instead, it is their time to serve the canteen and help the canteeners in preparing the foods.

7^th Level (ENGLISH ONLY PLEASE)- Students must speak in English. Sayanistas are known in speaking English outside or inside the school. If someone isn’t following, his grades will get low because of the deductions.

8^th Level (DON'T BE A BULLY)- Each and every one of us has the dream of being free but any student who can experience bullying, he may report it to the office. Bullying is a sin. It isn’t a good thing to do. If someone dares to bully a student, he must proceed to the office. So as a punishment, he will be suspended for weeks.

9^th Level (BYE CAVSCI)- This is the most deadly sin that any student can make. As a punishment for stealing, copying or cheating, he or she must leave the school. He is now kicked out. Even though his grades are high, attitude is still the basis of learning.

                SO IF YOU REALLY WANT IN CNSHS, BE GOOD ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND REGULATIONS. BECAUSE ONCE YOU STEP IN, THERE IS NO TURNING BACK!

The Sound of Silence (Blog 4.1)

"To be wise, use the three languages: To think well. To feel well. And to do well."

            Honestly speaking, I was quite confused before about my life. I’m always asking myself so many “what if’s” and a lot of “what should”.  I really don’t know what my life supposed to be. All I know is I am here in the world breathing but not living. It’s like I’m just existing whom everyone and no one knows me.

            Deep in my heart, I want to see the things I can and cannot do. That’s why I really tried my best to join activities in school despite knowing nothing about being great in that particular thing. But the thing is, I want it. And I believe that having a desire to do a thing is better than just doing it. So I really tried. But when the time came when I feel like that is not my thing, I can’t quit because something keeps me holding on. Maybe it is a way on how can I understand my capabilities in life. Maybe I just don’t know myself until someone helped me to realize who I really am.

            And a time came when He answered all of my questions in life. He made me realized about me. He gave me a reason to keep on holding. He made me feel so alive again.

            On the moment when Pope Francis looked out the window of the airplane he was riding on, I was teary-eyed. I really felt so happy that even though my family wasn’t able to go to Manila, I knew that Pope Francis arrived in our country with his oh-so-big smile on his face.

            My family and I watched the television all day long from that day until the last day he visited Philippines. We watched all of the mass that he had done. And from those, I learned a lot. YES, A LOT.

            All the doubts in me lessen. Starting from the way I carry myself from the real deep emotions inside me. I even realized that I am still lucky to be like this. Because as Pope Francis said, ”Don’t eat well. Finish your food.” we can conclude that there are a lot of people who can’t eat enough food for them to survive. And fortunately, I belong to people who can eat meals three times a day.

            I realized that I must help people surrounding me especially who are in needs. As Pope Francis said,” St. Francis died with empty hands and pockets but with a full heart.” It’s alright to be poor but as not, we must help them. We must help the poor. Not just to receive a return from God but to make your heart full of love. Because he also stated that the most important subject that people have to learn in life is to learn how to love.

            And speaking of love, I also realized something about it. I must do everything to the people I love. I must show how I care for them because no one knows how long they will stay and when will they walk away. But as Pope Francis told the Filipinos, "Real love is about loving and letting yourselves be loved." I thought that I should embrace all the blessings that are coming for I believe that people come to life to impart memories that can hurt or love you more. But the thing is, we cannot force ourselves to love someone and force someone to love us. It just happens naturally when your heart says so.

            Talking about “hurting”... I know that it is normal to people to be hurt by someone or some events in life. At first, I can’t accept the fact that I am weak. I am weak to lose my loved ones. I am weak to see people suffering. I am weak to see my friends having problems. I am weak sometimes in our class. But thanks to Pope Francis who taught me to be strong. With a sentence he said to people, "Let us learn how to be weak, how to cry." I learned how to be strong.

            Life is indeed full of surprises. Just like God who comes in our life like a surprise. One moment we’re up then one minute we’re down. One moment we're okay then one second we're not. No one knows what will happen next. The thing is we must accept him in a surprisingly way. We must allow ourselves to be surprised by Him.

            All of those are the things I just realized when he visited our country. Those became a big help to me to know myself more. Those things really had a big impact to my life. At the end, I still give all of my heart to Him, our one and only Jesus Christ for He lends me a life to live in this world. Though Pope Francis, God answered all the questions circling inside my head. 

EDITORIAL ABOUT OFW’s (Blog 3.2)

Stay or Run Away?

To live or to leave, that’s the question.

Most of the Filipino citizens choose to live abroad because of the great quality and value of life for the future they can reach there, family’s sake and self satisfaction. The government kept silent for this issue for it is the choice of the citizens. But because of the non-stop migration happening, should the government needs to take a move and face the issue to the Filipinos who kept on running away from their native land just for their sake even though there are still a lot of business they can make here?

As we can see, our government has its all support to the workers abroad. According to Republic Act No. 8042, Act of 1995, the law “institutes the policies of overseas employment and establishes a higher standard of protection and promotion of the welfare if migrant workers, their families, and of overseas Filipinos in distress.”

The Presidential Decree No 1694 (May 1, 1980) as amended by Presidential Decree No. 1809 (January 16, 1981) is created by the Welfare Fund for Overseas Workers as the government agency permitted to promote the welfare of the workers. The agency was then renamed as Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or OWWA by the Executive Order No. 1987.

The Reorganization Act of POEA issued in 1987 or Executive Order No. 247 is published to make the services more efficient.

The medical care program for Filipino workers according to Executive Order No. 195 signed on August 13, 1994 has its order to provide medical assistance and hospitalization benefits to OFWs and their dependents.

Those are some of the laws regarding the welfare of the OFWs. Maybe these are some of the reasons why they wanted to stay there rather than to live here. But in order to make decisions such as going to abroad is one real big thing. That is what our government must notice. Our country is one of the most wonderful tourist spot. Actually, most of the foreigners want to see this place. But the real Filipino-blooded people chose to go to abroad. It looks so strange that we, Filipinos can’t appreciate the life in our country. The officials especially with the higher rank should now make a move to start the changes in this country. We must preserve our blood by appreciating and loving the place we live.

Do you want this country to be fulfilling and in a state of progress? So dear Filipino, will you stay or run away?