"The Catastrophe of Pablo"(5th week)

THE CATASTROPHE OF PABLO

By: Phoebe Joy Cardinez

    It was early dawn in the fourth day of December and the southwest monsoon breezed coldly. I was awaken by the sound of the roof as it was strong blown by the wind. I curled on my bed but the noise is intolerable. I was forced to wake up and ignored the cold wind. I opened my cell phone and the clock said it was 5:45. Just enough time to prepare for school, I thought. But the weather seemed very bad. I remembered the news on the weather forecast from the PAGASA about the typhoon named ‘Pablo’. It was announced that he will enter here in Davao del Norte by the night of Monday but it landed a bit late. I never expected it to be too strong. As hours passed by, Pablo grew stronger; strong enough to dismantle some part of ours and our neighbor’s roofs and destroy the trees and plants. Yet we were still thankful because the wall of the building next to our boarding house covered us from the greater destruction.

Time has elapsed and the wind gradually decreased in its velocity. It was past noon but the sun still stayed hidden behind Pablo’s madness. I think of my family and decided to go home in Mawab. I worried so much because several news reported about the catastrophic effects of the typhoon in Compostela Valley areas. I immediately packed and waited for a bus but not a single bus has passed until 5:15 p.m. Along the way to Mawab, the destruction was highlighted by the distorted houses and uprooted trees. The great flood was remarked by the river we have passed almost reaching the bridge. These damages I saw made me more worried to my family.       

       When I got home, the damages at our place welcomed me. My brother’s house was badly disfigured by the uprooted coconut tree. The main wire connecting our house was cut and the roofs in our kitchen were blown away. The typhoon disrupted our livelihood and destroyed our crops. But we were thankful because we remained unharmed and stayed protected by the loving grace of God amidst the disaster we have faced. The fact that we have survived that day is more than enough blessing to cherish. As a verse in a Bible goes, “All things work together for my good”.        

"Choosing A College Degree" (4th week)

CHOOSING A COLLEGE DEGREE

By:Diane Regner Masong 1SM

         College can be sometimes so scary to tackle about. Being a stranger in a new environment is not really a joke especially for those students who are planning to proceed in college. College was sort of stressful and difficult because it is the time that you will learn how to be independent and alone in a new place. You have to make many adjustments so that you can get through it. All at once, you will experience new things from your surroundings. It is the time that you will have your anticipation and wonderful discoveries which caused a great impact to yourself.

         On the other hand, in entering college you have to choose your degree. It is time that you have to decide of what course you will have to take. Some may think about of who are they in the future. Of what will their career be? And what will they have to do to reach their ideal career. For young college student, choosing what to major in is a difficult choice. In fact, many college student change majors at least once in their college career. Maybe because they have realize that the course they take recently suitable for their knowledge.

          For instance, choosing a college degree is not easy to decide. Consider these three steps in making a decision. First, you have to search for yourself. Understanding yourself and what you are good at is the key on finding the right major.  It will help you to view of what course you are interested in and set your personal goals in life. Second, considering the money matters. Money is the big issue if it talks about studying. If you don’t have money you cannot continue to study. It will tell you of what course you can afford or cannot afford. Third is your commitment. You need to commit yourself in your course. Being committed in your course helps you to strive hard in reaching your personal goals.    

           Choosing a college degree is a lifelong decision. It talks about your career in the future, about the life you will going to engage in. You only know what your capabilities are. Choose a course that is suitable for you. Just wait and continue to examine and explore yourself. Of course if it is God’s will, you can find the right course for you.

           

A Sun Had Raised (3rd week)

“A Sun Had Raised”      

    By: Aila Mae J. Mones

“In every action, there’s an equal reaction.” This is what we knew in Physics. Thus, we were also aware with, “There’s always rainbow after the rain.” With these simple and brief idea, we hold and tightly embrace the thought that there’s always hope for whatever struggles we encounter. Then, how do people strive in attaining unreachable hope in terms of worst struggles?

Here in the Philippines, Filipinos were known for their hopeful characteristic; wherever you encounter  these happy people, you will always find true happiness and joy in their faces. In this very simple way, Filipinos showed their courage, determination, together with their faith in God, to live life productively, happily and religiously. Even during the latest typhoon, which left large damage and unforgettable debris, people; specially in some area in Mindanao, still empowered their hopes that there’s still better tomorrow waiting for them. Some start with the very beginning, others just fixed those still usable things and they were working together, slowly but surely. In addition, you can still see them smiling and cheerful, holding on to their hopes in spite of their lost.

After all, people in Mindanao will be rising seems like nothings happen after a sun had raised.

"Art of Mine" (2nd week)

ART OF MINE

by: May Joy L. Umbajeno

            Art is nothing less than love. Wherever love heats, art poses its blazing passion. And wherever the art exists, love makes it a fashion. Their fate are twisted together in a way that one is dependent to another. Love should display a passionate feeling to be called as love. An art must be made with interest and willingness rather than creativity alone. Letters make words, but with emotions it is poetry. Events make history; give it life and it will be a story. Therefore, creativity alone is not enough to make an art. It should have a deep foundation of love to be called as art.

            Art is a gift. It rests in each individual inherently. But it is harness with love, which is learned over time we live in this world. Artists are nothing extraordinary than any other person. The gifts that they receive is nothing more special than what others have. A sculptor’s hand molding a lustrous statue; a painter’s gentle strokes picturing a magnificent view;  writer’s words telling stories of life; dancer’s body moving gracefully; singer’s voice playing with melody – are artists’ skills made art by each received talent and undying aspirations. The gift possessed can be idle if not used, developed, and controlled. Arts don’t have to be learned, but each must be studied carefully to discover the limitless power it brings.

 Art is anything, everything we usually do. With this, we can live our lives artistically in our routines we do everyday. A household chores finished with unity, a job performed with commitment, prolems undergone with hopes, promises made with honesty, dreams built with faith, and life lived with happiness. All of these are simple ways of living made simplier and more fruitful by the art of love.          

'Judgments hurt" (1st week)

"Judgments hurt"

Diane R. Masong

          The word “judging” is only a casual thing for us to do. We know that judging is a sin but we always tend to do it. We easily draw conclusions according to the physical appearance of a person and of how they behave in the society. Just like those homosexuals, others judge them according to their way of life but we don’t know who they really are. We tend to make conclusions about them according to their physical looks, language, and their career in life and how they dress but we don’t know what their true nature is.

        Sometimes we judge so much on others doings but we don’t have any knowledge what we are doing. However, we really judge others without knowing the true colors of that person. That’s why judging is bad it can cause a great impact to that person. They might be getting hurt in the end and the worst is most of the judgments are not true and is stated in negative. 

"Factors affecting ..." (1st week)

FACTORS AFFECTING  
ONE’S COURSE

                                                      BY: AILA MAE J. MONES

Education is everybody’s major need and requirement for better life in the future. Different college courses were offered for students to choose their best choice. Thus, the career that fits the want of a student will become the bridge and foundation for his or her dream life in the future. Bridge with a strong foundation, if and only if it is really what the student want to achieve in life. But, what are really the factors affecting such matter?

            As in common, succession in education of a student mainly depends on three (3) things. First, is the student’s own choice of course in which the dream career of the student will build its foundation; dream career the student had been planning through his or her whole pre-college life is a good basis in choosing a course because the student’s will and aspiration to pursue is taking place. Consequently, students who luckily achieve this factor had been observed to be the most successful professionals. This is because, students are inspired to achieve their goals and follow the path leading to their dream professions. However, hindrances are on their way to manipulate the future courses of the students. One of which is the most common one, money. (2) Financial status is one of the most important factors in choosing career. Why? Simply because students, in spite of their perfect course choice, if financial aspect is not on their favor, still, that dream will remain on its status- a dream. Specially when that dream is more expensive than the other offered courses. Dreams that students really hoped and wished to reach, dream which is unable to be sustained by their parents. That’s why (3) parental choice is also one of the factors that affects the career of every student. This factor is sometimes caused by the financial problem of a family. Instead of enrolling the students’ chosen course, the parents considering the budget, will choose less expensive course. Also, parental choice may be because of parents’ dream career for their children. This is commonly known as a legacy of the family professions, considering the career of the family’s older generations. The said factor sometimes make the students lost their courage and determination because it seems that they were pleasing what their parent want, not of what  they dreamed.

            So, career of the students does not only rely on what they want to be. Different factors were also considered before engaging oneself to a certain field. In addition, successful career is always spelled by the students’ courage, determination and perseverance together with the family’s full support.

"Music of His Love" (1st week)

MUSIC OF HIS LOVE

by  May Joy  l.  Umbajeno

         Loneliness is the doomed music of our heart. Here, the nightingale sings its music in the rhythm of the silence. Behind this manifestation is a countless reasons. The most common is dissatisfaction. Being unsatisfied with what we have means a failure to meet our dreams and desires. We never see contentment in our heart because something is lacking in our life. Despite of all our possessions and belongings, we still feel empty. In spite of all the achievements we have made and the popularity we got, we are still unhappy. There is still a missing piece in our heart. And we know that piece is cannot be found on earth’s crust. The music we are looking for is not voiced by a man. But we can feel it somewhere.

Yes, the real music of happiness is just in the midst. Its notes are innate in our tongue, waiting for us to sing it. Its lyrics whisper their sweetness wherever we may go, for it is always with us. Its melody never changes with time, but never does it fades with history. Its harmony is not a potion that captures our heart, yet it frees us from the darkness of our room. It plays to celebrate when we are happy and goes on louder to mourn whenever we cry. It never stops singing its song, nor slows down its voice whatever happens. In fact, it plays with infinity and keeps its voice up loud, loud enough for those asleep to hear.

 How beautiful to hear that music. How exciting to witness its calm voice filling our heart’s emptiness. Do you know what music is it? It is the music of God. His holy Words are more than enough to satisfy our needs and feed our hunger. A source of wisdom which provides explanation more than science could give. It may not be a treasure, but it is worthy than our possessions to keep. Blessed is the person who receive His grace, for he has everything more than what he needs. Blessed is the person who hears the music of his Love, for he is also receiving God’s gift of eternal happiness.

"Man is Insatiable" (1st week)

Man is insatiable

By: Fhoebe joy A. Cardinez 

       Man desires as much as he want. This attitude of man is engraved in his heart. Insatiable means no contentment at a certain desire. One example of this is, if you obtain a degree course yet you are not satisfied with it.  The job it brought to your fate does not satisfy you and you want to earn more. This attitude of a man is being drawn deeply by people who are thirsty of power and royalty, desiring more that what they have.

        Some people use this attitude as a sort of encouragement to attain one’s goal. That if one will work to fill his heart with contentment. If the person will use this to pursue his desire, success can be possible. But if someone will become used to it, it will devour one’s intelligence and destroy the good side of a person.

      Therefore, even if you are the richest and most powerful man in the world, you will feel that there is something missing. And you will not be contented.

English 2: Writing in Discipline (Introduction)

LIBERTY OF WORDS

                Title, maybe a word or a phrase, controls the whole thought of an article. It stands as the foundation of the preceding paragraphs and therefore, serves as the limits of the contents.

            The world of words is wide. The language it says is infinite and the letters it uses are limitless. A single word possesses a powerful potion that can capture anyone’s heart. Its definition is not a meaning – it is the spirit of the word.

            Through this page, our young minds can share our ideas and opinions without the boundary of any limitation. May the spirit of our words shout its undying power.