CHANGE: IT STARTS WITH ME

                Change is not just an inward process. It also projects outward, influencing everything that stands on its way. I can make people change. I can make things change.

                However, before doing those heroic-slash-spiritual acts, I also have to take a pause and think of myself. Am I good enough? Do I have the guts in me? Do I have the necessary characteristics, the “changing” traits in order to “heal” the people around me? Am I influencing enough?

                Okay, I cannot start anything if I’ll fill my life with so many questions. I have to move. I have to act. I have to start within me.

                I believe that I am not perfect. I am just a typical girl who commits mistakes, has flaws, and regrets things afterwards. I am also a typical girl who can lessen those mistakes, hide my flaws, and take extra-careful decisions so that I have nothing to regret in the end. I am aware of my potentials. I am aware that I can enhance these potentials to develop a better identity.

                Change for the better or change for the worse? I’d go for the first one, definitely.

                

RELIVING HISTORY

                Ilocos Sur is one of the provinces the Philippines is proud of because of its life-inspiring past and unique traditions. It is full of various people breathing in different cultures and drinking several ways of living. These are some of the reasons why the Kannawidan Festival was established.

                This year’s Kannawidan Ylocos Festival was attended by Sen. Cynthia Villar as she served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker. The Opening Ceremony was held at the Quirino Stadium last January 30. It’s the 7^th year of the said celebration and everybody are very much excited to participate. The following is the schedule for other activities:

January 29 - Wednesday

5:00 PM - Concelebrated Mass and Procession (St. Paul Cathedral)
7:00 PM - Dancing Fountain and Fireworks Display (Plaza Salcedo)
7:30 PM - Siglat Ilocandia Talent Search
                 Salisal ti Banda -Vhong Navarro and Bangs Garcia (Quirino Stadium)


January 30 - Thursday
9:00 AM - Opening Ritual, Trade and Food Fair (Quirino Stadium)
10:00 AM - Choir/Rondalla Contest (Quirino Stadium)
4:00 PM - Marching Band/Contemporary Dance (Quirino Stadium)
6:30 PM - Dinner and Fashion Show (Capitol Quadrangle)
8:00 PM - Saniata ti Ylocos Talent Portion (Quirino Stadium)
10:00 PM - Kapuso Night - Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Jonalyn Viray and Gladys Guevarra Band,  Raging Divas, Pretty Triszia, Winnie Girls, Joey de Leon Look-a-Like

January 31 - Friday
7:30 AM - 1st Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson Invitational Shootfest Opening (Caniao Firing Range, Bantay, Ilocos Sur)
8:00 AM - Motorcade for Rodeo
9:00 AM - Salip Saririt/Salip ti Panagaramid ti Daniw (ISCC Auditorium)
                  Dragon Boat Exhibition, Kite Surfing, Frisbee, Surfing (Sabang, Cabugao)
9:30 AM - Delphic Games, Most Innovative Product, Best Dressed Booth, Most Improved OTOP (Quirino Stadium)
                    Traditional Ethnic/Folk Dance (Quirino Stadium)
1:00 PM - Dance Drama/Traditional Dance (Quirino Stadium)
7:00 PM - Rabii Dagiti Ubbing a Saniata - Ryan Boyce and Karen Reyes of PBB Teens (Quirino Stadium)
                   Gawad Titong Singson Awards
8:00 PM - Barn Dance Party (Quirino Stadium)

February 1 - Saturday
8:00 AM - Delphic Games, Crafts Demo, Most Innovative Product (Quirino Stadium)
8:30 AM - Quiz Bee (ISCC)
1:00 PM - Best Practices of School Awards (Quirino Stadium)
8:30 PM - Father J. Burgos Awards (Quirino Stadium)
9:00 PM Saniata ti Ylocos (Quirino Stadium)

February 2 - Sunday
4:30 AM - Fun Run (Capitol)
8:00 AM - 1st Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson Invitational Shootfest Awarding (Caniao Firing Range, Bantay, Ilocos Sur)
                    Sun Soaked Ilocos Sur - Kiteboarding Challenge (Puro, Magsingal)
                    Sun Soaked Ilocos Sur - Dragonboat Racing, Frisbee Challenge (CBR, Pug-os, Cabugao)
                    Sun Soaked Ilocos Sur - Surfing Challenge (Sabang, Cabugao)
                    Livelihood Training (Quirino Stadium)
                    Vintage Cars and Bicycle Parade (Quirino Stadium)
9:00 AM - Amazing Traditional Race (Quirino Stadium)
1:30 PM - Agri, Aqua, PINAKA and Delphic Awarding (Quirino Stadium)
4:00 PM - 1st Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson Motorcycle Show and Motorcycle Racing Competition (Bayubay/Pangada Road)
8:00 PM - Saniata ti Ylocos Coronation Night (Quirino Stadium)
11:00 PM - Liwliwa dagiti Artista - True Faith and Draybers Band featuring the first The Voice of the Philippines, Mitoy Yonting (Quirino Stadium)

February 3 - Monday (Quirino Stadium)
1:00 PM - Siglat Barangay and LGU Awarding
8:00 PM - Zarzuela Ilocana
9:00 PM - BAMBOO LIVE in Concert
10:00 PM - Bingo

February 9 - Sunday (Quirino Stadium)
8:00 AM - Horce Racing

                Kannawidan is a good way to preserve the province’s culture as it continuously relives the magical history and colorful traditions. Citizens from all corners of Ilocos Sur are gathered together to celebrate this legacy hand-in-hand.

                

NEW YEAR, NEW ME

                I have always been an ordinary girl—not special, really—yet I have always been trying my best to cope with the society.

                New year means new opportunities, new scenarios, new challenges, new life.

                I may have so many shortcomings last year but I’ll try to fill up the spaces I missed as much as I could. In another 365 days, I’ll have to prove myself that I am worthy to live a decent life for the next years. I’ve grown. I’ve developed. And I will continue growing and developing until I reach the final stage.

                Here’s a quick list of the things I plan on doing this year:

1.       Treasure the last three months with classmates and schoomates.

2.       Do my best in class.

3.       Be more optimistic. Ignore negative thoughts.

4.       Study well (especially in college).

5.       Be a more responsible daughter– do household chores!

As to some other personal changes, those that comes from within, I cannot assure if I can live by that. It depends to the current atmosphere and other influential factors. But of course, I will choose the path to personality development.

                I am happy with who, what, and where I am now. I just hope that this year, whatever journey I may take, I’ll end up happier. New me? Well, slightly, maybe.

BRIDGE TO THE END

The school year is almost ending. We’re now past the third quarter, which means we have to begin the end—the end that will soon close our high school life. But before that, I’d like to cherish every single moment right now. I want to relive the past.

            This quarter might be the bridge to the last one but it was still full of new things worthy to take in. I have learned to differentiate an idiom to another and identify them hidden in sentences. I discovered all the things to be considered when it comes to production plus the ways of employers and employees in solving disputes. I realized how exponents and logarithms have been keeping oru lives from frantic calculations. HTML tags remind me that life isn’t always simple but behind that, there’s always beauty in it. I’ve been also loaded with science concepts that can perhaps be useful in the future. The stories we discussed and movies we watched have taught me several lessons in coping life’s problems.

            The topics must have been as interesting as ever. But no matter how much I want to miss none of the discussions, I cannot excuse myself from other obligations. I am currently the Editor in chief of The Dove so I had to help finish our first issue. Aside from that, I also attended some seminars scheduled close each date. As far as I’ve known, I’ve been out of the classroom for two straight weeks. That’s a lot to miss.

            Despite the fact that my absence threatens my possible exam results and grades, I didn’t let my studies fall off. I tried every way to catch up: borrowing my classmates’ notebooks, talking to teachers, having make-up quizzes and activities. Because I have joined a regional contest and national seminar, my grades will probably retain even if I am supposed to get a lower grade. Almost all of us will, I guess. But retaining is not enough. I need my grades to increase even just a point. I just hope the exam results are high enough for that thing to happen.

            So now, hello FOURTH QUARTER! I don’t know if I should be happy or not. We still have more than two months to spend time together. We are so attached it will be hard to let go. Letting go, it’s the hardest part. I think I would just brace myself and see what happens next. 

WORLD ENEMY: CLIMATE CHANGE

We cannot deny the fact that the world is experiencing serious problems on natural forces due to numerous activities altering the weather conditions. In our country, we have been facing disastrous phenomena that destroy millions of properties and steal the lives of citizens. And this happens because of our own doings.
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions. (Source: Wikipedia)
Climate change is usually linked to global warming, which is the abnormal rise of temperature in the earth’s surface. There are times when we’re experiencing extremely hot weather and drought. This greatly affects our biosphere, making the soil unhealthy for plants and causing several illnesses to both humans and animals. In the contrast, we are suddenly hit by strong typhoons, tornados, tsunamis, and other dreadful calamities that leave us in great misery.
We are the ones who are greatly affected by the continuous threats of nature; hence, we should be the ones who will make ways to prevent it. We should stop the human activities which have been contributing to the deflation of our ozone layer. The Earth is our only home—don’t wait for the time it will be completely ruined and unable to support life efficiently. The only way we can lessen or prevent the effects climate change totally is to finally realize our mistakes and start doing things to stop or undo them. Altogether, we can bring back the beauty of Mother Earth.

CHRISTMAS IS MORE THAN CELEBRATING

“You’d say that the day holds something special

Something holy, not superficial

So here’s to the birthday boy who saved our lives...”

(A few lines from Christmas Must Be Something More by Taylor Swift)

           

            By the look of every people’s faces, you can sense how excited they are for this real special day to come. In the streets, houses were decorated with every glint of Yuletide season: amazing Christmas trees, cute versions of belen, and brilliant lights and colorful lanterns that add to the night’s luminousity. More than that, kids would wander from door to door, singing the most joyous Christmas songs with their giddy and sweet voices. And who said teenagers and adults cannot join them?

            As the day draws near, people become more and more panicky: they’ve constantly been hitting grocery stores and shopping malls to get all the essential things (i.e. gifts and food) for the holy festivity. Apparently, December has been the busiest month of the year. Everyone’s preparing. Everyone’s contributing their share.

            Despite the sad fact that some families are still suffering from the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda’s wrath, surely they would fin time to celebrate Christ’s birth. Nothing’s more important to them than being together and staying strong. Citizens from all over the globe have been pouring donations, blessings plus prayers for the victims. This must be one of the greatest Christmas gifts they’d received besides surviving the dreadful calamity.

            Giving and sharing. It’s not something you merely need to do because it was some sort of requirement. It’s something that needs to be done with the willingness of the heart ans soul. When you give or share something, you must commit yourself to it. You must take a part of yourself, a part of your heart and soul with you and share them to anyone who needs it. Furthermore, forget the misconception of doing good things to impress other people. Have a clear conscience and pure intention.

            We may have different ways of celebrating Christmas. We may have different principles and beliefs. The important thing is we must remember that we are all brothers and sisters and that we must celebrate TOGETHER. In Jesus’ name, we are one.

            Hey, don’t sweat these stuffs, okay? Just enjoy this day. Try not to think of whatever that’s been disturbing your sanity lately. Relax. At the same time, have fun. Don’t just celebrate. Fill the atmosphere with love, love, and more love. Stay safe, God bless, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS NOT A BIG DEAL

                We were born from different mothers, from different places, from different races. We were born with different physical features, talents and skills, goals and ambitions.We believe in different principles, in different religions, in different ideas.We speak different dialects, follow different cultures and traditions, wear different clothing, do different habits.

                We are unique: there’s no pair in this world that is exactly the same as the other. Our country is filled with extraordinary people with extraordinary traits that make them stand out. But no matter how diverse we are from each other, there is our one common goal: EQUALITY.

                All the citizens should be aware of their rights as human beings. All of us must be treated equally. No discrimination. No abusing. No negligence.

                Knowing our rights and opportunities will help us cope with life. We know what to fight for, what to sacrifice for, what to live for. Yes, there are times when our rights were overlooked or abused. That’s why there is a need for everyone to know each our rights and that we can always stand up for ourselves, with courage.

                We were all born through God’s will and image. Remember that. And we will all die the same way―buried deep in the ground and left to decay. We are all different but we are loved equally by the Lord. Therefore, let’s treat others equally, too. Forget all those little flaws now.