HIDWAAN ---- Floramae S. Arain

                  “World Peace”, ito ang kalimitang sagot ng mga kalahok sa patimplak sa kagandahan kagaya ng Miss Universe at Miss World kapag sila ay tinatanong kung ano ang kanilang nais mangyari sa ating mundo. Ang kapayapaan ang pinakamimithi ng  bawat tao. Ngunit may isang pangyayaring gumimbal sa damdamin ng tao. Ito ay ang sigalot kamakailan lang sa Syria.         Noong  nakaraang Setyembre, niyanig tayo ng balita tungkol  sa paggamit ng rebeldeng Syrians ng Chemical Arms  na siyang kumitil sa buhay ng maraming sibilyan lalong- lalo na ang mga inosenteng bata. Dahil sa pangyayaring ito, kaagad-agad gumawa ng pananaliksik ang miyembro ng  grupong Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at United Nations(UN) kung anong klaseng mga armas nga ba ang ginamit sa labanan.

Ang bansang Amerika ay kaagad-agad na tumugon sa pangyayaring ito sapagkat nakinita nila  ang pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan ng Syria sa kanilang tulong. Ni hindi man lang nagdalawang-isip ang Amerika sapagkat malaking pinsala ang nagawa ng kaguluhan sa Syria sa mamamayan nito. Napag-alaman din ng Amerika na nilabag ng Syria ang batas ng UN laban sa paggamit ng Chemical arms kung kaya  kahit  wala pang resolusyong ipinalabas ang UN sa problemang ito kaagad-agad silang gumawa ng paraan.

               Sa kabilang dako, ang gobyerno ng Russia sa pamumuno ng kanilang presidente sa si Vladimir Putin ay tumulong din sila sa gobyernong Syria upang masugpo ang problema. Ngunit sa mabilisang aksiyon at desisyon ng Amerika  na gumawa ng paraan, hindi sumang-ayon ang Russia dito. Ayon sa kanila,ang padalus-dalos na hakbang ng Amerika ay hindi makatarungan. Dapat daw kailangan muna nilang tingnan ang dalawang anggulo bago magdesisyon. Ayon kay Presidenti Putin,  hindi raw nila palalampasin  kung mapatunayan sa imbestigas-yon ng UN na may kinalaman nga ang gobyernong Syria  sa paggamit ng Chemical arms.

                   Dahil sa pangyayaring ito, natinag ang damdamin at isipan ng tao dahil sa reaksiyon ng dalawang bansa. Kaagad nabigyang hinuha ng mga tao na  magyayari rin ba ang nangyari noon. Kung ating babalikan ang kasaysayan ng mundo, ang bansang Russia at Amerika ay mga bansang kasali sa Ikalawang Pandaigdigang Digmaan. Ang Amerika kabilang sa Allied Powers at ang Russia naman ay sa Axis Powers. Nagtatanong ang karamihan kung ito na nga ba ang simula ng Ikatlong Pandaigdigang Kaguluhan. Ikatlong Pandaigdigang Digmaan? Hindi ba tayo nahihibang?

               Ki posible o imposible  man na mangyari  iyon dapat hindi tayo nag-iisip ng ganoon. Masyado tayong negatibo at pinalaki kaagad ang isyu. Hindi pa nga nag-iisip ang bansang Amerika at Russia ay ganoon kaagad ang ating reaksiyon. Hindi rin naman siguro natin masisisi ang mga tao sapagkat gumawa kaagad ang Amerika ng pagkilos kahit wala pang desisyon. Hay naku, mga lider ng  Amerika  baka naman pansariling interes lang ang iniisip ninyo. Ano nalang  ang magiging kahihinatnan nito sa nakakarami. Ang mas mabuti pa ay tutukan na lamang ninyo ang problema sa inyong sariling bansa. Hindi ang problema ng ibang bansa. Wag mag-alala sapagkat mayroon namang United  Nation, ang organisasyon na tumututok sa problema. Ang palagi naman iniisip nang UN ay ang kapakanan ng kanilang mga miyembro at higit sa lahat ang kapayapaan. Ika nga WORLD PEACE!!!! 

 

MORISSETTE AMON ON TOP: An Interview by Nel Anthony Geraldino, Patricia Logarta and Jenika Gi-an Nero

2013

From school princess

to singing diva

                  Morissette Amon is a charming 17 year-old girl who is finally living her dream of becoming a singer. After joining Star Factor in TV5 during her sophomore years  (in ACT of course) and remarkably winning second place, her career in the music industry immediately knocked right in front her door.

                  Morissette’s angelic voice and self-confidence were her ladders toward numerous awards, trophies and even fans whom she earned  in three years time. With these achievements at hand and her head held high, she entered the world of showbusiness—TV5. While working for TV5, she appeared in some teleseryes, performed  in  shows with other singers, and even got to perform a lead role in the musical play, The Camp Rock Musical.

                 Everything was going well and perfect and she couldn’t be any happier until she saw an even bigger door of opportunity widely opened for her. She did not stop and think any further—knowing that the chance was in front of her, she grabbed it without hesitation. The Voice of the Philippines was, without a doubt, the best thing that happened to her. I mean, who wouldn’t be very grateful if they were chosen by their idol, Sarah Geronimo, and  became part of her team and reached semi-finals?

                She may not have won, but her experience in the competition—not to mention the exposure to a bigger audience—definitely made her feel like a winner. With the tours, mall shows, and gigs she’s currently having and the increasing number of fans, one thing’s for sure—our Asianista Princess has tread into the path of “divahood”.

The Interview

At what age did you start joining singing competitions? What contests can you not forget?

Morissette: I started joining singing contests ever since I was nine years old like in fiestas—around Cebu and in malls. Maybe those national singing competitions are the ones I couldn’t forget because it was when I represented Cebu—just like when I joined World of Fun. I also can’t forget the first one I joined which was in Sunshine Radio.

Before joining  “The Voice”, you joined “Star Factor” in TV5 and won second place. How did it feel being new in the music industry and being in front of the cameras?

Morissette: Actually, it was a bit awkward at first since I wasn’t used to being in front of the camera but I slowly got  used to it with training. It’s all about getting comfortable with it, really.

You left ACT in your sophomore years, are you still studying amid work and all?

Morissette:Ever since I joined Star Factor, I wasn’t able to go back to school. Hopefully, when I get back to Manila, I could take a placement test to accelerate me to the level I am supposed to be in.

When Sarah Geronimo turned her chair, how did you feel?

Morissette: I can’t really explain it in words. I guess I could say I was overwhelmed. Sarah was the only one who turned and it was a very big blessing for me because she has been my idol since I was little. And if other judges turned their chairs, it would have been hard for me to choose. I was also happy to know that Ms.  Lea recognized me from the Camp Rock Musical in Manila. Overall, I was glad to be part of the show and to be in Team Sarah.

Tell us about your experience while working with the Popstar Princess.

Morissette: Dream come true! I have always wanted to have a duet with Sarah ever since I was little and even though it didn’t happen, I was still blessed for having her as my mentor. I really learned a lot from her.  She even taps the things I can do that she hasn’t even done herself yet. These experiences will help me build my image in the music industry.

Now that “The Voice” is over, are you planning on recording an album or maybe going back to TV5?

Morissette: After “The Voice”, what we’re (top 8 contestants) doing right now is promoting the album that The Voice produced through mall tours, gigs, and shows. I would probably stay with ABS-CBN as well since we still have a contract with them and they can nourish my talent more because they have variety shows where I could join in. and to record an album, I actually wish I could. It’s up to their choice actually but I think as of now, they’re still busy with the Top 4. I really hope  I could record one, though. I’ll try my best to make songs, considering that I’m not very good at it yet but it all starts with one song and a bit of hard work.

  

WALANG BALANCED DIET, WALANG KINABUKASAN --- -Noreen Sumalinog

   Sa tuwing naririnig ang katagang balanced diet ano ang karaniwang pumapasok sa ating mga isipan? Mga pagkain o inumin na masustansysa.  O di kaya’y para sa kaayusan ng ating pangangatawan.

    Sinasabi na kung hindi balanse ang diyeta natin may posibilidad na  makakaapekto ito sa ating mga blood tissues, sa ating utak at ng buong nervous system. Nakakaapekto rin ito sa ating paglaki. Ang mga problemang ito ay mas madalas nararamdaman ng mga mahihirap.

     Malnutrisyon. Yan ang tawag nila. Ito ay isang kondisyong medikal na sanhi ng mali o kakulangan sa pagkain. Sinasabing ang mga malnourish na tao ay walang sapat na kalorya sa kanilang pagkain o hindi kaya kumakain lang ng pagkain na kulang sa kakailanganing protina, bitamina o mineral.

     Ayon sa pananaliksik  ang pangunahing  sanhi ng malnutrisyon ay kahirapan.  Sapagkat kung ikaw ay mahirap lamang wala ka nang masyadong  mabibili sa iyong kakaramput na kita kung kaya’t, kung anu-ano na lamang ang ipapakain mo sa iyong pamilya upang maibsan lang ang gutom. Ni hindi na nga minsan naiisip kung nakabubuti o nakasasama ba sa katawan ang bawat pagkain na ipinapasok sa sikmura. Sa kasamaang pa-lad, ang kadalasang apektado ng malnutrisyon ay ang mga bata.

     Dito sa Pilipinas kalahating milyon sa mga bata na nag-aaral ay nagdurusa sa grabeng malnutrisyon. Ayon sa DepEd o Department of Education 562,262 na mag-aaral sa Kindergarten at Elementarya na pumapasok  sa mga publikong paaralan ay sinsabing “severely wasted.” Ibig sabihin sila ay nasa malalang sitwasyon ng pangangatawan. 

      Ang Probinsya ng Antique ay may pinakamataas na bilang ng mga malnourish na bata sa edad na limang taon hanggang sampung taong gulang. Kasunod ng Antique ay ang mga probinsyang Sarangani, Sulu, Capiz,at Nothern Samar.

    Ayon din sa National Statistical Coordinating Board, tatlo sa sampung pamilya sa Antique ay mahihirap. Sa Central Visayas naman ang Cebu ay ang nangunguna sa malnutrisyon sa taong  2012 at ang dahilan din ay walang iba kundi ang kahirapan.

   Kung ang mga bata ay pumupunta sa paa-ralan na hindi kumakain mawawalan na sila ng ganang making sa mga aralin o di kaya’y mawawalan ng ganang pumasok dahil hindi nila naiintindihan ang mga leksyon sapagkat sila’y gutom. Alam naman natin na sa he-nerasyong ito kung hindi ka nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral hindi mo maiahon ang iyong pamil-ya sa kahirapan. Sa panahon ngayon kung ang tao ay walang pera para bumiili ng pagkain na masustansya bibili nalang sila ng pagkain na kaya ng kanilang bulsa kahit masama ito sa kalusugan.

       Minsan lang silang makakain ng masasarap at masustansyang pagkain. Masuwerte na nga sila kung mayroon nakahandang ulam. Kung minsan pa nga ay nagdidildil lang sila ng asin para may lasa ang kanilang kinakain.  Kahit nga ang isang supot ng tuyo ay pinaghahati-hatian pa.

       Sa ngayon,  ang World Health Organization at Department of Health ay nagsagawa ng “Operation Timbang” sa mga lugar na mataas ang kaso ng malnutrisyon. Ang      DepEd rin ay bumuo ng isang programa na school-based feeding program para makatulong sila sa mga malnourish na bata para  kahit papano gugustuhin naman nilang pumasok at mag-aral. Nagkaroon ng proyektong taniman ng mga gulay ang mga pampublikong paaralan upang palakasin ang kanilang panawagan kontra malnutrisyon. Sa kabila ng pagsisikap ng DepEd na matugunan ang problemang ito ay hindi pa rin sapat, dahil sa kakulangan ng pundo.  Kung kaya’t ang nakabenipisyo sa proyektong ito ay ang 42,372 na sinsabing “severly malnourished pupils” o yung malala na ang kondisyon ng pangangatawan.

      Hindi lang tayo dapat laging umasa sa pamahalaan. Dapat tayo mismo ay gumawa ng hakbang upang wakasan ang problemang ito.  Mag-isip ng mga alternatibong paraan upang maibsan ang gutom at higit sa lahat malnutrisyon.

        Wag gutomin ang sarili.  Kinakailangan nating maging malusog at malakas para sa ating kinabukasan.

        Hindi kailangang maging mayaman upang maging malusog. Maging malikhain upang makaiwas sa sakit.

          

Health is Unarguably Wealth --- Gabriel Seth Ente

             “To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” Words of wisdom from, guess who? Buddha.

             Ah, yes the ever popular saying, “Health is Wealth.” And a very iconic one at that. But many people still seem to struggle on its true definition. It just means that your health is more valuable than wealth. As long as you are strong and healthy, you can always make money. But what good is health if you’re too sick to enjoy it?

Everybody always tries to find a way to beautify themselves. Well here’s one suggestion: eat healthy. Why do people think that cutting their own food supply will be enough to sustain themselves? Exercise often and eat a balanced meal; what so hard about that? But then, it’s ultimately up to an individual on how they run their lives. But if people want to stay pretty, then they should do it the right way – the healthy way.

TEEN HEALTH PROBLEMS-- Eloisa Garcia

             "Maturity is only a short break in adolescence." Changes in both our emotional and physical selves happen during adolescence. We almost reach the stage of maturity. More friends, new experiences are some of the most wonderful things about this stage. We teens are active in terms of activities but sometimes we forget to take care of our physical health.
             We teens perform unhealthy hobbies like facing the computer monitor for hours, slouching on the couch while watching television, playing with our gadgets to kill time. But these hobbies inhibit the development of muscles and bones for more physical activity. It’s a big no-no. You might not want to be hit by the ball during PE time or trip in the middle of the track during a 15-meter sprint. So, stand up and flex those muscles and bones with a good exercise and you may earn abs while you’re at it. What do you say?
             Admit it. We teens love to gobble up delicious food, especially when stress arises. But the problem is that we mainly choose unhealthy fast foods and junk foods which add up to the amount of calories and saturated fats inside our bodies. It may satisfy our hunger but it can never satisfy our nutritional needs. Some teens even stuff up their stomachs until they became obese; these kids are prone to having serious heart problems. So, girls and boys, watch out! Seriously watch out for your weight.
            Sleep deprivation. Now that’s a problem. Even though we love our comfy beds so much, we still choose to surf the internet or having movie marathons and eventually, neglect sleeping. So, wrap up your schedule and make those gray eye bags and zits disappear!
         Achieving good health needs a whole lot of discipline. We know it’s tiring but no one can ever always stay by our side and reprimand everything we do wrong. So don’t be lazy, do some research, put your knowledge to actions and keep in mind that our health is more important than anything else. We only live once, right?

SOPHIES CROWNED MR. & MS. INTRAMURALS 2015

              Francis Laboga and Jennifer Lavandero, Sophomores, won Mr. and Ms. Intramurals for Category D (High School).

              The judges all agreed that Lavandero’s unfading smile and confidence made her Ms. Intramurals.

              On the other hand,  Laboga’s portrayal of his sport, surfing, and consistency of his character crowned the latter Mr. Intramurals.

Geneses Capoyan , judge, explained that Laboga’s choice of the sport to showcase is a wise one.

He said that he has not yet seen anyone pull off the surfing get up in an escort competition for intramurals other than Laboga.

The judges said that the candidates surely have potential.

Capoyan particularly said that Jake Oyales, freshman has the greater potential among the other three contenders.

Oyales ranked first in Margelei Olayvar’s score sheet while Thea Nillas and  Capoyan’s rank one was Laboga.

Nillas pointed out that Leandra Lopez, Junior, carried herself pretty well. “She knows how to project but she needs to be a bit more consistent.”, she added.

The judges unanimously ranked Lopez second.

The judges also noticed Claire Solon, Senior. They said that she has the most beautiful face among the candidates.

The Harbinger of Light - Rene Sebes

Illustration by Jegi Andrei C. Nero

Poetry 2013 - 2014

An Old Man’s Longing for A “CANDY” Cane --- Zhayriel Mae Tabinas

                 Do you remember that exciting childhood feeling of seeing a candy store with lots and lots of mouth - watering candies… or do you still feel that right at your age? Isn’t it nice to be given chocolates on Valentines’ day, or to see a handful of gummy bears after long hours of work? Well for me, nothing beats the peppermint-flavored candy canes in delightful red, white and green throughout the Christmas season. The taste of candy is so youthful that sometimes, I’d wonder “Would I still meet this wonderful feeling as I climb up a ripe old age?” But on second thought, who says candy is only for kids?

Candy is for everyone! But, there are also exceptions like when you’re diabetic, you can’t have too much candy or when you’re just skin conscious, sweets would be bad. More like love, when you’re too young and immature, you might not find your true love yet, but when you’re too old, that would be too late for the norms of the society. Well, mixing different things together is a trend these days, what about letting cupid shoot his arrow to the hearts of the old and young? Nah… that would be crazy, but according to Philippine Music Legend; Freddie Aguilar, “…'Andun na, e. Ano pa ang magagawa ko?' Aatras ka ba noon, e, na-in love na, e?”

True. Love doesn’t look on age, the appearance nor the status of an individual; that’s why they say, you just fall in love, you don’t have to look for it. The question is, is it really love that’s between Aguilar and his 16 year old girlfriend? Maybe, maybe not, it’s just so hard to think that a 16 year old would fall in love with senior citizen 44 years older than she is… unless, if she wants money or fame, just like how Aguilar is getting attention to get back on track. This girl never spoke a word on interviews; it was all Freddie, Freddie, Freddie. And according to him “"Hindi ko alam na sixteen siya noong niligawan ko…” so, does that mean, the girl doesn’t look like she’s sixteen? Or maybe, your eyes are just too damaged already Grandpa Freddie.

Reality is there are a lot of people having this kind of relationship, and it’s not bad, they’re happy together and they’re not hurting anyone else. So, why make this a big issue? Yes, Aguilar is a legend, that could be a reason, but they’re still people, they have their own lives, their own feelings and they have their own preferences. When asked about the girl Aguilar said, “Actually, ang maganda sa kanya ay she's trying na bumagay sa akin. Ako naman, bumababa ako sa level niya. Halimbawa, gusto niyang mag-Jollibee, sasamahan ko siya doon. Minsan naman, gusto kong mag-fine dining, sasama naman siya sa akin.”

Isn’t it nice, feels like the sweetness of candy, but candy would be too boring if it was all sweet, its better with the sourness of the criticisms of the netizens and the relieving coolness of Aguilar’s replies when asked about the girl’s parents, “"Yung mga magulang niya, tanggap na rin siguro. Sabi lang daw sa kanya, 'Mag-ingat ka diyan, babaero daw 'yan! "Mag-iingat ako, kasi kung may magrereklamo, alam mo na, baka may magkatuwaan. Pero yung consent ng mga magulang, nasa akin."

Any old man can still long for a candy cane instead of an ordinary wooden cane. It might look awkward at first, but as we get to see that ripe old smile from those wrinkling lips, it feels like eating a candy for the very first time. Norms, are up to the society, but as long as we’re open-minded, these situations would seem like nothing to us.

OF TEENS AND DRUGS: A Photo Essay --- - Robin Marychelle Cabonita

                 Drugs and alcohol are polluting the minds of young people. Nowadays, drug and alcohol usage is very rampant. But the thing is, some people who are taking these aren’t even at legal age to use it. Yes, you got it right, the teenagers. The main reason why they take these is to look cool and be popular. But they became the noted rebels in society. You might’ve thought these teenagers were humanity’s future, right? You guessed wrong. Being a rebel has its own price.

                 Drugs and alcohol cause young people to be always absent in school, having low or declining grades and the most common, dropping out of school. Research says that drug and alcohol users show a low level of commitment to education.

Because of the frequent use, they only think about doping and drinking. They feel they’re at home with these substances. They are more comfortable with these than education.

All they care about is having fun. They are forgetting the important things in life suitable for their future. But as long as they’re having fun, they’ll keep neglecting education and have a high risk of failing in life if they won’t change for the better.

Users are at high risk than nonusers. Users are more prone to mental health problems. Let’s take for instance some of the famous child stars now turned into crack addicts. (Child stars whom you thought were great examples and models to follow.) But what has happened to them now? Either dead, in rehab or crazy.

Remember Amanda Bynes? That girl from a Nickelodeon show, “All That”? That girl who was talented and funny? Well she only set her dog on fire and went to a liquor store to set the fire off. Why would you set your dog on fire and go to a liquor store to set it off? That’s what drugs and alcohol do to you, honey. She went to rehab and showed signs of schizophrenia because of the over usage of these substances. Do you still want to mess with drugs and alcohol now, huh?

There had been many cases where teens do heinous crimes and even kill themselves. They do this because they think it’s fun and cool.

Sometimes, when a person is under the influence of these substances, he or she can’t control his or her body. These teenagers feel like they are in “Wonderland”. They hallucinate. And if you provoke them, they won’t hesitate to hurt you, even kill you.

Some drugs make them feel depressed  and so they  resort to killing themselves.  They didn’t kill themselves, the drug did. It’s like you’re physically present but mentally absent. Remember, you’re not yourself when you’re under the influence of these substances.

Instead of blaming others why your life is unfair , think further. You can always change yourself. Sometimes, you need to stop depending on others because it’s not all the time that they are right beside you. You don’t need them to change yourself because the only person who could decide that is YOU.

Think things through. There are many consequences for each action. Be responsible and think before you act. When times are low and you feel like giving up, don’t fall victim to drugs and alcohol. These problems are just obstacles for us to get stronger and wiser in life. Everything happens for a reason.

We teens especially have all these kind of mixed up problems and messed up society. You can always do other things rather than doing illegal stuff. You only live once. You can’t turn back time. Don’t waste your future for these substances.

You are your own man. Stand up for what you believe in. Don’t try to act cool because just only by being cool doesn’t get you nowhere. I still have hope for all the other teens out there. Come on, make your choice.

Photo credits: Google Images