Let peace be our star

Below is a speech I gave at the launching of the Araling Panlipunan Area's Peacebook Campaign on July 9, 2012.

Respice stellam. Look at the stars. That’s the motto of our school. The star has always been within our sight, but never within our reach. Peace is like the star: always within our sight, but never within our reach.

For sure, all of us agree that there should be peace among peoples of Mindanao. We just can’t agree, however, how exactly we can achieve peace.

For the separatist factions, only when Mindanao is made into an independent state can there be real peace. By then, wars between the government and rebel groups will have ceased. Muslims will be free from the shackles of Imperial Manila. They will have governed and managed their own resources.

For the government, only when rebels and those who took up arms against the government are eliminated can there be real peace. Socio-politico-economic and educational reforms are hard to initiate in a war-torn environment. Remove the rebels, peace will follow.

For us Marisians, how can we help achieve peace?

Let’s be guided by our motto. Respice stellam. Look at the stars. Indeed, we are asked only to look at the stars, not to get hold of it. For no man has ever gotten hold of the star. But stars have guided countless men in their quests.

Let peace be our star. We may not get hold of it, but it would guide us in all our dealings with men of different class, color, and creed.

Professor Edith Brown Weiss said “In all that we do, we inherently represent not only ourselves but past and future generations. We represent past generations, even while trying to obliterate the past, because we embody what they passed on to us. We represent future generations because the decisions we make today affect the well-being of all persons who come after us and the integrity and robustness of the planet they will inherit.”

As representatives of the future generations, how can you ensure that they will enjoy the blessings you are enjoying now? What specific ways will you take so that those who will come after you shall look to the past, not with grudge, but with gratitude?

Wet and wild

Those in the field of education know very well that 'tis the profession that is fraught with so daunting a task that if one were not to take an occasional break, one would surely be stressed out. Sometimes, it takes nothing less than a trip somewhere else to renew the energy and vigor that teachers badly need to face a new set of challenges the new school year might present.

One such trip took place on June 08, 2012. To have their Socialization, teachers, administrators, and staff of Stella Maris Academy of Davao went to Matin-ao Inland Resort, New Corella, Davao del Norte. There, the teachers and staff gamely participated in the activities the Socials Committee prepared.

In the beginning of the program, all the eight Emmaus groups presented their impromptu yet entertaining cheers and yells. Then the parlor games ensued. All enjoyed playing such games as “Bandaging” where they demonstrated what they learned from the First Aid Training they had; “Ipasok mo, Baby” where they had to string using a yarn all the members of the group while in the on the swimming pool; and “Isda Me?” where they had to swim and get as much Bingo tiles as they could.

The Socialization lasted only a day. Yet one could see that everybody came home not with a sense of regret, but with a sense of joy and fulfillment. For, it’s not everyday that they get to relax from their tedious work.

Onyot's Trip: Walang basagan ng trip!

[caption id="attachment_2201" align="aligncenter" width="394" caption="Taken during our trip to Seagull Mountain Resort (Seagull 3), located on the outskirts of Bukidnon and Davao City (BuDa)."][/caption]

I have many nicknames. But it's "Onyot" that survived the test of time. I don't mind if you call me Onyot. I have become used to it anyway. In fact, now I like it when you call me Onyot. It's as if you and I have known each other for so long a time.

So I'm Onyot, and ito ang trip ko.

Trip, in English, denotes a "voyage," a "journey." But from the dingy and squalid kanto and looban of Philippine slums to the posh and bongga subdivisions, the word "trip" takes on a different meaning.

It refers to the things you do to break your humdrum routine, to express your in-ordinariness in this ordinary world, to wean yourself from a stressful work, or to try things for the sake of trying them.

Someone's trip might be food, manicure, or, uh, saving Mother Earth.

But sometimes if you do something as outrageous and bizarre as the acts of Jesse Caigoy,"Master of Pain," something as outlandish as having a Winnie The Pooh tattoo on your back, something as banal as planking, people would ask you this standard question, "Anong trip mo?"

"Wala lang!," or "Walang basagan ng trip!" is, of course, the standard retort.

When I started teaching, in 2010, I thought my teaching experience would be a fodder for my blog. I thought the bouts with students in particular and school life in general would be a well from which I can draw inspiration to blog. But no, I was caught in the thick of making lesson plans, preparing slide presentations for class, making test papers, checking test papers, recording and computing grades, reading essays, accompanying students to contests and conferences, meeting with parents, and complying with a host of other paper-works.

As a result, blogging became less frequent. Blog posts were sparse, mostly limited to announcements, slide shows for students to download, and a few lousy write-ups---lame attempts at reminding people who stumble upon this blog that its owner still exists. Soon, all I wanted was not to blog more often, but to have a goodnight's sleep.

Nevertheless, I continue to write. Sometimes, if I have time I write about teaching. I never write about sleeping. Most often I write about my activities in between---mga bagay na trip kong gawin.

That explains why I found the name of this blog---Onyot's TRIP---most fitting because this blog has been, is, and will always be about my trip: trip as a journey and voyage, and trip as wala lang, I just feel like doing it.

So welcome to Onyot's TRIP. And please walang basagan ng trip!

Jonathan Bangayan, Valedictorian

On March 9, 2012, in the cold Audio Visual Room filled with nervous and excited fourth year students, the honors for the Stella Maris Academy of Davao (SMAD) graduating class of 2012 were announced. Through a video presentation, the awardees were shown, and each picture flashed is greeted with "Woaws," or "Yes!," or "Wows."

And then the most awaited came, the valedictorian award. For this school year, two got the most-coveted and perhaps the most difficult-to-get award: Jonathan Bangayan and Fredrich Nierra.

Both richly deserved the award, but I'd like to dwell more on Jonathan because the story of Jon, as we call Jonathan, is a remarkable one.

Perhaps six or seven years ago, nobody would have thought he'll be the class valedictorian. He was just not a shoo-in for the award. Jon is not your typical promising youth who was spotted early on, groomed until graduation, and awarded meritoriously. His is a story of determination, persistence, courage, and passion.

This is what I noticed about how most people write a biography of someone else. It usually begins with the first encounter of the writer and the subject---the circumstance, the atmosphere of the location, or the general mood. I will not succumb to the formula by writing where I first met Jonathan. Besides, I cannot recall anymore under what circumstance that I got to know that a Jonathan Bangayan exists in SMAD.

Back when he was in grade school, Jon was, in his words, a non-entity, almost unheard of. He never figured in contests or in any other school activities. His world was small. He had only few classmates whom he could consider as friends. He had barely involvements in activities outside the school. And he seemed to have gotten used to the grinding sameness of his school life.

Academically, Jon was not that slow. Far from it. But he was just not the top or the best in just about every subject. He even ranked 60th out of over a hundred students.

Despite the lackluster performance in grade school, Jon remained persistent, and showed that one's past does not define one's future, although for most of us we make it as our impetus to recreate ourselves and rise to greater heights.

Jon said it was his parents who prodded and encouraged him to excel and succeed. Jon had a low opinion of himself, but his parents showed him that there's more he could do and give. And succeed Jon did.

Jon started joining extra-curricular activities. He relished outreach activities as a way to widen his horizon. It's with this outreach that it dawned on him that there's another world besides his own---a world far harsher and meaner than his cocooned existence. He harnessed his speaking skills. He joined the Debating Team of the school. He tried hosting. He also tried courting a few girls (one or two), though Jon is so coy to admit it that he wouldn't openly talk about it and would rather brush the topic aside.

In short, he immersed himself in the hustle and bustle of high school life. And all his self-deconstructing and reconstructing effort culminated in third year high school when he ranked first among his batch-mates. For Jon, there's no way but up. So when he reached fourth year, he rose even higher---higher than most people expected.

And now, Jon is class valedictorian, together with Fred. Jon is also the candidate for the 2012 Most Outstanding High School Graduate.

Jon's story in a way mirrored my student life story. In high school, I was an underachiever. I belonged to the general section. In the hierarchy of sections in Davao City National High School, the general section is at the bottom-most tier. I flunked in one grading period in Chemistry. We loitered at the bilyaran or internetan.

And so, my high school classmates were surprised when I graduated cum laude in college.

"Unsa imo gikaon?" I was often asked.

Well, you can ask Jon the same question. I am sure his answer has nothing to do with food. It has everything to do with old-fashioned virtues of patience (which, by the way, is the section of Jon now) in times of frustrations, determination in times of failures, and faith in times of uncertainties.

Embittered over 'tweets' in Twitter, or How not to deal with controversial digital speech?

You updated your Twitter. You made a comment about your school. You are sure your school administrators wouldn't like. But, you think, it's a fair and valid comment. And to be scientific, it's a comment that is based on empirical evidence.

Then somebody print-screened your and your friends' tweets. The print-screened tweets found their way to your school administrator's table. The next day, you and those who made "negative" comments were called by school administrators.

You asked why. Nothing, they replied. The admin just wanted to talk to your group. Then you found out why. The admin was disappointed, nay, offended by you and your group's tweets. You were reminded not to do it again and to be careful with your tweets.

Worse is, just when you thought it's over, you found out you were punished. Your conduct grades were decreased. Why? For making such comments.

Too often, students find themselves embroiled in this situation. And too often, school administrators take punitive steps to respond to this.

It can't be denied that the Internet and the social networking sites are now the new plaza. That's where most of the young people stay and hang out, though they don't necessarily have to leave their homes. That's where students talk, send Private Message, Comment, Like,  Tweet and Retweet, search, select and invite Friends, and Share stories, photos and links.

Indeed, that's where everything gravitates towards, at least for the "Digital Natives."

The pervasiveness of the Internet and especially the social networking sites in the lives of young people poses several challenges, among others, to the school administrators.

The Internet has given young people another venue where they can exercise their freedom of speech and expression. Through the Internet, they voice out their opinions. They comment on issues which they think matter---the impeachment trial of CJ Renato Corono, the deluge of concert by foreign artists this Valentine season, the death of Whitney Houston, and, yes, the improvements or lack thereof in their school. They express their disgust over everything else they find disgusting.

No less than the Constitution guarantees and protects that freedom. And the students can enjoy that same freedom, and indeed a robust exercise of that freedom must be encouraged, provided they are forewarned not to go beyond the ambit of the law. As Justice Dante Tinga said, in his separate opinion on Chavez vs. Gonzales, "For as long as the expression is not libelous or slanderous, not obscene...it is guaranteed protection by the Constitution. I do not find it material whether the protected expression is of a political, religious, personal, humorous or trivial nature - they all find equal comfort in the Constitution. Neither should it matter through what medium the expression is conveyed, whether through the print or broadcast media, through the Internet or through interpretative dance. For as long as it does not fall under the above-mentioned exceptions, it is accorded the same degree of protection by the Constitution."

This freedom of speech, however, like all other freedoms, can be potentially abused. And if it is abused or seem to be abused, how then should we deal with it?

Should we punish students or threaten them with suspension or deduction of grades for posting innocuous remarks in Twitter or Facebook? Should we berate the students and give them a mouthful of reminders?

Sample Essay Format

Sample Essay Format

Follow the format. For the additional guidelines, the Project Plan is posted on the wall of your classroom.

Deadline of the final copy of the essay will be on February 21, 2012.

Musings while I'm on my way to the comfort room

I have known Stella Maris as a rich school where the rich students study; where most of the students have never taken a PUJ; where students seldom eat kwek-kwek; where most of the students' shoes have never stepped on muddy and rocky road; where students speak the language of iPhone, iPod, iPad, Twitter, etc.; where students most of the time do things their way; and where the sons and daughters of business tycoons, top government officials, and the elite study.

Now I'm one of the teachers of Stella Maris, handling Araling Panlipunan. Never have I thought that I will, one day, be teaching there. Not even in my dreams, nor in my beautiful nightmare, as Beyonce puts it.

So far, my teaching experience in Stella Maris does nothing to change my view of the school. Stella Maris, as I've known it before, is still a rich school where rich students study.

At times, I feel that I am betraying myself. As a student, I was an idealist. I used to style myself as a conscientious individual, one who is aware of the plight of his countrymen and one who will one day roll his sleeves up and help those who are in need the most; one who is, in short, going to teach in the public school.

Yet I am here now, enlisted to serve as a teacher of students whose families are a million times richer than the ones found in public schools. This is, frankly speaking, not the life that I want to have.

But I realized that this is, in fact, a great opportunity for me to let my dreams and aspirations come to pass. As Kipling says in his poem If, "meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same." And treat triumph and disaster just the same I did.

My students now will soon become owners of business establishments, entrepreneurs, public officials and bureaucrats, and even some of them will become politicians. If I can make them acutely aware of the problems of the society and teach them that to whom much is given much is expected, then I have already triumphed in my own little way.

Barely a month from now, my fourth year students will be graduating from high school. Did I succeed in making them students who are conscientious ? Did I and the rest of the teachers succeed in making them aware of their crucial role in the society?

Only time can tell.

Using Graphs & IPR Issues in ICT

Using Graphs

IPR Issues in ICT

Download and study.

 

 

 

Aralin 1: Ekonomiks sa Paglipas ng Panahon

"You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't force it to drink." So goes a proverb. Download, or leave at once.

Ekonomiks sa Paglipas ng Panahon

Aralin 19: Produksyon at Kita ng Pambansang Ekonomiya

Download the slide presentation of our lesson here: Produksyon at Kita ng Pambansang Ekonomiya

Softcopy: Aralin 13

Here's the softcopy of Aralin 13: Ekonomiyang Kolonyal Bago ang Ika-19 na Siglo

3rd Grading: Reviewer

Download the Reviewer_AP IV at your own risk.

Merry Christmas.

In search of peace: SMAD celebrates the Mindanao Week of Peace

There were about ten people who stood in the center ground. Each was holding a white balloon. "Those balloons symbolize the prayers, hopes, and aspirations of all Marisians," said Mr. Oliver Calledo, the moderator of the Samahang Araling Panlipunan. "At the count of three, they will release the balloons." Then the balloons were released.

I blog---still.

When I was still working as a student assistant in the high school library of Holy Cross, I get to read almost all of the major broadsheets every day. I get to read a book a week. I get to update my blog. I get to surf the internet and research on just about anything.

Now that I'm working as a teacher, all the things that I used to do, I no longer do. It's frustrating, but the upside is that what I'm experiencing right now is something that working in the library cannot give.

I will write more of it later when I'll be able to find my rhythm.