I usually don’t attend sunday service every week. I just visit the church sometimes. It was just last year on December, I started going to church every sunday. Maybe because I thought new year is about to come again and I should start a new mission for the next year and that would be, to attend all sunday services. I notice my seatmates in church always take down notes when the Pastor preaches. I try to do the same by typing the details on the notes of my phone because if I write it manually, I won’t be able to jot down everything the Pastor would say. While I am listening to what the Pastor is saying, I always come to a conclusion of one single sentence of what I learned in it at the end of the mass. There, I immediately thought of “Why won’t I write this instead on my journal? Atleast I read my journal always and will remember this quotes I got from the Pastors”. So, I began my slogan writing right at that day, continued on the next sunday, and the next again and so on and so forth.😍 but today, sunday mass’ were discouraged because it accumulates enormous number of people and It can spread the Corona Virus easily. Let’s just pray that the COVID 19 would already come to an end.🙏
Getting to know CEBU + National Girl Scout Camp
Bon Voyage Cebu!😻
ISKAWTING: Ang tunay na Kahulugan ng mga Tsapa
Harap ng sablay: mga tsapang makukuha sa 8 na pagsubok 
Likod ng sablay: mga tsapang makukuha sa iba’t ibang inorganisang aktibidad ng iskawting
Pamilyar ka ba sa mga iskawt? Pamilyar ka ba sa mga makukulay na tsapang makikita na nakaburda sakanilang mga damit o nakaburda sakanilang mga sablay? Alam mo ba ang ibigsabihin ng mga ito?
May ibat ibang uri ang mga tsapang nakukuha ng mga iskawt, at bawat isang uri ay may kulay. . Lahat ng mga tsapang ito ay hindi lamang basta-bastang makukuha. May mga pagsubok na kailangang gawin at ang tsapa ang siyang magsisilbing simbolo na natapos na ang mga ito. Ngunit sa mga babaeng iskawt lamang ang mga tsapang binabanggit, iba ang tsapa na nakukuha ng mga lalakeng iskawt at mas mahirap nilang makuha ang mga ito. Siguro dahil sa sila ay lalaki, kaya mas mahirap ang mga pagsubok na kailangan nilang gawin.
Ang ibat ibang tsapa ay may walong uri at walo ring kulay. Una ay ang pagsubok sa pag-sisilbi sa Diyos at pag-alaga sa sarili na kulay rosas. May layunin na pagkilala at pagsagawa ng mga itinuturo ng sariling relihiyon at pagpapanatili ng sariling kalusugan at katatagan. Pangalawa ang pagsubok sa buhay pamilya na kulay puti. May layunin itong panatilihin ang masayang pagsasama ng pamilya. Pangatlo ang pagsubok sa ekonomikong pagtitipid na kulay kahel. May layunin ito na gamitin ang pera at mga kagamitan sa matalinong pamamaraan. Pang-apat ang pagsubok pangkalikasan na kulay berde. Naglalayon itong protektahan at pangalagaan ang mundo. Pang-lima ay ang pagsubok sa kahandaan na kulay pula. May layunin itong maging handa sa kahit anumang biglaang pangyayari. Pang-anim ay ang pagsubok sa pagka-Pilipino na kulay kayumanggi. May layunin itong maging maalam sa mga kultura at tradisyon ng Pilipinas at huwag itong ikahiya pati na rin ang lahing Filipino. Pang-pito ang pagsubok sa sining na kulay lila. May layon itong maintindihan ang ibat ibang uri at kahulugan ng sining. Panghuli ang pagsubok sa komunidad ng mundo na kulay bughaw. Naglalayon itong maunawaan ang kultura ng ibat ibang bansa at ang pakikipagkaibigan sa mga mamamayan sa ibat ibang panig ng mundo.
Ang tsapa ay sagisag ng mga nagawang pagsubok ng mga iskawt. Mayroon ding mga tspang espisipikong para sa mga napuntahang kamping o kaya namay iba pang mga naorganisang aktibidad ng iskawting. Ngunit akala ng nakararami, ang may pinakamaraming tsapa ay syang pinaka dakila. Kaya bumababa ang tingin nila sakanilang sarili kapag wala pa silang nakukuha. Hindi tungkol dito ang iskawting at hindi ito ang nais ipaunawa ng mga tsapa.
Ang iskawting ay nabuo upang maikalat sa lahat ng mga batang babae na dapat nilang mahalin kung ano sila, hindi nila ikukumpara ang kanilang sarili sa iba at matututo silang maging masaya sa buhay kahit maraming wala sakanila. Nagsisilbi ang mga tsapang ito na hakbang upang lalong mas mahubog ang sarili at simbolo ng pagiging aktibong mamamayan ng komunidad. Ang mahalaga parin sa huli, mahal ng Diyos tayong lahat, masaya ang ating pamilya, hindi natin ginagawang prayoridad ang pera at mga problema, nananatiling nasa maayos na kalagayan ang ating kapaligiran, handa tayo sa anumang sakuna, isinasapuso natin ang pagka-Pilipino, tinatangkilik natin ang mga gawa ng sining at nakikipag-ugnayan at nakikipag-kaibigan tayo sa mga tao saan mang panig ng mundo.
THE PROVINCE
Summer has come. It’s time to leave
The city’s smoke, pollution and heat.
What I hope for now is that after this trip,
I’ll already be free from the city’s noisy streets.
We passed thousands of miles along the way,
Leaving many people in the city astray.
As we continued, buildings shrunk in number,
And the beautiful tall trees multiplying and I think that’s better.
The clock never stopped ticking.
I couldn’t help but to imagine.
I stared at the window and guess what I’ve seen!
Alive before my eyes is a very beautiful painting.
It’s very different from the crowded cities,
Where cars and factories make the air polluted.
I heard the birds singing.
I saw trees swaying and felt the wind as it was breezing.
I stepped out of the car,
I felt my hair flew with the air.
I closed my eyes to see if everything was a dream,
But when I opened my eyes,
I could still see the paradise.
I wish I could live in a city just like this
All clean and all fresh,
All beautiful and bright.
I won’t ever get this out of my sight.
VISIBLE SPECTRUM
An art from the sky
Looks like a colorful dye
A panorama from the sky up high
The only wave that is visible to the eye
Nature’s precious image
Hope we wouldnt let it be damaged
A beautiful view,
Make thing like it, can you?
Colors are Red Orange yellow
Green Blue Violet and Indigo
Colors of the rainbow
For your information if you do not know.
This Visible spectrum
Can pass through Vacuum
Without it we cannot appreciate
The beauty of the valley man didnt make.
HOPE from the Sticky Notes😇
My actual paper and the actual sticky notes my teacher gave me💛
If you were at my position, having a sister who is a very active student, an achiever, a winner on contests and pageants in and out of the school, who never missed an award during recognition programs, whom you cant count how many medals she already have and since you were on primary to secondary school and your teachers and relatives have always mistaken your identity to be your sister, what would you feel? When your teachers, family and friends say things to you like “sika met ngay?.
There was a time when I’ve experienced total sadness about it. When I felt like the treatment for both of us is not fair. I always locked myself in a room, cried a lot and tried to hurt myself because of that.
Maybe I was just not mature enough that moment to understand such things.
Our teacher told us to make a descriptive essay about any topic of our choice.
I havent thought of any topic then I just decided to share my deepest sentiment on that whole sheet of paper.
That paper is comprised of everything I feel. After writing, we passed the papers.
Days passed normally until there was the time our teacher enters our classroom with piles of paper resting on her arm.
“Good morning class” she didn’t say that. She’s a type of teacher who always let us sit down when we ought to greet her. Maybe because she knows that some of the students would prefer to sit still and not greet her when she enters the class.
She let the student in front distribute our checked papers. But she got the top paper from the pile. I felt curiosity when I saw it has 3 yellow sticky notes at the back of the paper. I was worried because she gave it to me. I worried because shes very strict towards grammatical errors so I started thinking “why does my paper have sticky notes and the other papers don’t?”, why is it she was the one who gave my paper to me?”, “do I have many grammar mistakes?”, did I write something wrong?”. I also worried because I remembered she is at the same time our school guidance counselor and I knew I said things like suicide.
My inquisitive mind stopped when I read whats written on it. It says “Leann, you are wonderful on your own. What you are, what you have is because of your own self not because of others.”, “if not now, someday, they will see and realize what you are. I’m sure they will so don’t stop working for your future.”, “Whatever you do, it is for you, not to please others”. I was touched and about to cry.
It was my first time hearing or should I say reading an advice from a teacher. I never knew confessing your problems to your teacher is great. The teacher I am talking about is Mrs. Lorna Yaco. A very patient teacher, who trains every student to bring out the very best of themselves. She didnt just limit her job as a Guidance Counselor inside the office but rather, applied it also on her regular classes. I recommend everyone to open up. If you cant do it to your friends or family, try it to your teachers. They are the ones whom you get to see every day and they can actually help you and might save you from the grasp of total sadness.
THAILAND DISCOVERIES
It was my first time to go out of the country and my experiences here have changed a part of me
Here we picked whatever dyed scarf we want and we placed symbols at each end by dubbing the sponge and using gold or silver paint.
When we arrived at the airport in Bangkok, Kuya Donovan fetched us. He is a teacher at Udomsuksa. He guided us to the hotel we are about to stay in. While on the road, I observed that their rule there is “keep left” unlike here in the Philippines which is “keep right”. I noticed that they are not fond of elevated areas like high buildings because you seldom see 2-storey buildings or more, even houses. Houses have spaces in between and not flocked together. They have also unique designs of building structure.
When we arrived at the hotel and fixed our things, ofcourse we were tired of the travel but at the same time, we were excited to explore around the town. So we went out of the hotel to stroll and while walking, we saw they have lots of 7 Eleven stores. When we had a schedule for travelling bangkok, Mam Keena lead us to their 24hour bazaars. Thailand is known of streetfoods and I saw a unique square squidball there. Thailand is also fond of spices. I discovered a food which tastes like ‘tinola’ and ‘adobo’ and they also have sticky rice. When we went there, it was also election period and I observed banners of politicians are tied on trees or tied on a stick placed on the ground. There are also many Thailand flags on the road. I will never forget the time when I and Bernielyn were left by the train while Mam Keena and the others have already entered. We were very nervous during that time considering that we don’t really know the place. We decided to wait for the next train since I still remember the place Mam Keena told us to go and yet, gladly, they immediately showed up before the next train! We were so glad they came back. Above all, I really enjoyed my one week stay in Thailand. I discovered lots of things and I will surely be going back.
PUNTA VERDE, PALAUI ISLAND PRE-CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING AND MEDICAL MISSION
I have been at the island for 2 times already. First was during the holy week and second was during the christmas season. People here belong to the tribe of Aeta’s and they speak Ilocano. The island consists of 250 households. Doctor Leon Caculitan was the one who decided to help these people. He have been helping the people here for 6 consecutive years. Recently, he was awarded as a Bayaning Pilipino Awardee during the 2019 search for outstanding filipino’s who render services voluntarily for their country. One of his students at Cagayan State University is my Aunt, Irish Claire Wakit. She was the one who invited us to join them on their medical mission for us to see and help the people who live there and discover the actual beauty of Palaui.
POLITICAL LITERACY AMONG THE YOUTH
Political literacy is being knowledgeable in different political issues and willingness to be engaged in it without causing insurgence or uprising. But why do we need to be involved in politics? Why is it important to know about our society? And what can we do to make the youth be politically literate?
Without people, there will be no politics. We are the reason why politics were formed. Everything politicians do is for us which is why we need to be involved in it. Lets take for example the Hitlers regime which was said to be enabled by ignorance of people which says, if anyone did have any opposition, they were surely afraid to be in conflict with the force of the Nazi’s that’s why they stayed quiet which caused Hitler to advance his forces and resulted to harm the whole nation. Considering this example and relating it to our municipality, we shouldn’t let politics be in control of us because we have every right to oppose the governance of politicians if we know that something isn’t right.
It is also important to know the different societal issues currently going on in our society as well as our political leaders especially for us, youth. We must take part in politics because 18.5% of voters a year ago were comprised of youth and it just states that we have a great impact on how our society will function for the succeeding years.
Since the youth, on average, is spending 4 hours a day using the internet, we should take advantage of this fact and use the internet as a medium in disseminating information about societal and political issues every day. This can also lessen the vulnerability of young voters to vote-buying and other schemes by politicians because of lack of education and therefore will make them, politically literate individuals.
You are not alone
Have you ever had that moment when you feel like you’re all alone and you start distancing yourself from other people and all you do is cry and think of all the negative things in your life?
When I was facing the stage of being a teenager, I observed that my family always compliment my sister and give her gifts. That is because she’s very confident and smart. She never was out of the top students in class, she joins pageants and wins, she has leadership skills and she’s very sweet to others. I am trying the best I can be so I can also receive compliments and surprise gifts from my family but nothing happened, though some of my family members appreciated it and they were just like 2-3 of them. I was her opposite. I am not that expressive towards my feelings so usually I look very rude and mean which is, all the time, my friends’ first impression of me, but actually I am a very soft-hearted person. When I was 15-17 years old, there in a snap, my mindset have changed to a whole lot of pure negativity and I dont know how but I’ve never been optimistic through those years. I have been so selfish, all I was concerned of was myself. I knew that I was depressed because I’ve tried to hurt myself by the sharpener blade and have thoughts of suicide. That is because I make things get worse by overthinking. I know that’s shallow and immature but I’m serious I nearly ended my breath.
I know that ending your life is not a solution to solve your problem but trust me, it really takes time to cure depression. When I got so weak and about to hurt myself again, memories started flashing in my mind. I started attending seminars about mental health issues. There I was reminded that God will never ever leave you. God always forgives. God is love. You will never win against your problems if you keep facing them yourself without God. You need someone to talk your problems with and it can be any person you trust. They may not give you advices, but at least they listened and heard you. If you don’t have any friend to talk about it, talk to God and pray. Share the stones inside your backpack so you will feel better, trust me. You are not alone and soon you will be okay. Its all about positivity.
