Blogging with Rox

Jurassic Summer 2011

2011-04-22T07:15:00.003+08:00

What better way to enjoy summer than to go swimming. Vint and his friend Julius frolicking in a Dinosaur themed resort called "Sitio Lucia in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Cool place!

Robotics summer tutorial

2011-04-06T16:43:00.006+08:00

To all parents, students, and computer enthusiasts. Have fun this summer, learn how to build and program the Lego NXT robot at the comforts of your homes. The Lego NXT is the latest intelligent robot that can be programmed even by kids to perform amazing tasks such as navigating, sensing, voice recognition and much more. The fee is P6000 for solo and P5000 for pairs. For more details please call or text 09162224218. Visit our website at http://robotsathome.webs.com/..

Read more: http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/3425393/recent/1/Robotics%2BTutorial

Ano ang pangarap mo sa ating bayan?

2010-05-10T09:17:00.003+08:00

Today is election day. Let’s all go out and vote. I know this election will not be perfect, but it is all worth the try.
All our country needs are honest leaders to help us move towards the right direction. Yan ang pangarap kong mangyari sa ating bayan. Tulong-tulong tayong lahat to make this first automated election a success.
ABS-CBN came up with a worthwhile project it’s called Ambisyon 2010. Funding will be given to finance a short film on the important issues
about today’s elections. Out of 80 who submitted their concepts, the top 10 were made into short films directed by famous as well as
amateur indi-film directors.
Here are two of the 10, I’m still looking for the rest on the web:
Lupang Hinarang - Ditsi Carolino
A documentary film about the Sumilao farmers of Bukidnon.
Part 1

Part2

Ayos ka-Brilliante Mendoza
Mendoza’s film, “Ayos Ka” is a music video whose hopeful soundtrack is a stark contrast against images of poverty, prostitution, drugs and murder. This was initially banned by MTRCB for public viewing. The MTRCB claimed Mendoza’s film is “injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines and its people.”

Another film which will never be shown because it was given an X rating by MTRCB was Jeffrey Jeturian’s film which focused on the state of the economy. His camera follows a newspaper from the time it is delivered to a homeowner to when it is used to wipe feces from the foot of a cart-pushing vendor. Jeturian uses a newspaper printed with the same controversial advertisement that came out in early January trumpeting the administration’s economic successes. The film, called “Ganito tayo ngayon, Paano na tayo bukas?” ends with President Arroyo’s photo on the crumpled newspaper. The MTRCB said in its decision that the film was X-rated for “undermining the faith and confidence of the people in government.” Ikaw ano ang pangarap mo sa bayan natin?
source: http://pinoymoviexpress.blogspot.com/2010/03/anc-talks-about-mtrcbs-x-rating-of-2.html#ixzz0nPjvI8Qd

Sana maging kulay dilaw ang langit.

Vint's Kindergarten graduation

2010-03-21T22:12:00.003+08:00

My son Vint made it through Kindergarten. Last March 19, 2010 he received his Certificate in Kinder at Immaculate Mother School. He amazingly got all the academic awards. Best in Reading, Best in Math, Best in Language, Best in Filipino, Best in Christian Living and Best in Spelling. Every year I get to attend graduation ceremonies of my own students and it always makes me emotional. But if it's your own son, you get even more teary eyed, you just can't explain the happiness of seeing your own son going up the stage and delivering the graduation speech. I's just Kindergarten, what more if it's high school or college. Well good luck Vint you'll go places especially if you become an astronaut.

Here are the highlights of the graduation ceremony.

Double Happiness

2010-03-07T12:02:00.001+08:00

I remember double happiness as a brand of ping-pong balls that I used to buy in high school whenever I played table tennis, but today it has another meaning. With just a week to go before our school year ends may pahabol pa kaming awards. The first happiness goes to three of our very pretty Taekwondo coaches. You heard it right, ours is a boys school but we are blessed to have the three prettiest coaches in the Philippines: Meet Camille Alarilla, 22, Janice Lagman, 22, Rani Ortega, 24 – three Filipina beauties, brains and brawl all rolled into one. They are world champions in Taekwondo and just a few days ago they were declared Athletes of the Year by the PSA (Philippine Sports Commission). Tabi ka muna Manny Pacquiao, it's the girls turn to shine.

The second happiness, we made a website about the girls as our entry in the National Cyberfair web design contest and the results just came in today. We were declared the winner!
Here is our winning entry entitled Dolls and Kicks:
http://dollsandkicks.t35.com/champions.html

My web team will recieve their recognition on Tues March 9 at the Microsoft head Office in Ayala, Makati, congrats Camille, Janice, and Rani and of course congrats boys, make your Mama proud.
Enjoy your summer!
Here's how they kick butt:
http://www.capzles.com/#/bb9a37a8-2acc-40e0-a7e5-18e7e4fcb574/

2009-02-28T14:53:00.000+08:00

lipa1

Lipa, Batangas

11.16. 2007 ~ 11.19. 2007

Title: Carmelite Church in Lipa

A miracle happened in this church in 1948, Our Lady the Mediatrix of All Grace appeared to a Carmelite nun. During the apparition, it rained rose petals bearing the images of Christ and Mother Mary.

Church video

WHAT TO DO

Support C-Wall the robot

2008-08-02T18:00:00.001+08:00

Hi everybody my name is
C-Wall. I’m a Recyclabot created by Junji Vergara, a Sophomore student from Claret School. I made it to the top 5 out of 70 entries in the Recyclabot Making Contest sponsored by SM Cinema, SM Science Discovery Center in cooperation with Disney and Pixar movie Wall E.
This contest aims to find ways on how to recycle items considered trash, transforming them to something with value thus helping in the preservation of our environment.

I would like to ask for your support to vote for me to be number 1. The champion will receive P10,000, plus Science books and a computer showcase for the winning school. If you happen to visit the following SM Malls on the dates below, look for the cinema where Wall E is showing and you will find me there in the lobby. Ask for a voting form and please vote for me. I’m entry no. 13.

• July 28 to August 3-SM North EDSA
• August 3 to 10 SM Mega Mall
• August 11 to 17 SM Mall of Asia

Thank you very much.

Hope to see you there!

C-WALL

Claret Robotics Team

Kilyawan Boys Choir did it again

2008-07-17T11:14:00.005+08:00

It was only two Saturdays ago when the Kilyawan boys choir performed in front of parents and teachers during our first PTC assembly. They were literally begging for airfare tickets to be able to participate in the World Choir Olympics in Austria. The amount that they need was staggering. Claret School donated P100,000 plus the amount that was collected that day from the parents and teachers would surely help.

Among the 45 members of the group were 15 grade school students currently enrolled in Claret and the rest were mostly Claretian alumni, among them Gian Karlo Dapul (the champion in this year’s English-Speaking Union (ESU) speech contest held in England). Their choir director is Mark Anthony A. Carpio, the present choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers and their manager is Ms. Hazel P. Copiaco, our grade school music teacher.

Yesterday they returned with a harvest of medals. They won 3 Gold Diplomas, 1 Gold Medal and 2 Silver Medals. It was the toughest contest that they have ever participated in so far. The 5th World Choir Games in Graz, Austria this July is the largest competition in the history of choir music. There were 441 ensembles from 93 nations that participated. The large number of participating choirs is complemented by folk dance groups and brass music bands which are going to turn this event into a unique festival of different cultures.
The Kilyawan boys choir also won Gold diplomas and Silver and Bronze medals in the 4th World Choir Games held in China in 2006.

Related stories:
Inquirer.net

First Dr. Heartbeat Robotics Competition

2008-06-02T15:57:00.005+08:00

Congratulations to all the winners in the first Dr. Heartbeat Lego Mindstorms Competition held at the SM Mall of Asia Science Discovery Center
Here's a list of the winners for the two divisions:

Division 1: 6 to 11 years old
1st Place: Antonio Sales
2nd Place: Christian Ayala
3rd Place: Mildred Saquing

Division 2: 12 and up
1st Place: Miguel Apolo
2nd Place: German Salvador
3rd Place: Christian Pambuan

Special Awards
Mr. Congeniality: Marco Ayala
Most Patient: Joseph Tamayo
Most Inquisitive: Daryl Tongson
Best Engineer/Programmer: Alfonso Sales
Most Enthusiastic: Christian Ayala

Here are pictures from Aileen Apollo's Picassa album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/aileen.apolo/DrHeartbeatLegoNXTRoboticsCompetition

and here's what Aileen, a very supportive mother of Miguel, my brilliant student who won first place on his first ever Robotics Competition) have to say about it:
http://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2008/06/miguel-wins-dr-heartbeat-nxt-robot.html

God is on our side!

2008-06-02T14:46:00.003+08:00

A silver medal at the International Cyberfair 2008 competition! A competition participated in by thousands of students from different parts of the world. What more can we ask for? Thank you Lord! Here's our entry: a Claret school production play entitled "Joseph and the Technicolor dreamcoat" held at the Meralco Theatre only last February 1,3 and 4 2008. http://technicolordreamcoat.890m.com/

CyberFair engages students in powerful educational story-telling activities, which benefit students and their communities. So, enjoy your virtual journey around the globe and learn how education can unite people and communities.

ID 5455: The Technicolor Dreamcoat
Category: 8. Local Music and Art Forms
Claret School of Quezon City
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES

We struck Gold again!

2008-06-02T14:40:00.003+08:00

Congratulations to the winners of the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2008: Empower and Unite!

My web team members got 3 gold medals out of 8 categories as well as several honorable mention. Hurray!!

Close to 300 students participated in this year's Cyberfair and your accomplishment contributes in spreading the growth of Internet content in the country.

Here are your winners!

1. Local Leaders
• Winner: Henry Medina: A Cornerstore of Service, St. Joseph's Academy

• Honorable Mention
o Famous San Pableños, MSC High School
o Pride of the Philippines - Ms. Lea Salonga, Claret School of Quezon City
2. Community Groups and Special Populations
• Winner: DLSAU We Answer the Call 2008, De La Salle Araneta University
3. Businesses and Organizations
• Winner: The Voice of the Youth, Claret School of Quezon City
• 1st Runner-up: Crystal Ice Cream - Las Piñeros All Time Favorite, St. Joseph's Academy
• Honorable Mention: BridgeIT, STI Academy (Las Pinas)
4. Local Specialties, Sports and Health (programs)
• Winner: Las Piñeros’ Crusade Against Measles, St. Joseph's Academy
• 1st runner-up: A New Age of Herbal Medicine, Iligan City National High School
• Honorable Mention:Explore the Magic of Coconuts, MSC High School
5. Local Attractions (Natural and Man Made)
• Winner: Philam Park, STI Academy (Las Pinas)
• 1st runner-up: Dipolog City: Jewel of Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Del Norte National High School
• 2nd runner-up: San Pablo City - Seven Lakes, MSC High School
6. Historical Landmarks
• Winner: Genesis of Independence, Claret School of Quezon City (Elementary)
• Honorable Mention:
o Las Piñas: Our Own Treasure, St. Joseph's Academy
o Rock Force 2, Claret School of Quezon City (High School)
7. Environmental Awareness and Issues
• Winner: Cavite's Fight Against Red Tide, St. Joseph's Academy

• 1st runner-up: E-Junk: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Colegio San Agustin – Biñan, Laguna

• 2nd runner-up: Interrelatedness, MSC High School

• Honorable mention: Candaba - A Birds Paradise, Claret School of Quezon City
8. Local Culture, Music and Art Forms
• Winner: Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Claret School of Quezon City
• 1st runner-up: Kinaray Artz, Antique National School

http://www.cyberfair.ph/

Redemption

2008-05-30T14:19:00.001+08:00

Four years ago, a tall but rather skinny member of my robotics team stepped into the playing arena to compete in the finals of the 2nd National Robotics Olympiad which was held at the Alabang Town Center. It took the boy a couple of hours to assemble his lego robot. His robot will compete in the finals of a maze event.And now it’s crunch time! It was a tense moment for all of us. It was the first time for us to join in the Robotics Olympiad. We didn’t even expect to reach the finals and yet here we are. The winner will represent the country in the World Robotics Olympiad in Korea that year. All hopes of the team were on this skinny lad now. It became so quite all of a sudden as our brave grade 6 Claretian student prepares to switch on his robot. We heard the beeping sound as he pressed the green button to turn on the RCX, the brain of the Lego robot. It was a relief for us as it signified that he had placed good batteries. Gently he placed the robot on the playing field, just as his robot was about 6 inches away from the ground, a yellow brick from his robot fell-off and hit the ground first. It was as if time stood still! He attempted to put it back, but another part fell. Based on the rules all parts should be intact, any part from the robot that would fall could mean a deduction much worse a disqualification. The next few seconds was immortalized in the annals of Claret Robotics history and was retold countless of times to old and new robotics team members. The young boy out of frustration threw the robot into the judges’ feet. A loud crash was heard and all the lego pieces went flying in different directions. All three judges were in a state of shock. The young boy went out of the playing arena and cried like a baby. It took several minutes for me and other people including the judges to calm him down.That experience did not deter the young boy from doing greater things in his life. It drove him to strive harder to be the best that he can be in all other aspects of his life. He went on to become the valedictorian in grade 6, joined the Kilyawan boys choir and passed the entrance test at the Philippine Science high School. When he transferred, I have never heard of him since then.A couple of weeks ago, I saw a boy on television which looks very familiar. Yes it’s him alright. He became even more taller and good looking but still skinny. The boy’s name was flashed on television, his name: Gian Karlo Rosales Gapul, sixteen years old, Champion in the International Public Speaking Competition conducted in London by the English Speaking Union held last May 9, 2008. Gian bested more than 50 other contestants from 35 countries most of whom are college students who were members in the English Speaking Union in his speech curiously entitled Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus. This time he was very relaxed and added humor to his speech. Finally, Gian had redeemed himself bigtime! In November Gian will be presented with a certificate at the ESU Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace by his Royal Highness Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh. Most likely, the Queen herself will be present as well, since the English Speaking Union will make its 90th anniversary this year.Here is the winning speech of Gian Dapul:

FISH MUCUS AND FOOT FUNGUS
by Gian Dapul

Robo Fiesta

2007-08-24T10:15:00.000+08:00

Find out the latest trends in Robotics technology by visiting the Robo fiesta at the Grand Atrium, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, EDSA, Mandaluyong on August 25-26, 2007. http://www.e-gizmo.com/rfiesta.htm
Here’s the schedule of activities:

ROBOFIESTA@THE SHANGRI-LA
Schedule of Activities

From To Activity
24-Aug 2100 Ingress begins
Overnight set-up

25-Aug 1000 Mall opens

1130 Opening ceremonies
The Wiz music ushers in Tin Man: "Slide Some Oil Through Me"
Welcome Remarks by emcee and main sponsors
1200 1330 Adamson Robot and Energizer mascot signal activation of exhibits
Run Video Loop
Sumo Preparation
INK supervises Batibot ArtBots (whole afternoon)

1330 1430 Sumo competition - 2 trials

1430 1530 Lecture-demo by CP David of Raya School
"Basic Electronics for 6-year-olds"

1530 1630 Line Trace (High School) and Maze Slalom (Elementary) preparation
Run Video Loop
Activate exhibits
INK continues to supervise Batibot Artbots

1630 1730 Line Trace High School Competition: Pretzel Puzzle - 2 trials
Maze Slalom Elementary Competition - 2 trials

1730 1800 Mapua presentation: "Atlantis"

1800 1830 UP Mobot Lab presentation

1830 1930 Adamson presentation: "Building Surveillance" and "Wheelchair"

1930 2000 Activate exhibits
Open competitions in sumo, line trace and maze slalom for college and hobbyists
Run Video Loop

2000 DVD: Pinocchio 3000

2200 Robots locked in cabinets

26-Aug 1000 Mall opens

1130 Storm Troopers usher in C3PO to Star Wars music
Emcee gives brief welcome remarks
Energizer mascot and FAITH robo band lead activation of exhibits

1200 Maze Slalom(High School) and Line Trace (Elementary) preparation
Juan Sumulong demos Robotic Arm
Run Video Loop
INK conducts Batibot-Artbot on the spot art sessions all pm

1230 E-Gizmo demos their Hexapod and Biped robots

1300 1400 Maze Slalom High School competition simultaneous with
Pretzel Puzzle Line Trace Elementary Competitiom

1400 1500 Activation of exhibits
Richard Taylor and Manila Science High School team lecture-demo
"Lego Robotics and Physics Education"

1500 1530 Novaliches High School demos Janitor Robot

1530 1630 FELTA conducts E-Lab, segue to Family Competition

1630 1730 Run Video Loop
Activation of exhibits
AMA demos their 5-ft Humanoid

1730 AMA Humanoid and Energizer mascot usher in Awarding

1900 2000 DVD screening: Robots

2200 Dismantling and egress

How to get to the Shang? Visit their website at http://www.shangrila-plaza.com/

Filipino inmates shine on YouTube

2007-08-15T12:32:00.000+08:00

Unbelievable! but yes it’s true, inmates from a prison center in Cebu City Philippines have hit the number one slot on YouTube with more than 5 million viewers and counting. Their rendition of Michael Jackson’s “thriller” dance number made them popular throughout the world. It’s just amazing how these hardened criminals were turned into graceful dancers. Their dance also gave them a new purpose in life.

Their rise to fame did not come easy. They first got my attention last March when my students told me something about “algorithm march”. A popular Japanese dance step which was interpreted by the CPDRC Cebu inmates with 967 people dancing to the algorithm march, they have set a new record performance of the “Algorithm march”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjMd2Vabcv8&mode=related&search=
I just couldn’t figure out at first how the guards were able to convince these inmates to dance, but from the looks of it, they were enjoying it.

And now here comes world recognition. With another dance step to the tune of “Thriller”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o, they have reached fame where no one could have ever imagined. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTFBy_71U1s&mode=related&search=
The whole prison camp is now a tourist attraction and support in terms of praises as well as financial rewards are starting to pour in. I’m just hoping it reaches the inmates who have made a lot of sacrifices perfecting their numbers and not just to a handful of organizers and prison guards.

Of True Colors and Senseless Killings

2007-04-30T18:01:00.000+08:00

An unfortunate event unfolded in our country this April and I would just like to express my sentiments about it and how I am saddened by the fact that those who are often seen on rallies and on television advocating for justice are silent about it.

The gruesome death of a fellow teacher shocked everyone that knew her. Julia Fordham, a 40 year old American Peace Corps volunteer dropped everything, including her job as a Journalist in 2005 to join the US Peace Corps to serve on a 2 year volunteer work in the Philippines . Julia worked in various publications, among them the St. Petersburg ( Florida ) Times, People Magazine, Star Magazine, FoxNEWS.com, ABCNews.com, and CourtTVNews.com. before she became a US Peace Corps. Volunteer.

Julia’s body was recovered in a shallow grave by Philippine soldiers 10 days after she was reported missing. in the vicinity of Batad village. Julia went on a hiking trip by herself in the famous Banaue Rice Terraces. Her face could be hardly recognized. Her head was repeatedly hit by a blunt instrument. A bloodstained piece of wood used in pounding rice was found near a suspect’s house. Investigators were looking into "robbery with homicide or rape with homicide.” as the motive for killing. Julia was cremated and her ashes were sent back to the United States and the suspect is still in hiding.

I just couldn’t understand some groups for keeping mum about it. When a Filipina woman was raped by 20 year old Daniel Smith, an American marine who met the woman in a bar, many activists were at the forefront in decrying the incident. For some groups, it became a rally point to bash everything wrong with Philippine - American relations over the last 100 years. Blinded by rage, burning American flags and shouting invectives at the guy became the order of the day throughout the hearings. Smith was found guilty and is now serving his 40 year jail. term. He deserves to be in jail for his crime, no question about it but to develop so much hate is something else. As if it was the only crime committed in this country. One thing that I support the activists was for the demand that Smith should serve his term in a Philippine jail and not in the comforts of his own cell at the US embassy. Last week Smith was rushed to a hospital complaining of stomach pains. He had a gall bladder emergency operation . While undergoing recovery, a party list group who call themselves “Samahang Mangagawa” staged a rally in front of the US embassy demanding Smith’s immediate return to jail not even caring if the man is dying or not.. Even prisoners have rights too you know. Fearing that he might be slipped out of the country, the rallies never stopped until he was well enough to be returned back to his cell after a few days from the hospital.

However, the irony of it was when 7 government workers who were tasked to build a road in Jolo were kidnapped and beheaded by the Abbu-Sayaff group when the government refused to pay P5 million pesos in ransom the other week no rallies were held by any groups. Even the party list group which is supposed to be about the welfare of the workers never marched to the streets condemning the deaths of their fellow workers. No one from their ranks showed up to show any sympathy to the families of the victims who were mostly poor and now the head of the family is dead! I just wish that the activists can also give the same kind of passion to Julia and the Abbu-Sayaff victims.

Well now, it’s the other way around, in Julia’s case when she was missing for ten days, hundreds of people in Laguna, Bicol and in the US were conducting nightly vigils and prayer meetings for the safety of Julia. They knew how Julia loved the Filipinos so much especially the poor and they too cared so much for Julia. Those women groups who were shouting at the top of their voices talking about the rights and dignity of a woman were nowhere to be found. Why? Is it because the color of her skin is white! Isn’t Julia a woman too? . When her mangled body was found , did we see any Filipino flags being burned in the Philippine embassy in the US? The answer is no. People abroad knew that what happened was a crime and it could happen to anybody, anywhere not just in the Philippines .. Instead of hate, the parents and relatives of Julia thanked the dozens of police, soldiers and volunteers who have helped searched for Julia for several days and nights. The Filipina victim and Julia both equally deserve justice. While the Filipina woman got her justice, Julia’s killer is still at large and now that she’s dead who will speak for her?
To some people they probably think that even US Peace Corps volunteers are symbols of American Imperialism. I beg to disagree with them. I had my own personal experience with US peace Corps volunteers. When I was 13 years old, my dad worked as a Director in YMCA in San Pablo City and one of our privileges is to avail of free housing inside the YMCA compound. It’s nothing compared to a country club but there’s a very nice swimming pool where I learned how to swim. Once a week a group of students from a special school for children with disabilities come to swim in the YMCA pool. Aside from a Filipino teacher, the children have with them a female US Peace Corps volunteer. She became much a part of our family because of her frequent visits at the YMCA helping out in organizing many sports activities for the youth together with my dad.. Until now I still remember her name. Her name was Robin . In one of their swimming sessions, Robin came late because she had to attend to other projects in the community. Nobody noticed that one of the teenage boys about the age of 15 but with a mentality of an 8 year old in the group went into the deeper part of the pool and he drowned. Robin arrived just in time to see people pointing at a human figure under 10 feet of water, she immediately jumped into the pool while still in her working clothes and rubber shoes on. When she got the boy out of the water, the boy was lifeless , she gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and perform CPR. People around were saying that the boy was already dead, but she never gave up. After a few more minutes, the boy started moving and coughed out water, he was revived by Robin.. She became an instant hero to most of us there.

And now here comes this sad news about the death of Julia. It’s just disheartening. She has done a lot to this country just like what Robin did, while others choose to leave this country in search of a better future, she came here as a volunteer teacher. Her first assignment was to be a high school English teacher at Donsol High School in Sorsogon. She lived in a Nipa Hut among the poor a stark contrast to her cozy studio typed apartment back in New York . She was with them when typhoon “Milenyo” hit the country and live to tell her experience.
Her Friend and former media colleague Josh Jennings Moss recalls how Campbell was as a journalist. In his blog Wanderings and Wonderings of J. Jennings Moss, Moss wrote:
"She kept pursuing a career in news, no matter how many bosses told her to get lost. She was the best kind of journalist, the kind that always asked questions, that was never satisfied. It was this quality that didn't curry favor with her employers as she applied the same tenacity to her work environment as she did the job itself.

"So I was surprised with her plan to join the Peace Corps more than two years ago. But I was so proud of her and admired her commitment to changing her life 180 degrees. Few people would have taken that chance. I don't think I would have."

I wish to share with you her personal story, In a blog called blogutopia.wordpress.com Julia wrote her story to her friend Luke:

The Story of a US Peace Corps Volunteer
Ms. Julia Campbell
When I first came to the Philippines in March 2005, I was like a brand new baby. I had to learn how to do simple things – even something as simple as a trip to the CR. A tabo, what is that?
And of course, even though Filipinos are so good in English, I didn’t know the native language and had to learn from the beginning: Kumusta ka? Mabuti naman. And even a stroll down the street became a new experience. Suddenly, the anonymity I had on New York City was gone. Hundreds of eyes followed my every move. And I had a new name: Joe.
After the initial culture shock, I settled into my new life in the Philippines , especially here in Bicol. I was first assigned to a high school in Donsol, Sorsogon. I moved into a nipa hut near the beach. I fell in love with sili and learned to magpiga with the rest of them.
I’d left the hustle and bustle of New York City behind for a quieter place… or so I thought! That’s before I was introduced to the Filipino rooster. (Apparently, they can’t tell time.) Though I confess I don’t like the mga manok, I have found my new Filipino friends quite charming. Everyone seemed suddenly interested in me. Was I married? How old was I? Have I learned to eat rice? And will I marry a Filipino? No. Secreto. Yes! Three times a day! And, siguro.
I joined the US Peace Corps, the American government’s all-volunteer service corps, because I wanted to help people. I’m just one of 7,749 volunteers in 73 countries around the world. After several years as a journalist and a teacher in New York , I wanted more out of life, something a bit more meaningful. Having a good job – something I admit Americans take for granted – wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted to give something back to the world that had treated me so well.
After a year-long application process, my decision had not changed and I was asked to serve in the Philippines . I didn’t know all that much about the Philippines before I got my assignment: Imelda Marcos and her shoes (sorry!), Manila and chicken adobo. (My neighbor back in Brooklyn is a Fil-Am and often fixed his Mom’s recipe.) I’ve come a long way since then.
Having survived typhoon Milenyo back in Sorsogon in late September, I started here at the Divine Word College of Legazpi in early November to teach English for one Semester. Teaching in high school is a challenge because the students are not yet mature. It’s been a wonderful challenge to move to the college level and to meet so many hardworking, smart and dedicated teachers and students.
Of course, on November 30, 2006, I was shocked and suddenly saddened by the experience of typhoon Reming. Though I had experienced hurricanes of lesser strength back in the States, this was my first real close up with a natural disaster. I lived through a disaster of a different kind on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked my city and killed 3,000. So the experience of a traumatic event was not altogether new. The occurrence of typhoon Reming- my apartment on Marquez Street flooded to my waist – gave me a new insight into the Filipino people.
While Americans might take time to wallow in pity, my new Filipino neighbors did not. They got right to work the next morning cleaning and putting things back together again. I felt shame that I, too, did not have the physical or emotional strength to clean out the mud and debris right away. As one resident of Padang – where I volunteered in relief efforts for three weeks – told me, “Filipinos are fighters and will survive.” I believed him. Bicol will recover.
So even though I will be here for such a short time, it will be bittersweet when I return home to America next June. I will take home with me some fond memories and some Filipino ways. I may never eat with a fork and knife again, rice may just become my staple food and my lips will surely point in the direction of my home away from home – the Philippines .
Julia kept a blog about her experiences in the Philippines . I have been reading all the entries one by one, and each time I read I learned something. I went through a lot of emotions reading her blog. I laughed, cried, I got angry, embarrassed , ashamed , felt proud as Julia described the traits of being a Filipino, as she herself was assimilated into the Filipino culture in less than two years of her stay in the country. She became a better Filipino compared to me. . She went home a little bit early. Her duty should have ended in June, but her life ended in April. Maybe you too can learn that there are Americans like Julia who are genuinely concerned about the plight of the Filipino people and not be blinded like others did. Not all Americans represent evil in this country. And maybe, just maybe you can show some appreciation to what Julia and other US Peace Corps volunteers are doing in our country. I salute you Julia, you are my new hero. May the angels in heaven enjoy singing videoke with you and give you all the comforts that you need and with your passing may more Filipinos learn to love their own country in spite of the many difficulties just like the way you learn to love your second home.
If you have time, better yet make time to read her blog from the day she came to the Philippines up to her last entry. You will learn to love her, promise!
http://juliainthephilippines.blogspot.com/

The Elements

2007-03-19T15:54:00.000+08:00

Dear Friends,

Today, I’m going to share with you a compelling story of 80 amazing students, teachers and staff of Claret School of Isabela Basilan. They came to Claret School last February 14 , 2006 for a 3 day performance for a musical play entitled “The Elements”. The elements is the story of Basilan presented in a unique way. Combining dance, music, myth, actual events, dazzling costumes, and modern technology all rolled into one. It caught everybody by surprise. Who would ever expect that a group of students from the remotest and perceived to be the most troubled spot in the Philippines could come up with such a world class play, and to think that the students were all amateurs is just so inspiring. Basilan was a battlefield for more than 30 years between Christians and Muslims and here you are, a musical play with both Christians and Muslims in the cast, not only that, the students speak in several native dialects such as Chavacano, Visayan, Yakan and Tausog and yet they were able to unite and come up with a superb performance. Isn’t that a lesson for us adults? My web team came up with this website in three weeks time to show our appreciation for the cast of “The Elements” and also as an entry to a web contest. We actually finished a different entry for the contest and my students have worked on it for 8 months. I asked the boys if they are willing to drop it in favor of “The Elements” since the people involved were more closer to our hearts. They will also have to make a lot of sacrifices since we have to start all over again and finish it in 3 weeks. When I heard all of them saying a resounding YES!, I knew we were on "something different, something special” just like what Megan, the "goddess of water" said in her closing speech in the play. We were no longer after winning any contests, we were after something bigger. We want to tell the world, the story of Basilan. We hope that this website will change even just a little bit about the people’s perception of Basilan. We want people to invest in Basilan and provide job opportunities and not mere dole outs.
If you are going to view the site, I suggest bring your snacks and drinks, it’s just like watching a movie, well, it’s not that long. Please start from the beginning. you won’t understand the whole thing if you start in the middle. Go over the links one by one starting from the top. And when you are finished, please say something nice to the students of Basilan, inspire them to follow their dreams in spite of the hardships that they have to overcome. They will be reading every peace of information coming from you. The future of Basilan belongs to these kids. I don’t cry easily but when I started receiving text messages (they do have cell phones and internet too) from the cast who are now back in Basilan saying “SUPER THANK YOU FOR THE WEBSITE” tears just flowed in my eyes. I knew then that this site will make a difference in their lives too.
So here it is: http://elements07.125mb.com/

Megan
The goddess of water
a grade 6 pupil who gave
an awesome curtain
call speech

Danielle
"The goddess of Wind" and myself

Crizel
"The goddess of fire"
sets the whole stage
ablazed with her
performance.

Youth Radio

2007-03-09T09:04:00.000+08:00

Here's a very inspiring letter I got from one of my favorite teachers abroad, Ms. Sol. Thank you so much for your appreciation. Rest assure we will do our best to put the Philippines on the web community map.

Hi ROX,

I wanted to cry when I listened to this: http://youthradio. wordpress. com/ . You made me feel so special Rox.

I am proud of you, and your students. You probably have no idea yet what kind of network of education leaders Kevin and I are in here in the US. The National Writing Project is the premier effort to improve writing in America. Through its professional development model, NWP builds the leadership, programs, and research needed for teachers to help their students become successful writers and learners.

This is a National initiative and there are 180 sites across America. I am a Teacher Consultant to the DC Area Writing Project and Kevin is a Teacher Consultant to the Western Massachusetts Writing Project. This model of "Teachers Teaching Teachers" is what I really want to adapt here in our Pinoy Teachers Network. We are focusing on the teacher training and professional development, just like what we're doing in PTN.

ROX, the podcast you did with Youth Radio http://youthradio. wordpress. com/ will go a long way! Kevin presents his innovative projects in National Conventions of teacher leaders and this Youth Radio project is one of his great ideas. This is model of interacting with Filipino student back home with our students here abroad is what I want to propose to Gilas and SYNERGEIA, which is cost effective and very feasible. Keep going... please do this for our students, let the world know how globally competitive Filipino students are! I hope more Filipino teachers here in PTN could join Youth Radio with their students...

ROX, Please tell your students I am very proud of them! This write up os from the Youth Radio site:

Cheers!

MARISOL
http://teachersol.blogspot.com

And here's another sweet one from Giselle Bombay from the University of the Philippines Open University

Hi Rox,

My husband is a Claretian (elem to high) and I had been telling him stories about you and your projects. I told him that few teachers are like you - swerte claret sa iyo, ah.

Me and our kids are all UP bred from elem to college (husband ko college days lang ang UP) and we get a kick out of lovingly kidding him whenever we have reunions because he the only "different" one. But when I told them about you, syempre, my husband is proud because his alma mater is still a good school after all.

Keep up the good work!

Giselle

Here's the blurb about the Philippines. (I learned what a blurb is from Kevin Hodgson's Youth Radio) Pag di mo alam hanapin mo ang meaning, teacher ka pa naman he he!

More about the Claret School and the Philippines:

Claret School of Quezon City is located at the heart of Quezon City, Philippines. It is an exclusive Catholic school for boys with a population of 3000+ students from pre-school to high school. The school’s website is www.claretschool.edu.ph The Claretian’s main website is http://missionaries.claret.org/ The Claret Robotics Team is one of the many extra-curricular activities offered by the school to its students. It is made up of 15 members from the grade school and high school department. The boys enjoy constructing lego robots, programming and competing with other schools. Their adviser is Mr. Rox Cosico. http://roxclaret.blogspot.com/

The Philippines is made up of 7,101 islands . http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/ The capital of the Philippines is Manila and Claret School is just 30 minutes away from Manila by car. Quezon City is a highly urbanized area. The Philippines is a tropical paradise. Many of the islands in the Philippines are great tourist destinations. Among them Boracay, Bohol, Palawan and Siargao These places are known for their white sand beaches, tropical fruits and friendly people. There are many islands that are yet to be visited by travelers. In Panglao island in Bohol alone, thousands of new marine species which were never been seen before were discovered by a worldwide team of marine scientists in 2004 and 2005. http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view_article.php?article_id=51459

http://www.experiencephilippines.ph/Global/traveljournal.php.

Blaise's First Communion

2007-02-22T13:41:00.000+08:00

My son Blaise had his first communion at the Mary Immaculate Church (Claret Church). It's nice to hear 300 childrens' voices singing with matching actions. The children were terrific in their performance! Blaise was his usual self, ever playful. He received dagger looks from his teacher when he made faces while I'm taking his video. I immediately run off away from him before his adviser brings both of us to the principal's office he he.
Trivia:
What does the church in U.P. Diliman and the Mary Immaculate Church in Mahinhin St., Teacher's Village have in common?
Answer: Both churches were disc shaped and both were designed by the late Leandro Locsin, a national artist in the field of Architecture.

Christmas with the Aetas

2007-01-23T12:08:00.000+08:00

We have a special Christmas party. We have to trek for 45 minutes on a rugged uphill climb to reach the new resettlement area for the Aetas that were displaced twice from their orginal dwellings. The first was during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the second one was when their site was again demolished to give way to a new superhighway. This is where our taxes go. A multi-million dollar superhighway being built to connect Subic with Clark
We were one of the few people allowed to pass through the new superhighway under construction. I'll never forget this moment, I just have to get out of the bus and take some pictures. The road cuts through hills and mountains.

End of the road. We have to hike from this point onwards.

It was worth the climb, the view from the top was fantastic. The aetas gave us a warm welcome. Inspite of their hardships, people are smiling everywhere.

I met a pregnant mother and her daughter on the way up to their resettlement area. I could just imagine how she would give birth in this place. The nearest hospital is hundreds of kilometers away.

I feel ashame each time I complain about how slow the internet connection is, here the Aetas have no electricity.
I feel ashame each time I have left-over food on my plate, the Aetas have to share their food on common plates.
I feel ashame each time I complain about traffic while I'm driving, the Aeta children have to walk 45 minutes to go down from their village to go to the nearest school and another 45 minutes to go back to their houses.
I feel ashame that I complain about my old pair of shoes, the Aeta children walk barefoot. But most of all I feel ashame of other people who do nothing but criticize and yet does not lift a finger to help others who are in need.

There's a price to pay for progress. Unluckily, this Aeta children are one of them. They have to move deeper into the forest since their former place were now bulldozed to pave the way for the new superhighway. The good news is that they were properly resettled with the help of the government and NGO's.

Circle Song

2007-01-20T14:47:00.002+08:00

The Circle Song was sang by various students from Taiwan, Boston, Australia and the Philippines. It's a song about friendship. Watch closely as the song spreads around the world.

You can watch the other performers from this site:

http://web.mac.com/jacksonschool/iWeb/Site%202/Song.html
When you reach the site click on RECORDINS in the menu at the top.
or click the link below:
http://web.mac.com/jacksonschool/iWeb/Site%202/Recordings.html

Elvis in the Philippines

2007-01-20T14:10:00.000+08:00

Elvis the moose a stuff toy which serves as an ambassador of goodwill travelled to many places around the world. Elvis went to the Philippines. It took me more than a year to finally came up with a video about his visit. Well here it is:

You can visit http://webba.info/ to find out where Elvis is today.

Majestic no more

2006-12-07T12:32:00.000+08:00

If you have been to Daraga Albay and have seen the Cagsawa church tower bell ruins with Mayon Volcano at the background, you are one lucky person. If you have your picture taken on those ruins, keep it or preserve it for life. Why? The whole place, that includes all of the park, Souvenir shops and three newly opened resorts have now dissapeared in the map forever. It is now buried under tons of mud. But much worse, as of today more than 1000 people have been reported killed or missing. Thousands left homeless with barely with their clothes on, nothing to eat, no work, no farms to tend, no water to drink, no electricity, not just for days but probably for weeks or even months to come.

Typhoon Durian brought havoc to Bicol beyond anybody's imagination and the agony is just beginning for those who survived. They need our help.!!!

A sense of desperation

Maricel Arevalo, 31, cries as she searches for her three missing children at what used to be their home in Busay village in Albay province near the slopes of Mayon volcano.
cbs news

Students talk fast

2006-11-29T12:41:00.000+08:00

TEACHER: Why are you late?
WEBSTER: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign
WEBSTER: The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow."

TEACHER: Cindy, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
CINDY: You told me to do it without using tables!

TEACHER: John, how do you spell "crocodile?"
JOHN: K-R-O-K-O-D- A-I-L"
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
JOHN: Maybe it's wrong, but you asked me how I spell it!
TEACHER: What is the chemical formula for water?
SARAH: H I J K L M N O!!
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
SARAH: Yesterday you said it's H to O!

TEACHER: George, go to the map and find North America.
GEORGE: Here it is!
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: George!

TEACHER: Willie, name one important thing we have
today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WILLIE: Me!

TEACHER: Tommy, why do you always get so dirty?
TOMMY: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
TEACHER: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with "I."
ELLEN: I is...
TEACHER: No, Ellen..... Always say, "I am."
ELLEN: All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."

TEACHER: "Can anybody give an example of COINCIDENCE? "
JOHNNY: "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time."

TEACHER: "George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted** doing* *it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
JOHNNY: "Because George still had the** axe **in his hand."
TEACHER: Now, Sam, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SAM: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.

TEACHER: Desmond, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his? DESMOND: No, teacher, it's the same dog!

TEACHER: What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
PUPIL: A teacher.

Filipinos on top of the world!

2006-11-23T10:31:00.000+08:00

Filipinos have shown the world what it takes to be the best among the rest as it outplayed, outclassed, and outsmarted other countries even from well-developed nations in three events: Billiards, Boxing and Robotics.

Billiards

Aside from Dr. Jose Rizal, Calamba now has a new hero! Last November 12, the unheralded Ronato Alcano, the 34-year-old native of Calamba, Laguna, became the only third Filipino after Efren “Bata” Reyes and Alex Pagulayan to win what is considered the world’s most prestigious 9-ball tournament. Playing with class, Alcano overwhelmed the former World 9 Ball Champion ,Germany's Ralf Souquet, 17-11, in a marathon match he dominated from the start to win the World Pool Championship at the PICC in Pasay City.
On his way up to the finals, Alcano beat two other world titlists Efren “Bata” Reyes and the prodigious defending champion Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan.

Alcano is a great example of how Filipinos overcome tremendous difficulties to reach their dreams. Alcano, the third of five children, lived a simple life and grew up in an impoverished community in Pasilyo 5, Barangay 4 in Calamba, just several blocks away from the residence of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The Alcanos’ lived in a one-bedroom, 50-square-meter house which is located on a privately owned lot. Aside from a television set and two electric fans, the house is bare of electric appliances.

Alcano pocketed $100,000 for winning the World pool tournament and a brand new CRV. In the following days after his victory, he received P1 Million plus the Presidential Lakandula medallion from President Gloria Arroyo, and awarded A fairy tale story that came true.
It was not an easy victory for Alcano, the last man to qualify for the 64-man knockout phase of the tournament he almost lost it when on the 25th frame, while leading, 15-9, and just two racks away from victory, Ronnie holed in one ball after the other. Only one ball is blocking his way to a $100,000 purse, the 9 ball. When he hit the ball, he missed, sending shock waves to all the audiences in the arena as well as to the millions of televiewers worldwide. Ralf Souquet took advantage of it and dropped the 9 ball easily, moved to 10 points, and added more pressure and drama to this culminating event. Was that the end of Ronie? Of course not!. He had gone this far, he will not be denied with this championship after defeating Bata Reyes and the defending champion Wu Chia-ching He went back with a fury after the debacle and became the world champion.

I like what John Pages wrote on Sun Star, he said “Ronnie Alcano’s win was the triumph of “We Can!” Who says the Filipino can’t? We do. We say it. Many of us everyday. We say the Americans are better, we say the Singaporeans are better, we say everybody else but the Filipinos can. You know what? Here are wise words from my eight-year-old daughter Jana: “What you say is what you are.”

Boxing

The second world class act came from Manny Pacquiao. When Manny got his hand raise in victory, it was boxing that really won. The atmosphere inside the joint wasn’t just electric, it was nuclear. These are just some of the comments made by some boxing experts: To read more to what they have to say about Manny, please visit:

There is nothing like Manny Pacquiao in all of professional sports.
His nation stood still- literally- for "The Battle." Politicians, clergy, elites, commoners and criminals alike took a long pause to witness their idol face down the man who had defeated him less than a year ago. They traveled to Vegas in the thousands and the millions who stayed home watched it on television or listened to it on the radio.
Manny is their Super Bowl, World Series, Final Four and World Cup. He's that big- all 130 lbs of him.
As an American, I find myself somewhat envious of what the people of the Philippines have. We have nothing close to what they share with Manny Pacquiao.
Not long ago we had our Michael Jordan. Millions of Americans wanted to be like Mike. Then again, millions of Americans couldn't have cared less. It didn't come close to what Manny means to the Philippines.

Twenty-five years ago a man named Sugar Ray Leonard transcended the sport and became a larger celebrity, but I'm not sure I can accurately call him a "national hero."
-Tom Thompson
http://tigerboxing.com/articles/index.php?aid=1001245413

In the immediate aftermath of Manny Pacquiao's three-round destruction of Mexican icon Erik Morales this past Saturday night at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, no words really needed to be said. Writers, boxers, managers, publicists and fans all looked at each other, shaking their heads near ringside with awe and astonishment. Their countenances said it all - ‘COT-DAMN!!! That's the baddest mother...'- Uhh, I better shut my mouth. But I don't want to hear about anybody else, 'the Pac Man' is the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound, bottom line, end of story.
-Steve Kim
http://www.maxboxing.com/Kim/Kim112006.asp

It has been a pure pleasure to watch a scruffy, one-dimensional fighter from the Philippines mature into a world class boxer with expanded skills and repertoire move
focused aggression.
-east side boxing

Here’s the blow by blow account of each round:
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=8953&more=1

Robotics

It may take another another 10 years for the Philippines to win any gold medal in the Olympics but certainly not with the Philippine Robotics contingent. After only joining for 5 years at the World Robotics Olympiad, the Philippines finally got its first gold medal from a group of young Batanguenos.. High school students from First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) in Tanauan City, Batangas brought home the champion’s trophy in the open category of the World Robotics Olympiad in Nanjing China for their entry “Rossum’s Unversal Restaurant, El Batangueno Coffeeshop.”
Kim Marco Perez, Dann Joseph Garcia and Francisco Gabriel Nunez impressed the judges with its entry inspired by Karel Capek’s play “Rossum’s Universal Robots.” Where the term “robotics “ was first used. Their entry outsmarted 30 other countries which included robotics giants such as Japan, China, Singapore, and Denmark
Their design features a big doll house which is actually a restaurant scene where a waiter robot serve’s freshly brewed Batangas coffee, the cashier, security guard as well as the customers were all robots made from Lego. It features the new NXT Lego model. The native flair to the entry gave them the gold medal and a trophy. This year’s competition had humanoids, or robots which display human-like characteristics and behavior, as its main theme.

Team coach Merlina Placino, whom I find very friendly and accommodating each time we meet during the national competitions deserved a round of applause and a standing ovation for bringing home the gold medal. Their team won the rights to represent the Philippines in the World Robotics Olympiad after beating other schools such as La Salle Greenhills, Grace Christian High School , Claret School, and Philippine Science High school in the National Robotics Olympiad.

Sadly they arrived last weekend from China without any fanfare nor given a ticker tape parade and not a single cash incentive was ever given to them. They also equally deserve the honors given to our two sports heroes.

Winners all!

2006-10-16T17:01:00.000+08:00

Finally I'm over with two major projects. Congratulations to all the winners and participants in the Claret Computer Olympiad. Thank you to all the participating high schools namely: St. Mary’s College, Q.C., Diliman Prep School, Lourdes School, Q.C., Colegio de San Lorenzo, School of the Holy Spirit, Q.C., St. Vincent School, St. Patrick School, Miriam College, St. Theresa’s College, St. Joseph’s College and School of St. Anthony. This year’s format included two events ( web page design and Powerpoint), which allows them to make up a team made up of several members from different schools. This was a hit among students because it gave them an opportunity to meet new friends. The events also require them not only to exert their mental and creative stamina but as well as their physical endurance. It was really a lot of fun watching these teens running around the campus. I thought the girls will be timid in the race but it turned out that they can even outrun the boys and doesn’t even mind getting wet by the water sprinklers on the football field, in fact the teams intentionally jumped over the sprinklers over and over to get wet.
http://claretcomputerolympiad.i.ph/

Our robotics team landed 7th place overall out of 65 teams that competed in the 5thNational Lego Olympiad last Thursday. The event was getting tougher with the entry of more science schools throughout the country. Congratulations to Philippine Science High School Bicol who became the national champion. They will represent the country in Nanning, China in the World Robotics Olympiad. They deserved to win. They traveled across hazardous roads after typhoon “Milenyo” hit us.(one of the worst typhoons which devastated many parts of Luzon). They still managed to reach Alabang Town Center to be in the elimination round and back again after a week to be in the finals and bagged the gold medal.
Well we just have to try harder next time. What is important is that my students have enjoyed and it is already an honor to be one of the 14 finalists. Our Grade school open category went home with a bronze medal. All of them were so proud to show off their shiny medals this afternoon to our school principals.

Claret high school Robotics team

Building the robot is the easy part

Programming the robot isn't easy as it looks.

OK guys, rev up your engines!!

It went through several obstacles, even the ramp but when it went down,
they forgot the breaks!

Top view of the venue, Alabang Town Center

Open Category "The Bada Robot" to the rescue

The elementary open category. Reusable energy
My students enjoying their day at Time Zone during the break in the competition.

Meeting girls from St. Theresa's College makes the event more exciting

Bringing home the bronze medal in the open category
and getting the 7th place over-all out of 65 teams nationwide
isn't that bad after all.

The Kilyawan boys choir where most members are from Claret are now preparing for a big concert as guest performers in Lea Salonga's concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife4_oct14_2006
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/oct/08/yehey/weekend/20061008week1.html
http://www.clickthecity.com/arts/?p=1347

Computer Olympiad

2006-09-27T14:54:00.001+08:00

The heat is on! students from 10 schools are getting ready for tomorrow's computer olympiad. Good luck to everybody. We hope you will have fun and meet new friends. Visit http://claretcomputerolympiad.i.ph for updates and who is winning tomorrow Sept. 28, 2006 Philippine time.

Rox

Computer Olympiad

2006-09-27T14:54:00.000+08:00

Lotsa activities goin on!

2006-09-14T10:43:00.000+08:00

Want to brush-up on the latest developments in IT (Information TEchnology)? I got a letter from Dr. Jaime Caro, AVP for Dev. UP system, so I'm passing it all to you as well. There will be a three day IT event called "Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology (Y4IT). This event is organized by the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center. It will be held from September 13,14 and 15, 2006. at the following venues: U.P Film Institute and UP Bahay ng Alumni. The fee is P500/per day. You may opt to attend all the activities or just pick a date to attend. It includes morning snack, afternoon snack, and Y4IT congress souvenir kit.

For online registration please visit http//:y4it.up.edu.ph. or simply drop by at those venues and register. Teachers are most welcome to attend.

Claret School's Interschool Competition will be moved from September 15, 2006 to September 28, 2006 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Iinterested schools who would like to participate have until Monday to register. For more info email me at coeus101@yahoo.com.
Here are the activities:
Event: Number of Participants

Web Page Design 2
Powerpoint 2
Info Tech Quiz 2
Speed Typing 1
Movie Making 2
Visual Basic 2
Dota 2

There's nothing to pay. Medals and trophies are at stake. Plus free snacks for the students and free lunch and merienda to all coaches. It's our own little way of sharing what we have to other schools.

Hi Mam Bo-peep, my invitation still stand’s for our interview with you or any other people who are involved in the clean-up of Guimaras. If you have time preferrably between 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. we can have our online discussion.

Tomorrow, Friday Sept 15, 2006, at around 9:00 am to 10:00 am Philippine time Mr. Bren Bataclan, a famous Fil-Am painter and graphics artist will have an online interview with us so Mam Bopeep I would like to invite you to drop by and join us. Other teachers can join too. Bren will be glad to share his experiences to Filipino teachers here and abroad.

Ms. Elisa Milto, Community Relations and WFD Program Manager
Center for Engineering Educational Outreach, Tufts University, Boston Massachusetts have sent me an email that me and my students were chosen to participate in the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT Pilot Program. http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/ The program will run from September 18, 2006 until February 28, 2007. Over the next six months, The Tufts Center for Engineering Educational Outreach (CEEO) will be providing us with LEGO MINDSTORMS activities for the NXT. The activities will be posted on their website. The Lego NXT is the newest Lego Robotics model which will be launched this September in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=17278&countrycode=2057&yearcode=&archive=false
It shows that although we are still a developing country, we are not being left behind by other countries in terms of Robotics for kids. This year alone there are now more than 60 schools throughout the country who will participate in the National Lego Olympiad, many of them came from Science high schools.
Here are some interesting facts about Tufts University:
http://www.tufts.edu/home/about/?p=pointsofpride

Guimaras, the island of my dreams, has turned into a disaster area

2006-08-30T08:40:00.000+08:00

Ever since I was a kid I always dreamt of going to Guimaras. I spent the first 10 years of my life in two beautiful islands, Negros and Panay. My mom worked in Bacolod as a school teacher and my Dad worked as a salesman at John Deere, a multi-national company that sells tractors to sugar hacienderos during the sugar boom in the island of Negros. Once a month and during summer time we get to ride a ship in going to my mom’s place in Jaro, Iloilo and spent our leisurely time in their ancestral home.

Before entering the port of Iloilo, the ship passes through the exotic island of Guimaras, Once the island is in sight, I sneaked out from my mom and ran as fast as I could to the deck of the ship and gazed at the beautiful rock formation and awesome greenery of Guimaras. As the ship carefully navigates through the Guimaras strait, small fishing boats with colorful sails called paraos sail alongside the big ship. I froze and gazed at every contour of the cliffs, pearly white and sometimes biege sand beaches dotted the shores, and unexplored caves were revealed during low tide. I even wondered if there are people living on that island because I don’t even see any houses along the shoreline and on its pristine sand beaches. I learned later from my Tita’s nanny who is a native of Guimaras that there are many people in the island and that the best mangoes in the world can be found in Guimaras.

She also said that there are many hidden beaches waiting to be discovered and told me to bring a flashlight if I wanted to join her when she goes home for a vacation.

She said most parts of the island have no electricity yet. Unfortunately, my mom and my Tita never allowed me to go there because they are afraid that the small banca (outrigger boat) which was used to ferry people from Iloilo to Guimaras on a 15 minute ride might capsize. They said the waves were very high and unpredictable and there's even a monster. Oh well what can I do I was just a kid then. I did use the same scare tactics to my sons once in a while.

Several decades later, I now lived in Quezon City and once in a while we still travel back to Iloilo to visit my mom’s sister and other relatives who now lives in Villa. When I travel to Iloilo I still opt to ride on the Super Ferry instead of taking the plane simply because I don’t want to miss the opportunity to run up the deck and once again looked at the sight to behold, enchanting Guimaras! The scenery still look’s the same, I have begun to memorized all the rocks, caves and even spot immediately the huge cross that was mounted on top of the tallest hill in Guimaras. Progress seems so slow in Guimaras, and I hope it would remain that way.

Not that I don’t want the people’s lives to improved but rather I don’t want the landscape to change and turn it into another Boracay. The high school department announced that this year’s “Lakbay Aral”, educational trip for teachers will be held in Guimaras. I can’t hardly wait until its summer time. We plan to go there in April. Finally, after years of waiting,I am going to step on the shores of Guimaras. So since June, a minimal salary deduction have been implemented to cover the cost of the journey to Guimaras.

But things totally changed last August 11, 2006, the once charming island of Guimaras have been turned into an environmental nightmare. M/T Solar 1, an oil tanker owned by Sunshine Maritime Corporation and chartered by Petron sank and leaks in the Panay Gulf of Guimaras Island causing a massive oil spill which affects 15 square kilometers (10 square miles) of coral reefs, over 200 kilometers (125 miles) of coastline, 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) of marine reserves, at least two resort islands and 50 hectares (124 acres) of seaweed plantations. The biggest oil spill ever in Philippine history. This prompted President Gloria Arroya to declare it as a national disaster.

The coast guard have fined the giant Petron Corporation $100 million for the havoc that they have committed to Guimaras. And guess what? Petron refuses to pay and argues that they are not responsible for the mess. However, they are willing to shoulder the cost of cleaning up and rehabilitating Guimaras and its people. So for Petron, its business as usual. Let’s see how much Petron really have contributed so far.

Petron, the largest oil refiner in the Philippines , a company that offers a wide range of products from fuels to accessories through their network of over 1,200 retail stations nationwide not to mention Petron Gasul being used in most homes in the Philippines and considering that it is earning millions of dollars a month is paying a measly P200 ($4) a day for the fishermen to scoop up the sludge on the shores. Many have no masks and use their bare hands.

The fishermen used to earn a minimum P500 a day plus free fish for lunch and dinner for their families. Now they have nothing to catch. And in the first place, to save on cost Petron hired a single hulled vessel to carry their oil. So what’s the difference you may asked? Think of the vessel as your lunch box. If you have soup, you place it on a different container, like a smaller Tupperware that would fit into the lunch box so that in case that your soup would spill out of the container, it would just be contained inside your lunch box and it won’t get your notebooks and books get wet while you place your lunch box inside your bag. Well. M/T Solar 1 is a single hulled ship, meaning when there’s a leak, everything directly goes out into the sea.
Two weeks after its sinking, the M/T Solar I has finally been located, But Petron’s spokesman told the media in a news conference that the arrival of the salvage vessel they hired from Japan will be delayed due to “logistical problems” he did not elaborate.

While waiting for the salvage ship, oil spill from the sunken tanker continues to spread, an average of 25-50 gallons of oil continued to gush every hour, officials said. Only a portion of the problem is seen on television, here’s the other portion, the oil slick was on a direct course towards the rich ecosphere of the Guimaras Strait—home to such endangered species as the dugong, and such turtles as the green sea and the hawksbill. Dugongs are small relatives of the manatee and the sea cow. They are generally less than three meters long.

While the villagers are waiting for their shores to be cleaned up, to date, P25 Million of fish have been killed, P10 Million worth of mangrove have been destroyed P20 million worth of bangus fingerlings have also been destroyed. There have been 2 reported deaths due to asthma, one entire village have to be evacuated due to toxic fumes. Since all the oil that was gathered were just placed in sacks and dumped into the shoreline of the village.

The government is still planning were they will bring it. And today, the oil spill is threatening to reach the Visayan sea, noted to be one of the world’s richest fishing grounds and threatening beach resorts in Bantayan Island and Cebu.
Hopefully our government will act faster, and most especially Petron. I just wish that they are as good as their latest commercial about the Xtra Mile challenge, with just one full tank of Petron’s gasoline, your car can go 1,400 Kms. If only Petron can go an extra mile in cleaning up their mess which they made other people pay for it and not work like a tortoise, then probably I’ll start using Petron gasoline again and maybe forgive you for ruining my island in my dreams.

Here are excerpts from a Greenpeace interview with some of the affected people in Guimaras:

What does a kid in Guimaras have to say?

"I only wish that the oil goes away quickly"

I am 12 years old and I live in Citio Lusaran on the island of Guimaras. I am in Grade 6 now, my favourite subjects are mathematics and sports. In my spare time I go swimming and fishing. I learned to fish when I was seven years old. On friday 12 august I was on my way back from school along the beach when I found it all black. I didn't know what it was and thought it was just some mud the sea had brought in and that would go away quickly. But then I heard in the radio it was oil.
Now I can't go swimming any more. But that is not the worst thing. The worst is that we cannot catch fish, because they say it is dangerous to eat. The government gave us noodles and dried fish, but I don't like them. It doesn't taste like fresh fish. I only wish and pray that the oil goes away quickly so we can go fishing and swimming again.

How does a scientist feel’s about it?

"I started crying when I saw the mangrove tree"
by Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba, Mangrove-Specialist from the University of the Philippines

When I heard about the sunken tanker on the radio I instantly feared for the marine reserve in Guimaras we are taking care of. I rang up my collegues to put a team together. I was espacially worried about one mangrove tree from the species rhizophoro lamanckii. It is a very rare species, there is only this single tree on the whole island! I have been taking care of it for years, it is really my baby. When I arrived here my worst fears turned reality: My mangrove tree was covered with oil. I started crying when I saw it.
90 percent of the mangroves in the marine reserve have their roots full of oil. Some more, some less, but the situation is really dramatic. The mangrove is so important because its roots build a kind of hall the fish can shelter in. It is so sad when you have a beautiful place like Guimaras and you see it all spoiled within hours.
We have an educational project here with schoolkids who come and learn about nature. I remember last december when there was this oil spill in Semirara. I told the kids it would be a nightmare if an oilspill would hit Guimaras - and now that has become true.

What do other schools are doing in the Philippines?

2006-08-28T12:15:00.000+08:00

It's interesting to know what other schools are doing in the Philippines. Luckily, my ever reliable former web team President, dropped by in school to visit me and his former web team members. He is now studying at De La Salle University, Taft, taking up, ano pa e di Computer Science, lakas ko talaga makainfluence. Well, Mike is full of talent especially in Photoshop. He brought a video of one of his blockmates. Thanks to Maebel Lindt Francisco-Chan who came from St. Jude Catholic School for these videos And here's two not just one video from them. The first one is about the Seniors and the other one is their Pep squad.

Claret MTV

2006-07-18T17:56:00.000+08:00

Our school principal and assistant principal asked me to come up with a presentation for our Orientation day with parents. The theme is that what are the Claretians doing in and out of the campus. This is what I came up with. It was presented during the past four consecutive Saturdays. On the first Saturday, I just came-up with a 5 minute presentation for the Freshmen, then I came up with a 7 minute presentation on the second Saturday and on the last and final day I ended up with a 16 minute presentation. During the weekdays I kept on digging up more photos and video clips that I have taken this last school year. So actually you can say that this whole video took 1 year to finish it. When it was done well I guess the best payment that i got was when a parent went to the microphone during the open forum and thank the teachers for a very entertaining presentation.
Well it took me one year to finish this so why not watch the entire 16 minutes and tell me what you think about the video.

Here's the full screen (highly recommended):

Watch the Video

Here's the mini screen:

PTN E-PALS Project

2006-07-14T07:24:00.000+08:00

I was about to post this last July 12, unfortunately we had problems with our internet connection. Well here it is:
It's a rainy day today. There's a typhoon and a humungous traffic along Commonwealth Ave. and it took me a long time to get to school only to find out that there’s even a bigger traffic in U.P. Village. All cars and school buses going to our school were entangled due to some streets with knee deep water. Hey give me a break it’s my birthday! I have to go around several blocks just to get through and avoid the traffic mess.
The rain must be a blessing, the good news is that a new baby is born today also. It’s the PTN E-PALS Project http://www.epalsproject.blog-city.com an. electronic collaboration through a shared writing space (blog) for students and teachers around the world initiated by the Pinoy Teachers Network. Kudos should go to MARISOL CRIBE ANGALA, PTN Director, Washington DC for implementing the project so fast.

Yehey!!! these were the shouts from my students. I was just about to finish writing this and the announcement just came in. Classes are now suspended this afternoon due to rising flood water and heavy rains in Quezon City. Our fun was short-lived when we opened the television in our faculty room, we saw rescuers digging in at which looks like a scene from the Leyte mudslide but this time its along Magsaysay Road a busy major street in Baguio City. Cars and houses buried underneath the mud. Let’s pray that no one was hurt.

Happy 1st Anniversary PTN!

2006-07-11T12:15:00.000+08:00

Where have many of our best teachers went? In the United States of course! However, these group of teachers abroad (including me, although I'm still sticking it out here) wants to make a difference. We only want the best for our children's future. These children are not just our real children but as well as our hundreds and thousands of children in our classrooms. Whether that would mean working abroad or staying in the Philippines, Pinoy Teacher's Network was organized a year ago to come up with an on-line teachers' community support group. Sharing not only their expertise in their field of work but most especially in comforting and helping one another.I could just imagine how it is to be lonely and feeling at a lost in a foreign land for our Filipino teachers. Here comes PTN with open arms with their generous projects among them; the giving of winter clothes to newly arrived teachers who have just sold just about everything that they own or borrowed lots of money just to get to America. This simple act of kindness perhaps could never be seen in any other culture except among Filipinos would be long cherished by these teachers. "Nagtutulungan kahit saan ka man" We just hope and pray that all of you will succeed in the path that you have chosen and that one day, you will share whatever blessings that you have back here in the Philippines not only to your own relatives but as well as to the millions of Filipino children all over the country who are underfed, who had no classrooms, no books, no chairs and now not even enough good teachers because they are now in America.
I pray for the leaders of PTN to always have the energy and determination to continue what they have started and I hope more teachers will join and actively participate in the months and years to come.
I am proud that I was among the first to have signed-up to join this group and have a chance to interact with Filipino overseas as well as local teachers. They have become my friends and will remain a part of my life.

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Claret MTV2005-2006-Gradeschool

2006-07-10T12:39:00.000+08:00

This was presented during the recognition day last March. I guess most of my video works here are retros. It's not easy to create these videos. It requires a lot of time and effort. I have lots of effort only if I have the time! This one is a collaborative work. It is only now that I appreciate the reason why at the end of every movie that I get to see, there are a lot of people mentioned in the credits not just the main characters but more so behind the scenes. I love the song that was used here, its from a Vaseline commercial.

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A letter from Nathalie

2006-07-07T11:58:00.000+08:00

Here's a very nice letter from a mom.

Dear Rox,

I rarely am able to visit blogs these days, but I was drawn to
yours. Despite words of consolation, for me, death is always a
saddening experience. More so when the death involves a child. I am
a teacher, but am a mother first, and old fashioned as it may sound,
I've always hoped that parents will never have to bury their own
child. Just the thought of losing one's own child is just too heart
wrenching and I can't even begin to imagine actually losing one.

For a very long time now, I have never cried as much as I did when I
viewed your powerpoint presentation for Andrew. I couldn't help but
run to my own children and held them tight in my arms. Andrew
reminded me again of my own mortality.. of how easily my loved ones,
my children, my family can be taken away from me.. of how I should
never take things, and more importantly, people, for granted.

For months on end, I have been working like there is no tomorrow,
when what I should be doing is spending time with my children, like
there is no tomorrow. Though I am lucky to be able to work from
home, I have been spending most of the day, and night, and day, and
night again, working on my computer-- barely managing to check my
son's homeworks and nursing my 3month old baby. Andrew made me think
hard..If I lose my job, I'd just get another or concentrate on my
business, and the company will likewise get a replacement. But if my
children loses their mother, that would be a tragedy, and a greater
tragedy it would be if I lost any of my sons. There simply cannot be
any replacement.

Rox, Andrew will be a part of our family's prayers, may he find
peace in the arms of his maker. I will also pray for the miracle of
healing,this time, for his family, for you, and for everyone else
that Andrew has left behind.

Sincerely,
Nathalie

Dear Nathalie,

Your letter was one of the most touching that I have ever received. Indeed all of us parents work so hard for the future of our kids. We worry so much for the future that we sometimes forget that there is something more that our children need and that is our most precious time. When I try to look at the faces of my two kids when I arrived home at night (I have two boys, Blaise is eight and Vint is two) I just wish that they remain as kids forever.

But I guess that is impossible. I’m just enjoying them while they are young. As if nothing is more important to them than a “pasalubong”, even if its just choknut, or a piece of donut, they don’t care! Children are not brand conscious you know. It’s only the adults who do that. You can just see their faces light up when I arrive. I guess it’s the idea that I remember them while I was away from home and what little surprises I will bring that excites them. I treasure every minute of it that I spend my time with them. I can also see the gloom on their faces when I tell them I am too tired to play with them or read them a story. What more if they become teenagers and I ignore them when they need me.

Don’t you ever believe in the saying that it is the quality of time and not the quantity of time that you spend with your children. That is so wrong! It should be both, if you have a teenage son or daughter and you just see each other eye to eye on weekends, then better check their friendster account and chances are, you are not counted as one of their friends. Proof: I just made an instant survey to my second year students just now. In a class of 42 students only one have his mother’s account. That’s understandable since most parents I guess don’t have a friendster account. A follow up question was: Do you ever write something about your family’s regular activities in your friendster journal? Only 2 said yes. What I’m trying to say is that teens nowadays have their own lives and parents are being alienated from their lives even in these day of modern communications. And if we bury ourselves further with our work we are the ones who are shutting the door to our children and we will regret it sooner or later.

Let me just end my reply to your letter with these words from Veronica Shoffstall:

“After awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand & chaining a soul & you learn that love doesn't mean possession & company doesn't mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts & presents aren't promises & you begin to accept your defeats with your head up & your eyes ahead with the grace of an adult not the grief of a child. And you learn to build your roads today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans & futures have ways of falling down in mid-flight. After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much so you plant your own garden & decorate your own soil instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure that you really are strong & you really do have worth & you learn & you learn..."

Thank you very much for your prayers. I wish you and your family the best of health.

p.s. Don’t worry so much about the future, the future will take care of itself. Let’s just kiss and hug our children today and say we love them. By the way I’m going to post your letter on my blog , I love it! And I want to treasure it. I have another video clip. Please try not to cry on this one. Its about courage and fighting against all odds. Well I hope after this one I’ll make people laugh instead of feeling sad. This is the link: http://roxclaret.blogspot.com

Yours truly,

Rox

True Faith

2006-07-05T17:01:00.000+08:00

Christian Ilao graduated at the top of his high school class of 309 students. It was a difficult and near impossible climb to the top. He was in and out of the hospital due to his kidney problems and when he was released from the hospital a week later he got afflicted by the deadly dengue virus. With nothing left but his determination and faith in the Lord he overcome all his challenges.

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Andrew, a friend to everyone.

2006-06-30T15:11:00.000+08:00

Last Friday we commemorated Andrew Mate's 40th day after his death. I'm supposed to stop this blog last summer but what happened was something else that I will remember for the rest of my life. How ironic that my topic is all about fun, but now I'm writing a sad story. I just have to do this to get it off my chest, aside from the school principal giving me the task of coming up with a digital presentation during Andrew's wake, it has affected me so much. I wasn't even able to drive my motorcycle for a week after the incident.

Andrew Mate, our incoming fourth year student together with three other classmates were on their way home last May 17, 2006 from an UPCAT review when the Honda civic car that was driven by his classmate hit a bulldozer along the Katipunan Flyover in Quezon City. One who was seated at the back of the driver's seat came out with minor bruises, the three others suffered head injuries and have to undergo surgical operation. The four of them were initally brought to the Quirino Memorial Hospital but later on the three were transferred to St. Lukes and Pasig Medical Center. Andrew's injuries were severe that the doctors did not allow him to be moved out.One was discharged from the hospital the following day, the other two underwent brain surgery and have to recover from the hospital for more than a month in the hospitals. He was actually seated at the back but he insisted to be seated in front to the point that they even have "bato-bato pik" who get's to seat beside the driver.
The traumatic thing for some of us teachers was that during the time that we visited Andrew at the hospital last May 19, we thought that he was already out of danger, however when we arrived the doctors were giving him CPR while his father and his younger sister watched helplessly. After 30 minutes of futile attempt to revived him, he expired. He had a broken brain stem, the degree of damage was rated from 1 to 12. In order for a person to have a greater chance to survive, he must have at least 6. Andrew's degree of damage was 3. I never imagined in my entire life that I would ever see a 16 year old boy dieing before my very eyes.

Yesterday was the 40th day of Andrew's death and it so happened that it was also his 17th birthday. It was an extra ordinary day for all of us. Our fourth year students who were batch mates of Andrew were all there including all his teachers, family and friends. We offered a mass for Andrew. During the homily, our school director told the boys that this is a hard lesson to learn for teenagers. I guess kids today think that they are like the superheroes in the current computer game craze called Dota. After a hero dies, he comes back again and continue fighting his enemies. That lesson should also go to parents. Please dont give the keys to your car if your son is underage. Loving them doesn't mean giving them all the material possession that you could posssibly give.

But the best lesson was about to unfold. The tense moment of all was when Andrew's mother came face to face with the three other survivors. The three of them stood up and in front of everybody apologized to Mr. and Mrs. Mate. They too have suffered a lot, two of them spent a month in the hospital and their parents have accumulated hospital bills amounting to more than P500,000 each. They never knew that their friend died not until the day that they were released from the hospital.

Will Mrs. Mate who was in the U.S. when it happened would get mad at the boys? Will she hate them? Well, that was not the case, she hug each one of them. Everybody in the room were tiery eyed. All the fourth year boys became so quiet. Well actually not quite, I could hear a lot of them sobbing. It was a gesture that have sent shivers to everyone, especially to these boys whom Andrew have considered as his barkadas. Mrs. Mate said "Andrew have loved you guys when he was alive and there is no reason for me to be angry. No one wants this to happen" I know the guilt feelings in them have all sudddenly been removed. Mr. and Mrs Mate are members of Couples for Christ and their only son and only daughter are active members of Youth for Christ. With their strong faith in God, they have found the strength to forgive.

Tintin, Andrew's 16 year old younger sister, a third year high school student at the School of the Holy Spirit became the darling of the crowd. She was calm and very confident when she related how her Kuya was her idol. She followed every dance steps his brother knows, the way he plays the guitar, among others. They both shared their dreams together. They plan to buy a house beside one another where they plan to have their own families someday and their own children playing together. They plan to share their "ulam" and can immediately borrow money from one another But now she will have to carry on with their dreams by herself.
It was not all a sad day as Tintin made everybody laugh when she shared a story. When Andrew had a Sophomores night in school she was her date cuz Andrew was too shy to invite other girls. She cancelled all her gimmicks that night just to be with his brother and then when she arrived she was frustrated to find out that many of the boys dont have dates. Our assistant principal even noticed that instead of bringing dates they brought hamsters and trading cards instead.

It's Andrew's 17th birthday. Everybody sang!!! and of course the family blew the candles on the cake.

One remarkable person that I have to mention here was Andrew's fourth year guidance counselor, Shella Fabregas, she went an extra mile to help the family. And during the program she even dressed up in a Claret school uniform, because Andrew wore his school uniform when he was cremated. I guess that's how we love this school so much.
She also came up with a presentation and I'm still trying to figure out how I can upload a 150 mb powerpoint presentation for free without cutting it into pieces. Help anyone?

For those who don't know Andrew. He is a young man full of life and vigor, an active member Youth For Christ, a very religious person, he could have been another one of our alumni Bo Sanchez, praising God and spreading the Good News. Aside from that he is a good dancer and most of all a friend to everybody. As his mother shared to us. Andrew doesn't mind if you are rich or poor, bad or good, a genious or not. Here's a short glympse of his life and death and I hope we can find meaning to his death. Although he had lived a short life, he became an inspiration to his classmates and an ideal son.

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Here's a nice story that might help explain death to young people.

WATERBUGS AND DRAGONFLIES

(A Parable of Death As A Transition To A Better Afterlife)

by Doris Stickney
Pilgrim Press, 1982 New York

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft muc on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you suppose she is going?" Up, up, up it went slowly. Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return. "That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second water bug. "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third. No one had the answer. They were greatly puzzled.

Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why." "We promise," they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water, and fallen onto the broad, green pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by, the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were, scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before. Then the dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why."

Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water. "I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least I tried, but I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies, too. Then they'll understand what happened to me, and where I went."

And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful world of sun and air!

Personnel Day

2006-05-26T11:03:00.000+08:00

Teachers and staff of Claret took a break and headed for Splash Mountain, a mountain resort in Calamba and had lots of fun. Sorry for the shaky hands, I guess its from too much water from the pool or SMB.

iblog2 Summit

2006-04-20T10:52:00.000+08:00

I was there at the iblog2:The Second Philippine Blogging Summit held last Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at the U.P. College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City. To sum up the activities in one word it was a "blast"! Not to miss this rare opportunity for my ever dependable web team members , I brought along Mike Ong, Austell Tumampos, Miguel Qujano, Gerard and Pagsu. It was a little too late to ask for transportation allowance from the school so I told them its KKB. But in the end , Mrs Nicdao my co-teacher and I shoulder all their expenses. It's good that the organizers thought of providing free snacks and lunch for all the participants. Wheew! that saved the day for us. Can you just imagine feeding growing boys, especially Pagsu who weights in at 200 pounds.
We came in late as usual, I still have to give last minute instructions to my Robotics class in school on what they are supposed to do.

When we arrived at the crime scene, I mean the venue, there were people milling around at the lobby. Were just in time for the snacks!! Ok boys dig-in! After the boys have been fully recharged, we went inside the Sta. Ana Room. Wow! this building was built in 1911. And just take a look at those massive walls. I guess back then, the cost of materials were cheap and less corruption, he he. The room was impressive, its like a small AVR with the chairs arranged like your in the balcony of a theatre. At least for a day I experienced how it felt to be a law student here at U.P.
Back to the topic. The current speaker on the floor was Dr. Ronald Meinardus of the Fredrich Naumann Foundation. Too bad, they were already giving him the certificate for being their guest speaker. So i can't comment on what he said except that he is blond!

The next speaker was Joel Yuviencio, from De La Salle University-Canlubang his topic was about "Blogging for mere mortals" Well, he narrated how he got into blogging, moving from the basic blog to a more sophisticated blog. I love the name of his blog http://joelogs.blogspot.com.

We then moved on to Anton de Leon http://antonisat.blogspot.com, his topic is the one closest to my heart, its about "how to make your blog funny and humorous". His looks is already funny, so he immediately got the attention of his audience, including my high school boys. Hey, they are one of the most hard to please crowd in the audience!. Here are his 3 tips to writing humorously.

1. Be witty- it's not the joke, its how you say it.
2. Humor makes whatever subject looks like your joking. Meaning people tend to take things
at a lighter perspective.
3. The readers reaction are limited. Not all people will laugh at your jokes, some will laugh at it at a later time (delayed reaction) and some may not even laugh at all. But don't get offended by it otherwise don't try to attempt to crack a joke if you're "pikon yourself".

Well, those words were the best sound advice for the day.

Here are two other worthy speakers worth mentioning on my blog, first is Dean Alfar http://deanalfar.blogspot.com , wow man! he is really way ahead of the pack. Imagine writing a novel in 30 days and using the blog as a medium to write it. His presentation was terrific. He is just one of those guys that will inspire you to continue blogging. Well let's see if he has enough convincing powers to make me continue writing for more than a week.

The last one which I told my students to wait until she was able to make her presentation was Ms. Sarah Gagatiga , a fellow member of the Pinoy Teacher's Network. She was introduced as a Librarian of Xavier and finishing her masters at the University of the Philippines. Her first salvo was to make a correction on a typographical error on the program and asked the audience if there were educators around. I saw several hands raised. Her topic was about blogging in education. She was very scholarly, lots of facts and figures came out of the LCD screen. The one that I could recall was that, that the latest survey showed that 51.5 % of bloggers are in the 13-19 age group. So now I know that I belong to the minority! I'm glad she mentioned about Pinoy Teacher's Network and Marisol Angala, I guess what was

lacking in her presentation was the way she delivered it. If you may allow me to use one of the tips of Anton de leon, -its not the joke, its how you say it. It would have been more effective if she have shared some anecdotes or actual experiences that she had in the course of blogging in education. And maybe sprinkle it with a few humorous stories. Like what was the first reaction of her students when somebody posted a comment on his/her own blog and stuff like that then she would have a more lively audience.

Well that's all folks. Hey Janet I've done my homework! Hope this blog get's updated before our next seminar. He he.

Blog Sense

2006-04-17T14:45:00.000+08:00

Today's weather is really hot. Just like our workshop on blogging which begins early this morning at Microsoft's headquarters at 6750 Ayala Avenue. After making several wrong turns and passing through several labyrinths and underpasses in Ayala we finally made it to the 16th floor were Microsoft's office is located. We saw the familiar warm smile of Janet and that erased all our anxiousness of what's in store for today with our summer workshop. The main topic for this three day workshop is all about blogging. The style that I'm going to use is "Breathe" Because that's exactly what I need to do in this class. "Breathe all I can" cuz, Janet is at my back hounding like a hot momma making sure that everybody will get it right!!! We'll good luck everybody. I'm glad to see new faces at last. That means there were new schools who have joined this exclusive circle of Cyberfair Philippines 2006 winners. I view this workshop as a gift for us from Janet for us teachers for doing our jobs well. And just like in the previous workshops that we had in the past. I'm sure we will learn a lot so that we can share it to our students when we get back to our classrooms in June.