Aparri was SOLD. Let's not let it happen to PALAWAN!

I was saddened by the news about the mining in Palawan. That news almost lead me to a nervous breakdown! (weh? really? haha!) I really admired Palawan especially Puerto Princessa and the St. Paul Subterranean Underground River, a finalist in the seven wonders of the world.

I love the province even though I haven't visited it yet. I can remember what our Division Schools Superintendent told us what they do in Palawan during the DSPC in the year 2007 (not sure). She told us when she visited there once that the students and teachers keep their papers and other garbages in their own bags. and at dismissal time on their way out of the school, they assemble and all at once throw all those garbages in a container.

One more thing that she told us is about her experience riding a van. She was about to throw a leftover food on the street, though she really did not intended to do it, when the driver told her this: "Ma'am wag po! pagagalitan po tayo. may basurahan po sa likod ng upuan ninyo."

This proves to us that the inhabitants of Palawan are trying their best to preserve what they have-natural beauty. and that makes them rich. tourism is one of their best sources of income. They are also blessed for the province is located where storm seldom crosses and earthquakes doesn't happen. (i only read it on the internet, heard on tv)

The question is, why did they let this happen? To get some national income for more government projects? that's a bad idea! i think the best asset we have is our environment. it is why the Spaniards came here, right? and why millions of tourists continue to flock in the different beautiful spots of the country. if that's what they want. they'll get it. but do they know that mining gives temporary satisfaction? and the benefits does not go directly to the people, but to the miners and those who are behind this?

i am encapsulated by my anger and guilt that i cannot do anything to save Palawan. i've got little readers and not all of you will do a thing to stop it. what's worst is that we are currently experiencing the effects of mining, specifically black sand mining in our town Aparri. yeah, it was perked at the edge of heaven. that was before.

I do not want Palawan to experience what the Aparrianos are experiencing now. Filipinos must make a move now before anything else gets worse. i want to step in Palawan, untouched, not mined, not destroyed. and i want my children's children's children's children to see the beauty of the place. i know you want that too. so make a move! sign up to www.no2mininginpalawan.com or just click on the badge below. Save the Philippine's last or else ONLY PARADISE!

do the right thing! be a Filipino by heart, not by name. :)

Up! Up! in UP!

UPCAT '11 took place on July 2010 while the USTET took place October of the same year. I took these entrance exams for me to qualify for admission in the supreme state university in the country, the University of the Philippines; and the renowned Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas.

UST is probably my second choice. Not only because my sister studied there but because I love the university itself. 400 years of existence, is it not magnificent? well, they have maintained it well - the standards and the surroundings. I think they are renovating different buildings/facilities each year making it more beautiful. i grew up studying in a private-catholic school which urged me to take the USTET. i am confident enough that i will not be hard up to adjust. i have been there a lot of times and each time i go there feels like in heaven. yeah, most of the students are rich. they have cars, gadgets and everything and the school fee amounting to almost 4o,000 is but one peso for them. but it is worth it. world class facilities, fun events and secured future is what they offer.

i was so glad that I passed the course BS Accountancy which was my first choice. i do not know why i did not qualify in the Faculty of Arts and letters. i placed Mass Comm as my second choice. my classmates also had question marks in their heads. yeah, why? how come? how come i passed accountancy and not mass comm? i would accept waitlisted. haha! we could get the answer from ust but i wouldn't bother anymore.

not until the day before graduation that i finally decided to be a Maroon rather than a Tiger. I have long waited for the assigned course. my mom called OUR and they told her that I must choose between Phil Arts or Nursing. why would i take phil arts? that's a Big NO NO! haha! i want to take up BS Pharmacy, a pre-med course. i'll be shifting next year. so help me God! :)

UP is what I call the "DREAM SCHOOL". Everybody with high hopes would eventually like to study in UP. There are simple reasons: High standards and "abot-kaya" school fees. but before i will be officially called a "Iskolar ng Bayan", i will undergo different medical check-up and exams. enrolment would be tough. but studying is tougher!

I hope and pray that my decision is right. giving up UST is like killing your pet. but choosing UP is probably like walking in the clouds. Up! Up! in UP i'll be up! :))

Remain humble, pray always and have a thankful heart my son

Remain humble, pray always and have a thankful heart my son
by Reginald B. Tamayo on Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 5:05pm (www.facebook.com)

To my dear son Renz:

Congratulations!

I read in earnest your blogspot articles in the past son. I re-read them with intent today. I tried to recall what you said in your valedictory address and, at the end of the day,I reached one clear and definitive conclusion: you speak and write better than I do.

Truth to be told, I tried to digest the thoughts you were imparting to your blogspot readers like me. Your thoughts were so deep and profound. I found some which were philosophical. Others were also witty while a handful were expressions of indignation and righteousness. I thought you have grown fast and so maturely but with grace. You have grown into a fine young man my son.

Without you asking me my son, when I was listening to you while addressing the crowd, I was the proudest and happiest father at that moment. I was listening with interest as if every word you uttered was divinely inspired. Not an atom of doubt, the speech was well written by you and it was delivered with the right tempo and pronunciation. I did not care when people saw me cried a river. I cried even more when you started to mention our sacrifices as a family. Those tears eloquently expressed my joy that God gave me a son who is gifted and who knows how to share God's glory to others by his sterling qualities.

You made true to your promise that you will give me and your mom the grandest gift this year for our birthdays and wedding anniversary. To tell you the truth my son, your being the Valedictorian in your class is the best gift we received. But you sacrificed a lot in your aim to be on top of the class, right? There is no denying, you look thinner, there are even more noticeable yet manageable zits on your face. I could imagine your sleepless nights reading your lessons. I could picture your desire to reach out to me and to your mom for help when you were pushed to the wall. I could think that you felt helpless when assignments and lots of school work overwhelmed you. During those times when you felt you were alone and desolate, during those moments when you thought that the world was against you, your mom and I were there in your heart my son. We though of you and your ate Regine and ading Iya and RG in our prayerful wishes. You were never alone my son in the lonely fight to be on top. You ate Regine, Ading Iya and Ading RG, Mama Li and your mom were with you all along.

My eyes are welling with tears as I write this my son. Frankly, I feel the stigma of joy of a father being pleased by his kid. Just remember to remain humble. Always keep a thankful heart. Pray to God always.

I love you son.


Sincerely,


DAD

MY Valedictory Address - March 30, 2011

To our beloved parish priest, Rev. Fr. Adalbert Barut, our Directress-Principal Sr. Alfreda Maria Rosario V. Piguing, SPC; Sr. Alicia; Sr. Leah; our scrupulous advisers, Mrs. Teresita Taguba and Mrs. Karen Chan; the Student Affairs Chairperson, Mrs. Ronalyn Agustin; our Student Council President for the school year 2010-2011, Mr. Ryan Esquibil; patient mentors; parents; friends; guests and fellow graduates good afternoon!

A few weeks ago, we were taking up Latent Heat in our Physics class with Mrs. Noemi Sibayan. It is also referred to as Hidden Heat. Why? It is because the heat that was absorbed by an ice cube for instance does not affect its temperature. But a change in its state happened. From a solid ice it turned into liquid ice. Like the ice, we have absorbed some 1,000,000 calories of knowledge from our teachers. We are now going through a phase change at this very moment. We are ending our being solid hard headed people and are travelling in the speed of sound to be more flexible individuals ready to go with the turbulent waves of a more crucial life.

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Yes, I failed several times. I lost hope but eventually I never lost faith. Failure has been and will forever be a part of the cycle. Without it, fluorescent lamps and ballpoint pens couldn’t have been invented.

Our graduation song with the title “The Climb” best describes the journey I went through before I got here. Let me state two lines from its chorus: “…sometimes I’m gonna have to lose. Ain’t about how fast I get there…” It was not really that fast and easy to reach the top for it took me eight long school years. I waited eight years for me to be called ‘First’ once again. The last time I heard people call me the ‘First Honor’ in class was way back 2002 when I was on the 1st grade.

What I humbly prayed for in the past ten months was to simply finish the race with whatever distinction I deserve. But God is good to me and my family for He gave me more than what I prayed and hoped for. I have faced tons of obstacles and jumped hundreds of hurdles or even thousands. Duties on the council and school requirements came like a tsunami day after day drowning me in stress. The zits you see on my face are living proofs.

Those difficult times and depressing moments did not stop me and all of my batch mates from dreaming, claiming and working for it. Nothing, ever, is impossible to get. What you need to do is to stick with that goal and get busy with those special codes in order for your plan to work out like a computer program.

We have been waiting for this day for us to finally escape Catch-22s and dilemmas encountered on the four corners of our classrooms. After this day, the disgust whenever there is an assignment or project, the eye bags during and after examination days, and the trepidation and anxiety we feel after each grading period will be all gone! They are all replaced by euphoria or a feeling of great happiness. At last, our story is in its conclusion part already! Everyone is glad about it for we are now a part of SPSA’s history and SPSA is now a part of our history.

Today, March 30, 2011, we are gathered here to harvest the fruits of our efforts. These recognitions represented by metal medals will soon rust. They will look old and ugly and will not serve their purpose. That is not the matter to be talked about. For the most important thing here is that you recognized our small and simple efforts. We do appreciate every compliment and comment, even criticisms perhaps, before these medals and diplomas were handed down to us. A piece of metal and a piece of paper, could they make another Jose Rizal? Mahatma Gandhi? Or even Ludwig van Beethoven? Definitely, not! Yet there is always a possibility that one or two of these 60 graduates can be like them or be greater than them.

Next semester we would be studying and taking up different courses in different colleges and universities; from Green and Gold to Maroon, Blue, Red or else Black, Gold, White. The next level is eventually more difficult but still is not the hardest. We must not be afraid and just thank St. Paul School of Aparri who equipped us with all the necessary knowledge and virtues needed to win another battle. I say it is not the hardest for the hardest level in life is when you are already earning money to support a family. This institution has prepared us for this final level, inculcating into our innocent minds that whenever we stand on a high platform we must keep our head facing down and never forget the fact that before we got there we were once on the ground.

Graduation day is also a day of gratitude. It is but proper to thank all those who have played their role in making up our short story.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you dear parents for the opportunity to study in the No.1 provider of Quality Catholic Education in the Northeastern part of Cagayan. Thank you for the very day or night that you decided to work on a special biological process to conceive a new baby into the wombs of your wives. Thank you for taking into consideration all the ironic attitudes we staged on the early years of our lives. Thank you for everything, especially the incomparable love you are giving us.

To the SPC Sisters, thank you dear Sisters for understanding us. We tried our best to make you happy and be proud of us. We hope that you will consider our batch as one of the good ones. May the Holy Spirit be with you to help you continue your mission here.

To our mentors, I am glad that you did not reach your elastic limit. Your wrinkles alone proved to us that your profession is quite hard. Thank you for the unending support on all our endeavors. We hope to see you after five years when we finally landed on a specific job. The strong gravitational attraction between us and this school will keep us going back and say ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you who molded us. Ma’am Rona, I thank you for being a shoulder to cry on. May your decisions be for the best. Just keep on praying. I know that one day they will appreciate all our sacrifices especially what we have done which they refer to as “ordinary and little achievements.” Again, to all the teachers, thank you.

To the non-academic personnel: Ate Aida, Ate Mary Ann, Kuya Edmund, Kuya Nelson, Kuya Rey, Kuya Erol, and our three security guards together with Nurse Dianne, Ma’am Nida, Ma’am Roldan and Ma’am Sol, you are special contributors to our success. We thank you for the services you unceasingly offered which made our stay in St. Paul School worthwhile.

To my older sister Regine and Ate Aurea who are both in UST by this time, thank you for inspiring me to just go on with the race. Ate Regine, I now know how hard it is to study here. The experiences you shared gave me distinct ideas on how to go about every individual in this school. You are right. Some tried their best to put my face in the mud but their plans did not work out. I stood mightier.

And to my parents, Mom and Dad thank you for everything. You knew the sacrifices I needed to do and the temptations I needed to resist. This is it! I graduated Valedictorian. Our long lost dream became a reality. My fight was tough. But without you here beside me made it tougher. You urged me to be strong and so I did. You are miles away from us to work. I did not complain because I know you are doing that painful sacrifice to make our lives better. I am not asking anything from you or even let you buy things for me. It is because I know that a single cent costs a thousand drop of sweat. This is my birthday and anniversary gift to the both of you.

Batch mates, I will truly miss our craziness, laziness and also the kilig and sunog kilay moments. We are like Lego pieces. We are of different shapes, sizes and colors. But even though we have physical differences we are classified as one. Cecilians, I’m gonna miss our more than 5 minute morning worship. I will miss all those long prayers and Bible passages that we pray and read every morning. But what I’m gonna miss the most are the moments wherein we get to bond with each other. I hope that you will be able to reach your dreams and pursue your ambitions in life. Thank you for cheering me up during the times when I feel I couldn’t make it. You have made my last year in SPSA memorable.

Finally, to the Creator – I thank you Lord for keeping my faith strong and giving me people like Fr. Diddi who let me realize the importance of claiming and not just dreaming. Thank you for giving me this life, this school, and everything that I am. Whatever and whoever I may be in the future, be it for your glory!

To all of you present in this commencement program, thank you for coming. You have just witnessed one of the important occasions in our lives. Your presence made it more special. God bless you and your families.

One more thing batch mates do not stop believing. We are notes and we make up a harmonious song of love and unity. We are not fortune-tellers, not even prophets, who could read palms and predict what will happen in the forthcoming years. We do not know what lies ahead in our future. But never forget that we are the composers of our lives. Whatever we think and do now will reflect to who we will be later. Make your song – your life – a masterpiece!

Caritas Christi Urget Nos! Thank you and Congratulations to all of us! (Reiner Lorenzo J. Tamayo)