we believed!!!

"at ang nakakuha ng unang pwesto para sa sayawit ay ang...ikalawang kalahok!"

"yes!"
"yahoo!"
"party na!"
"jbee!"

those were the joyful words that came out from our mouth after the emcee has announced the winner. yes, we won. in fact, we won 1st place for three contests, namely, sayawit, dula-dulaan, and palarawang sayaw. we were all grateful and indeed shocked! we never expected to be on top, all that is on our mind was to be on top 3.but, god really is that good and he let us feel the fruits of our efforts. efforts that were all not ripe in the beginning but was developed as we go on in fulfilling what we ought to do and accomplish.

it all started this way. our class adviser, ma'am jacquelyn salvador was absent for couples of days she even didn't make it to hear what activities will be held on the celebration of the linggo ng wika when the administration launched a faculty meeting. and so, ma'am janelyn yadao stood as the replacement of our adviser that time. she then borrowed notes from other teachers in order for us to know what were brought out in that meeting. she told us to prepare for the sayawit, tagisan ng talino, dula-dulaan, and palarang sayaw. we didn't made any moves yet because we hoped for our adviser to delegate the task among the class equally.

after how many days, mrs. salvador came back and she oriented us about the activities. she assigned leaders for each activity so that work would run out faster. Danica was assigned to make the script for the skit, Isabel to act as leader of the dancers in palarawang sayaw and I with some friends for the sayawit.

we were like turtles while working for the different events. we were but slow, maybe slower than the usual "slow". and so from time to time our adviser gets angry with us and we feel that her anger was rising up to the ceiling. we cannot do anything but to resist our guilt of our faults. but those "hot" moments never ended. 3 days before the celebration started, all were not still working out fine. dance steps were not yet complete and the practices were not finalized. soon enough, as we all expected, she got mad at us. we, without much expectations, answered her back, with voices a little higher than the normal ones. both of the parties are now growing hot in temper. she then settled everything so fast. maybe, she doesn't like to waste more time.

the day came, and everyone was nervous. before each contest, we pray and say good luck to each other. its our way of lessening stage fright and sometimes even fear. god helps the people who helps themselves. as Frankilin said in his almanac. we helped ourselves and we are competent to have places for these for God through our intimate prayers to Him will help us too.

Luckily, or let's say in God's will and our will, we won. those trophies serve as inspirations for us to strive better and show to everyone that we have something to blow up. we are not only good in academics, as they say, but we are also good in other careers. our class has now academic topnotchers plus dignified actors and actresses.

Abusive Authority

It is said that God created human equal and that it is a right for every person to be treated fairly. most people nowadays are merely treated equally. discrimination, biases and injustice acts by people who have higher authority over slums are thriving in the present society. and that those who have that authority also have the power to do what they wanted to do, anytime and anywhere. it is unfair but very true.

superior people of a school are what we refer to as the people who have higher authority and power. most of them make use of it improperly, treating others unfairly. teachers for example are allowed to buy foods outside the campus yet students are not permitted to do so. many are then complaining about it. jealousy and envy are what students feel whenever they see their teachers holding cooked foods from street vendors in the park.

another thing is that some of them come to school late but there were never punishments laid upon them unlike students who are demanded to clean comfort rooms. some also wear improper uniform like 'tsinelas' instead of sandals or shoes. they even can't resist sometimes using profane language or bad words while scolding their students. the questions here now are the following: if teachers can, why can't the students? how can the students follow their teachers, if they too are VIOLATORS? is it because they have more authority than students? they, the educators who must be good models whose duty is to teach the best for students, tend to do the opposite way.

when teachers speak of authority over students, they naturally mean authority for themselves by holding on to power as long as they can for their own good. their brazen commands awaken the students to use their instincts to protect their rights from the abuse of too much professionalism. but as they continuously treat students as though they are contemptuous individuals, they perpetuate more power.

there is nothing bad to use the power vested on them, but they must not go over the limit. yes, teachers have multiple rights but to think of the fact and of reality, students have them too. they must always remember that the authority given to anyone is given by a supreme being who has all the right to command and is with official power. they must not abuse it by any means just to fulfill their own satisfaction. do they deserve to be called 'teachers'?

Top 3? O yeah!!!

Yesterday afternoon, while we were having our English class, Mrs. Yolanda Annang, our teacher for that particular subject announced the results of the 2009 NAT (National Achievement Test). It was held last year when we were still in the 2nd year. Subjects such as English, Filipino, Math, Science and Araling Panlipunan or Social Studies were included in the exams. Most of us found it pretty hard to answer some questions for they were still not discussed by our teachers. That fact was a real disadvantage for us to put St. Paul School of Aparri among the top schools in the Province. But the standing of the school is not yet confirmed.

I was in total shock when I heard our teacher announced that I was on Top 3 among the 60+ second year students in our school last year. Making it to the top without review is the most overwhelming fulfillment for an individual. and I felt the joy in exchange of that after hearing that announcement. Almost all of the answers that I have placed were from stock knowledge but some of it were guess. ha ha ha.

My lowest I think was Math. What else would I expect? There's no other. But now, I try to make up to it. I concentrate more on the major subjects. but balancing my responsibilities is the only problem I face now, a serious problem...