Woe to 'The Quill'

Woe to the school publication that broke my expectation! You disappoint me.

I've worked hard for my articles and this is what I'll get? It's very insulting on my part that I may not have the time to visit the publications office frequently but my articles don't deserve rejection. I mean, why? I don't know how my nonexistence would affect that tremendously. Yes, the editor-in-chief tried to send a message when I just read it about months later. That's how busy I am. Don't you have the heart to understand how important is my internship than any other?

My heart sank as I scanned the school paper up to its last page, I saw no article of mine. How could this be when I even passed four articles (including a poem)?

Looking at those articles on the mag, it makes me sick. What supposed to be a school publication turned into a newspaper, exposing politics' dirty tactics, our president's shortcomings and the like. Yes, we can't deny our incessant clamor for justice, but to fill almost half of the mag on the same topic, aren't you fed up with these things? These things were already discussed from the previous issue.

You keep on talking about student involvement when there's only one article featuring students in the campus. The rest were writers' viewpoints. Where is that? Aside from the colored print, there's nothing eye-catching with it. Nothing that makes a student don't want to miss a single page.

It's a shame no one cares about the school publication anymore when there are many talents in the university. Yet you guys, didn't make an effort to recruit. Add to the fact that I should have gotten more issues during my years of being a Southwesterner because we pay for it every semester. I thought you need more workforce but I guess, you have your own STANDARDS. Standards in to which I don't know what it is. Hello, couldn't you be nicer to your new recruits?

Well, I lost my last ticket. I lost my chance of imparting my ideals to the Southwestern studentry. It's really a slap on my face that I wanted to help but you kicked me out for an unacceptable reason. I'll not be surprised if one day this school organ will face its downfall. I don't know what's in the school organ but I do hope they'll change for the better. If possible, they may be willing to open for suggestions. May you cultivate the legacy given by previous members of The quill because those were the best years. All in all, you disappoint me. 

My Independence sentiments

from gmanews

Happy Independence Day Philippines! Or shall I say Happy 117th birthday Philippines!

As the whole nation commemorated this historical date that changed our lives as Filipinos, I salute our ancestors for fighting and even shed blood to fight for freedom from the tyranny of the Spanish government.

June 12, 1989 was the date that marked a biggest spot in the Philippine history. This was the Proclamation of Independence in Kawit, Cavite when Emilio Aguinaldo first waved the Philippine Flag. 117 years had passed and we now enjoy the freedom our heroes had fought for so long. For that span of time, so much have happened, from colonization of other countries to People power and to several Presidents who promised a progressive Philippines, I think we Filipino people still struggle for freedom, but this time not from the Spaniards but from the clutches of our VERY OWN CORRUPT GOVERNMENT! 

Today, it is with disappointment that the current administration failed to do what they had promised: to lead us to the 'tuwid na daan' (right path) which made the country even worse. Instead celebrating the Independence day with peace and honor, some of our fellowmen rallied trying to call the attention of our President for various matters.

from interaksyon.com

So much with politics, I know Filipinos are strong and brave. It runs in the blood. What was once a fighter, always a fighter. I know the Philippine government is not the only one responsible for this. It is also us Filipino citizen. The change we've been dying for cannot be made possible by one person alone. We have to take part of it. If only our ancestors were alive, they'll not be  pleased with today's situation. 

We don't want to put our heroes' efforts in to waste. We still have to combat the problems in our society but as we are going forward, we always hope for a leader as strong as Lapu-lapu and as clever as Jose Rizal, who could be the solution of our country. But the challenge is: who would that be? Who's your bet this coming 2016 Presidential elections huh? (Hmmm..just joking)

Again, Happy Independence day Filipinos! We may always have that flaming patriotism. May we continue to say I'm proud to be Filipino!

from cnn

Trivia: "Lupang Hinirang" is actually just our second national anthem.

The very first Philippine anthem was titled "Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan," which national hero Andres Bonifacio commissioned in 1897. He requested musician Julio Nakpil to compose the anthem when they were encamped with Katipunan troops in the vicinity of Balara in November 1896. Despite the presence of Bonifacio's version of the anthem, President Aguinaldo, upon his return from Hong Kong, met with the composer Julian Felipe on June 5, 1898 and asked him to compose a national hymn.

That 'somebody' and me

Love songs make me fall in love for unknown reason. I don't know what's in me but I keep on listening to old melodies. I may not have that certain someone yet but at the back on my mind, I keep on imagining that someday, I will open and give my heart to that someone and we will live happily ever after. I hope so. Well, that's just a pure imagination but in reality I don't know what kind of life lies ahead of me. I don't even have a blossoming relationship with anybody and honestly I'm not interested at this moment. For now, I enjoy being single and I'm busy loving my family and friends and start building up my dream.

My colorful illusions of that someone to every song that I listen, even though his face seems so vague but he never gets out of the scene. 

I believe that if ever I can't find that somebody here today or tomorrow, I hope I can find him in the afterlife. He may not be that perfect prince everyone's been looking for but I hope he's the one with the pure heart that would love me for who I am.

Lesson learned before Jaja left..

You have to know about this. You might be the next victim.

Yesterday, I and the rest of the household were sad as we bid goodbye to one of our housemate, Jaja. Jaja stayed almost a year with us but she has to leave for a better opportunity. Her new workplace is far from our home so she has to live with a relative near there.

At around 2 in the afternoon, she left the house with a smiling face as she promised to visit us some time and we wished her a safe trip. After that, we went on to what we were doing. My mother continued cleaning, father still played computer games and me and Cherry went to rest after a long trip (we just came back from the province). Really, I didn't expect something to come up. I was about to fall asleep when I suddenly heard Shiralee telling mom that Jaja's money (the one thousand peso bill) was fake! What!? After hearing that, I opened my eyes and went upstairs.

Luckily, Shiralee was able to check her phone on an instant. There, Jaja texted her she was not yet on a bus because the money my mother had gave her was a fake. Unfortunately that was the only money Jaja had. We told her to go back here immediately.All or us were confused and things started to come out. How come mom's money was a fake when it came from a pawn agency? Surely a reliable pawn agency won't gave you a fake money since they have their own money detector. Second, along with that money was given to auntie and how come auntie was able to spend it? We keep on speculating until we suspected that maybe she was victimized by today's modus operandi.

We waited for Jaja to come back and minutes later, a crying her was knocking at the gate. We quickly paid the cab she rode and led her inside. We asked her what happened and she told us that she went to buy some fruits near the terminal (because her aunt said so) and just as about she handed the one-thousand bill to the vendor, the vendor immediately declared it's fake! We were shocked and awed as she showed the money already torn into pieces (the vendor tore it)! Just as we touched the money, it's just a plain paper! It's just printed and the seal and security marks were just pasted. Jaja was all throughout fooled by the vendor because mom remembered her money was not as old as the one Jaja presented.

It was so sad as we saw Jaja crying with regret. It wouldn't have happened if she just went straight to the bus terminal. Mom can't give her the same amount so she just gave a right amount that could get her to the province. Wiping her tears and convincing that everything will be ok, Jaja decided to leave and catch the last trip going to her hometown,

Poor Jaja. Tsk. Tsk. But how did that swindlers did it? Actually, we didn't know but maybe that as they received Jaja's money, they have already the fake money clutched in their hands . Jaja recalled that the vendor called another guy to check it. They maybe exchanged it with the fake one.

We couldn't go back to the store and investigate further and so we let the situation pass and serve as a lesson. A lesson that we have to remember everytime we transact money, big or small. If this situation happened to me, I wouldn't be able to sleep a night regretting. I'm a careless person too. That's why that in order for us not to be fooled, we should be mindful with our belongings. Check the money we have and if possible, choose where you spend your money. This modus operandi is spreading across the country and not only this, bad elements are everywhere. You just don't know when your unlucky day is so being watchful is a must. I guess it was not Jaja's day at all.