"CHRISTMAS IS..."

     "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."  Take Christmas, for example.  This event is generally an important occasion for most families in the Philippines.  It is a time for reunions, gift-giving, and feasts.  Christmas is a time of giving-an antidote to human selfishness.  God exemplified genuine giving when He gave His son to die for the unworthy people on earth.  Such gift can never be paid!  Such is the message of the birth of Christ.  Giving is also a tangible expression of love.  When people share in making others happy through gift-giving without expecting anything in return, they develop benevolence and concern-a worthy investment.  Christmas is a time for reflection.

     This December, let us balance the pendulum of life by celebrating Christmas amidst merriness and laughter.  Laughter serves as a temporary break from the normal routine of work, competition, and stress.  It is an expression of accomplishment, survival, and belonging.  Laughter of accomplishment is necessary int he pursuit of meaning in family life.  Accomplishment is more of personal satisfaction in adding color to the overall portrait of human living.  Laughter of survival is an echo of the struggle between good and evil.  At Christmas, we either celebrate the blessings of life or the woes of a cruel society.  Running the race of existence demands not only stamina and determination but the attitude of joy in the sound of laughter.  Belonging can't be concealed at Christmas.  Finding our places amid people who accept and love us brings security.  After all, the year is not complete without passing through the festivity of Christmas.

     Christmas is too costly if we fail to accept forgiveness for our sins.  It is too costly if we refuse to accept the forgiveness of others.  Christmas is the time for peace and goodwill.  There is no room for bitterness at Christmas.  Christmas means giving up the stubborn attitudes.  It is a time to reexamine ourselves in the light of the Christ of Christmas and the Christ of the cross.  It is too costly if we do not manifest peace and goodwill to all.  As we come to the season of goodwill, as we use our means to share with our loved ones and friends, let's remember the real cost of Christmas.  It is only in this that we will find true meaning in our giving and true joy in all our celebrations.

     Christmas brings hope and good cheer.  Christmas is a time to love.  It's a season when people forget about the evil done against them.  The essence of Christmas to sojourn in our hearts is the best thing about Christmas.  The spirit of giving, understanding, unconditional love, selflessness, and forgiveness should dwell in our celebration of Christ's birth.  These virtues should inspire us not just during the season but all year round.  The good thing about Christmas indeed is the tranquility that comes with forgiveness and acceptance.  It's an opportunity for us to love, without counting the cost, by letting go of our own selfish and vested interests.  As time that we extended ourselves to others and give as much as we could, and thus it's the time that we also receive so much.  We feel happy because we know that we did something good and made someone else happy.  Feeling good-and doing-what Christmas is all about-remind us of who we truly are, deep down inside.  There's beauty in each one, and it shines most brightly during Christmas.    

"Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities"

      I am just a person who is human, down to earth enjoying life, whatever God blesses me with.  Enjoying life for me is just normal.  I think I have to work with people.  The common denominator of everything can't be money, and it should not be money.  Equal rights and opportunities is a huge piece for me.  You have to believe it's possible and believe in yourself.  Because after you've decided what you want, you have to believe it's possible, and possible for you, not just for other people.  Something as curious as the monarchy won't survive unless you take account of people's rights and opportunities in equality.  After all, if people don't want it, they won't have it.

     Most people struggle with life balance simple because they haven't paid the price to decide what is really important to them is their rights and opportunities as human beings.  Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people.  People who grow rich almost always improve their life.  More people want to have friends with them.  That's just the way human beings work now.  Money is power with them.  Power is an aphrodisiac.  Money did not make me happy.  But it definitely improved my life.  The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self.  My passionate sense of equal rights and equal opportunities has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities.

     I think this feeling that I have for people and the importance of behaving in a way which is respectful to people of all colors, shapes, sizes and religions goes back a very long way, possibly to my mother and father in very early stages of childhood.  We must respect each others right to choose a collective destiny, and the opportunity to develop the legal and political rights for indigenous and non-indigenous peoples so that we may enjoy the rights to maintain our culture, our heritage and our land, as a united country.  The true essence of reconciliation is more than making friends with non-indigenous people.  One that respects the land and the heritage of its indigenous peoples and provides justice and equity for all.  I think reconciliation is about changing the structures that govern us and trying to influence opinion leaders in whatever way we can.         

"AKO AY HANDA (Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Preparedness)"

    

     

     Life is a constant battle for survival.  More than anything, this mutilated yet desert-defying tree teaches us faith and hope.  Faith that in the midst of a disaster, we can fight back and win.  And hope that as we struggle for existence, we live in accord with harmony of nature.  The web of life is as fascinating as it is intricate, as beautiful and orderly as the breaking and closing of a new day.

     Most countries have adopted various measures to safeguard environmental quality and conserve their natural resources while, at the same time, promoting the economic well-being of their people.  And in my own little way, I'm doing my share in enlightening others-the Filipino youth-on environmental concepts, processes and principles on the basis of which they can make decisions both now and in the future.  There might be some harmful effects of such a change in the earth's climate.  Possible consequences are: Thermal expansion of ocean waters and melting of glaciers may bring about a gradual rise in sea level.  This in turn will cause flooding of coastal areas, something which will greatly affect the Philippines because of its archipelagic nature and the fact that majority of our people live in coastal communities, receding coastlines may include marginal lands devoted to agriculture, in which cause the flooding of coastal areas may also mean less food production, higher temperature of the air will cause greater evaporation from the earth's surface-this will mean drier soils and lower productivity of the land.

     Weather moves from one place to another.  No doubt you've noticed that weather can change dramatically overnight.  One day is hot, humid, and drizzling, and next day is clear and dry.  It feels as if the air has changed.  In fact, the air has changed.  One large body of air has replaced another.  The air that surrounds Earth does more than provide oxygen for us to breathe.  It acts like a blanket that helps keep Earth warm.  Some scientists think that the air is getting warmer.  They think Earth's climate may change.

     In addition, each person can plant a tree.  A single tree may not do much, but it will help, especially if many people each plant one.  I hope that, as you read through this, you will pick up values such as the following which are relevant to the concepts of environmental integrity and conservation: respect for life, simple living and an economy which is not wasteful, "Member of the crew" rather than "passenger of the ship" attitude toward environmental sanitation and utilization of natural resources and gratitude for the lavish gifts of nature. 

"Unsatisfied Beginning"

     Second grading period had just come to an end.  However, I will be sharing some of the learning and discoveries that I have gained during the second grading period.  It was fun and challenging for me.  In the same way, it was interesting for all of us.  There's a lot of lessons I'd learned from TLE IV in my second quarter, such as about Mark Up Tags, Two Kinds of Tag, HTML Tags and others.  I have discovered by myself, the fact that I am not active and confident enough to recite, I felt shy and nervous in reciting.  I know you're wondering why, it because if ever my answer is wrong and I commit mistakes in my grammar, I am afraid that my classmates might laugh at me.  But it's just okay for me to commit mistakes as long as I am learning with it.

     Again, new obstacles and challenges in life came in my way.  That without those I can never be as strong and brave as I am today.  Well, get to know me better by my reflections in a totally fresh new way.  There were just a few challenges that I have encountered then.  Academic enterprise has finally come to its pressurize termination; the textbooks to nag me, assignments to worry me and homework to impel me, quizzes to press me, periodical test to push me and to prod me, discussions to fire me, the themes to spur me and compositions to drive me, book reports to stir me, projects to discipline me and its deadlines to pressurize me and give me restless days and sleepless nights.  In short, school work to arouse, enliven, stimulate, animate, exhilarate, inspire, encourage, challenge, energize and galvanize me into action.  All in all, I am not so satisfied with my performance in this past grading period.

     It is not yet the end but the beginning, not the conclusion but the introduction, not the termination but the commencement of greater and deeper pilgrimage in the exciting, exhilarating adventure of learning.  However, I can still high my educational attainment might be, it is still true that all that has gone before in my educational experience so far is simply a prologue, a foreword, a prefatory start, if I please, to the real thing.  I am convinced beyond the shadow of the slightest doubt that I have mastered everything under the sun as well as above it.  In this, I shall climb up the educational ladder a little higher yet and after I shall have earned anything that I must have to.

     Thus, in moving on, I will read my lessons and concentrate with my studies.  I must not lose hope, because it's not yet the end of everything. I still have two more grading periods for me to improve my performance in the past two grading periods.  Always be reminded that if you want to achieve your goal, you must have a plan of action and the willingness to do it. Be patient in doing your work, even if it is difficult, because the reward that awaits you is greater than the pain.  Do wholeheartedly what you are supposed to do.  

CHEMERGY: Chemistry and Science Club in Synergy

     As you listen and look around, you may wonder why things happen the way they do.  You may ever believe that there is a touch of magic in them.  Silkworms and spiders spin natural fibers that stronger than nylon, stronger even than steel.  Chemists have learned what there is in the chemical structure of spider silk that makes it so strong.  Engineers are now able to develop a method of manufacturing synthetic spider silk- these and thousands of other amazing things occur in our everyday life to fill us with wonderment.  All this marvel we witness before we means just one thing; we are now living in an age of science!

     Science is a fast advancing knowledge; we need to know it in order to enable our self to live intelligently and comfortably in this modern world.  You, too, could participate with the development of science and contribute to its growth.  What you see around you were not known before; they are the secrets of the natural and physical world that were uncovered by man.  The principles involved in many of the things we use in our daily lives are the results of accumulated knowledge of man.  Chemistry is a fundamental subject in here that there is scarcely an area of modern life unaffected by it.  The impact of chemistry on society can be seen in most society's products, processes, and services.  Through chemistry and science club in synergy we can able to build awareness on the different issues involved in our community such like the elements of justice, environment, gender sensitivity, and political issues.

     Science covers many fields of endeavor.  You may be interested in chemicals and many others.  But, even if you may not become a scientist, you can still help your country, your family and yourself by knowing how to apply the fundamental laws of science.  There is a lot of wasted labor and resources in our midst which could otherwise be saved and utilized for the mounting needs of the people.  In this alone, you shall have done much for our country's progress if you could help conserve this wealth and teach others the proper ways of preserving them for future needs.

     By working together through the use of chemistry and the help of science club, we will led to the gateway of a new wonder world of scientific knowledge which will be introduced to us so we could become an intelligent and progressive member of the community.