2015 Kannawidan Ylocos Festival

             Ilocos Sur, as a province, has its rich and spectacular cultures and traditions that the Ilocanos have and must be proud of. And as an annual festivity, the Local Government of Ilocos Sur has arranged an activity that would exhibit and promote products of ours and precious cultures of Ilocanos to entice and invite tourists to come and visit Ilocos which is now called the “Kannawidan Ylocos Festival.” Kannawidan Ylocos Festival is a week-long bustle of happiness for local and foreign visitors as more entertaining events are included in the festival. Also, the festivity showcases the different products of the different provinces which is called the “OTOP” or the “One Town, One Product.”
             The festival was established and launched in 2008 and is already the leading festival of Ilocos Sur under the leadership of then Governor Ryan Singson to honor the 197th foundation day of Ilocos Sur as separate province through the approval of a Spanish Royal Decree on February 2, 1818. This 2015, Ilocos Sur celebrates Kannawidan on its 197th Celebration as a separate province from Ylocos. This festival showcases different products like foods, furniture, and the pinakaka-ibang produkto. But this is not the only purpose of this festival yet it discovers talents.

       This Festival aims to create awareness on the preservation of the province’s rich cultural heritage, practices and traditions, and a showcase of the different agricultural and industry products.

We Have Learn A Lot

This year 2015 was supposed to be the year of our graduation and few months from now, we will be called high school graduates from the institution of learning, my alma mater in the secondary level, Ilocos Sur National High School. Many subjects I had like in our fourth year life in school because I learn a lot but most of it, the one that became a part of my high school life is ICT or Information and Communications Technology. I really like this subject because it talks all about computer and such things connected to it is the internet.

During the third grading period, I find that the lessons we tackled is very interesting and sometime boring because many of our classmates were out for some important activity and they are not attending the classes and they’ve missed a lot of the discussions that are applicable for some real life activities like business taking. Yet, I still listening to the lessons what our teacher is discussing. I learn a lot from this subject especially in the part of project making, that I’ve learn it is better to do works early than doing it just a day before the submission. Just like in our group, we start doing this project so early, we plan what we will put in our blog and we start searching and finding information to be used in our project but badly to say that we will need to stop this because of many interruptions like the press conference that they will be attending and sadly to say that one of our group mates and one of them is our leader, he will attend also.    Nevertheless, we continued making it after they will comeback. We rushed doing it and finally we've finished although it is not beautiful and perfect but we are proud to make it because we also learn in our project. Thank you Ma’am Evelyn Vera Cruz for giving us this kind of project because we learn a lot.

           This was another journey of learning ICT and I hope that I can do better and all will be improved this third quarter and for the last quarter also.

New Year, New Me

         

        Every one of us has different characteristics, different assignments, different missions, different tasks, and different responsibilities in life and we should do it in our own ability to accomplish it. But if we cannot do it in our own, then we can seek help from our parents or guardians.

         The year 2014 gave me a lot of challenges and trials but I did all my best to undertake it. I learn a lot from the challenges I pass through like being independent in my works and seeking help if I need some support and comfort. I've never imagined that time really flew or pass by so fast because of the happenings in my life. It’s like an air go pass through in my face. So, we are in the year 2015. As we enter the year 2015, it's like that it was only yesterday when we got to the year 2014. This year is known to be “The year of the Wooden Sheep” but I know that everyone of us is aware about the New Year’s Resolution. This was traditionally taken every before the coming of the New Year’s Eve. These are the things that we want to change within ourselves. This are the inappropriate attitudes or manners that others didn't want to see from us in the past and we want to change to become a good one.

         New Year, New Me. This words had meanings to me. Every year I have a lot of resolutions that I want to change and the others will be improved. Every one of us has different resolutions and hardly practicing and doing them to reach the goal that we are calling “CHANGE”. However, what I want for this year 2015 is to be more respectful to other person because I am the kind of person that I fight for my own right but I am not thinking for what others can feel for what I am doing. Next is to be more independent like in my works or assignments given to me. Next, I want to have more knowledge about everything, everything in my surrounding. Lastly, I want to be a better son for my parents because sometimes I am being disrespectful to them and so I want to be a good one.

         These are the things that I want to be this year 2015. I want a change in my life. I know that this were just simple resolutions nevertheless very important to achieve. 

#Christmas Feels!

As with any festival, Christmas too has many traditions and customs which are being carried forward by families the world over. These traditions and customs may be as varied as the diversity in cultures. Some, though are common to everyone celebrating Christmas in any part of the world.

One of the most popular traditions on Christmas is exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Everyone loves receiving gifts on Christmas. Children, with their innocence wait eagerly for Santa Claus to bring them gifts. In many countries children hang stockings or socks believing that it will be filled with goodies by Santa Claus. But, as adults we understand the significance of giving more than receiving and plan way ahead to get something thoughtful for our near and dear ones.

The tradition of collecting and passing on Christmas ornaments from one Christmas to the next helps in creating fond memories for years to come. Christmas ornaments can be homemade or bought from a store. But a commercial ornament can never compete with the personal touch of an ornament handed down a family tree.

Christmas tree is one of the symbols most easily associated with the festival of Christmas. The Christmas tree takes the pride of place in every living room of every home from Christmas and right up to New Year. Decorating a Christmas tree spells family time as it brings the whole family together right before and at Christmas time. Usually decorations start way ahead of the eve of Christmas. People, irrespective of regions and cultures plan on beautifying their Christmas tree. One can get as creative or individualistic as they want to in the process of looking after and decorating their Christmas tree. 

Christmas Dinner is the primary meal eaten on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Though the menu of this meal may differ across regions or cultures but some of the essential items which are Turkey, Christmas pudding, and Christmas cake are present more or less in every menu. The whole charm of cooking and eating Christmas Dinner with family and people close to you is what makes it different from any meal.

These are the traditions that have undergone a lot of change with time. The plays usually depict the Nativity scene associated with the birth of Jesus Christ but may consist of adaptations to the same theme. The word carol represents a festive song mostly associated with the festival of Christmas. No festive occasion can be complete without music. This holds true for Christmas as well, people sing carols and songs to create the perfect atmosphere for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Traditions and customs are the special flavor of any festivity and that holds true for Christmas as well. It is a festival that is known for its spirit of joyousness and its celebratory atmosphere. These traditions define the gladness and spirit of the season of celebrations that we know as Christmas.

“CLIMATE CHANGE”

           Nowadays climate change is the biggest problem of the world we are living today. It is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social, and economic threats facing our planet today.

        The warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperature, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level. Most of the warming that has occurred over the past years is very likely to have been caused by human activities. The global average surface temperature is likely to rise. The climate can affect every person and our health directly through the increasing of earth’s temperature. Such increases may lead to more extreme heat waves during the summer while producing less extreme cold spells during the winter. There can be also extreme floods and droughts and typhoons/hurricanes. Nowadays there are also factories that really destructive to our health and pollute the air, water and all body surfaces of the world. Another massive problem is that the sea levels are rising and other parts of it was destroyed and/or polluted by dirty materials used by humans or the factories or establishments. Also the expansion of ocean water is caused by warmer ocean temperatures. And the one that is a big issue today is the Green House Effect where it destroys the natural beauty of our Mother Earth.

          I think it is better to stop the changes in climate and then gradually reduce the hunger in the poor countries. Because if we stop the changes, we are going to be healthier and everything around us will be cleaner and it will be how it actually should be. I believe harmony between nature and human beings will return and we will be avoiding all diseases that can harm our health. Let’s go and help save our Mother Earth before anything will happen to us.

Outpouring Hearts and Minds through Literacy and English Proficiency

In our world today, languages are very important. Different languages are used by all countries around the world, first is their original language and second the languages they will use to communicate to other cultures. English language is one of the languages used by everybody and it is said to be the universal language. So every year, we are celebrating the English Month Celebration where we are recognizing the importance of literacy and languages. There were activities made to increase the skills of joining of every students like me. This year's theme of the English Month celebration is "Outpouring Hearts and Minds through Literacy and English Proficiency." It was amended by English Coordinator Marcelino V. Malaban. He said that the importance of learning English language is not only the individual's local and domestic pursuits but for the global affairs as well. English language enlarges human experiences, understandings and practices. This English language is so widely spoken. It had been referred as the "world or global language."

The first importance of English language is that it is a mean to communicate in the interconnected and interdependent world. Nowadays, English is called International Language and it is also the second language of other countries in the world. Therefore, we can realize the importance in communication of this language. When we know English, we can come to and communicate with the citizens of most of counties in this globe, without any confusion in expressing our ideas, thoughts and feelings or emotions. English is widely spoken here in the Philippines. It is used as the business language as well as the medium of expression in schools. It is the language used by the people all over the world in order to communicate with each other. It is also used to connect to other cultures. From this, it is important to encourage all people to be more informed about the advantage of being proficient to it. English proficiency is the ability to speak, read and or write in English. To be proficient, one should have advanced abilities in all of this areas of communication. It was also observed that when we use this proficiencies we can advance to the new world of understanding. Why learning English language is important?  Because it is fun! It is exciting and by learning English, you will also learn about other philosophies. Few experiences will make you grow as a person more than learning the values, habits and way of life in a culture that is different from yours.

In brief, we cannot deny the importance of English language in this modern world. This language helps us to express our knowledge, to talk, to exchange views, and to contract between person and person though wherever we live. Furthermore, in the world that English is considered as the main language, English is now taking an important part in the chance to take a job. Hence, we can predict that English language will continue to develop and bring us more advantages in the near future; and, maybe someday, English will be appreciated as one of the languages in the world.

Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities

           In our world today, opportunities and chances are given to us but we didn’t know when we get there, that there are limitations or boundaries for that is the basis to choose the right one. But in the reality, is this helpful, is this okay to the persons who were not given equal chances for being the one? Is this okay to improve the quality of life of the human beings? The answer is a big NO!

           

Let us try to expand then this topic. The examples that are needing equal rights, equal chances and equal opportunities are countless. Like in Education, applying in a school to study there but sadly to say you are not qualified because you are not a rich man. In love, you are an ugly men and your crush don’t like you because you are like that and your crush would choose the other one that is more presentable than you. In applying a job, you are in the first row of chairs but they intended to pick the one that is in the last row because they know that person because he is popular and he is connected to the company or establishment that he was applying for. In falling in line, the first must be the girls rather than the boys. In a single comfort room, for both male and female, it must be the girls turn first than the boys. Is this fair? Is this rational? What is the reason why there are unfair or biased people that they intended to choose the one that is connected or close to them even though there are others who want to get there but they don’t.

        

  Equal rights and equal opportunities is the essence of a genderless community. Whoever he/she is, should be given equal treatment, same favor and accorded with what is just, good or proper. With this generally accepted concept, we will be creating a culture of oneness, agreeing with the fact which is morally or socially correct and acceptable to all mankind. If the idea of oneness is recognized favorably as binding principle, a boundless community with equal rights and opportunities is instituted.