MaKE UP!

MaKE or the Math Knowledge Enhancement program was a project originally from the UP High Student Council last year, headed by Nasvin del Rosario, the prevoius SC president. It was included in the top five outstanding local projects last year but did not win the top prize because of some lacking papers and evidences of student progress. This is a mentoring program which aims to teach different students in elementary, to improve their Mathematical skills, and to encourage them to like the subject more.
This year, the Student Council is pursuing the project headed by Euvic Ferrer, our president and our most versatile Math teacher Mr. Robert Basadre. It is now in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporation (RAFI), hoping to achieve its main objective and the possible honor that would be gained if this project would still be included as one of the most outstanding local projects. This time, target students are from the Hipodromo Elementary School. This year’s MaKE mentors, as what they name it, are UP High students from sophomores to the seniors. I am very much honored to be part of this program.
It is not my first time to teach people because I am also part of the UP Netizens.org, which also offered mentoring services to older people last year. But this time is more challenging and exciting because we are teaching young adolescents, and with the subject Math!
On the first day of our visit to Hipodromo, the students welcomed us warmly. Teachers of the school, Staff of RAFI, and the Mentors of UP had a short program at the Hipodromo’s gym. We were given recognition. We also had a fun activity getting to know all the students that would be included in the mentoring sessions. All of the mentors shook hands with all of the students on stage. We were also served with good food which they always do every Saturday mentoring.
We follow the school’s rule of the 4 P’s: presence, punctuality, presence, and participation. Presence pertains to the perfect attendance which the mentors and the students, should as much as possible, be perfected. Punctuality refers to trait of coming before the mentoring starts. Prayer is always the way to start a class. And participation is what the mentors expect from the students.
“Sir!” “Kuya!” How pleasing to hear these words from the mouth of younger students whom I am now mentoring every Saturday. It is a great thing for me because I do not have younger siblings and I really want to have one. I just treat them as my younger siblings despite their very naughty personalities. I always have a good time because of their childish approach. It is because now, I spend most of the time with my batchmates who are already young adults. My students make me feel respected. They give me time to feel and act superior.
This activity improves not just my students, but also myself. This lengthens my patience and improves my approach to different people. This activity indeed improves my personality teaches me many things that should be learned in life.

ASEAN: Shame It?

Done recently is the 12th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit with the theme: “One Caring and Sharing Community”. It was supposed to be hosted by Myanmar but the Philippines took the responsibility of having it held in the country. It was supposedly scheduled December last year, but because of some weather disturbances, it was postponed to January of this year.
The said event caused the time-pressured building of the grandiose Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), with an expense amount that reached P515 million. Other government expenses were the making of the center islands and the Deco lamps, which were overpriced. Some people say that the extra amount alotted for these facilities go straight to the pockets of the government officials. That is why the event was termed ASEAN Shame it.
Maybe there are still a lot of things I do not know about this year’s ASEAN Conference. But let me point out my personal views on this event.
This event was in done in Mandaue City, Cebu. That is why I also feel honored because I reside in this city. This event really had done a lot of improvements in the city. As already mentioned, the CICC was built here. Roads were decorated with the center islands, and streets were somehow made pleasing to the view because of the deco lamps. Mandaue City really had the least of the public ‘loss’. Another good point of having such worldly event is the prestige and honor gained by the country. Because the Philippines served as this Summit’s venue, it somehow improved the views of other nations’ people of the country. It also showcased our customs and culture. It also showed to the world the capability of the Filipinos to make some world-class furniture and the different local delicacies we have. This could be one way of making the Philippines known all over the globe.
But despite these positive effects, there are more negative ones to tackle about. Even though it beautified our place, the fact still remains that it used the public funds. The primary use of these public funds is for the general welfare and development of the people. And I do not see the direct positive effect of this expenditure of public funds to the Filipino community. As discussed in our Social Science class, these expenditures are called Portfolio investments. And that this event is a white elephant, with so much money used but of so little significance!
I could still recall that this government is of the people, by the people and for the people. I believe that this event gave less benefit to the government and more to the people running the government. They were spending so much of the public funds and only benefit themselves. I do believe that these are important issues that we, the sovereign Filipino people should talk and write about. Our views should be heard and should be acted upon by a positive response from the remaining honest government officials we have. And I do agree with people fighting for what they think is right in rallies. Afterall, life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

Batch 127

Summer 2006 may be the best summer for me because it was when I joined the Kool Adventure Camp (KAC). It was a required activity for the incoming student council members this school year, which I am part of. It was a 3-day camping experience from April 20 to 22 held in David Livingston Academy in Liloan. We were batch 127. It was only a short camp but it was the longest time I spent away from my mother. But it did not matter that much because, with me were my very good friends whom I feel secured with.
As the program says, the camp involves outdoor activities with fast-paced action, trust, intriguing challenges, and the atmosphere of risk-taking, set within a safe environment. Some of the experiences I hungered for, even feared, were done during the camp. We slept in a tent; of course, with the gender separation, which I do not really like. But we were treated well and served with good food.
On the first day, I got to know different students and teachers from different schools, and the KAC facilitators. We, the Upians were bringing travel bags and many things and we were shocked with the small backpacks our co-camper brought! We were in our camp name, which gave me the name Vinz. I was so glad to meet such wonderful people. We played some indoor games and did some talk.
The second day was the most unforgettable day for me. We travelled from Liloan to Lapulapu. There, we had been through a lot of ropes courses. I experienced, for the very first time, walking through a rope with a pair. I had wall climbing with two other pals, one of us blind-folded! I also experienced jumping from a very tall and shaking pole! They were very challenging but we had harnessesand different safety facilities with of course, our trained facilitators. Even though they were a challenge-by-choice, I was so happy and proud to have accomplished all three challenges. Every activity was really explained well by a Kool Adventure staff. After doing each challenge, we had reflections and sharing of learnings and insights. According to the KAC handbook, they are simply about learning the basic values of communication, cooperation, and trust, in a medium of fun.
The third day was more on lecture. We aldo had a dramatic farewell to everyone. It was full of emotions that many realizations were made, and tears were shed. In culmination, we were given certificates and the KAC shirt.
The program really did touch people through adventure. It was really an effective leadership-training program, for I learned alot more about myself and on how to be a good leader. I really enjoyed the experience and the new found friends. Indeed, the campers became very close and still keep in touch with each other. In fact, the program is planning to have a grand reunion, inviting all previous batches of the come until the most recent one this coming March. I look forward to another fun and exciting experience soon.

Beep, Beep!

“Beep, beep!” This tune is frequently heard in the streets, malls, and all other public places. This sound may be produced by many other things, but is often heard from cellphones.
Majority of us now already owns a cellphone. Even the oldest grandfather, to the youngest grandchild already knows how to use cellphones. But are these products of modernization really that essential to human welfare and progress?
Our ancient ancestors were able to live a productive life without the presence of cellphones. This just reminds us that living a normal life without these gadgets is possible. Even other people say that having such a gadget is just a waste of money. That, these are mere indicators of social classes and are insignificant to human life. This often causes the start of a relationship, but often the cause of break-ups. It also causes the rampant cases of theft and robbery when people use their phones in dark public places. This can also cause people to injure themselves damage others by texting while crossing the street and using their phones while driving. Even churches are not exempted for a place for use. And because an improved unit comes out now and then, people keep on switching phones and spend so much of their money.
Though these situations hold true, still, I do believe that cellphones nowadays are very essential. Without these, how could businessmen get easy access to their clients? With its many features, people could experience more fun and creative ways of communication. It is also one way of connecting with the rest of the world. Indeed, these portable devices and the networks controlling them bring in a lot of advantages. One of which, which people of my age enjoy is unlimitexting.
Unlimitexting or unlimited texting is a service rendered by a network, which gives people the power to send as many text messages as they can for an indicated time and amount of money paid. This could make our endless chats possible. We conduct games, updates and all things we could think of. This is often the cause of sleepless nights and misprioritization of things to do. This may also cause parents to scold their children; even I am a victim of this! But of course, this is used not only for leisure but also for academic purposes. Because majority of our batch already avail of this service, we get easy access to each other, yet unlimited! We use this to our advantage by asking anything regarding school activities, tests, assignments, and many more. Because of this, telephones are rarely used. Indeed, this service brought about by having a cellphone is enjoyable and beneficial as well.
I do believe that the judgment of whether a cellphone is essential or not, depends on how the user uses it. Technology is made for the betterment of our lives. But this always depends on how the owner of this technology takes control of it, either to improve or worsen his life.

Know Me!

I am Arvin Fernandez Suralta, a 16-year-old senior student of the University of the Philippines High School in Cebu. People call me by different names of endearment like Vin, Arvs, Arvinity, Vinz, and others. But I find it very sweet of a person to call me simply by my real name. I presently reside in Lower Camelot Street, Queenly Homes Subdivision, Tabok, Mandaue City. I am the youngest in the family. I have three siblings, two brothers and one sister.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”. This quotation by Albert Einstein somewhat describes my personality. I am just a simple person living a simple life. A simple individual who does what other people do. I am gifted with some talents and skills, which I hope to practice and develop someday. I see myself as a loving son and a good brother. I am very close with my mother whom I consider my best friend.
I believe that I am also a good friend whom anyone can trust. I am generous and kind to others. But sometimes I make them mad because of the way I express myself. I make them laugh especially during bad times. I can give advices too. When they are down, I also encourage them to still believe that life is worth living despite the trials and tough times. After all, we should respect our own life because as stated as the fourth unwritten law of nature, life is a precious gift from God.
I believe that Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life. Education is life itself. I consider this process a very important one because it is by this process that we are molded into better individuals. I consider myself as a small thing in this big world. I am but a person too common to be recognized by the crowd. But even though I consider myself as such, I still find myself as a productive and useful person in this world. I do my best to be able to graduate and see myself as a successful someone, someday. I do not involve in vices, which can hinder me from achieving my goals. I believe that all great achievements come from working and waiting. That is why I strive hard to reach my goals and aspirations in life. I do this not to gain praises, but to help others in need.
Many people think that I am strong and brave because of my attitude towards the conflicts and problems I have encountered in life. I just laugh at them and still not lose hope. But they do not know that inside me is a soft heart only relying faithfully to one God. The Light of Christ is the ultimate source of my strength to carry on until I reach the fulfillment of my dreams. With Him, I can say that I am whole, a person created for a definite purpose.