DAY OF FREEDOM

 

               After 300 years of Spanish domination, Filipino insurgents led by Emilio Aguinaldo declare independence from Spain during the Spanish-American War. The Spanish were defeated by Filipino rebels and US soldiers by mid-August, but Aguinaldo's aspirations for independence were shattered when the US legally seized the Philippines as part of its peace accord with Spain.

               During the 16th century, the Philippines became a Spanish colony, and after the Spanish-American War in 1898, they were ceded to the United States. Philippines established a self-governing commonwealth in 1935. After a 10-year transition, Manuel Quezon was chosen president and charged with preparing the country for independence. During World War II, the islands were occupied by the Japanese in 1942, and US soldiers and Filipinos fought together to reclaim sovereignty in 1944-45. The Republic of the Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946.

 

References:

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/philippines.html#:~:text=From%20history.com%2C%20THIS%20DAY,300%20years%20of%20Spanish%20rule.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/philippine-independence-declared

HOME IS WHEREVER YOU ARE, MOM.

 

               Mother's Day is an international holiday honoring mothers that is observed in many nations. The modern version of the holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the United States. Many other countries observe the holiday on this day, while others do it at different periods of the year. On Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, the custom of permitting those who had migrated away to visit their home parishes and mothers evolved during the Middle Ages. In the United Kingdom, this became Mothering Sunday, which has mostly been superseded by Mother's Day in modern times. On Sunday, May 8, 2022, Mother's Day will be observed.

 

               Mothers and mothers-in-law are essential. They're probably the first people we meet when we're born, and they love and care for us throughout our lives. Every year, countries all around the world commemorate Mother's Day, a day devoted to all moms on which we can express our gratitude. Every country that celebrates Mother's Day does it in a variety of ways, rooted in distinct traditions and enacted by individuals who appreciate the importance of honoring women.

               Mother's Day is a significant holiday in the Philippines. This is owing to the prominent role of mothers in Filipino culture. Mum is known as the "ilaw ng tahanan," or "house light," because of the love, joy, and brightness she offers to the family. Bringing her breakfast in bed, taking her out for lunch or dinner, giving her a card or a present, making a special phone call to tell her how much you miss and love her, and simply showing up at the family Mother's Day event to spend some time with her are all common ways to treat Mum right on Mother's Day in the Philippines.

 

               Mothers play an important role in the family, which is a powerful force for social integration and cohesion. The mother-child bond is critical for children's proper growth. Mothers are also breadwinners for their families, as well as carers. We may find our mothers irritating at times, yet she never fails to love us unconditionally. She always forgives us and showers us with the same true and pure love, no matter how many mistakes we make. She is the one who is always concerned about their children's happiness.

 

References:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day

https://publicholidays.ph/mothers-day/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mothers-Day 

VIVA VIGAN BINATBATAN: FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

               The Binatbatan street dance is one of the main attractions during the week-long celebration, as it involves smashing cotton pods to remove the seeds for Abel weaving. Locals see this as an occupational dance employing two sticks known as "batbat." "The Binatbatan Festival can be traced back to Vigan's abel weaving business, which predates the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines."

               It is a dance that developed in the Philippines' Ilocos region in the northeast. The funny motions of this dance were created specifically for children and resemble the actions of cotton growers who use sticks to extract seeds from the threads.

               People congregated in designated areas after the streets were closed. The drums are beating proudly and loudly. In colorful costumes, the street dancers enthusiastically scream "Viva Vigan!" The Binatbatan festival has developed to become one of the Philippines' major cultural festivals. Binatbatan Festival is one of Vigan City's most well-known festivals. Every year, every bigueno anticipates the celebration of this holiday. An important commemoration of the Abel Iloco handloom weaving business.

 

References:

http://vigancity.gov.ph/binatbatan-festival-of-the-arts-2019-2/

https://tawidnewsmag.com/viva-vigan-binatbatan-festival-of-the-arts/

LADIES SLAYED!

 

                              Women make up roughly half of the world's population, as we all know. Despite such acute awareness and information, the terrible truth endures. In our society and in the world we live in, women are frequently denied the opportunity to play a decision-making role in numerous professions. How can we expect the world to grow when our patriarchal society's decision-makers are all men? And they're making decisions on behalf of women without even realizing or beginning to comprehend the difficulties that women face in their daily lives.

               Empowerment is a broad concept, and everyone's definition is different. However, the general concept of empowerment is to involve those who are frequently left out of decision-making processes. In this scenario, women's empowerment comes from their inclusion and acceptance in such roles. We can't all succeed if half of us aren't allowed to participate, can we?

               Previously, men determined the position of women in society, which included running a family, being married at a young age, and dealing with issues such as dowry and accepting various sorts of abuse in married life. Unlike in ancient times, women are now venturing outside their houses to work and earn a living in order to support themselves and their children. As a result, even the rules and ways of working in modern times must change. Of course, this transition will not occur immediately; any change is gradual. The first step must be to recognize their contribution to the economy and to provide them with more chances. It is empowering when women are given opportunity in terms of education and career in their fields of interest without any constraints or limitations. This empowers all girls and women to choose and decide what will improve their social position. It is long past time for gender roles to be challenged and norms to be shattered. Empowerment can take many forms; for example, social empowerment occurs when women in the media are depicted as evolved and worthy individuals rather than in a regressive light. Economic empowerment occurs when women are treated as contributors in the same manner that men are and are compensated accordingly.

               Education is the most important type of empowerment because it actually levels the playing field and puts everyone on an equal footing. It shouldn't matter if someone is a man or a woman when they are educated as long as they get the job done. That is why girls should have access to education. These educated girls develop into self-assured, intelligent, and moral women who excel in all fields and can also become department leaders and decision-makers. Education is an excellent weapon for empowering women since it will bridge all other divides in our society, allowing us to grow as a nation.

References:

https://www.worldvision.com.au/womens-empowerment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_Philippines

https://givingcompass.org/article/a-wake-up-call-for-womens-empowerment

https://blog.ipleaders.in/role-policy-making-women-empowerment/

CHAOTIC QUARTER

 

               Any community-based endeavor is referred to as a community project. This term encompasses a wide range of topics within a community or a collection of networking entities. Projects can cover practically any topic, including the most visible aspect of any community's concern: welfare. Neighbors, community groups, and partners can use community projects to gather financial and in-kind contributions for park development projects that are in line with PARD's aims and priorities.

 

               During the making of my works, I have encountered so many things that affect my performance during this quarter. Having a poor internet connection really affects my projects and it is really hard to search. Another thing is I am being blank-minded all the time whenever I make my outputs and it is really annoying. I can’t focus on my studies during this semester because I am unable to finish all my outputs in just one week. Sometimes, some of the subjects are not clear and it is really blurry.

               Life is full with difficult events and hurdles. When confronted with one, focus on the positive aspects, no matter how minor or inconsequential they may appear. Even if it's not immediately apparent, you can always discover the proverbial silver lining in every cloud if you look for it. Positive thinking can be achieved through a few different techniques that have been proven effective, such as positive self-talk and positive imagery.

 

               Moving on, I will have a positive mindset in the next quarter. If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

 

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-think-positive#tips

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_project

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/positive-thinking-overview

 

FILIPINO PEOPLE VS. COVID-19

                On Monday, February 7, as the Philippines entered its third year of fighting the coronavirus pandemic, the government began immunizing children aged 5 to 11 against the fatal virus. Due to "logistical obstacles," the immunization was moved back from its original date of Friday, February 4, to Saturday, February 5. The first 780,000 doses of the vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech arrived on Friday night only.

 

               The Pfizer vaccine is being used since it is the only one that has gained emergency use approval from the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration for children aged 5 to 11. They are given a lesser dose and concentration of the Pfizer vaccination than children aged 12 to 17. In October 2021, the country began immunizing 12- to 17-year-olds. The vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 began at the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children's Medical Center, National Children's Hospital, Manila Zoo, SM North Edsa (Skydome), and the Fil Oil Gym in San Juan City, all in Metro Manila. On Tuesday, February 8, the immunization will be extended to Central Luzon and Calabarzon. Myrna Cabotaje, the Philippines' National Vaccine Operation Center's undersecretary, said the government wants to vaccinate 15.5 million children aged 5 to 11 in the country.

               According to the Department of Health, children aged 0 to 11 made up 69.2 percent of COVID-19 cases recorded in the pediatric group (those aged 17 and under) in January 2022. "During the Omicron wave, the proportion of children aged 0 to 11 years old in total pediatric cases is higher than during the Delta wave. In September, patients in the 0-11 age group accounted for 56 percent of all pediatric cases, rising to 69.2 percent in January, according to the DOH. Infections increased throughout all age categories as a result of the recent surge in cases caused by the highly transmissible Omicron strain, with the highest increases among 18- to 59-year-olds, followed by children under the age of 5, and then 5- to 11-year-olds.

 

               Though the number of cases has decreased in recent days, daily infections are still greater than they were before the Omicron outbreak. The Philippines is currently classified as a "moderate risk" country. On January 10, the country was designated as "critical risk" due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. On January 15, it had the largest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day, with 39,004.

 

References:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

THE DAY OF VALOR

 

               Major General King of the United States Army was compelled to surrender his forces of nearly 76,000 Filipino, Chinese, and American men to the Japanese at dawn on April 9th, 1942. The Japanese, unprepared for the large number of detainees, opted to walk them 150 kilometers to a prison camp at San Fernando. On this march, about 20,000 POWs died from malnutrition, weariness, or at the hands of the Japanese. The journey was dubbed the 'Bataan Death March.'

               While the holiday commemorates a victory for the opposing forces, the heroic defense of Bataan by those soldiers was viewed as a pivotal event in the war because it gave the allies time to prepare for later battles that halted the Japanese advance in the Pacific, eventually leading to a change of fortunes and allied victory. On February 8th, 1945, American and Filipino forces reclaimed the Bataan peninsula.

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Valor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bataan