Journey to past

The day after the March 9 incident of the Babaytan Girls, my group went to the Rizaliana Museum which was located in the University of Southern Philippines. We were scheduled for a visit in the museum. When we arrived at USP,we hard a hard time dealing with the security guards because they won’t let us in. Luckily, after the long talk with them, they let us in. We immediately went to the museum. The University of the Visayas was also having their visit in the museum. We hesitated to go inside because we were just three and they were many but we swallowed our pride and we went in with them. They were already staring at us but we did not care. We continued taking notes on what we saw. We also listened to Mr. Lucio Pulmones’ discussion. He was the museum curator and he was the one that we interviewed a week earlier before we visted the museum.
According to Mr. Pulmones, the Rizaliana Museum came to life because of clamor in 1950 for a repository for the personal belongings of the Philippines' national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. The things of Dr. Jose Rizal were brought by his sister Doña Rinidad Rizal when she visited Cebu in the year 1951. Among those things were Jose Rizal’s coat, vest, socks, and other valuables.
According to Lucio Pulmones, the museum curator, the museum is the only one in the Philippines that holds the biggest collection of Rizal's artifacts. The museum has the rare collection of the 1909 Jose Rizal postcards with excerpts from his masterpiece poem "Mi Ultimo Adios." There are fourteen postcards because there are fourteen stanzas in the poem. The museum also has the original Katipunan flag and the photographed manuscripts of Rizal's written works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, both of which were donated by Atty. Lourdes Cabrera Tabañag.
Inside the museum, we found interesting thingsowned by our national hero. We saw the original sketck book of Rizal making Josephine as his model. We saw photos of Rizal’s foreign associates, namely, Prof. de Wrecker, Dr. T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Dr. A.B. Meyer, Luis Taviel de Andrade, Francisco Pi y Margall, Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, Dr. Rudolf Virchow, and Dr. Lorenzo Marquez. We also read Josephine’s letter to Rizal. Because it was already old, we had a hard time reading it. We also was Josephines’letters to the director of of "Oceania Española" defending Rizal from the director's unfair attack and the campaign against Rizal.
We also saw other interesting things of Rizal and that includes his report card, letter from Paez, and a statuette of him withhis dog Berganza. In a glass box, Rizal's winter vest, his high collar, his shirt cuff made of white cotton, his checkered winter coat, his blue striped cotton summer pants, a pair of his brown striped socks, his evening wear, and his undershirt aws preserved. Also housed inside the museum is an item donated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
It was a replica of the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Rizal carved while he was studying in Ateneo.
There are lots of interesting things to see in the museum and we enjoyed listening to Mr. Pulmones. We stayed longer than UV because we took notes.

It is like journeying to the past.

SJB

In UP, there exist a lot of groups and SJB is one of those. SJB or the Samahan ng mga Junior Boyz. It was established when we were still in third year. To be a member of the group, one must comply with the requirements. One must pass the initiation process. One must also have a girlfriend and one must have an SJB name. For any offense, butt slap is the punishment. The group believes in the all for one and one for all policy so if you commit an offense, all of the members will have your butt slapped.

Let me introduce the members of the group. Lets start with Anjeanette or Anjo; the commandant of the group. This person never runs out of energy. She is also the legacy holder for sports. Even though she holds that legacy, still she remained humble. She values sportsmanship. She is not just inclined with sports but with music as well. When she sings, it will take anyone’s breath away. With her as the commandant, no wonder that the group surpassed all other groups. Next on the list is Mary Grace, also called Mario. She is the brains of the group. This girl has a very interesting personality. She is a consistent honor student but despite her intelligence, she still has her feet on the ground. She is not just a good friend but also a good classmate. The third member is Aiko; the songwriter. This girl is blessed with many talents. Singing, dancing, acting, songwriting, name it. This person is close to my heart because she was my first friend in UP. Anyone will enjoy chatting with her. Next will be Shydel or Wendell; the singer of the group. This girl holds a very strong personality. Everyone knows her for her being frank and straightforward. She was blessed with a nice singing voice. Beware of this person because she’s dangerous. She is also a good friend of mine. Next is Yolike or Yul; the artist. She is the artist of the group. She was gifted with such creative hands. She is also one of the people so close to me because we were classmates for already four years. She was also the first person who talked to me. This girl is a good and helpful friend. She will never let you down when you’re in trouble. The sixth member is Novelyn or Ivan; the clown. Why clown? Because she always keep us laughing. She always has that smile that can take anyone’s sadness vanish. She is also a good confidant. Next is Juna, also called Janu. “The Baby.” She is the baby of the group because she is the youngest. This girl possessed the beauty that could launch a thousand boats. She is not just a beauty but also an intellectual. This girl wants to be discovered someday. I love this girl because she’s very kind and simple. The eighth member is Doanne or Dylon; the friendly. This person is everybody’s friend. She is very gregarious and kind hearted. Blessed with a great singing voice and dancing skill, this person never seems to remain humble. Next is Jann or Jairus; the drummer. I never expected that this cute lady will be a good friend of mine. She is very talented. She’s not just good in acting, dancing, wriring, and directing. She’s good in playing the drums. I know that this lady will soon become famous as she dances in the rhythm of life. Next is Ella or Elias; the kikay of the group. This person is also one of the most famous in UP. She is gifted with good speaking ability and acting skills. This kikay always has something to say. Next is Christille; the feeler. She always wanted to be part of the group. This feeler never fails to captivate us with her heavenly voice. The lat member is yours truly. With these talented members, SJB became the best group.

Bonding for Lyf

Last Saturday, we had our batch retreat. I woke up at around 5:30 am. I immediately prepared the things that I’m going to bring and placed them on my bag. After packing my things, I took a bath. After bathing, I dressed myself up and after a few minutes Shydel arrived in our house. She was bringing a lot of things; we then waited for Jessa because we will go to the supermarket to shop for goods that we will need. It was funny because we had a deal that we would speak Tagalog inside the supermarket and if anyone of us speaks another language aside from Tagalog will buy something for us. All of the people who hear us ask us if we came from Manila. After buying the things that we need we then headed our way to UP high. Assembly time was at eight in the morning at the UP grounds.

We had a psychological activity facilitated by Madam. Maglasang. We tackled on the possible outcomes of different situations that we might experience. We were grouped and we shared our answers to our group mates. Our answers were quite the same. Maybe it’s because of our age and mentality. After discussing with our group mates, we then discussed our answers as a class.

After the discussion, we had another activity called plus delta. We were then divided into two groups. One of the groups will sit in the chairs forming a big circle. They are asked to close their eyes. The other group will say something good or positive to the ones seated in the circle. As I was listening to what they are saying, my eyes became teary and later on my tears were starting to fall. I never thought that they appreciated the small things that I’ve done for them. I did not even know that I was kind and talented. The things that they told me made my heart fat. They always say “way kalimtanay ha.” Of course I will never forget you guys.

The bond of friendship that we had created was already something. It was strengthened by the pressure and trials that we have encountered. I was really glad to hear them say nice things of me. When it was already my groups turn to say positive things of them, I cannot stop my tears anymore. I told each one of them what I feel and how I appreciate their presence.

After that activity, I realized that the bonding we have created was already something. During lunch break I did not eat because I ran out of money because of the things I bought from the supermarket. When the jeepney arrived, we immediately got our bags and hurried ourselves to the jeepney.

In the jeepney, we had a deal and that was to speak Tagalog all throughout the trip to St. John’s Mission. If anyone in the jeepney speak another language aside from Tagalog will have a punishment. The trip was so fun because the road to St. John’s Mission was going up and down. At last we arrived in the venue for our retreat. I have been there once so I was not that amazed. The place was very suitable for reflection.

Sigh..

Last March 9,2006 was an unforgettable day for me and for all the Tan girls. It was a hot and sunny day. My throat is itching and the hot sun dried my lips. During our CWTS period, we were made to practice the so called "pass and review.” It will be our tribute for those teachers who are retiring. We practiced marching in the open field. At first, it was just fine and the heat of the sun was tolerable but later on, my knees and feet became weak. It was already painful and we were seldom given a break and if ever we were given, it was only about one or two minutes and we were made to run if we would get something. After running, again we were made to practice marching.

When the first period of our CWTS was about to end, April Gamboa stopped marching ans told out commanding officer that she was feeling dizzy and when I looked at her, she was already pale and she was catching her breath. Our commanding officer then ordered her to move out of the platoon. We were also given a two-minute break. I was happy because at least , we could rest even if for a few minutes. Suddenly, our commanding officer said “sige kakuyap sad mo tanan para makapahuway sad mo!” My blood pressure rose up and I was starting to be furious. Even if he said it in a manner like he was just joking, I was very angry about it because it was very sarcastic. Its as if she doubts April.

After the two-minute break, the bell rang for recess but we did not eat because we lost a lot of energy that we could barely walk. I was not really comfortable because I was having my period then. After the break, we were asked to carry the chairs from the classrooms to the Arts and Science building for the UPHS examination. It was very tiring and when we arrived in the AS building, we were all catching for our breath. We then seated ourselves in the chairs we carried. I thought that it was going to be our final task but I was wrong. When we were already heading our way to the other campus, we were surprised to see our commanding officer counting. We immediately ran to form our formation but the other members of our platoon arrived late and this made our commanding officer very angry that he gave us thirty-one bombers as punishment. It was hard for me because I have menstruation and he knows it. He was very inconsiderate. After the thirty-one bombers, I was already dizzy but we were given an additional of five bombers. For me, it was injustice. I certainly do not think that we deserved that kind of punishment. My tears fell because of anger and after the pamamaalam I ran immediately to our classroom. In the classroom, another breathtaking incident occurred.

My FriEndShiPs....

Do you know the secret behind a contented and happy person like me? Well, its not a secret anymore because almost all of the people know it already. Lets just say that the reason or shall I say reasons behind my contentment and happiness are not things nor events but people. They are the people closest to my heart, the people I am with everyday, and the people who know me well. They are Ms. Juna Rose Dinglasa, Ms. Jessa de Erio, Ms. Yolike Alverio, Ms. Novelyn Lao, and Ms. Shydel Raya. They are talented people with such interesting and unique personalities
I’ll proudly introduce them one by one. Lets first start with Juna also known as Jai-Jai; the actress. We were classmates when we were sophomores. She is not just a beauty but also an intellectual. With her childish behavior, one might think that she is just a twelve-year-old girl. She is a very good confidant and a very true person and that’s what I like about her. With her beauty, body, intelligence, and talents, no wonder boys go crazy over her. Who’s next? Okay, lets move on to Jessa or Ja-Ja; the book lover and my long lost twin sister. She was one of my first friends in UP. She was my classmate already three years and we’ve spent unforgettable moments together. We share a lot of common things like eating, dancing, and burping. She is like a sister to me because what happens to one of us happens to the other. She is fun to be with because we always hangout. Next on the list is Yolike or Ai-Ai; the artist. She is a very caring and patient person. She loves reading books and making masterpiece out of scraps. We enjoy each others company because our personalities are alike. She may be patient but when she bursts into anger, watch out. Next in line is Novelyn; the artist. She is also one of the most artistic person in our batch. This person never fails to make all of us laugh. She is a humorous and amiable person and I love her for that. We became friends because I accidentally pushed her when we were still freshmen. It’s funny because we do have a lot of similarities and one of those is the type of guy we like. She always has that big smile that could take away your anxiety. She is so close to my heart and I admire her. The last on the list is Shydel or shedyl; the singer. This friend of mine has a very colorful and strong personality. This talkative girl never runs out of words. I like her because she is frank and straightforward. We hang around always because she is just a distant neighbor of mine. These people that I mentioned earlier are the people behind a happy and contented person named Jezza. We all have differences but despite all those, we still have that what we call chemistry.

sTaRgAzInG

Isn’t it delightful to see stars? I really like to see them twinkle and it gives me a relaxing feeling. Last Friday, the University of the Philippines Stargazers Society had an overnight stargazing at the UP high grounds. It has been a puffy evening but it did not stop us from having an overnight. We were also happy to have Mr. Christopher Go; a NASA recognized Filipino astronomer. He gave a short lecture of the latest discoveries and information in the field of astronomy.

After the lecture, we went out of the LEADER and went to the soccer field. We laid ourselves down to watch the stars but we could not see any. The moon was very big and very bright but the clouds covered it. Because we cannot see any stars or meteors, we then went back to the LEADER and watched a movie entitled Shatter. They were all screaming so loud and they were tremulous. Some of my classmates including me already saw the movie and so we were not much frightened. My classmates decided to go out of the room because the movie was stopped because it created a loud noise and we might disturb the neighboring houses. We went to our mats to lie down and sleep but I could not. Some of my classmates were already asleep and some were doing other business. I just spent the night texting with my cousins and friends.

When it was already midnight, the wind grew thicker and there was extreme coldness in the place. We were all trembling in the coldness of the night. We hugged one another to generate body heat and lessen the coldness that we experience. Later on, I found myself sleeping but a little later I was awakened by the voices of my classmates. It was around
1:00 am when and I felt the cold breeze all over my body. I was able to sleep again but not that long. I again woke up at around 3:00 am and my classmates were still awake by that time. Some of them were playing cards and some of them were talking to each other. This time, it was much colder and so we covered and hidden ourselves underneath the sarong. We were also much closer this time.

I even had a dream; a bad dream. I dreamt that Novelyn and I was experiencing a hold-up situation and we were running because the hold-upper was chasing us. I did not know what happened next because I heard the noisy alarm of the freshmen and it woke me up.

When it was already six in the morning, everyone was already awake and it was already time to fix the mats. Theresa then called every one of us for the picture taking. After the picture taking, we fixed ourselves and went home. When I arrived in the house, I took a bath and took my breakfast because I am again going to school for our recollection.

Even if there was no star in the sky that night, I was still happy becausev I was with my close friends and classmates. It was a bonding time for all of us especially for the Seniors who are about to grasduate. I will always cherish that moment.

KYSD

Last Feb.25 and Feb.26; 20o07 was our KYSD or the Know Your School Day. It is one of the major activities in UP high. It is the time when students get the chance to experience being one of the Faculty members and UP staffs. Everyone is qualified for any position. One must apply for the position he or she wants to replace. The available positions are the position of the principal, subject teacher, guidance counselor, clerk, and PED or Professional Education Division Chairperson. It is same as applying for a job because one must fill in an application form and submit it to the person he or she wants to replace..

It’s a fun-filled experience because it is not usual to see your classmate being the principal or teacher of the school. I never experienced being a teacher because I am afraid to try. I am afraid because they might not understand my teachings.

We started with the formal opening of KYSD. After the flag ceremony, the students who were accepted for the different positions were given their Identification Cards. After that, Mr. Daniel Nellas handed the key of responsibility to the student principals.

Dan Henry Montano and Gabrielle Roxanne Cabunoc became our principals, Stacey Kaye Fortuna became our guidance counselor, Ella became the Professional Education Division Chairperson and

As for our teachers, Elaine Reyna Miranda became our Filipino teacher, Shydel Raya,. Christine Marie Nolasco, and Sunshine Enriquez, and Eldee Balolong became our Social Science teachers, Jann Kristel del Mar and Michael Angelo Joaquin became our Calculus teachers even though we were not classmates, and April Rhiz Dichos became our Computer teacher. They became our teachers for two days. It was fun enjoyable. We also learned a lot from them. It is great because you can easily approach them and ask questions from them without any hesitation.

Our teachers were also happy because they were given the chance to relax and rest. During the KYSD closing, the teachers were asked to sit at the front seats of the open stage. Each year level prepared a presentation for the teachers. We also bought tokens for them. After the presentations, we gave them the tokens and I can see it in their eyes that they very much appreciate it. Some of the teachers even cried.

After the activity, I realized that it is not easy to be a teacher because it is indeed very stressful especially when you have hard headed and noisy students like us. It is not easy to prepare the lessons that you will teach your students.

After I graduate, I will never forget these teachers because they became my second parents and they have molded me into a better person. I owe them everything I am now. Without them, my life would have been such a mess and I would not have any direction. These people will always have a special place in my heart.

This is one of the activities that I will never forget and I will always treasure.