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Feature: What We Really Learn In School



From the age of three to five, we have been going to school for this main reason: to learn. For years, teachers have been educating us about the different concepts in Science like the beginning of Earth, anatomy of humans and animals, gravity, elements, environment, and more. In Mathematics we are taught the basics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division that are used to do even higher levels of analysis and computation. In English, we are familiarized with different kinds of words, the correct way of writing sentences, and correct grammar, among others. While in Filipino, we are reminded of the importance of our own language and made to read novels like Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to develop our nationalism. There is also Social Studies where the past and present are reviewed and discussed to show us how our history connects with current events in our society.

Simply put, school is mostly about students sitting in a classroom for 10 hours listening to instructors. Most students find this boring and usually resolve it by browsing through their phones, talking to their seatmates or sleeping. When given a difficult question, for example, a Math problem, a number of students (myself included) would say things like “Ano bang silbi nito sa buhay?” or “Saan ba ‘to gagamitin?” I realized that maybe these kinds of things may not be useful for now, but in the future, they will be. When we go to college, these will be beneficial as these may be helpful in our future careers.

Aside from academics, there is another thing that we get from school that we cannot read in any book: a series of life lessons. These life lessons are not directly taught, they are experienced.

Socializing with People



In school, we meet different kinds of people. People who come from different socio-economic divisions, religions, nationalities, races, and more. As we find out more about them, our perspective grows wider.

We find out that there are other species of sea creatures in the ocean, aside from us. We establish the belief that there are people who have interests different from ours, that there are others who are molded in a different manner. We find out that there are people who take chances and people who are afraid to do so. There are people who are religious and people who don’t believe in God. There are also people who think that life is complicated and people who think that it’s just a game. They may make us mad, confused, scared, or happy. Whoever they are, they are sure to leave a mark on us and will forever change us. Because of this, we become aware of how diverse the world is and the people in it are.

Dealing with Different Kinds of Situations



Since school is a melting pot of people with various backgrounds, different situations are also presented to us every day. There may be times when we are faced with challenges like peer pressure, bullying, and losing relationships. When these problems happen, we learn how to adapt.

If our friends are convincing us to do something that we don’t want to, what do we do? If we tell them no, will they still be our friends? If a person is making fun of us, how do we respond? How will we manage the heartbreak of losing a friend or a special someone?

As time passes by, we will be influenced, we will be persuaded, and we will have to decide. We will feel hurt, rejected, belittled, betrayed and more, but it depends on us and on how we are going to handle it.

The Real Success



What we absorb in school is just a part of how we are going to be successful. A big factor that affects our success is how we reach it. School exercises our determination and hard work. One example is the grading system. If we regularly pass our assignments, study for tests and participate, we will be rewarded with a high grade. If we develop values such as patience and determination, we will understand that with perseverance, we will be able to reach our dreams, and eventually success.

It’s All Up to You



Above all, we realize that everything is up to us! We decide on our own. We make our own path. We write our own destiny.

In school, we have exams that test the knowledge of what we have taken in. But in reality, the test is life itself. It’s all on us if we pass or fail. //by Layla Wadi

Feature: Recalling the Last ‘Big One’



Known for being the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio is located in the heart of the mountains of Benguet. It is an elevated plateau that rises 1500 meters above sea level, giving it an average of 18-20 degrees centigrade climate. It is also a place where tourist attractions such as The Mansion, Camp John Hay, Wright and Burnham Park, and the ever-famous lion head are located. Affordable and readily available fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious strawberry taho, and the Harrison Road night market are only some of the many reasons why this place turned into a popular summer getaway. A lot of us might have already visited and felt the cool Baguio breeze, but what most of us might not know is the scarring story behind the city’s present beauty.

Almost 27 years ago on July 16, 1990, at 4:26 p.m., people there were caught off guard.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 literally shook people residing in Central Luzon and provinces around the Cordillera Region. It was recorded that the epicenter of the quake was in Nueva Ecija and the shaking lasted for about a minute that resulted to 15 billion worth of damages and a death toll of around 2,412. Among the provinces that were affected, Baguio was the most drastically damaged.

Buildings such as the 6-story building of Christian College collapsed, trapping around 250 students inside it. Rescuers spent days trying to retrieve bodies that were under the ruins of various buildings and about 1000 bodies were recovered and a thousand more people suffered from serious injuries. A few of them were found alive but many of them died of dehydration.

The famous Hyatt Terraces Plaza suffered the most casualties among all commercial buildings, killing 50 people as its terrace fell down to the lobby. Also, the Nevada Hotel was unbelievably ripped in half and the Baguio Park Hotel was a complete wreck. Even the University of Baguio (UB) didn’t survive the quake after the building’s supporting structure crashed to the ground, killing 23 people who were mostly students. Skyworld Condominium, Commercial Center, The Royal Inn, and the Baguio Hilltop Hotel were also destroyed aside from the residential areas that surrounded the whole city.

This disaster traumatized the citizens of Baguio to an extent where they slept outside their houses for fear of being pinned down by huge blocks of cement from infrastructures that could possibly kill them. They never once thought that a place as innocent and as peaceful as Baguio, could have ever experienced such a nightmare.

With everyone’s life at stake, city-wide earthquake drills, such as the Metro Manila Shake Drill, were held on July 22, 2016. It was organized by the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) in its desire to “promote a culture of preparedness among Metro Manila residents” after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) alerted the public with the possible occurrence of the Big One.

According to the director of PHIVOLCS Renato Solidum, in a news report from the Philippine Star, “The Big One” is a 7.2 earthquake that will arise from the West Valley Fault, predominantly affecting Metro Manila and the provinces surrounding it. In line with this, it was also stated in the report that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for PHIVOLCS and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) conducted a study in 2004 which shows that an earthquake with this magnitude could kill 34,000 people and harm 100,000 individuals.

It only implies that what happened in 1990 is not without a doubt, a possibility here in Metro Manila. And the effects that this potential earthquake have could be even worse, given that cities within the 100-kilometer fault line have more high-rise buildings and infrastructures compared to what was in Baguio back then.

That is why we should all be prepared and knowledgeable enough to be ready in times of sudden calamities like this, even more now that nearly two days ago, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 was felt in different intensities in cities and provinces near Manila. Although no damages and deaths were reported, let it be a wake-up call to prepare us for the uncertainties that might come unexpectedly in our ways.

That is why we all should remember what happened in Baguio. Because it only proves that no one is safe from Mother Earth’s wrath and we are all powerless in choosing our own fate when it’s her turn to decide. We should always be mindful of the fact that earthquakes and other disasters aren’t just a thing of the past but possibilities that can happen right now, in the present, at this time, maybe even while you’re reading this.

We all should remember what happened in Baguio 27 years ago. Because it only proves that no one is safe from Mother Earth’s wrath and we are all powerless in choosing our own fate when it’s her turn to decide. We should always be mindful of the fact that earthquakes and other disasters aren’t just a thing of the past but possibilities that can happen right now, in the present, at this time, maybe even while you’re reading this. //by Jo-ev Guevarra

 Sources:
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/02/14/1672066/prepare-big-one
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-wreaks-havoc-in-the-philippines
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/11/10/1642404/magnitude-5.0-quake-felt-quezon-metro-manila-tarlac
http://www.cityofpines.com/baguioquake/quake.html
http://www.baguioboard.com/geography.php
http://www.dilgcar.com/index.php/baguio-city
http://ph.rappler.com/campaigns/shakedrill/2016/
http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/html/update_SOEPD/2017_Earthquake_Information/April/2017_0404_1258_B1HYDRA.html

Sports: UPIS teachers and staff to participate in Sports Fest



WARM UP. UPIS teachers stretch in a circle as they get ready to play a game of Ultimate Frisbee for the preliminary games of the Sports Fest. Photo Credit: Prof. Grace Sumayo


The UPIS Health and PE Department (HPE Dept.), together with the UPIS Faculty Club, will hold a Sports Fest for UPIS teachers on April 17, 2017 at the UPIS Grounds.

This one-day event will feature sports such as ultimate frisbee, floorball and other modified-fun games that will put the physical aspect of teachers to the test.

According to Prof. Grace Sumayo, head of the HPE Dept., promoting the good health and wellness of the faculty, representatives, and staff is the main objective of the activity. Fostering camaraderie in the UPIS community is also one of its goals.

Preliminary games were already administered prior to the event where Prof. Shiela Pineda and Prof. Paul Mabaquiao oriented some of the teachers on how to play ultimate frisbee. They played some rounds of the game in the process. //by Nathan Ramos, Blade Saliva and Julian Taloma

Opinion: Medalya o Diploma?



Photo Credit: Jem Torrecampo 


Ang makatapos ng hayskul— 'yan ang isa sa mga pinapangarap ng lahat ng estudyante, saanmang paaralan sila magmula. Hindi lamang ito nagbibigay ng karangalan sa kanila, bilang katibayan ng kanilang kakayahang pang-akademiko, kundi nagsisilbi rin itong simula ng pagkamit nila ng tagumpay sa buhay.

Pagdating sa mithiing ito, hindi naiiba ang student-athletes, sapagkat gayong ehemplo sila ng kahusayan sa napili nilang isport, kailangang magaling at ehemplo rin sila sa pagbabalanse ng oras sa paglalaro at pag-aaral.

Hindi isang perpektong tao ang student-athletes. May mga pagkakataong kinakailangang nilang pumili sa pagitan ng pag-aaral at ng pagiging atleta. May mga pagkakataon na may naisasakripisyo ang isang manlalarong mag-aaral.

Ano nga ba ang mas karapat-dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin? Ang pagiging huwaran sa pang-akademikong larangan o ang pagiging magaling sa napiling isport?

Kung ang pagkakaroon ng medalya ang pag-uusapan, hindi maikakaila na bilang mga atleta ay mahalagang bagay ito’t malaki ang maitutulong sa kanilang athletic career. Ang pagsali nila sa iba’t ibang kompetisyon ay isang oportunidad, sa halip na obligasyon, na kanilang nakukuha bilang student-athletes. Ito ang nagbibigay sa kanila ng pagkakataong mahasa sa pinili nilang isport at nagsisilbing ambag nila sa karangalan ng kanilang paaralan.

Isang halimbawa na lamang ng mga ganitong pagkakataon ay ang paglahok taun-taon ng iba’t ibang varsity teams sa University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Dito nila naipapakita ang kanilang talento sa napiling sport sa pamamagitan ng paglaban sa iba pang paaralan para mag-uwi ng mga medalya. Sumasali sa mga kompetisyon sa loob at labas ng bansa ang ibang student-athletes upang ipamalas ang kanilang hindi matatawarang galing. Gayundin, sa pamamagitan nito’y nabibigyang- karangalan nila, hindi lamang ang paaralan kundi ang buong bansa. Marami rin sa kanila ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataon mula sa iba’t ibang unibersidad upang ipagpatuloy ang paglalaro sa kolehiyo kahit na hindi pa sila nakatatapos ng hayskul. Talagang hindi na nakapagtataka kung ang student-athletes ngayon ay nakakatanggap ng ganitong mga oportunidad. Sa kanilang husay at determinasyon sa napiling isport, marapat lamang na matanggap nila ang mga ito. Ginagamit nila ito upang mapabuti pa lalo ang kanilang mga kakayahan sa paglalaro ng kanilang isport.

Subalit dahil paminsan-minsan lang ang paglalaro sa ibang bansa, karamihan sa mapapalad na nakakatanggap nito’y hindi na ito pinapalampas. Sa kabila nito’y hindi rin dapat itangging bahagi ng kanilang pagiging atleta ang pagka-estudyante. Sa katunaya’y nagkaroon sila ng pagkakataong maglaro dahil sa institusyong kanilang kinabibilangan. Sa gayon, inaasahang magtatapos sila ng kanilang hayskul sa kanilang paaralan.

Ang binanggit sa itaas ay ang siyang dapat na nakapangyayari subalit hindi ito ang realidad. May mga atletang higit na pinipili ang alok ng ilang unibersidad na maging manlalaro sa kanilang paaralan kahit pa hindi pa nakapagtatapos ng hayskul sa ilalim ng K-12 program. Sa sitwasyong ito, dapat nga bang ipagpalit ang pagtatapos sa hayskul para sa pagkakataong mapalapit sa kanilang mga pangarap?

Tulad ng sports, ang pag-aaral ay hindi mapapantayan ng kahit na anuman, ngunit ang dalawa ay may malaking pagkakaiba. Para sa ilang atleta, ang pagtahak sa larangang ito ay nangangailangan ng mahabang pasensya at maraming pagsubok. Sa panahong nasa rurok ng tagumpay ang isang manlalaro, maaaring maisip nilang hindi isang pagsisisi ang pagpili sa pagiging atleta, kumpara sa kung magtapos ka ng hayskul. Pagkatapos kasi ng hayskul, mayroon pang kolehiyo, at kung hindi ma’y magtatrabaho ka— at unti-unti’y matutuklasan mong nagsisimula ka pa lamang sa tunay na buhay. Subalit sa oras na mawala na ang kinang ng iyong medalya sa pag-aatleta, marahil ay mapapaisip ka kung ano na ang susunod na maaari mong gawin.

Kung makatatapos ka ng hayskul higit na malaki ang posibilidad na makapasok ka sa kolehiyo. Sa pagtatapos, makatatanggap ka ng diploma bilang katibayan ng iyong sapat na pag-aral. Ang pagtatapos ay patunay ng ilang taong pagsusumikap ng isang mag-aaral. Higit na maraming oportunidad ang magbubukas para sa iyo kapag tinutukan mo ang iyong edukasyon, hindi ka na malilimitahan sa larangan ng sports. Ang edukasyon ay magagamit kahit na nagtratrabaho ka na sa ibang larangan. Kaya naman ang pagkamit nito’y katumbas na rin ng isang napakalaking hakbang papalapit sa iba pang mga pangarap ng isang estudyante.

Mawala man ang isport sa landas ng ating buhay, ang mga aral na natutunan sa eskwelahan ay hindi maiaalis sa ating buhay. Para sa mga atleta, importante ang kanilang larangan sapagkat ito ang nagbigay ng oportunidad papalapit sa kanilang mga pangarap, ngunit dapat tandaan na ang inyong edukasyon ay makapagbibigay ng tiyak na kinabukasan.

Hindi masamang tumanggap ng mga oportunidad na makakatulong sa pagkamit ng mga, lalo na kung ito ay magdudulot talaga ng pagbabago sa buhay ng student-athlete. Subalit sa pagkuha natin ng mga pagkakataong ito, kaakibat nito ang mga bagay na maaring hindi natin makuha. Maaaring sabihin na ang pagiging magaling sa sports ay nangangailangan ng maraming oras at sakripisyo, ngunit hindi ba’t ito rin ang inaalay ng bawat estudyante para sa kanilang pag-aaral?

Ang pagkakataong magtagumpay bilang atleta ay hindi mauubos o mawawala basta’t matiyaga mong hinahasa ang sarili sa napiling isport. Sa kabilang banda, ang pagkakataong makapagtapos ng hayskul ay hindi basta-bastang nakakamit. Ang hirap at pagsusumikap na inilalaan ng bawat estudyante nang maraming taon para sa kanyang pag-aaral ay hindi dapat ipagpalit sa mas madaling paraan ng katuparan ng pangarap.

Totoong hindi dapat palipasin ang mga oportunidad na dumating sa ating buhay lalo na kung ito ang magiging susi sa tagumpay. Gayunpaman, hindi rin dapat sayangin ang sakripisyong ibinibigay natin sa pag-aaral, dahil ang pagtatapos ng pag-aaral at pagkuha ng diploma ay hindi matutumbasan ng anumang medalya. //nina Maica Cabrera, Em Gacad at Jaggie Gregorio
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