IT"S DONE IT"S ALL DONE

4:16 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

"On the scale of one to ten, how much fight do you have in you?"

That was the first line of my speech for the public speaking competition. For ABMA151, it was more like, "On the scale of one to ten, how many times did you fight?" Funny, right? Our block, they said, had the most people in it. One of our professors said, "Your block could have been so powerful." Yes, could have been. ABMA151 is filled with so many different voices, different minds, different opinions, and all those things put together in one block made the dragons within ourselves breathe fire. We fought so. many. times. We cursed each other and made each other cry, not only because of this competition, but because of every single competition we had to go through as a block during English turn. However, (it's funny how there are always "buts" and "despites" huh?) we managed to come together yet again. All the other blocks did great - amazing, even - and we honestly didn't expect to win because we had to go through so many things during practices only to be faced with performances much better than ours. People may think that we are braggers for being happy about this win, but I stopped caring because it is never wrong to celebrate. I'd also like to congratulate my blockmates who won individual awards and made us proud to say we are in one class, one block. It is a honor to have so many talented people surround me even if we don't get along most of the time. Our block is divided AF, but I can now say that despite that, we are still as powerful as one group of people can be. Placing 2nd Runner-Up was a great way to end the all-English term and all I can say now is:

IT'S DONE IT IS FINALLY DONE WE CAN FINALLY SLEEP PEACEFULLY AND EAT WELL AND JUST BREATHE FINALLY

(Well, at least for one month..."

Oh My God, What Was That?

7:21 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

Okay, what did I just go through? Listen, I have honestly never done anything like participating in a PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION. I used to have stage fright; every time I was faced with an audience, I always started shaking. When I found out that we had TWO public speaking classes for the all-English term, I wanted to bolt - to straight up skip school altogether. The moment our first speech project happened, I felt like fainting in front of class. I hated it. I hated how everyone's eyes were on me. I hated how people were just waiting for me to make a mistake. I basically hater public speaking in general. God, I was so scared that day. Apparently, though, I seem to have improved a lot. By a lot, I mean a lot. I would've fainted in front of everyone if I didn't learn to ignore everyone watching. I would've panicked as soon as my eyes met with the audience. There were a lot of things that could've happened, and those aren't good things at all. I never would have imagined myself standing there on stage and talking in front of IDK-how-many people. I didn't even want to be a finalist, really, because being a finalist would mean delivering your speech onstage and that was never on my bucket list. Buuut, (un)fortunately, my name was called and I embarrassed myself onstage - I mean, what? Standing on stage was one of the (worst) most memorable experiences I have ever had. I am thankful for the people who cheered for me and believed in me despite my constant whining about how I was gonna mess up. I am thankful for the one who is always one message away, waiting inside that little chathead on my phone. I am thankful for the one who never fails to send an assuring breeze as soon as I look up. I am thankful. Anyway, there were a lot of great speakers and I don't even expect to win anything because I screwed up my speech, but oh well! At least it's all done. Do I get my additional points now?

Ignite and Story Telling Competition

4:09 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

There are two things I liked about this event:

1.) BOOKS!
2.) The Legend of The Apple

     As a bibliophile myself, I could relate to the Ignite speakers so well and there were even times I had to whoop loudly in agreement. Being a bookworm is extremely hard, especially when you barely have enough time to read. I love how the speakers easily explained the common problems and "confessions" of a bookworm. Can I just say... I KNOW, RIGHT? The way they delivered their speech made me listen even more intently because it was like they were speaking directly to you instead of the audience. It was obvious that the speakers were really bookworms. (Or just really great actors.) I could go on and on about how much  I could relate to everything they said, but it's easier to actually talk to real bookworms instead.
     The Legend of The Apple was my favorite legend despite the poor delivery (sorry omg) and it's not because of the legend itself, but because of the mentions of the stars, the wind, the sky, birds, storms, clouds, and rain. I love those things for reasons I like to keep to myself and my friends. Because of the mentions of these beautiful things, I actually paid attention to the story. Sadly, I was a bit disappointed by how it ended because, really?? That's it??? Buuut I still liked it because of the sky hehe. There were more legends told by the story tellers (not sure if that's what I should call them but oh well) but this one just snatched me.
     Books and the sky are two of my favorite things and hearing about both of them in one event is just overwhelming. These are some of the topics I just love to engage in, so if you want me to stay interested in something, insert a few bits about the sky and books because it'll surely make me listen. If only events could be this meaningful..

Benji In Da Hauz

3:49 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

ABMAnuod Tayo Ng Bago

3:31 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     There are a lot of things that interest me and one of those things is animation. I don't plan on taking animation as a major, but it is still a wonder for me how animators make such wonderful movies, shows, and clips. Luckily, an animator was invited to give us a talk.
     Most of the people who attended the seminar were aspiring animators who had tons of questions to ask the speaker. During the talk, I was able to grasp a few techniques people use when they are working on an animated clip or movie. It was also a relief to see that a lot of people agree that animation is not only for kids. Animation is supposed to be something everyone can enjoy, not just young people. No matter how old or young you are, you can still enjoy animation. Just because you aren't in your teenage years doesn't mean you have to give up everything that reminds you of what your childhood felt like.
     Aside from the speaker, we were also shown videos made by APC students themselves and I was very, very impressed. I bet it was hard for them to make videos like that, especially since students usually have busy schedules and days out with their friends. I'm not sure how people come up with such concepts and I also don't know when they found enough time to make all that. They showed us that students can make amazing things even if they are busy with their studies, families, and social lives. People always look down on our course but I'd like them to try and make things like the videos the students come up with and we'll see who's really below. All you need is determination to make money and live.
      Animation, film making, drawing, web designing, etc. These are the things people say are the majors students shouldn't take because no one needs them and they cost too much, when in reality, it is something we cannot live without.

Election Seminar

2:28 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     It was really hard to understand anything about the seminar because it was hot and I was hungry, but I do know that elections are something no one should consider as a joke or something you are only obliged to do. This issue is very serious, especially since almost everyone in college can already vote.
     Some people, e. g. those who are under eighteen like me, may think that the elections are only a matter of cheating and false promises, but that all depends on the voters. There are so many candidates who may be true to their word when they say they want to build our economy, but integrity requires action. You may want to prove something and make people believe in you, but where are the documents? Where is the proof that you’re really doing what you can to improve our country? Sure, there are people like Mayor Duterte who is very influential in Davao because of everything he’s contributed there, but can you say that he’s honest when he can’t even explain issues like the Davao Death Squad? Or Senator Marcos who has presented quite a number of impressive platforms but never apologized on behalf of his father for Martial Law? These are only some of the most talked-about issues when it comes to elections, but I assume they’re enough to get you to think about who’s really honest about their word. There are candidates who are definitely honest, but are they really effective? Do they go beyond boundaries to fight for what they know is right? Because people are so easy to manipulate these days that just one word from others can make them swerve to the wrong lane. Even voters themselves don’t have enough integrity to know who they should vote for. These candidates have their own agenda, their own principles, and some are willing to do what it takes to reach them, including buying the votes of the citizens.
     You may believe in a candidate because of their words, but I want you to think about it. A true leader has the integrity to set something right and to know where they stand.

Paddington Bear

2:21 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

2:07 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     I would've said that this event was boring if I weren't one of the contestants. Honestly, it was so hard for me to focus on the matter at hand when all I could think about was how funny the word SQUAB was. Of course, there was also the pressure of representing our block together with two others, but we just had fun and laughed at our mistakes. It was a pretty great experience.
     We only made it to the semi-finals, I think. I don't really remember, but anyway, my point is, even if we didn't win, I guess I was still relieved. I wasn't relieved that we lost, I was relieved because it was finally done. I didn't have to answer more random questions and I didn't have to contemplate whether the answer we were going with was right or wrong. I have to say, though, participating in this event with Marlou and Tophee was actually really enjoyable because we didn't take it seriously. During the whole thing, all we did was ask each other what our guts were telling us and we usually went with that. The whole thing was smooth and tension-free, well, for me. It was really fun to learn new things too, but I didn't pay enough attention to remember any of it. Oops. Oh well! Anyway, the event made me realize how fun every competition would be if no one took it seriously, BUT!!! When it comes to competitions that can affect our grades and reputation, I am not willing to say that it's okay to lose. Competitions are fun, yes, but there are certain competitions that we just can't afford to lose.
     I'm not confident enough to say that we can win more competitions in the future because we have a tendency to slack off and there are too many things going on within our block that needs some EXTREME FIXING but I hope (really, I do) that we will be able to enjoy the future competitions and win a decent number of them. (If only things weren't so complicated in our block :----))

Sana Dati

1:51 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     First things first, I do not like romantic movies. AT ALL. I get bored easily because there are so many movies these days that reek of banality. It annoys me when the characters fall in love with each other as soon as they meet, like GIRL, WAIT FOR HIM TO TAKE YOU OUT.
     In the movie, Sana Dati, all I could think about was how irritated I was. Honestly? It was cliche and I found it way too predictive. She falls in love with some guy and the guys dies and of course, of course, OF COURSE, said guy's brother shows up  ON HER DAMN WEDDING DAY. I also have one thing to ask: Why did she even tell the guy's brother to run away with her?? Umm?? I would've appreciated it if she just let him get to know her since that was what he wanted, but no, she had to ask him to go with her because she wanted "get out of there." That is not what she should've done. That was the love of her life's brother, for Christ's sake! I mean, WHO EVEN DOES THAT? Then in the end, she says, "I love you," to the guy she married??? I was so annoyed, God, I honestly wanted to slap her in the face.
     The only good thing about is movie is the message it tried to give the watchers. It wanted us to realize that when you love someone, you can never replace them in your heart. No matter what other people say or who they shove in your face, you will never feel the need to replace the person you love because you simply love them for who they are.
     It's funny how people constantly try to tell you who you should love, don't you think? When are people going to realize that when someone is in love, nothing can get in their way? No one can stop them from loving someone.

Turn Left, Turn Right

7:59 AM Valerio, Jerica 1 Comments

     Destiny is an old hag. I'm sorry for the comparison but it just is. Sometimes it plays with you in the cruelest way just so you can say that all the unfortunate events were worth it. Sometimes it gives you what you want just so it can take it back and leave you to realize that you should've been more grateful. In the movie Turn Left, Turn Right, destiny played the role of the villain-slash-fairy-godmother. Though all the close calls were frustrating, it was still a great movie because it was able to capture our attention and teach us a few lessons.
     From the beginning of the movie, it was already very interesting. It was somehow told in two different perspectives - one from the girl and one from the boy. Of course, just by that, you will be able to tell that it is a love story. What's impressive is that though it's a love story, it is still filled with so many twists and turns that none of us got bored. Love is a very common theme for both books and movies, but this movie in particular proved that not all love stories are alike. Every scene left me screaming and wanting to pull my hair out, which is,believe it or not, actually a good thing because it means I didn't fall asleep halfway through the film. The characters also piqued my interest because they weren't your usual Adam-and-Eve. I liked how both of them were just normal people and not the type of pairing wherein one was rich and the other was poor, or one was famous and the other was a loser, or one was special and the other was not. Stories that are able to pull off the normal-normal pairing are rare, so this movie earned a big thumbs up from me.
     The way life works is very surprising and sometimes even frustrating. The movie was able to show us the importance of waiting and trusting our future because someday everything will work out if we just let things be.

Jon Santos in APC

7:44 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     February 11, 2015 - the famous Jon Santos gave our school a little visit. I wasn't sure whether I was really out of date or really not paying attention because it was quite a surprise to have someone as well-known as him be in our auditorium. At first I thought he was going to put on an act to entertain us or something, but no, it was just a simple talk about a simple person.
     He gave us 10 steps - steps that could help us grow and achieve our goals - and I want to expand three of those steps:
     1. Listen
         You have to listen not only to other people, but also to yourself. Lend your ears to those who have something good and useful to say. However, you don't have to listen to all those negative things; all you have to do is keep your ears open for those who care enough to give you a good talk. You also have to listen to your heart and your mind. It is important to let yourself be heard, and who would be a better person to hear you out first than yourself?
     2. All Learning Will Enrich You
         When you learn something, take it to heart. I'm not talking about the usual, everyday things you learn, like reading or writing or how to  operate a machine - no, I am talking about those things that you only learn at rare times. You have to keep in mind that when you learn something, it can help you in the future. Everything you learn will play an important role in your life.
   3. Baby Steps = A Step Worth Taking
       There are times when we get a little impatient with small progress, but sometimes, baby steps are the steps that'll take you higher. With every step you make, no matter how small it is, it will lead you to something greater. You may be moving slow because of the small stepping stones, but a little closer is better than nothing at all. Someday we will realize that a certain tiny step was the right step and it would all be worth it in the end, even if it took you a long time to get to where you want to be.
     It's amazing how someone can be so many people but just one person all at once. Jon Santos is a very talented man and I admire him for going towards what he wanted. I am very grateful because he was able to teach us these steps - and more. He truly is someone more than just an entertainer.

Chants and Cheers Competition

7:18 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     A competition is supposed to bring out the best in you - not the worst. In a competition you learn who your real team is and the ones who are willing to drag you down just because they aren't striving for gold. Teamwork is very important when it comes to these types of events and honestly, that was one of the biggest problems we faced while preparing for the competition.
     It is plain to see that ABMA151 is divided in terms of cliques; there are groups of friends who only ever-so-often interact with the rest of us, and those who choose not to mingle at all. This is the cause of all the uproars in our block. Due to the lack of unity, we had a hard time practicing and getting all our nuts together to actually perfect our performance - although I have to say that, in the end, it wasn't that perfect, but it turned out better than expected.
     There were countless times when some of us had to voice out their anger and frustrations because of the lack of motivation and enthusiasm. Some of us are competitive, and I must admit that I am one of those people who will not settle for less. Meanwhile, there are others who want nothing but a passing grade. It is hard to lead people when they do not want to be led and that was another problem we had. A few of us needed a little push in order to wake up and realize that their laziness and lack of cooperation were affecting the whole block.
     ABMA151 is not a perfect block. It is not the type of section that you would consider "one." We all have our differences, pet peeves, expectations, etc. Others

may think that a group of people who share the same classroom everyday would already have a strong bond, but bonds take time to build. However, when things get serious and priorities are settled, I am confident to say that we are stronger together.
     ABMA151 is not a perfect block, but we sure are one hell of an army.

APC Anti Smoking Campaign

6:55 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     Everyone knows that smoking is bad for our health. This fact was reiterated to us countless times but it is obvious that there are some people who just can't help it. As a student of Asia Pacific College, I am quite aware of the number of smokers in our school. It seems that the school's very own Anti Smoking Campaign  is being ignored by the students themselves without them knowing that there are so many things that could happen to you when you smoke, and none of those things are positive at all.
     First, you get addicted to it. I have seen so many people try smoking once and never stop after that. All it takes is one puff, and before you know it, you're as addicted to it as all the others. You may not smoke one pack a day, but every stick of cigarette you finish is all you need to become one of them. It doesn't even have to be an actual stick; E-cigarettes are just as dangerous.
     Second, you poison yourself. With every inhale of smoke, your lungs get weaker. With every exhale, you poison everyone else around you. Secondhand smoking is as troublesome and dangerous to both our health and our surroundings. All that smoke has to go somewhere right? Well, it goes straight to our lungs. Breathing it all in could cause so many illnesses. One inhale equals a thousand minutes in your life. You are practically waiting for your lungs to collapse.
     Third, you kill yourself. This has to be taken literally because it's true. You know it's going to kill you someday but you still do it anyway, because Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once) right? This is the biggest consequence of smoking and you have no right to complain about every sickness you suffer because you are doing it to yourself. Who are you to blame others - more importantly God - for something you brought upon yourself?
     The Anti Smoking Campaign must be taken seriously because no matter how scarcely you smoke, you are still punishing yourself by taking away days in your life. There are better ways to relieve stress. Asia Pacific College should be a place where students can inhale fresh air instead of polluted smoke. Do not drag other people into your mist.

Philippine Media and The Millennials

4:27 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     January 26, 2016 —We were all gathered at the auditorium for a seminar. As the usual student, I wasn't all that interested, but soon, a certain video was played and it immediately caught my attention. The video that was shown wasn't your average video of sneezing cats and tripping people; it was a video about secrets and truths. Watching the video made me realize two things; 1.) the media is more powerful than we think; 2.) our generation is ignorant when it comes to the media and their sugarcoated stories.
     After finding out the truth about Marcos and Ninoy, I was more than stunned. I felt like everything the adults taught me when I was young has all been a lie. The video had such a strong impact - from the graphics to the sound effects, it was all so strong that it was impossible to ignore the whole thing. The content and purpose of the video was to give reason to Ninoy's death, which actually seemed like the truth to me. Although a lot of people wont believe such things, I tend to look at the dark sides of the story, because that's usually where the truth is. It is very hard to change what you believe in, therefore a lot of people might still hang on to the things that were taught to them since the beginning. It only shows how much hold the media has on us. The media blatantly covered up the whole truth. thus resulting to the citizens' ignorance. Because of all the sugarcoating, we were all blinded.
     The generation today, as we all know, is a very narrow-minded one. All the technology and expectations led us to believe in whatever they tell us. We do not want to dig deeper and find out what really happened because we are too busy judging and trying to fit in. We do not even try to open our eyes to what's really happening. Where did all the smart people go? Are they all too busy with their phones? Are their heads stuck in their butt holes? How are we supposed to help our country if we don't even care?
     It's sad to think that the media and the generation these days are very different from before. It was apparent in the video shown to us that we are all sleeping on the truth. Is it really that hard to dig a little deeper now? Is it really easier to just ignore everything that doesn't affect us in a way it affects others? Well, I'll leave you to answer that.

Lakambini Sitoy

3:33 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

PARAS(Y)TE

2:14 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     Not everyone is a fan of movies. I, personally, seldom watch movies, because I prefer reading. That said, it is given that I still have tons of movies to watch to catch up with all the hype. That's why I wasn't expecting anything from the movie, Parasyte.

Why Plagiarize?

1:03 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

     Plagiarism might as well be one of the most popular words in our time. It means taking someone else's word or idea and making it look like you came up with it yourself. The word itself has a very negative meaning, which makes it clear that the action of plagiarism is never a good thing.

Self Introduction

2:50 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

          I find it quite hard to talk about myself, mainly because I don't like telling people who I am. I'd rather let people find out for themselves. I find it annoying when I have to introduce myself and tell people that I'm the type of person that's this-and that. But what I can do is to talk about what I like.
          I basically like the normal things, like reading, writing—when I actually like what I'm writing about—etc. Reading has been one of my favorite things to do since I was a kid because my dad influenced me, however, I only started to like writing recently, when I found all the right words. For me, writing became meaningful because it's the only way I could let out everything I want to say. Besides reading and writing, I'm also into music. I prefer genres like pop and RnB over punk and metal. I like Kpop too, and that is something I will never be ashamed of. A lot of people will laugh about that, but honestly who cares? Anyway, since music is something everyone can relate to, it's been one of the things I always liked too. The sky, of course, will always be on the list of things I like. I don't just like the sky, I love it. A lot of people say they do too, but do they really? No, they do not. They don't love the sky, they love the aesthetic value of it. I, on the other hand, love the sky for no apparent reason. Even I can't answer that when people ask me why. But yes, the sky is the love of my life. While we're on the topic of love, let me tell you who I love too. I love Im Jaebum, the leader of the Kpop group, GOT7. You really don't want to know why because I could go on forever about him. So, anyway, one more thing I like is laughing. I like laughing out loud, or giggling, or snickering, or anything like that. I feel like everything is okay when I'm laughing. I also like the color red because it is one of the most meaningful colors in my life. Another thing I like is coffee. God, I really like coffee. Drinking a cup of coffee is so comforting, regardless of the weather. It could be seventy-five degrees outside and I'd still drink coffee. Sadly, though, coffee is starting to become one of the many mainstream things in this world ever since those wannabes started saying they loved coffee, when it's obvious that they only started liking it because of Tumblr. I used to like Tumblr too, but because of all the things I have to do, I decided I didn't have enough time for it. I do like Twitter, though; it's where I keep track of all the things happening with GOT7 and Jaebum.
           I like a lot more, but these are the main things. The small details about me are things only people close to me will see, and my attitude is something others will see more of when they get to know me. The important thing here is that I may like a lot of things, but the things I like don't quite define me.