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.

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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 I wasn't sure whether I was really out of date or really not paying attention because it was quite a surprise to have someone as well-known as him be in our auditorium.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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Lakambini Sitoy

3:33 AM Valerio, Jerica 0 Comments

  • Lakambini Sitoy is one of the popular Filipino writers. Her debut novel, Sweet Haven, was published in October 2011. It received a lot of compliments from those who read the book due to her incredible way of describing scenes and setting, creating a very clear picture for the readers. Sweet Haven was also complimented for the familiar settings and people Lakambini Sitoy used in the story. However, Sweet Haven is not the main focus here—it's Lakambini Sitoy herself.
    I have never been one to read books by Filipino writers. I love reading—I read whenever I can—but my choice of books ranges from dystopian to fantasy; young adult books are my favorites. Anyway, having said that, it is quite obvious that I have never read any of Lakambini Sitoy's works. In all honestly, I am still very reluctant to read books by Filipino writers, but I did do a bit of research on Lakambini Sitoy. Based on her profile on one of my favorite sites—goodreads.com—she earned numerous awards due to her open-mindedness. She tackled topics like sexuality and the like, which we all know are very sensitive topics for the generations today. Because of this, a lot of people acknowledged her, and I must say that I am also very impressed and I respect her for this. As someone who takes the issue about sexuality very seriously, I want to give Lakambini Sitoy a big salute for being brave enough to use this topic for her book. It shows that she is not blind when it comes to subjects like this. Some authors nowadays are so afraid of being criticized for writing books with such themes, but Lakambini Sitoy was not one of them. I am relieved that there are still people out there who aren't afraid to open these subjects to the public in terms of writing. There is a certain quote Lakambini Sitoy wrote that I really like: "There he goes, hello, good-bye, dissipating in the azure sky, bleached of all meaning by the sun and wind." ― Lakambini A. Sitoy, Jungle Planet and Other Stories It's hard to explain why I like this quote, but what caught my attention most is the way she uses her words. This isn't the only quote I read—there are actually quite a lot of quotes that are nice—and I noticed how skilled she was when it came to chosing the right words and comparisons. The way she writes makes the story and the images clearer to the reader—it is probably only one of her many talents and skill. I am someone who loves word; I like twisting and turning them until they form the perfect necklace. I know how hard it is to find the right words to describe a certain thing or person or event. I know that writing about sensitive topics like sexuality is harder than it looks because a lot of people will comment on it in a way that will make you doubt your work. Lakambini Sitoy is not afraid to write, and that is how a real writer should be.


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