angelene

  Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Aside from receiving gifts, I get to see my family and relatives together. We would all eat under one roof, play games, or make chika while the kids play. The smile on everyone’s face makes me want to stop time and just stay here. Christmas season is always awaited. The joy makes the moment so memorable. But with the Covid-19 Pandemic, how can we be happy during these hard times.  So much has changed during this pandemic. What was once normal to us barely happens anymore. An example is mass gathering. Every Christmas, my family and relatives would always gather. We have a whole “Christmas party” planned out. My social media would be filled with pictures of everyone’s family gathering together and celebrating the birth of Christ. But during the pandemic, everyone feels so disconnected. There are barely pictures of families together on my social media. Though, there is an abundance zoom call screenshots of them celebrating. It pu...

 this article contains sensitive topics such as abuse (physically, verbally, and sexually) that might be triggering to some people, read with risk. thank you! With the events happening during the covid-19 pandemic, everything becomes a blur. Sometimes, we are so caught up with our own lives that we forget to think about the children who are looking up to us, expecting us to be someone they can lean on.  Countless child abuse cases have been reported during the pandemic. According to savethechildren.org “ At least one in six children reported violence at home during the pandemic. This is mostly in the form of physical and verbal abuse. Also, one in five parents and caregivers similarly reported violence at home.” with home isolation, children who are stuck with an abusive household feel like they have no more hand to hold. Physical abuse is not the only issue that we have to worry about, online sexual abuse and exploitation are also rampant during these hard times. “New Norm...

We all have certain roles we have to fulfill in order to take care of the environment, one of these is cleaning, picking up trash, and putting them in its proper place. Other roles include taking care of plants, conserving water, and so much more. I believe the most important role is taking part in helping others be aware. Spreading awareness can go a long way, especially in helping the environment. Sure, we might clean up and all that but we can’t change the world on our own, it is only in unity that we can find the power to see change, and the first step to this is awareness! National Clean-Up month reminds us all of the roles we should take part in, in order to take care of our environment. This month also helps us be more aware of what we need to do in order to help the environment. For example, knowledge in Disaster prevention and management can not only help us humans, but it can help take care of the environment, lowering the risks of landslides, trees being destroyed,...

     Honestly, the most important lesson I have learned during the first quarter was how to manage my time. It was hard managing my time since I had matters aside from school, and I was an avid procrastinator. This quarter taught me how to manage my time effectively so that I could keep up with the class, while attending to other matters, and most importantly, I could still rest and enjoy my free time. This quarter has taught me to set my priorities straight so that I can manage my time wisely -- so that I would have no regrets.       The quarter did not go easy, there were setbacks and problems. I had no choice but to deal with them as quickly as I can since time should not be wasted. My biggest problem was probably distractions. I got distracted a lot since it was hard to focus. A lot has been going on during the first quarter. It was hard focusing since my mind was always clouded with thoughts. I had no motivation to work unless my friends...

  As we grow accustomed to this “new normal” -- basically adjusting our whole life and routines to it, we sometimes forget that there are people who can’t keep up. One example of this is education. As we have our own setups for online classes that consist of a well-lit room, proper gadgets, and strong connections, there are those who patiently sit out in the scorching hot sun, just to grasp even the slightest bit of connection so they can attend class. Sure, face-to-face had its own struggles, but during those times, it still felt inclusive.  If you had asked me how’s the quality of education during the pandemic, I’d say it is fine. Though it can be a little bit better, I still get to learn even in the comforts of my own home. But that’s on me, I know I am privileged to experience this. But if you ask other students, especially those who don’t have the luxury for online classes, their response won’t be the same. Quality of education during these times will never be the same fo...

    We Filipinos take pride in everything. From our culture, to the beautiful tourist attractions that our country can offer, and the strong personality of the Filipinos. Our resiliency is one of our biggest pride. And with the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, we are as resilient as ever, in hopes of lessening the struggles of our fellow countrymen. But why do we keep on taking pride and over-romanticizing resiliency -- instead of holding those who made us suffer like this, accountable?         During the typhoon Ulysses, pictures of Filipinos smiling while walking through the deep floods surfaced on the internet. Another example of how resilient we are, that we can still show a smile even though we are literally walking on floods. During this pandemic, countless examples of Filipinos helping other Filipinos are shown. Aren’t we so resilient? It just doesn’t sit right with me that we, those who are not experiencing what they are experiencing right ...

  I wonder what are your thoughts when you hear the pleads of the people. I wonder what you see when you look into their eyes. Millions of lives have been lost in this pandemic, some may be because of the virus, some may be because of hunger, some may be because of you.    As much as I am thankful for what you have done, I am more disappointed in what you have not done -- with your administration’s incompetency. If people do not die because of the virus, they die because of hunger, because of the lack of proper plans for this pandemic. It’s always 1 step forward and three steps backward for you, Mr. President. Thank you for approving the limited face-to-face classes, but I hope you also address other issues that should be addressed. So much has happened during your administration. Countless cases of police brutality, red-tagging, and violations of human rights. I hope you find it in the kindness of your heart to reflect and realize how many lives are in your hands.  ...