Introspection
by AlenaG.Ayog
by RheaS.
by LouvyMilesK.Yufan
@Ayah
@Edna
@Jorian
by MikkiA.Gan
Dani
by RheaY.Blahing
The ripple effect of Duterte-Marcos Rift on the Filipino People
cartoonbyPeterBryllG.Gumbay
by KieraClaireI.Donato
by QuyncyD.Sumatra
Photofromfoxyfolksy.com
Photofromflickr.com(Background)andrecipedia(PakoSalad)
roadtowardsourdreamsisnot easytonavigate.Twistsand turnsarealongtheway.Trials andstrugglesarewaitingforthose whotrytoventureit.Highmountains toclimb.Extremeterrainstoovercome.Alongthejourney,mostofus chosetoquit.ButforCloydieA.Adey, quittersneverwin.
Cloydieisagrade12studentof sectionIbrahim.Heisaconsistent honorstudentandoneoftheIPlearnersbelongingtoaTboliTribe.Athis earlystagesofschooling,heendures wakingupearlyinthemorningand walksthealmostthreekilometerrocky andmuddyroadeverydayfromheis homeatSitioMalaklongtoNomoh IntegratedSchool.Beforereaching theschool,hehastocrosstheriver, whichbecomesdangerousduring heavyrains.Withhimishisoldbag thatgavebyhisteacherwhenhewas inGrade10.Heistheeldestamong thefivechildren.Despitebeingpoor, quittingislastthinghewoulddo. Nothingintheworldcouldstophim fromgoingtoschool,evenonabad weatherorinanemptystomach.
“Myfatherisaconstruction workerandmymotherisjustahousekeeper.Mostofthetimes,myfather’s salaryisnotenoughforallofus. Thatswhymostofthetimes,Iendure goingtoschoolwithouttakinga breakfast.Sometimesmyparentstold metostopschoolingandinstead, helptheminfarming.Butforme,itis bettertogotoschoolwitharumbling stomachthantostayathomewithout somethingtolearnfromourteacher.” CloydieconfessedinaTbolidialect.
Sadly,inourcountrymorechildrenhavesufferedfrompovertyand hungerandforcedtostopstudyingin ordertomakealiving.Mostofthem
arechildrencomingfromtheIndigenousGroups.
InNIS,morethan50%ofparentsdonotseehowimportanteducationis.AmongofthemareClodies parents.Forthem,tomakealivingin ordertoputfoodontheirtableiswhat onlymatters.ButforCloydie,theyare wrong.HeisoneoftheNomohIntegratedSchool’suncelebrateddreamer.Thoughtheyhavesufferedfrom lackofparentalsupport,theysee thingsinaperspectivedifferentfrom thatofthemajority’ s.Forhim,educationisoneofthemostimportant thingsintheworld.Hebelievesthat educationcanchangepeople’slives.
“Mydreamistofinishmystudy. Iwanttohelpmyparentsearnadecentliving.Iwanttobuyahousefor them;buylotsoffoodformyyounger brothersothattheywillneverget hungryanymore.”saidbyCloydieina Tbolidialect,whichvoucheshereagernessanddeterminationtofacelife challengeswithcourage.Thespiritof positivitycanbeseenbrightlyinhis eyes,whichportraysthefeatureofa trueFilipinowhoisresilientandforeverbegratefulforwhateveralifecould give.
Ouruncelebrateddreamers journeyhasjustonlybeganandhis finishlineisquitetoofartobeseen. ButCloydie’ spositiveoutlookinlife willbeservedashisguidinglight throughouthisjourney;inclimbingthe mountains;toovercomingtheextremeterrains.Maybefornow,this uncelebrateddreamerandotherslike himareoftenleftunnoticed.Buttime willcomethatthesededicateduncelebrateddreamersbyheart,willcelebratebyeveryoneandforeverbe celebrated.
teacher’ sheartnevergrows tired,evenwhentheroadis longandthejourneyishard. TheselinescapturetheperfectdescriptionofateacherfromNomoh IntegratedSchoolnamedCesonS. Sugalkou,Jr.,wholivesinoneof thefar-flungareasinSarangani.He isnotjustateacher;heisalifeline fortheTbolichildrenofNomohIntegratedSchool.
TeacherSugalkou,anIndigeniousPeoples(IP)teacher,
theageof36.
Educationsavedmeeven thoughIamatmy30s.Anyway, studyingisneverarace,andnow,it ismyturntogivebacktomycommunity.”Hesaid.
Tobeateacherwasnotreally hisdream;hewantedtobecomea soldier.Butfatehadotherplans.
Lifeledmehere,andIrealizedthisiswhereI’mmeanttobe.I maynotweartheuniformIdreamt
Our by RischebelleG.Gan
aveyouheardofacrowthatisbefriendedwithpeople?Crowsare amongstthemostfearedbirdsbychildrenbecauseoftheirlooks.In moststories,crowsrepresentas “death” - badbirdsthatstolehumans’ eyes.ButnotourcrowhereinNomohIntegratedSchool.
by QuyncyD.Sumatra
by QuyncyD.
Sugalkou,teachingismorethana job;Itisamissiontopreservetheir heritagewhilepreparinghisstudentsfortodaysmodernworld.
Thechallengesareimmense. Duringrainyseasons,overflowing riverfloodwatersandmuddytrails oftenmakeitimpossibleforstudentstoreachschool.ButTeacher Sugalkoualwaysshowsup,evenif itmeanswadingthroughfloodwatersorbravingstorms.Heeven carriesschoolmaterialsinhisback, ensuringnochildisleftbehind.
“Teachinginthelastmileis noteasy.Butthesechildrendeserveachance,nomatterhowdifficultandfarIhavetogo.”Hesaid.
Beyondthefourcornersofthe classroom,TeacherSugalkouisa pillarofthecommunity.Parents
MeetKiko,acrowthat seemedtohavebecomepartof NIScommunity.Kikowasnot justordinarybird;ithadbecomeafriendtothestudents andtheircompanionsintheir dailylifeatschool.Buthowdid thisunusualstoryoffriendship cometobe?
AccordingtoTeacher LeahS.DelaPeña,herfirst encounterwithKikowasone morningwhileshewassweepingherclassroom.
“Hesuddenlyapproached me,notscared.Ithoughthe wasjustlookingforfood,butit seemedlikehewantedtocommunicate.Andsincethen,Kiko visitedtheschool,entermy classroomeveryday,asifhe wasmyGrade1pupil.”Dela Peñashared.
Kikoquicklycaughtthe attentionofthestudents.During recess,hecouldbeseenwith children,eithereatingwiththem
trusthimtoguidetheirchildren,and heworkstirelesslytoencourage familiestosendthemtoschool.For many,hisunwaveringdedication hastransformednotonlythelivesof hisstudentsbutalsothefutureof hisbelovedNomoh.
Ialwaysremindparentson theircrucialroleintheirchildseducationsuccess.Theirsupportis whatthesestudentsalwaysneed.” Heremarked.
Inaworldthatoftenforgets thefar-flungcornerswherehope flickerslikeafragileflame,Teacher Sugalkoustandsasatestamentto thepowerofoneteacher’sloveand sacrifice.Heis,indeed,ateacher forallseasons.Aherowhosededicationensuresthatnodreamis evertoofaraway.
orhelpinginsimplewayslike pickingagarbage.Hispresencebroughtjoytostudents, speciallythosewhostruggledin class.
However,noteveryone washappywithKikko’ spresence.Somewereannoyeddue tohishyperbehavior.
“Kikowassoannoying!I wasreallyangrywithhimbecausehewenttomyroomand startedbreakingthings!”Liza CorazonB.Bautistasaid.
Butwhentheysawhow Kikohadapositiveeffecton children,theirviewschanged gradually.
ThestoryofKikosparks valueamongchildreninNIS. Studentsarelearnedtolove andrespectanimalsregardless oftheirlooksandtheresponsibilityofcaringandprotecting theenvironment.
by RischebelleG.Gan
eoplesay:awordhasapower. Itcanmakeorunmakeaman. Itcanpropelhimtomoveonor simmerhisspiritdown.Butwhatif youcan’ ttalkandevenhearasingle word?Willyoubeconsideredaspowerless?
Inafar-flungcommunityofBarangayNomoh,therelivesawoman inasmallhutwhoseactionsspeak louderthanwords.Hernameis JanetteCabilol,orcommonlycalled as Omaw - aTboliwordformute. Sheisasinglemotherwhoisalso deaf.Tosome,thesemightseemlike insurmountableobstaclesbut,to Omaw,theyaremerelythebackdrop toherinspiringstoryofamother’s unconditionallovetoherchild.
Omaw’slifehasbeenfarfrom easy.Abandonedbyherboyfriend whenherdaughter,Inda,isjusta montholdinhertummy.Shefound herselfaloneinaworldthatoften overlooksthevoiceless.ButOmaw neverallowedhercircumstancesto dictateherdestiny.Herdaughter’s educationbecamehermission,and embraceditwithimmeasurablededication.
Everymorning,Omawrises beforethesun,preparingeverything sheneedsfortheday.Whileothers mayrelyonverbalcommunications, Omawsroutineisetchedinthe rhythmofhergesturesandtheunspokenunderstandingsheshareswith Inda.
Toprovideherdaughter,Omaw workstirelesslyasalaundrywoman, scrubbingclothesforherneighbors andaweeder,removingweedsinher neighbor’ shousesinexchangefora smallsumofmoneyand2-5kilosof rice.Thoughthepayismeager,she savesaportionofitforInda’sschool supplies,uniforms,anddailyallowance.
“Itissoheartwarmingtosee someoneasdedicatedasOmaw. Althoughshecanttalkandhear,but herloveandsupportforherdaughter ismorethananyoneelse.Sheisan inspirationtoallofus.”AdelinaMagon,herneighbor,shared.
Omaw’scommunicationrelies solelyonbodylanguage.Although shedidnotgotoschool,shesitsbesideIndawhendoingherhomework, offeringsilentencouragement.
“Dilimanmakasultiakongmama,perodaghansiyaggipahayag pinaagisaiyangbuhat.”Indaproudly said.
Omaw’ sstoryisapowerfulreminderthatparentingisnotabout whatyousay;Itisaboutwhatyoudo. Hersacrifices,love,andresilience standstarkcontrasttosomeparents who,despitehavingthemeansof resources,failtoprioritizetheirchild’s education.
Inaworldthatoftenmeasures successbywhatyoucanbesaid, Omaw’ ssilenceisaresoundingtriumphthatechoesfarandwide.
D.Sumatra
Photosby:Christian JadeS.Bualan
Coconut Cultivation
CoconutPlantationisoneofthemostpopularlivelihoodsinthePhilippines InNomoh ,almost 98%oftheresidentsusedcoconutastheirmain sourceofincome.Duetoitsmanyusesastheraw ingredientsinmakingoil,milk,flour,sugar,vinegar, soapandcosmetics,charcoal,andmanymore thatmakesthiskindofcropindemandinthemarket.
Toplantthis,youneedonlyitsfruitthathas asprout.Youcanplantitanywherebecausecoconutsarenotassensitiveasothercrops.For maintenance,youonlyhavetocleanitssurroundingsandputsomefertilizersifyoulike.
Unfortunately,thiscroptakestimetobear fruits.Unlikeothercropswhichtakes1-3yearsto harvest,coconutsbeartheirfruitsfrom8-10years. However,thegoodnewsis,yourharvestswilllasta lifetime.
Morethan50%ofresidentsinBarangay Nomohrelytheirdailyincomefrombanana farming.Itisoneofthemostcommonand easiestcropstoplant.Itcangrowanywhere withanykindofweather.HereinNomoh,most farmerschoosetoplantthreekindsofBanananamely:“Stanfilko”whichisgoodforexportation,“Tondan”and“Lakatan”.
Toplantbanana,youneedtohavea cleanandafertileland.Every15days,you needtocleanitssurroundungsandeliminate unwantedplantsthatgrowbesideitsstem. Perseveranceandhardworkarethekeyin ordertomaintainitsproductivegrowth.It takessixmonthstobearitsfirstbatchoffruits.
Toharvestabananaiseasy,youneed tocutdownitsbody(stem)inordertogetits fruit,thencuteachbunchonebyoneandsell themtothebuyerswithpricerangesfrom1215pesosperkilo.
by RailynS.Dani
by RailynS.Dani
Toensuresafetyforlearners
by RailynS.Dani
cartoonbyPeterBryllG.Gumbay
by RamjeanA.Ramon
NEWHOPE,RENEWED SMILE.Japan’sbreakthroughthattransformsthelandscapeofdentalcarebringshopeto peoplewholosttheirpermanentteethandespeciallytopatientssufferingfromanodontia.Thisresearchcouldbe thekeytosolveproblemsinadult’sdamagedteethandbringhealthysmilestotheworld. PhotofromMaenCG|Adobestock(Teeth)andturmenportal.com(Dentists)
PhotobyChristian JadeS.Bualan
by RamjeanA.Ramon
by RailynS.Dani
by RailynS.Dani
by ChazelA.Delgado
by QuyncyD.Sumatra
Lifespan by David Sinclair– A book review
PhotofromLiveByTheShelf
by RamjeanA.Ramon
by RamjeanA.Ramon
PhotobyAnnaN.Kilan
by DarwinT.Dawang
by VinceHanudinU.Panding
by KieraClaireI.Donato
byAnnaN.Kilan
QUEEN
PhotobyChristianJadeS.Bualan
by VinceHanudinU.Panding
Photos by: Christian Jade S. Bualan
