Phase in Life to be Treasured

We all know that high school is a preparation for collge. In high school, here we experience lots of obstacles like for example, lessons that for us are difficult that we think we might never learn it, low grades that make us deressed and discouraged, unlimited projects that really time-pressured us, and of course, our misunderstandings and conflicts with our friends and teachers.
But because of these, our high school life will be unforgettable andthe best phase for us while we are teenagers. Not only for these reasons, but also our friendship, the friendship we had since we were in first year. I remember the first day when we first set foot on UP High. We were strangers then, that we thought we were alone. But then as time went by, we hatched like a chick from its shell, and we were bridged by this what we called "friendship". We were comfortable to show the real us. We were there when we were down, thinking that we could never stand again, and in our victories. we know that oftentimes, we do have misunderstandings and conflicts, but we also know that these would not hinder us in our friendship. And as we surpassed all the problems in life that we encoutered, our friendship got even stronger and better.
I hope that after we leave high school, we will still have our friedship and we will still communicate with each other. I will never forget you all, and I will treasure the memories we have shared in high school. Each day I spend with you inside the four walls of UP High is one of the best days I had while I am still alive. I hope that we will not also forget the true spirit of being a UPian.
Friends, taechers, and of course batchmates, thank you very much. Because of you, I hatched from my own shell and harnessed my talents and skills. In you, I discovered my true self. If not for you, I would not be the Juna Rose Dinglasa that you have known for four years. Thank you so much and I love you guys!

A Senior Citizen's Day: An Introductory Speech

This is my Introductory Speech in our Public Speaking subject.
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I am so pleasured to introduce to you our honorable speaker who is a student of one of the prestigious schools here in the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila University.
When he was in high school, he studied at the Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan and graduated there as a Valedictorian. Six years ago, he took up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. He was one of the debaters who went in New York for a competition and won the second place. He was also the winner in an international oratorical contest held in London. That is why he was the Suma Comm Laude in their batch when he graduated.
Because of his ambition to become a lawyer, he proceeded Bachelor of Law at the Ateneo de Manila University. Last July 2012, he was the one who defended a law about children's rights in the Congress. He was the founder of a new group called “ Ang Akong Lolo Buotan”, a non-government organization which protects the senior citizen's rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce to you, the chairman of the Human Rights Committee in Ateneo. Let us all welcome, Mr. Ralph Anthony Zambrano.
A big round of applause please.”

Most Outstanding Designer of 2007:An Acceptance Speech

Here is my acceptance speech for our subject Public Speaking. I was the awardee as the most Outstanding Designer of 2007 in the Philippines.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you for nominating and choosing me as the Most Outstanding Designer of the year 2007 here in the Philippines. I am deeply grateful because once again, I proved to myself that I could still design clothes that have unique styles and are incomparable to other works.
I would also like to thank my mentors in the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, who were there to teach and support me to pursue this career I have now and to strive hard to perfect my own creations and well, probably, be one of the best designers the country could ever had. I learned a lot from them. I learned not only to be a good fashion designer but also to be humble and down-to-earth.
A heart-felt thanks to my co-designers and staff because if not from them, I would not be here speaking in front of you and I would not be as successful as I am now. Because of their information about fashion designing and their words of wisdom, I was encouraged to be a fashion designer despite of all the problems I encountered in life, including financial problems.
To my parents who are and will always be my inspiration to design such magnificent styles of clothing, thank you very much.
And lastly, to our Almighty Creator, who enlightened my mind and gave me the gift to create small things that could be the life for others.
Once again ladies and gentlemen, thank you and good evening!”

Problems With Men and Women

Some couples quarrel because they do not understand each other. They blame each other that they find themselves breaking up. The boys do not understand the girls, and the girls do the same thing to the boys. Boys do things that make the girls hate them. And girls' attitude towards boys can also make them irritating.

Boys have many problems, according to girls. First, the boys are so stubborn. They do lots of crazy stuffs which make them irritating. They prioritize first their friends than their girlfriends. They spand most of their time playing computers, playing basketball than dating or even communicating with their girlfriends. One thing that girls hate about them is that boys, or shall I say most of the boys, are liars. They are cheaters. They cheat on their girlfriends that they tell them lies like they are the only ones for them. But the truth is, boys also use the same line to the other girls. They make things complicated and difficult. They are selfish; they only think about their selves. They see girls as their property, and not as their inspiration to strive harder in their lives. They only consider the physical appearances, but not the beauty inside. Boys are also flirt, that they look for another beautiful and sexy girlseven if they already have partners.

Not only girls are having a hard time dealing with boys, the boys too. For them, the problem with girls is that they are so envious. They are jealous everytime their boyfriends have friends who are girls. They are so loyal, that when they love, they give everything to their partners that they do not leave some for themselves. They are possessive when it comesto boys. But when the one they love cannot give back the love they had given, the girls will just cry and cry,thinking that it will be the end of their lives. Thegirls love too much, and we all know that too much is bad.But girls who still believe in fighting for their love and have high fighting spirit, they do not give up. They will do anything just to get their boys, that they do crazy things. Girls, sometimes, are stupid.

Prostitution: A Solution to Poverty?

For me, prostitution is not the solution to poverty. It is because prostitution is selling your own body to earn a big amount of money. I rather kill myself than to be a prostitute, unless it is the only choice for me to survive and live. It also violates the rights of the women because it uses the body, which for us humans is sacred, and also sexual parts. However, this will be neglected if the woman is willing to use and sell her body to the costumers. And it is also a mortal sin, since the business includes sexual activities like having sex. It is stated in the Bible that a person should have sexual intercourse with his or her partner after they get married. We all know that prostitution is selling the flesh, particularly flesh of a woman, to the different kinds of men. They can get STD or Sexually Transmitted Disease or maybe AIDS. If they get sick because of these illnesses, they will spend a lot of money for their hospitalization and medicines to cure their illnesses ,and it will make them poorer. Then, the prostitution is not legalized here in the Philippines. So any act of it, they will be brought to jail. They have to bail their selves in order to be out of the prison. Thus, they have to spend money for that. And another thing, the boss, recruiters and the ones who run this kind of business can gain more profits than the prostitutes. It is because they will have an unequal division of income. And because they are the boss, for sure, they will get a bigger amount of money than the oneswho sell their flesh. Another problem that they will encounter with this type of business is that this will ruin their lives, not only their physical appearances of the prostitutes but also the social and psychological behavior. It is because it will make them looked stressed and depressed. Then the people that surround them will look down them like criminals. If that happens, they wil pity their selves and be discourage. So, the prostitutes will become mentally unhealthy.

To sum it up, prostitution has many disadvantages that makes it not the solutioun to the poverty.

Dramafest 2007

Fourth year students of the University of the Philippines High School in Cebu were exposed to unlimited projects, assignments, hard quizzes and lots of activities, that they became pressured, cramming and so forth. But there is one activity which really pressure us and is expensive. But somehow, it was filled with fun and excitement-the Dramafest.

Dramafest is an activity in the subject Filipino for the fourth years only. It started thirty-two years ago, that was on wayback 1975. This special kind of activity is an option wether the students would like to take the fourth periodical exam or not. It depends if the Dramafest the made would be a success or a failure.

But on March 2,2007, the students, faculty and staff, and even the judges witnessed the success of our Dramafetst. Each of the productions presented a drama play, which was one of a kind. The Quevedo productions presented "Sa Ngalan ng Ama", starred by Paul Andrew Gutib and Nico Martin Eñego, while the Tanikala ha their "Bulag". The productions did not only made the play to enhance the talents of the actors and actresses, but also to enhance the skills of the production crews in their fields of specialization. From the make-up and customes to the set design and posters, I could see the effort we had in making and preparing these things.

I was also giving efforts to this production by doing what a responsible performer should do . I was one of the casts in our short play "Sa Ngalan ng Ama" which was directed by Jann Krystel del Mar andproduced by the Quevedo Productions of Gonzalez. I did my best in memorizing and performing on stage with my co-performers namely Ella, Nico, Paul, Albert, Lorem, Aiko. I played the role of Fatima Villasante-Cruz, the eldest daughter of Dolor and Emmanuel Villasante, who was blinded by the beliefs of her father. I was also a mamber of the lights committee. I rarely contribute to them because I had to study the character of Fatima. During the actual Dramafest, at the end of its program, I got the best Supporting Award. Most of the acting awards went to Tanilkala Production.

But the Quevedo Production did not lose, in fact, they got6 most of the technical awards. Even if we only got the minor awards,still, our production play was a success. Not only the actors and actresses performed very well, but also the students behind the Dramafest.

A Heavy Heart

Last Friday, February 2,2007, the CWTS or the Civil Welfare and Training Service went to the "Gasa sa Gugma". It is a place where the people, like the elders, were left by their loved onesand had nowhere to go. This place was located in Mabolo. We brought some food and a presentation for them. When we reached the place, we found it very clean and quiet. There were many trees which made the place cool and refreshing. I saw a board that says,"No Cameras Allowed". When we walked through the corridor, we saw their wards. There were old womeninside the wards. The workers were very busy taking the elders outside, because there would be a mass. So, our team helped them by guiding the elders to the chapel. Some of us chatted with them, while others just prepared the food. I was having a conversation with them. While we were chatting, I noticed a woman(not as old as her wardmates, her age around 40's) who doesn't talk. I could see in her eyes the loneliness and sadness. I tried to have a conversation with her. Suddenly, she asked for a paper. Of course, I gave her a paper. She wrote something on it, and gave it back to me. It said,"ang mga workers diri mangaway tudluan tika ug si kinsa".I was shocked because some of the workers there were maltreating their patients. Then, she pointed her finger to a woman with white shirt. She warned me not to tell the secret. That time, I was like a candle that melted because of her revelation. I was thinking why were the elders, who were very weak and only need is love and comfort, treated so badly by them? They were scolded by them even if it was not their mistake, or if it was, it was unintentioned. That time, i realizedthat the elders were also like us. They have feelings too. They were hurt when somebody hurt them, and happy when the one they loved made them feel special.
When it was time to go, I went to her and told her that she should take care of herself. I told her that we have to go. While telling her that phrase, I almost cried in front of her. I couldn't help myself. But I manage not to cry. I left her with memories we have shared, even in a short span of time. I left the place with a haevy heart.

Sinulog 07

My Sinulog Day was so fun! For me, it was the best sinulog I ever experienced. I never thought that I could enjoy that day because I thought it was like the same sinulog I experienced last year. This sinulog was full of excitement and of course, fun. I saw many faces watching in the streets of Maxilom, down to the Fuente Osmena. There were many people dancing in the streets with their costumes. They had many props for their dance. Then, my sister and I went at the park at the back of the Colegio de Immaculada Concepcion to look for my elder brother. But we did not see them, so, we went back to the streets to watch the Sinulog, although we were very hungry. But later, we saw them and we were treated for lunch. It was so hot because it was noon, and I saw the dancers squatting and their faces were looked like beggars. Then we saw familiar faces and the people started to scream like there was a fire. They were the actors and actresses we usually saw on TV. I also went near to their float because like them, I admired actors and actresses. We went to my brother's multicab and we rested there for an hour. After that, we watched the street dancing again until it ended. We also watched the fireworks display in Ayala. It was so beautiful. It was the best fireworks display I ever saw in my entire life. That day also was the best Sinulog Day I ever had.

A Revelation

Why are they so mean to me? Why can't I choose my own happiness? Why can't I be happy? These are some questions which keep on my mind until now. Okay, let me get this straight. I was upset because my aunts even my mother don't want me to take up a course in college which I really like. They want me to take up Nursing. They knew that I am really not interested to that course. But I have no choice, so, to satisfy them, I took an entrance exam at the Cebu Normal University to study Nursing there. I got pressured because they expected me to that test. Actually, I was not expecting to pass that test. But after a month, I got a call from that university and it said that I passed the examination and have to go there for the interview. At first, I did not believe the caller, but thinking that maybe he was joking. But later, I thought, maybe the caller was saying the truth and I did really pass the test. But then, I realized that it is not for me, but for them. I tried to open up this topic to them, but it seemed that they don't want to hear any answers from me except to pursue this course.
After a few days, I got a news from our classmate that we could now see the UPCAT Results. I rushed to the internet cafe and searched the website. I saw my name on the list of names who qualify and I was so happy, that I was really excited to tell this big news to them. But when I got home and told this news, instead of congratulating me, they scolded me for not preparing for my upcoming interview in CNU. It hurt me a lot. They don't even care about my feelings. But I have to obey them because I believe that they know what is best for me. Afterall, they are the ones who support me in my studies.