To Be or Not To Be?

     Should the government allow more Filipinos abroad?

     No.

     Why?

     Because for me, the number of Filipinos working abroad are enough. In fact, according to rappler.com and census.gov.ph, the total number of OFWs is estimated at 2.2 million (Results from April- September 2012 survey). I think that 2.2 million Filipinos are enough, considering the fact that this survey was done almost 3 years ago. For me I  think it's just okay for the Filipinos to go abroad because it's their choice, it's their decision.  What's wrong is when the government force the people to go abroad for economic reasons.

     It is also hard to be a parent OFW. You have no bonding with your child and sometimes, your child doesn't treat you as a parent. It is also hard when you have no communication with your child. I think this is one of many reasons why the government should  not allow more Filipinos abroad. We all know that we, Filipinos are very family- oriented. Being far from your loved ones break our hearts.

     But the downfall of all of this is the lack of job opportunities here in our country. If the government limit the number of OFWs, many Filipinos would lost their job, that will make our ecomic status decrease. Our country will become poorer and there will be a chance of more crimes related to money.

     My final thoughts for this issue is that, the OFWs should take a long process in analyzing if they should continue working abroad with their families far but with bigger salary or to work here in our country, their families closer and serving mother land. For the government, I think they should never persuade Filipinos in becoming OFWs just because it increases our economic rate. I think government should be neutral and should have seminars for those who wanted to be OFWs about what their lives would be abroad. I think being an OFW will always be by choice and not by force and limiting it would not do any good to our country, so does forcing people to work abroad.

Juliet's Little Secret

If I have a chance to change the ending of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, I would change it like this:

The night before Paris and Juliet's wedding, Juliet go to her parents' room to tell that she's already married to Romeo. Before she knock, she heard her mother and father talking, Juliet listen to their conversation.
"Oh dear! Don't you think our Juliet's too young to be married?", her mother said.
"But I married you when your a little younger that our Juliet. It's okay my dear! And besides, Paris is such a kind man!", Capulet said.
"Okay my dear, but, can we tell this to the Montagues? ", Lady Capulet said.
" Why must we tell them?! They are now not Juliet's family!" Capulet said.
"But the Montagues are still Juliet's parents! They must know this. And, I think it's now time to end our feud with them. After all, we're the one who start this." Lady Capulet said.
"If you could just give birth! This would never happen!", Capulet cried.
"Isn't it you who order Nurse to get the Montague's new born baby?", Lady Capulet said.
"I just do it because ---"
"Mother! Father! Do I hear it all correctly ?", Juliet cried
"Oh my! My Juliet! I'm sorry my dear! ", Lady Capulet said
"Oh mother, father! I'm not a Capulet, but a Montague. How could you do that to the Montagues?!", Juliet cried.
"Juliet, oh Juliet! We don't mean to get you! I'm just jealous that the Montagues have two children while I can't give birth!", Lady Capulet cried.
"Juliet, if you could please listen, I'll tell you the whole story", Capulet calmly said.
"Before you were born, we're good friends with the Montagues. We're good friends that even Romeo, their first child, was one of my godchild. When Lady Montague became pregnant again, that's when we learn that my wife can't give birth. We were so jealous! We want to have a child but we can't! And then, an idea come up to my mind. We hire a nurse to do my plan. The nurse steal the newborn baby when Lady Montague was sleeping. The Montagues were weeping for the lost of their baby, while we were so happy to have a child! The feud starts when a Montague servant told his masters that he saw a woman who steal the baby go to the Capulets' house. The Montagues accuse us. We leave Verona and went back here when you're 3 years old. And as you can see, the feud is still not over. " Capulet said.
"Father, I have a bigger news that would sure shock you!" Juliet said.
"What is it dear Juliet?", Lady Capulet said.
" I am married, with Romeo." Juliet said.
"What? Oh honey! the Montagues should really know this." Capulet said.

The three of them went to the Montagues house. The servants let them enter. Lady Capulet and Capulet told the Montagues about the real identity of Juliet and also told them that she is married with Romeo. Lady Montague ordered a servant to tell Romeo to go back to Verona. Both families agreed to have a formal marriage for Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and Juliet live peacefully in Verona after their marriage. Paris, though broken hearted, finds another love to Rosaline, whom break her vow to be virgin forever. Romeo still don't know that his long lost sister was his wife until his last breath.

You're the One

Ma'am Eve

According to Merriam- Webster Dictionary, a teacher is person that teaches something. Teachers usually teach a specific or a certain subject to their students,to be able for the student to learn or to gain knowledge. But the most important part of teaching is to be able to teach a life lesson to his/ her students. And that is what my teacher in Grade 8 do to me, to us.

     During our Sophomore Year, our section, Grade 8- Oxygen was such a lawless section. Others even claim that we are rebels. I have to agree that some of us were noisy and sometimes, we really don't obey school laws. But I also believe that our Sophomore Year was the best school year of our lives because it change us, we become better, we become stronger. And that will never happen without the help, support, love and care of our adviser, Mrs. Evelyn Paulo.

The Grade 8- Oxygen SY 2013- 2014

Ma'am Eve and I

     Mrs. Paulo, or simply Ma'am Eve guided us towards success. She teaches us, not just Mathematics, which is her subject, but also life lessons that really change us. Ma'am Eve was such an amazing teacher, she's cool, beautiful, witty, smart, and she's religious, a trait that has an impact to me. Ma'am Eve never give up on us, even though we were hard to manage, she even encourage us to keep moving forward. She guided us in our darkest times and she always trust and believe us. Ma'am Eve treated us as her children, not just her student, but we never appreciate all the efforts that she have done until we became Junior students.

     I know that we give Ma'am Eve such a hard time during our year. We've given her a lot of hardships, and I know that she sacrifices a lot of her time just to make us feel better. I know that sometimes, Ma'am Eve wanted to give up on us because we're too stubborn and defiant, but she never do, I know she'll never do, because I know that Ma'am Eve will never fail someone, or anyone, especially when she knows that someone needs help and guidance.

     Ma'am Eve was one of the greatest teacher I've ever had, she's the best. And I'm so sorry, really sorry, because I am not the best student or even a good student when Ma'am Eve become my adviser. But I'm grateful because I am able to meet and to become Ma'am Eve's student.

     If I would be given another chance of being a Grade 8- Oxygen student, I would still choose Ma'am Eve as my adviser, my former 8- Oxygen, as my classmates, and the 8- Nitrogen room (former 8- Oxygen room) as our room. 

With the President

     If I would be meeting and talking to a famous person, I would choose our very own, Mr. Ferdinand Marcos. I know that it would be pretty impossible since he's dead before I am born and there will be no chance of meeting him because he's very famous and I'm just a normal High School student who's not even popular in our school. Anyway, I like to interview him because I want to know more about him, more of his true form and to know what happened in his time in his own perspective. Since Marcos was both praise and criticized, I also want to know the true story behind every news about him and Philippines' former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., treasures that his wife Imelda Marcos had, and the famous Martial Law which made Marcos even more famous.

     Here is a complete script of our "Interview"

Me: Good day Sir ! My name is Mariel Bustamante and I'm from Cavite. So Mr. President, based on the data that I've read, you fight, together with the guerillas during the World War II, how do you feel Sir ? Being surrounded with the Japanese, fighting for the country you love?

Mr. Marcos: Well, I felt proud. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I'm fighting for the Philippines, the country I most love. During that time, you know, it feels like, I don't care if I die as long as I help my country in fighting for Independence, that we, Filipinos are longing for.

Me: That was so brave Sir and I hope that everybody else still have that kind of inspiration. Anyway Sir, what pursue you in entering the Political World

Marcos: Well, I think, it comes in blood. Well, my father was once a Politician too. And I think, that is where it starts, wanting to rule and to lead a nation to become a better country. One thing that also affects my decision is the state of our nation before I become a President. It was, I think, one of the dark times of our country. Our country was left with the ruins of the World War II, the Philippines was in such chaos and I can't just let my companions, the Philippines nation, to die.

Me: You've become a successful leader in the Philippines, but why do you need to ran again ?

Marcos: I feel that there's a need for me, and I do believe that the Filipino people need me because they still vote for me. And my first term was such a blast, so I think the Filipino believe that I can make Philippines a better country, which I think, I accomplished

Me: What happened during the Martial Law? Why would you have to do it ?

Marcos: I think it's because, I thought that my people need me, that's why I want to continue my reign, my term. I want to continue because I know that I'm getting there. I'm getting to the top, I'm creating a new Philippines. But I only think of it. I think I overuse my power. I just think of myself, of what can do with the Philippines, and not what we, the Filipino people and I can do with the country. That's the reason why the people think it's a bad idea. And one thing, I trust the people around me more that I trust myself. I become comfortable with them, I didn't think that the might blame me for what I will do. Remember Juan Ponce Enrile, he's very close to me, and then, he sided with Cory, against me.

Me: You've mention Cory, the former President also, what can you say about her, and her husband, the late Senator Aquino:

Marcos: Well, Cory is brave, he led the Filipinos to a revolution, that made my third and last term fall. Senator Aquino, was, well, brave, and he love our country but I think we have a different, ah, perspective that's why we oppose each other. But I think, we have a goal, or perhaps a mission, that we should make a new Philippines that is much better.

Me: How about you health Sir?

Marcos: Well. I do have a bad health during my last term but I don't let the public know it because I know that they will lose confidence on me. But you know, you can't keep a secret forever, they later learned about my health, but at least, I am not the reigning president.

Me: How about Imelda Sir ? When you fled, all of Imelda's collection were left here, what was her reaction ?

Marcos: That happened so fast, we don't want to get caught and we were only thinking of our safety. Imelda's collection was left. Those were very important to her, almost a part of her, but she can't carry it all, it would take too much time, too much time. So we fled without it, all in Malacanang. I think she felt incomplete, without it, it's her precious, she spends time with collecting it. It's hard, even for me to lose it, to leave it. But we can't do anything. We just have to leave it.

Me: I think it's hard for Mrs. Marcos to leave it. Every piece was handled with care, you take care of it, and then you leave it. For the last question Sir, what message can you give us about your life ?

Marcos: I think it's living the best of you life. Living out loud, protecting your people, those who you love, and making each day of your life a memorable one, trust people, but always believe in yourself. Hunger for more knowledge, because knowledge is power

Fighting Injustice and Inequality

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." 

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Good Day everyone ! This video is not mine and I only get this video from Youtube (account name: Jonathan Kim,

 Youtube url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLriaW8V1Zw )

Remember Who The Real Enemy Is

Characters:
Katniss Everdeen- the main character of the story. She, together with Peeta will join the 75th Hunger Games after winning the last one.
Peeta Mellark- one of the protagonists of the story. AT the end of the story, he will be kidnapped by the Capitol
Cinna- Katniss'stylist. He was an excellent designer and a good friend to Katniss. He was killed probably because he was a threat to the Capitol
Haymitch Abernathy-  Katniss and Peeta's mentor. He is the only living victor of Distric 12 before the 74th Hunger Games.
Effie Trinket- District 12's mentor. She is a happy person and supports both Katniss and Peeta in their game.
Gale Hawthorne- Katniss' bestfriend. He is a fierce man wanting to have an uprising in District 12. Katniss' pretended that she is Gale's cousin to keep him alive, or else President Snow would kill Gale.
President Snow- the President of Panem.
Finnick Odair- District 4's tribute and a victor. He's a handsome and a stunning man.
Mags- District 4's tribute. She is around 80 years old and volunteered to take the place of a young woman.
Johanna Mason- a fierce tribute from District 7.At the end of the book, she was captured by the Capitol with Peeta and Enobaria
Beetee- male tribute of District 3. He was a genius and skilled especially with wire.
Wiress- female tribute of District 3. She's the one who discovered that the Game's arena acted as a clock. Wiress is killed by District 1's tribute.
Enobaria- District 2's tribute and the one with pointed teeth.

Setting:
It happened during the 3rd Quarter Quell (75th Hunger Games), which began after the 74th Hunger Games, where the victors are District 12's tribute. It happened in the future, where the field of Science and Mathematics were advanced.

Point of view:
Catching Fire was narrated by Katniss Everdeen so it was a first- person point of view.

Theme:
The message of the story is "Fight for your Rights and End your Hunger for Justice"

Mood:
The author, Suzanne Collins, I believe, just wanted to show what it may be like in our futute. And I believe that the story's feeling is heart- breaking and tragic because someone always die in the book, and it is not just one, many characters die in a book and there are three books so I guess the story's mood was really tragic and it was heart- breaking to the readers.

Plot/ Summary:

After winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta returned to their new house at District 12. They will start going to every districts for the victory tour. At the first part of the book, President snow visited Katniss and told her that she inspired the rebels to make an uprising. Snow ordered Katniss and Peeta to convice the entire country that both of them were just madly inlove with each other. Katniss's 'love' for Peeta was not love at all but Peeta love Katniss since the first time he saw her.
The tour in District 11 didn't go well mainly because it is Rue's district. Rue is one of Katniss' close friends (even treated Rue as her daughter) but died. Katniss and Peeta both do an "against the law" action so Haymitch told them what they should do. And what they should do is to make the people beliver that they are really inlove with each other. The victory tour later finished and Katniss and Peeta returned home.
A few days after returning home, new peacekeepers arrive. The new peacekeepers were cruel. The head peacekeeper publicly whipped Gale after attacking one peacekeeper. Katniss protected him, and then Peeta protected her and lastly Haymitch came by and talk to the head peacekeeper named Romulus.
After a few days, President Snow announce the 75th Hunger Games or the Quarter Quell. For this Quell, two of the districts living victors will be a tribute (again). Because District 12 has only 3 living tributes, Katniss will be for the female tribute and Peeta for the male, since she volunteered
Just like what happened during the 74th Hunger Games, the tributes will have a caravan and an interview with Ceasar Flickerman. During Katniss's interview, Ceasar notices that she wore a wedding gown. Katniss told him that it was President Snow's choice. Ceasar asked Katniss to twirl because last game, Katniss also twirl revealing a costume that fires up. This time, as Katniss twirls, her gown changes, making it a mokingjay, the sign of rebellion. Ceasar acknowledged Cinna for the dress and Peeta was called. Peeta's interview was serene and almost quiet. At the end of the interview, Peeta revealed that he and Katniss got married at District 12 and he and Katniss will have a baby. The audience protested and there is a quarrel, all the tributes hold each other's hand and raises it, a sign that they are one.
The game starts. The venue was in a forest mountain with a small salt water sea at the center. Katniss, Peeta, Mags and Finnick were allies. Katniss sees a shimmer of the forcefield, because Beetee taught her how, and just as she warned Peeta, he hits the forcefield at the edge of the arena, which stops his heart, until Finnick is able to revive him, to Katniss's relief. During the night, a thick, poisonous fog appears. In this time, Peeta was still weak and Mags was old and has a problem of running fast. Finnick can't carry them both so Mags bravely sacrifices herself, to Finnick's grief, so that the other three can outrun the fog, which abruptly halts after a certain distance. They rest in the forest, but are soon attacked by a pack of vicious mutt mandrils. Peeta is unexpectedly saved when the woman from District 6, a camouflage expert, sacrifices herself .
They later meet Wiress, Beetee, and Johanna in the beach at dawn. Wiress is suffering in a mental breakdown after they went through a section of the arena that rained blood. Beeteeis carrying a strange coil of wire. Wiress discovers that the arena is designed like a clocout and told Wiress that she is a genius. The twelve-hour section is pointed to by the tail of the Cornucopia, where a lightning storm strikes around a huge tree. The six allies go to the Cornucopia to view the clock system more closely, but they are suddenly ambushed by the Careers. Wiress is fatally wounded and died. In the control room, Plutarch Heavensbee sets the Cornucopia island spinning to confuse the tributes' ability to tell time, but when Katniss falls off the island and seems about to drown, he stops it.
k and every hour a specific attack occurs in its designated section. Nobody understand it until Katniss figure it
The alliance regroups on the beach. Katniss and Finnick are accidentally drawn into a section of the clock inhabited by jabberjays which scream identically to their loved ones, that tortured them . Later, Peeta and Katniss discuss leaving the alliance. Katniss knows they will have to fight them once the Careers are dead and she doesn't want to kill Finnick or Beetee, but she must, to keep Peeta alive. Peeta agrees they will leave the alliance after midnight,. Peeta reasons that if Katniss died, he would have nothing to live for, and there are people at home who need her, whereas nobody needs him. Katniss said that she does need him, and kisses him passionately, no longthen leaves the room, telling Snow to enjoy the rest of the show.
er acting. Watching from the control room, President Snow shows satisfaction, agreeing that Plutarch predicted a
ccurately that Katniss would reach this point and sacrifice herself. Plutarch nods,
Beetee suggests a plan to electrocute the two remaining tributes outside the alliance,using his wire and the tree that is struck by lightning at 12:00, connected to the saltwater pool and the damp beach. He tells Finnick and Peeta to protect him near the tree until midnight, while Katniss and Johanna run the end of the wire down to the beach. Katniss and Peeta are very reluctant to separate now, but she agrees to lay the wire when Finnick and Beetee imply she intends to break the alliance. Katniss tells Peeta she will see him at midnight and departs. When the wire is unexpectedly cut after a distance, Johanna suddenly concusses Katniss, cutting the tracker out of her arm and telling her to stay down, as the Careers are stalking them. She leads Brutus and Enobaria away from the weakened Katniss.
Katniss thinks Finnick and Johanna broke the alliance, Katniss tried to find Peeta back at the tree. Unable to find Peeta, and hearing the sound of a cannon, she calls out for him frantically. When Finnick appears, she prepares to shoot him, but he stops her by repeating Haymitch's last advice: "Remember who the real enemy is". Changing her mind, Katniss attaches the remaining wire to the arrow. Finnick warns Katniss not to do it, but she shoots at the force field shutting down the forcefield around the arena. This electrocutes Katniss, and causes a power outage in the control room. Shocked, President Snow calls Plutarch Heavensbee angrily, but Heavensbee is gone. A hovercraft appears, descends into the wreckage, and picks her up before Katniss passes out.
She awaken with an unconscious Beetee beside her. Entering a room, Katniss picks up a needle, ready to attack, but unexpectedly, she finds Haymitch, Finnick, and Plutarch Heavensbee, revealed to be a rebel agent against Snow. Plutarch explain that they and t
he district rebels, along with half of the tributes, had been planning to free her to help support their revolution against the Capitol, as "The Mockingjay"; the hovercraft is headed for District 13. When Katniss learns Peeta and Johanna were captured by the Capitol, she attacks Haymitch for not keeping his promise to save Peeta. Plutarch sedates her, and she awakens days later with Gale by her side, who informs that her family is safe, but District 12 has been destroyed by the Capitol. Katniss, in shock, horror and sadness, begins to look mad, planning to get revenge against the Capitol.

I Choose You

The Truly Great