THE GRAIN MAGAZINE 2020-2021

The GRAIN #TheCampusPaperOfTruth #PressOn

IN THIS ISSUE...

2 | EDITORIAL THE TRUE VALUE

7 | NEWS

THE CHOSEN ONE

14 | FEATURES SJCNHS’ BEST SPOTS

15 | SCIENCE WELCOME VAXXED

24 | SPORTS PRIDE UNLEASHED

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF SAN JOSE CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (Formerly Constancio Padilla National High School) VOL LXX | ISSUE I | OCTOBER 2020 - AUGUST 2021

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OPINION

THE GRAIN

EDITORIAL BOARD SY 2020-2021 KEESHA CAMILLE F. RAMOS Editor-in-Chief KAE LANIE RAE S. ESGUERRA Associate Editor ILENE R. ONIA JERALD RAFAEL C. RAMIREZ Managing Editors CHRIZTEL ANNE C. BASBAS News Editor John Benedict S. Nacino Justine I. Garcia Angela Allen P. Cabrillas Banie Joanne D. Ong Darren M. Ballesteros Carmela V. Bajin

GRAVIN B. MERCADO Features Editor Lance Andrei P. De Jesus Alexia Yhuanne I. Fabia Nikka T. Macadangdang Eliza Neeh C. Bautista

JAN CARLO A. MARAÑA Science Editor Patricia Arabella R. Santos Justine Ace C. Sandoval Nicalaine M. Dizon Jaren Mykel A. Javate

JOHN JIMWELL B. RAFAEL DJULIANA ODESSA R. NIMES Sports Editors Esron B. Garcia Achillez Marcuz M. Cajayon

HANNAH ESTHER V. BRAVO Head Cartoonist John Zen O. Gabuni Raven C. Segui Nicole Princess C. Dela Peña

JEMIMA E. PAGAD Head Photojournalist MOSES JAMUEL M. ALFONSO Layout Artist ANGELIQUE C. LLENA KENNETH CHRISTOPHER S. DUMLAO VERA MAE R. RIGOR Advisers

GRACE V. BRAVO RUBY GRACE R. MALLARE ROMINA N. RAMOS PERCIVAL R. TABOR Language/Artwork Critics

MA. EVELYN R. REYES Head Teacher III, English

ALDRIN J. BALOC Principal III

EDITORIAL

The True Value The pandemic may have stopped us from doing important things, but it can never stop the impact of journalism in our lives.

On March 20, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the Luzonwide Enhanced Community Quarantine when COVID-19 entered the country. This caused people to stay at home so that the virus will not spread.

It affected many sectors like education, tourism, and transportation. Still, even though it created a significant impact on our lives, the pandemic highlighted the importance of journalism.

Before the pandemic, the only issues important to most people would be show business scoops, politics, holidays, and class suspensions. However, during the pandemic,

While the campus journalists increased their knowledge in writing, they also discovered what their roles are in these times of the pandemic, that is, to report information with fairness, debunk fake news, and simplify the complex.

when people were forced to stay at home, they have become more interested in learning what happens around through reading, viewing, or listening to news. Without these, people would not be aware of the number of COVID cases as well as the government’s plan of action.

In the case of campus journalism, many students found the ‘lockdown’ as an opportunity to strengthen their skills. From the early months of the pandemic, various contests, Online Press Conferences (OPC) to be exact, were popular among the young writers. These OPCs are not just venues to win a coveted prize but an opportunity for growth.

While the campus journalists increased their knowledge in writing, they also discovered what their roles are in these times of the pandemic, that is, to report information with fairness, debunk fake news, and simplify the complex. The OPCs also opened up opportunities for the student journalists to write as a whole. One of these pages is The Scientific Process that aims to write articles that give simplified view in complicated scientific terms and analogies that the readers can understand, aside from that, they also correct some pseudoscience that can be found on the internet.

There are also student publications that created social media pages for them to post their articles. These pages aimed to inform the people in their locality what the happening about their place or in school is.

Journalists work hand-in-hand to play their role amid the pandemic, trying to help to spread factual information to the people. With this kind of teamwork, people will have access to the news that they deserve. Journalism, at this time, is essential.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART | Keesha Camille F. Ramos

My Son got Addicted to Online Games Dear Keesha, Firstly, I want to thank The Grain for giving a parent like me a chance to get something off my chest. I am worried about my eighth grade son. When he was in grade 7, he used to be very kind, considerate, thrifty, and enthused about studying.

During the first day of classes as grade 8, he still showed excitement: waking up early, grooming himself, carefully answering his modules, and submitting the modules promptly.

But a month later, I started noticing changes in him. He became hot-headed.

He always picked fights with his older sister when she refused to help him answer his modules. On top of that, he would submit his modules late.

Only to find out that the change was caused by a game called Mobile Legends.

He spent most of his time playing it, even at midnight.

And whenever he ran out of load, he would yell at me. I tried to understand him, but I have to admit that his new attitude not only hurt my head but most especially my heart.

I am thankful that he managed to maintain his grades, but I still wonder if the changes in my son’s attitude is really caused by his addiction to cell phone or something else. I hope you could help me.

Sincerely,

Concerned Mother STRAIGHT | turn to page 6

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OPINION

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Differentiate: Wanting and Deserving MERITORIOUS | Jerald Rafael C. Ramirez

T

here is a difference between getting what you want and what you deserve.

Amid the pandemic, classes resumed using distance learning modalities.

One of which was the online modality that enabled the use of the internet to deliver the curriculum. Classes were not the only ones resumed, but it also made meetings and events possible, especially extracurricular activities.

The platform might have changed but the same rules in the face-to-face competitions must still apply...

Students taking part in extracurricular activities were fortunate to stay at home while in the contest proper. Sounds convenient, but risky. As contestants can hide through screens, some of them may abuse this by cheating, since the organizers, facilitators, or fellow competitors might not know what happens behind deactivated cameras.

The platform might have changed but the same rules in the face-to-face competitions must still apply, like coaches should maintain a safe distance from the contestant during the contest proper.

This is especially true when the contest is off-cam.

There will be a greater risk of cheating when the participant

is at work.

A coach c a n help the student and make competitions disadvantageous to others.

But there are some exceptions. To cite is when the coach is a parent who lives with the contestant at home. There is no problem with having the parents cheering the contestant, but it does not mean they have to be there even when the contest is ongoing.

It is never a wrong decision to support your hardworking child but not to the point of interfering with the event; it is not proper anymore, and a blatant disrespect to the rules of the MERITORIOUS | turn to page 5

Band Aid Solution ICE SAGE | Chriztel Anne C. Basbas

T

hrough the lens of many, academic freeze the cancellation of all educational activities, is the best option. But not for me, even though most Filipino students appealed for it before the start of the school year 2020-2021.

Despite their call for an academic freeze, the enrollment in public and private schools reached 24.49 million, or 88.19 percent of the registration in the previous school year. For the Department of Education (DepEd), the call for this ‘solution’ is a “populist position that is not popular.”

Also, DepEd repeated the warning of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), “the longer children stay out of school, the less likely they are to return” to support their decision. It can be recalled that the number of out-of-school youth has been persistently high in the Philippines.

Face-to-face classes are unlikely to resume during the pandemic because it is risky. As a student, I think alternatives like the different modalities should be explored, no matter how difficult it is to adjust.

If ever an academic freeze will be

implemented, what will happen after? Further delays will cause the students to catch up to more lessons and force them to wait longer before getting their diploma and degree.

Different student organizations backed up their #AcademicFreezeNow campaign with the difficulties of online education in the country.

Also, they pointed out that many Filipino families and students are not privileged enough to go with the new standard education, especially that one of the modalities, I understand online learning, what they are trying is anti-poor. to point out. I even In addition, our country’s experienced some of the disadvantages current state of the new normal does not help students get education. But I still motivational believe that there support for is a light after this learning. Suicide tunnel; academic cases and freeze will just make mental health our stay dark and crises of the youth, which delay the process. happened, were also issued. The ‘fortunate’ ones have access to education, and ICE SAGE | turn to page 4

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THE GRAIN

OPINION

Waiting for the Better Days

The Fault in our SLM DIOSCURI | Angela Allen P. Cabrillas

M

istake-filled m o d u l e s , misleading knowledge for learners.

I was disappointed when I learned that some of the self-learning modules (SLM) distributed to learners contained many errors.

More so, when several weeks after School Year 2020-2021 started, there were reported issues that some of the modules contained major inaccuracies in content and grammar.

In an interview with Rappler on October 8, Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio admitted that not all modules prepared this year underwent "quality assurance."

Let us first discuss the latest findings.

On June 14, one of the errors that were reported was about the definition of a Filipino mythical creature in a grade 10 learning module. Its definition included terms inappropriate for formal education.

According to GMA News, DepEd Usec. Tony Umali told the House Committee on Public Accounts that the errors were inexcusable and unacceptable and that module has been recalled in February.

Imagine a child at a very young age uttering vulgar words like a daily expression. A

typical parent might find it really disrespectful.

And coming from a teacher, a supposed role model, that should be alarming.

This incident might be caused by many factors like media, pandemic fatigue, quickpaced workflow, or low quality education on the part of most teachers. Let us be realistic; not all teachers have enough heart to consider their job a calling, and so the “wrong” cascades to the learners.

In another module, an actress experienced what seemed like body shaming, discussing that she got her obesity from constantly eating in a fast food chain. Writers must be careful on the choice of words because sometimes, these words could be insulting or unpleasant. They must be sensitive enough to consider gender issues and biases in their writings.

The DepEd issued a public apology regarding the matter, emphasizing that it does not tolerate nor condone any act of body shaming, ad hominem, or any similar act of bullying both in the physical and virtual environments.

This issue is just like the discrimination against a minority group in a learning module that went viral on February 9. One of the DIOSCURI | turn to page 5

Health Comes First EXCERPT | Jan Carlo A. Maraña

W i t h t h e spread of COVID-19 worldwide, none of us have prepared to face the pandemic. The city we live in, San Jose City, lacks infrastructure, so the Local Government Unit (LGU) had to convert schools as temporary isolation and quarantine areas. I do not agree with repurposing the schools to become isolation and quarantine areas

because it is a threat to our health; learners might get virus from the surfaces.

San Jose City National High School was one of the institutions that turned into a quarantine facility. It was risky, given that the school is at the heart of the city and many houses surrounded the area. Every day, we risk the safety and lives of people living near the school.

What if the president suddenly declares to resume face-to-face classes? That

will surely put many lives at risk, especially now that the virus rapidly mutates. The teachers, the students who are mostly minors, become vulnerable.

I do not think that disinfection is enough to assure that the classrooms are safe. Knowing that the virus is invisible, so we are not really sure where they thrive.

The virus is not something you pick up in the pathways but through EXCERPT | turn to page 6

SAOIRSE | Gravin B. Mercado

D

uring this crisis, distance learning has become unfavorable for both students and teachers. Is it worth normalizing in the coming years?

The Department of Education (DepEd) has made an effort to ensure that education continues during this lockdown. They introduced modular (printed or digitized), online learning (online class), radio and televisionbased instruction, or a combination of these (blended learning), and they also assessed teachers who will be advance teachers. San Jose City National High School is striving to adapt to these new modes of learning.

Despite the Department of Education’s efforts to continue education through distance learning, Some students, including myself, prefer faceto-face learning. Face-to-face learning helps you focus more intently since there will be fewer distractions than at home. In a traditional classroom setting, you may feel more at ease, have the opportunity to engage with your teacher and classmates, develop better knowledge, and have your questions and difficulties resolved instantly.

Face-to-face learning also has advantages for parents. According to Life Education, socialization and friendship

During this pandemic, everyone faces challenges; all we can do is find joy in everything and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

ICE SAGE | from page 3 the latter is left behind.

I understand what they are trying to point out. I even experienced some of the disadvantages of the new normal education. But I still believe that there is a light after this tunnel; academic freeze will just make our stay dark and delay the process.

In my perspective, the academic freeze will only be a band-aid solution. It will affect our economy, especially the children’s overall development. It will also

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development help youngsters learn more about themselves, acquire empathy, manage stress better, and benefit their child’s mental health. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that, at school, children receive much more than just academics. They gain social and emotional skills in school, mental health care, and other services that are difficult to replicate online.

Teachers benefit from face-to-face learning because of the resources and the working or private areas. Teachers at the school office or our school’s “department offices” face little to no interruption in contrast to distance learning, where their children/family members may bother them while they teach. With that being said, online classes are also part of distance learning, and a stable WIFI connection is necessary.

In distance learning, you can express yourself without fear of being judged by your teacher or classmate. When it gets hard for recitations, you have the opportunity to lighten up the mood because distance learning can make you feel anxious at points in time. You can be stressed out and still have a good time. However, face-to-face education is the ideal sort of education because the effectiveness of distance education is still unclear. And, before the pandemic, this mode of learning was not generally known in the Philippines.

I would say that, if alternative types of education are possible, it would be great if distance learning was not as normalized as today. For the time being, long rests and a cool breeze from the outside are all we require. During this pandemic, everyone faces challenges; all we can do is find joy in everything and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

result in a higher unemployment rate in our country because of school closures.

‘No vaccine, no classes’ that is what they say before. But since vaccines are rolling out in our country, getting vaccinated is one of the advisable options to do.

Through my lens, this difficult time will help us to make changes someday as the hope of the nation and people. For now, academic ease and longer breaks are what we needed.

The

MIGHTY en I haven’t done a lot since the pandemic, just like going out with my friends. - Marjorie Duyon, 8-SPA-A

5

OPINION

The Grain asked City High: “What were the things you love to do when you were still going to school but can no longer do now?”

Here are their answers...

I very much miss the moments when I get to spend time with my friends. Listening to their jokes and stories makes me happy and contented. These happy moments makes my school year memorable.

I wish this pandemic will end soon, so I can spend time with them once more. Arielle Stephanie Reyes, 8-Newton

I really miss doing activities like experimenting with things and doing a project. I still miss queuing at the Flag raising ceremony and eating at the canteen. When this pandemic is over, I will make sure to graduate and make lots of friends. Jessica Baron, 8-Online 1

I miss being with my friends and classmates, eating lunch together and after class going to church to serve and eat with them.

Maykel Santillana, 9-PM 16

Bonding with my classmate and friends.

Yashmiene Dizon, 10-Aristotle

I can’t get to different places and I miss dancing on stage.

Phoebe Jane Naco 8 SPA-A

Photo Source: Mr. Heherson T. Bautista

MERITORIOUS | from page 3 contest. Even if they win, the so-called hardworking student will only lie to oneself for relying on unlawful means.

Things that have been achieved through cheating will only be an undeserved title. The fruits of such an affair will only bear ill will

to the people who resort to it. They may get what they want, but eventually, they will receive what they deserve: punishment.

DIOSCURI | from page 4 activities in the learning module required the learners to decide whether or not the statement is correct. The statement read: "Hindi ako makikipaglaro sa aking kaklase (sic) na Igorot dahil iba ang kanyang pananamit."

Another instance is an illustration depicting a family of farmers as beggars because some of its members wore tattered clothing, if not underdressed. The story was about a hardworking farmer, but the way it was shown in the module raised the brows of many critical minds.

Jenice Ramiro, a concerned citizen said there was no problem with the story; the problem lies on the first illustration showing farmers wearing shabby clothes, while some of the children barely wore anything.

Whatever the skills to master are, the fact that the statements were written that way might give learners an idea that it is okay to make fun of people based on their body type, economic status, ethnicity and the like.

Generally, these kinds of information might teach learners to embrace bullying and stereotyping, some cultures that we need to wipe out already in this generation.

Most module writers violated the Social Content Guidelines of DepEd, especially the part that said, ‘Avoid inaccurate, unnecessary, or inappropriate portrayal of or reference to the physical appearance, cultural customs, social classes, symbols, observances, festivals, dress, names, or language of any ethnic group or nationality.’

I understand that the sacrifices the module writers (teachers, mostly) have to go through in this new normal must not be taken lightly, but the physical, emotional, and psychological fatigue that come with it must not serve as excuses to give us lots of wronglywritten materials. The quality of our learning amid the pandemic is mostly dependent on them. If they continue to serve us with erroneous learning materials, then who knows what kind of society they might shape in the future.

The higher ups should consider giving longer time to address these issues – without pressure if they can – just like when they decided to give us learners reasonable leniency to submit our outputs, so that next school year, little to nothing like this might happen again.

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OPINION

STRAIGHT | from page 3 Dear Concerned Mother, Thank you very much for trusting me with your concerns.

I believe your son must have gotten the attitude from his playmates. Because of the pandemic, we, students could no longer meet our friends physically, so we keep in touch through online games. But it seems like the friends he met have different personalities and traits. I’m afraid not all of them are worth your child’s admiration.

Your son’s story is quite relatable because I also play online games. These games relieve us from stress in our school works. But my online friends warned me about being too aggressive in playing the games. We also remembered our priorities before engaging in such activities.

Your guidance as a parent is helpful in letting him choose his circle of online friends. You can also teach him how to manage his time, because he might regret spending all of it in playing mobile games. He should know that these games are only for entertainment.

You can also sit down with your son together with your other family members and talk about what they did the whole day to know what he and his siblings are going through.

Being there in good or bad times means a lot to them.

Keesha

THE GRAIN Mental Health Matters HYGIEIA |Ilene R. Onia

T

he negligence of mental health is getting worse day by day. When I was at a mall, a girl committed suicide. She jumped from the third floor, screaming as she was falling.

Although the medic was quick to respond, she still died the next day.

According to Springer, six million Filipinos are estimated to live with depression and/ or anxiety; 8.9% or 1 in 10 of those are young adults. The government spends only 3-5% of the total budget in the mental health sector.

Even before the pandemic, mental health illness is the third most common disability.

Mental health is a topic that is often overlooked. We often put a barricade on due to the stigma attached to it and the concern of loss of face, sense of shame, and weakness.

The Philippines has only 600 professionals, mainly in Manila, making it more difficult. The nearest free psychiatric clinic to San Jose City takes two hours away, and even that still costs money. The ones here can

be expensive, ranging from one thousand to three thousand per session, not to mention the prescribed drugs for maintenance.

The Division Office has conducted related webinars for high school students' mental health advocacy awareness programs. We also had this TikTok contest provided by the Commission on Youth-Dioceses of San Jose City that targets consciousness on depression and anxiety.

But even if we are aware, even if we have all this knowledge on mental health, if no one aids the pre-teens, teens, and adults that need help, the issue with mental health will remain unaddressed.

The most feasible way is to include the affordability of mental health professionals in the already signed law. That way, psychological support will be accessible for everyone.

EXCERPT | from page 4 infected individuals leaving contagious liquids that enter your nose and mouth.

Also, Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones said that the use of schools as quarantine facilities during the raging coronavirus pandemic should be the last resort. Yet one year has already passed since the lockdown, and we

have chosen the last resort.

Converting school buildings into quarantine areas should not go on for a long time. Soon, face-to-face classes will be inevitable, and the last thing we learners want to be are patients of COVID-19.

The government – local or national alike – must do something about this. There

TOMORROW IS A DEAD END

has to be budget allotted for the building of facilities. If that budget materializes into let’s say one quarantine area on a very isolated part of the city, then that is a good start.

For now, I stand my ground that converting school buildings into quarantine facilities must stop. It is not sanitary, and definitely not safe.

Kaelanie Rae Esguerra

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NEWS

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HOME IS THE NEW SCHOOL. Distance learning gives the parents and guardians a new role in their children’s education. Mrs. Loreta C. Dela Cruz (left) and Mrs. Marissa E. Pablo (right) guide the learners Dan Miko L. Garcillano (left) and Sophia Alexis R. Pablo (right) in answering their printed modules.-KCFRamos, JEPagad

THE CHOSEN ONE

Printed modular, SJCNHS’ number one learning modality Keesha Camille F. Ramos

Majority of San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) students enrolled in the printed modular learning modality for SY 2020-2021.

In an interview with The Grain, School Principal Aldrin J. Baloc shared that SJCNHS currently implements Modular (printed and digitized) and Online modalities.

Most students enrolled in printed modular with 72.67%, followed by modular digitized with 16.43% and online with 10.90%.

“Pinili ko ang printed modular kasi

16.43%

class students with a total of 1,533 students.

In Grade 9, there are 1,146 printed modular learner students, 240 digitized modular students, and 185 online class students with a total of 1,571 students.

Lastly in Grade 10, there are 850 printed modular students, 182 digitized modular students, and 122 online class students with a total of 1,154 students.

The Department of Education decided to push through with the class opening by distance learning, offering different learning modalities as its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SJCNHS holds 1st virtual moving-up through Facebook Live

STUDENTS’ CHOICE. As of the latest enrolment count, about 3/4 of the student population prefer Printed Modality to other modalities due to unstable internet connection.

16.43% are in Digital Modular Modality, while only 10.90% are in Online Modality.

10.90%

para sa akin, mas convenient ito dahil mabagal ang aming internet sa bahay,” Atthea Ariem of 10-Printed Modular 8 said via Facebook Messenger.

Enrollees for SY 2020-2021 reached 5,733 as of the latest count in the school’s Learner Information System.

In Grade 7, there are 1,086 printed modular learner students, 236 digitized modular students, and 153 online class students with a total of 1,475 students.

While in Grade 8, there are 1,084 printed modular learner students, 284 digitized modular students, and 165 online

Angela Allen P. Cabrillas

72.67%

For the first time, occasions in San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) like the moving-up ceremonies opened for all to see as the event went live on Facebook.

The first pandemic batch of Grade 10 learners received their certificates of completion on July 15, 2021.

Michelle Domingo, one of the teachers behind the ceremony, said that preparations started when the Department of Education released a memorandum.

Technologically-advanced teachers Ayreen Del Rosario and Paul Ryan

Villanueva led the technical working group, which took charge of the picture taking, laying out, and video editing of the photos.

Domingo also said that all Grade 10 advisers were given tasks, although the preparations for the virtual movingup and the school forms were done simultaneously.

“All the plans were presented to the school principal, Aldrin J. Baloc for his comments [and] suggestions for his approval,” Domingo shared.

One thousand one hundred fifty four (1,154) students completed their Junior SJCNHS | turn to page 9

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NEWS

THE GRAIN

School observes stricter measures against COVID-19 Banie Joanne D. Ong

SJCNHS implemented stricter safety measures in adherence to the City’s Executive Order (EO) no. 12 that imposes stern COVID-19 prevention guidelines from March 29 to April 4, 2021.

School Principal Aldrin Baloc said that the school followed the EO by strengthening health and safety protocols from school entrances to academic-related facilities.

SJCNHS developed and acquired sanitation baths for vehicles, manual and online contact tracing forms, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for teaching and nonteaching personnel for stricter implementation of COVID safety measures.

He also said that the school bought and installed face recognition biometrics machines for school personnel. The ‘face bio’ is a non-contact way of logging in and out and is safer

than the thumb-in biometrics machine which the school used before the pandemic.

The school also implemented regular disinfection of buildings and offices twice a week.

“Teachers are on threeday Skeleton Workforce and two-day work from home as Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) to avoid crowding in school offices. The School COVID Task Force was established to monitor health checks and status of school personnel,” he added.

City High also introduced the disinfection cabinet at the entrance of the school administration building.

The disinfection cabinet sanitizes the documents through Ultraviolet Ray lights before going to various departments for processing and signing.

The school clinic posted a table of COVID cases at the

STAYING CLEAN, STAYING SAFE. The teaching and nonteaching staff of SJCNHS disinfect their offices, facilities, and equipment after work hours to ensure safety from COVID-19.

Photo Source: SJCNHS Official Facebook Page

visitor’s area. It aims to update the stakeholders on the number of cases per barangay.

School personnel also started to use a dualway intercom for safer transactions with visitors.

City High opens doors to additional learning modalities Jerald Rafael C. Ramirez, Carmela V. Bajin

New learning opportunities are on the way for SJCNHS learners.

SJCNHS will add learning modalities such as Radio-Based Instruction (RBI).

Even before the third quarter, the school has been preparing for the possibility of RBI. They procured the necessary equipment and asked for radio frequency permission.

“As soon as we get the green light from the NTC [National Telecommunications

Commission] the implementation of RBI in our school will be on full blast,” said Principal Aldrin J. Baloc in an interview with The Grain.

He added that the papers for the Test Broadcast Permit are already on process at the NTC and the office of Education Undersecretary Alain Del Pascua.

In RBI, a student learns while listening to a “radio teacher” who broadcasts the lesson live or recorded.

Potential radio teachers TEST BROADCAST. English teacher Reynaldo J. Pascual serves as a radio teacher in one of the episodes of “English Made Easy On Air,” the educational radio-cast of the English Department, during the teachers’ capacity building.

Photo provided by Sir Reynaldo J. Pascual

underwent orientation and capacity building through the help of radio broadcasting coach Ryan Baltazar. They conducted a dry-run of the broadcast from 3rd to 4th quarter.

Baltazar said that RBI is suitable for learners who are short of money, for auditory students, for multitasking students, and the like, but it also has disadvantages.

“Hindi makikita [ang] teachers. Kapag umuulan, may bagyo, nag brown out, ‘di matutuloy ang learning dahil sa mga ito,” he said.

On the other hand, the San Jose City Division encouraged the teachers to promote DepEd TV to their learners and monitor these through their chat groups.

DepEd TV airs lessons from Monday to Saturday from 7 AM to 7 PM on channels like GMA 7, IBC-13, Cignal Channel 149, and satellite Channel 189.

Achievement Test pushes through despite pandemic Keesha Camille F. Ramos

At the onslaught of the pandemic, the education sector responded by keeping on, and that included administering the Division Achievement Test (DAT) at the end of the school year.

In an interview with The Grain, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) Education Program Supervisor Lordennis Leonardo explained that the DAT intended to measure learners’ performance during the implementation of distance learning.

He clarified further that the test would define the students’ performance as a whole but would not affect their grades.

San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) students who took the test were 1,353 from Grade 7, 1,333 from Grade 8, 1,487 from Grade 9, and 1,127 from Grade 10.

Overall Mean Percentage Scores in SJCNHS were 74.41, Filipino; 72.82, English; 72.64, Mathematics; 63.88, Science; 63.87, ESP; 62.09, Araling Panlipunan; 60.60, Technology and Livelihood Education; and 56.95, Music, Arts, Physical Edcuation, and Health.

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100 M

from 2016-2021 In less than a year, the six-year term of President Rodrigo Duterte will come to a close. Here are some of the developments and issues the Philippines has gone through since he stepped into power:

53.7% Filipinos dissatisfied with Pandemic Response

More than

2.5 M Filipinos have been inoculated since the free vaccination drive last March.

Over

25K deaths due to COVID-19

6.1 M

Filipinos covered

by Universal Healthcare Law

STATE OF

17.4K

Filipinos were jobless on the onset of the Pandemic according to Rep. Edcel Lagman.

9.5%

classrooms built

Gross domestic product plunge in 2020

212 completed airport projects

flood mitigation structures completed

rebels surrendered to the government through the NTFELCAC program

7.3M

people rescued from poverty

114K

10.3K

11T

bills signed into laws

1.3 M Students will enjoy free tuition in State Colleges and Universities

1.2 M Drug Surrenderers

27K

Human rights violated in the name of War on Drugs, according to critics

5.5K

National debt as of May, 2021

133

bridges constructed Over

4,000 workers have been laid off due to the closure of ABS-CBN

446 seaport projects done

Sources: Presidential Communications Operations Office, Manila Standard, Business Mirror, Counter Sona 2021 by Rep. Edcel Lagman

SJCNHS launches 1st online press con Chriztel Anne C. Basbas

The fire of campus journalism presses on as San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) launched its firstever Online School Level Press Conference (SLPC) on May 13-14, 2021.

In a Facebook Messenger interview, The Grain Adviser Angelique Llena explained that promoting press freedom has always been the aim of conducting competitions such as this even before the pandemic.

She also said that the pandemic serves as an opportunity for the student journalists to show and develop their skills.

“While many think that the pandemic affects us psychologically, The Grain begs to differ. We look at this trying time as an opportunity to discover and unleash our learners’ potential in campus journalism,” she said.

Exclusively for SJCNHS students, the online SLPC welcomed over 100 participants from Junior to

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Senior High School.

2021 Results Out of more than 40 participants for the English medium, three students emerged as winners for each category.

Winners for news writing include John Benedict Nacino, Reyniel Tomas, and Justine Rey Garcia.

For feature writing, the top three writers were Kaelanie Rae Esguerra, Ilene Onia, and Nikka Macadangdang.

Editorial Writing winners were Keesha Camille Ramos, Angela Cabrillas, and Jerald Rafael Ramirez.

Justine Ace Sandoval, John Benedict Nacino, and Gravin Mercado won in Science Writing.

Best Sports Writers include Djaimee Joyce Nimes, John Jimwell Rafael, and Djuliana Odessa Nimes.

Editorial Cartooning winners were John Lian Calvin Espiritu, Keila Datayan, and John Zen Gabuni.

Copyreading and Headline Writing winners were Kae Lanie Rae Esguerra, Justine Rey Garcia, and Darren Ballesteros.

Iris Melifranz Bermosa, Joeanne Ken Cardona, and Johnvince Cardona won in Photojournalism.

Besting the Layout and Page Design were Paul Vincent Laureta, Keesha Camille Ramos, and Kae Lanie Rae Esguerra.

Yellow Ribbon Turns Gray

PNoy dies at 61 Keesha Camille F. Ramos

This year, the country bade farewell to one of its esteemed leaders.

Former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III succumbed to renal disease secondary to diabetes on June 24, 2021. He was 61.

The ex-President had been suffering from health conditions such as lungs and kidney, and underwent dialysis.

“He died peacefully in his sleep,” Pinky Aquino-Abellada, one of his sisters, related.

Government offices, including public schools, placed their flags in half mast to give their last respects to the former president.

Aquino served as the Philippines’ 15th President and the chairman of the Liberal Party for 2010-2016 (before the current President Rodrigo Duterte).

Some of his noteworthy accomplishments and policies include the Philippines’ victory over the West Philippine Sea dispute with China, No Wangwang Policy, Bangsamoro Peace Process, and the K to 12 Basic Education.

And just like the past presidents, there had also been imperfections under his administration.

To honor Aquino’s death, President Rodrigo Duterte declared 10 days of mourning from June 24 to July 3.

Aquino was laid to rest in the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque beside his parents.

SJCNHS | from page 7 High School. 254 moved up with honors and 58 with high honors.

Janelle Felimon of 10-Aristotle got the highest honors.

“Strengthening the Quality of Education amid the COVID-19 Pandemic” served as the theme of this year’s moving-up ceremonies.

BENIGNO S. AQUINO III 15th President of the Philippines

Artwork by Kae Lanie Rae Esguerra

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THE GRAIN

Saccade:

Once Upon a Pandemic

Kae Lanie Rae S. Esguerra

We can only see what the eye catches.

In a country, not so far away from the Philippines; Wuhan, China, wildlife market and in the latter days of 2019, the first cases of a mysterious pneumonia were linked. The Huanan seafood market was a tangle of kiosks selling not only seafood but also wild animals.

Since the first cluster of what turned into the covid-19 pandemic, it has been an empty shell. The virus spread all over the world including the Philippines.

Do not blink. On March 14, 2020, in the province of Nueva Ecija, City of San Jose, the lockdown started.

Months later and up until now, there are many activities planned and executed related to the care for nature such as OPLAN Kalinisan (community service)

by Oplan Kalinisan team and health protocol violators, OPLAN Daloy in action at Encarnacion Subdivision, Christianville Subdivision, Barangay Tulat, Sanctuario Creek, and many more places. Taking care of nature is as important as keeping the COVID-19 virus from spreading because according to case studies, when people damage habitats and modify animal communities, we are already raising disease risks.

Focus on the past. Romalyn Odal, a former Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) student who is now in the field of Bachelor of Science in Biology spoke about the connection of abuse of nature that makes

pandemics possible.

“Habitat damage or abuse of habitat can spread the virus easily since habitats are essential to any living things and people who lack a source may not know it but it spreads the virus and reflects the lack of discipline of some people,” Odal said.

The former STE student added that wildlife marklets contribute to the spread of the new virus strain, and that the lack of sense of responsibility of preserving the wildlife habitat caused it.

A part, not apart. The COVID-19 pandemic may be a silver lining to the idea that humans are not apart from the natural world, but rather a part of it. It was hard to create a better breeding ground for diseases to jump from animals to humans than live animal markets.

Happy but (n)ever after. It has been a year since the lockdown started but to some it may seem to be a saccade of a journey. In just a blink of an eye, many active cases have been found, many died and in history, many animals were killed vigorously by humans and many habitats were ruined.

The world is full of surprises and surprises. From a broken habitat to a pandemic, we see what our eye catches. The sooner we breathe.

Needle-scared?

L

Lance Andrei P. De Jesus

ike a thief under the moonlight, the pandemic came uninvited, not giving people enough time to prepare for such a disaster.

On March 22, 2021, 135 people got their skin pierced by a syringe, which signifies that the city of San Jose has started its race against the fast and the furious virus. With every day that goes by with no action done, COVID-19 is comfortably sitting in front of a furnace and sipping hot coffee, while its hosts are lying on their deathbed. To prevent this from happening, people must do their best to get their hands on a vaccine.

But, what do we need to do to prepare for immunization? These reminders are sourced from the

Department of Health and the Local Government Unit on what to do before, during, and after vaccination.

Before the vaccination: Before you go rushing to the place of vaccination, make sure to get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and eat healthy foods especially Vitamin C-rich foods and beverages. That is right, no bingewatching on Netflix until midnight.

During the vaccination: As you finally summon the courage to face the needle, wherever the vaccination will be held, it is always advisable that you follow the health protocols such as wearing a face mask, wearing a face shield and also observing

the distance. Bringing your own ballpen is another requirement. It is important that objects are not passed. Also, bring at least one government ID. After the vaccination: It is normal to experience side effects such as feeling under the weather, headaches, redness and swelling around the injection site, and fatigue. These symptoms will usually disappear after one to three days. If it lingers, consult your doctor or head to the nearest medical facility.

Thesethingsmaybesmalland insignificant in terms of impacting the pandemic. But, remember that the virus is microscopic, and yet its influence is far greater than just a few nanometers.

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FEATURES

Fighting through Education C

Eliza Neeh C. Bautista

OVID-19 has become both a normal occurrence and a very important part of peoples’ lives to stay safe from catching the symptoms of the virus in their systems. This is done by wearing face masks, face shields, and avoiding other peoples’ physical contact by staying inside the comfort of wherever they live.

Education has worked hand-in-hand with staying safe from the pandemic and following health protocols provided by the government for peoples’ wellbeing. This has led to students having the choices of three learning modalities: digitized module, printed modules, and online learning.

While students initially cried for an “Academic Freeze,” the Department of Education remained true to its battlecry that “Education must continue,” and that “Nobody should be left behind,” catering learners’ “ease,” not “freeze.”

But often neglected in the picture are the teachers who (undeniably) are the frontliners in realizing this whole thing.

Writing. Sorting. Packing. Distributing.

Teachers, the heroes of this new normal education performed all these and more, not with capes but with masks, shields, and personal protective equipment (PPE) from head to toe. Now, who’s to say that they’re not frontliners?

The more people whom teachers and staff interact with, and the longer those interactions last, the greater the risk of COVID-19 spread.

The biggest reason teachers and school staff should wear PPE is to lower their own risks of getting the virus. In this kind of situation, avoiding a trip to the hospital in an ambulance has never been more vital and to avoid that, following the health protocols is just as essential as it is one of the stepping stones in battling the pandemic.

Education is our weapon in this fight against COVID-19.

A Festival amid Pestilence Kaelanie Rae S. Esguerra

E

ducation must continue, thus responded the Department of Education to the COVID-19 pandemic. With it are the activities associated with learning, which include the arts. In this trying time, where does art take its rightful place? San Jose City National High School’s (SJCNHS) Special Program in the Arts (SPA) may have an answer.

Themed, “Sining at Kultura sa Panahon ng Pandemya,” the SJCNHS-SPA opened its grand curtains for all San Josenians as the First Virtual Exhibit of Students’ Talents flashed on Facebook Live on June 30, 2021.

The virtual recital featured the best outputs and performances of the students

from the six arts disciplines.

DANCING IN THE RAIN Students under the Dance discipline not only learned to bust a pandemic-defying move, but most importantly to dance with the unseen enemy through observing safety protocols. In some performances that involved partners, learners wore face masks, which served as a reminder for all viewers to stay safe. Others performed synchronized dance numbers with the aid of technology, particularly a widely-used social media application called TikTok. TECH-TALK Media arts students presented the photos that they have taken or edited, the

calendars they have laid out, and the radio broadcasts that they have recorded.

“BAWAL” JUDGMENTAL Like dance, students of the Theater Arts performed on TikTok. Their pieces tackled different issues like the pandemic, mental health, and stereotyping among others.

VIRTUAL JAM Learners from the Music Discipline managed to present an ensemble performance despite the distance. The instruments were sent to them at home. Some of the pieces they have performed were Michael Jackson's Heal the World, and The Beatles' Let it be, and Yesterday.

E-PORTFOLIO Lastly, the Visual Arts

and Creative Writing learners displayed their abstract paintings and literary works through pictures and published materials. Some of the writers recorded a video of themselves while reading the stories they composed.

COVID-19 might have been initially a dreadful, invisible adversary.

But behind this phenomenon lies a history and a culture yet to be shaped with the help of t h e arts.

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THE GRAIN

Meliorism One Chapter to Another

Gravin B. Mercado, Nikka T. Macadangdang

Wreckage For almost two years, people are still battling the Coronavirus. It is the battle they never wanted to be part of; nobody is exempt, everyone is in danger, yet they managed to keep a grin on their faces.

Reports of the virus began to flood the internet and the press on December 31, 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) marked the outbreak as a worldwide health emergency on January 30, 2020. Many lives and businesses were already in jeopardy since the virus is in the air, and employees would become infected. COVID-19 was designated a worldwide pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020.

Put up with the rain to get the rainbow.

Following the safety protocols gives people an advantage over the unseen enemy. For that, San Jose City mayor Mario O. Salvador reminded the public to observe health protocols like wearing face masks and face shields and social distancing.

The struggle is part of the journey.

Despite the pandemic, San Jose City National High School students and teachers began to adjust to new learning modalities like Online learning and Modular learning.

Students, particularly those from public schools, struggle with online learning. Some suffer a lack of favorable learning settings at home. Like students, teachers are also emotionally and physically exhausted because of the shift from face-to-face sessions to online classes. Teachers distribute modules wearing PPEs and create pre-recorded video lectures.

But be like a flower - survive the rain and use it to grow.

We are getting used to this set-up day by day.

If people pay more attention, this pandemic has also provided us with several benefits. Many people made things that restored our faith in humanity. Students experienced personal growth by rediscovering new hobbies and talents. Most importantly, students gained confidence in participating in contests.

The Time is Now People are hopeful that this game of difficulties would come to an end. Philippine authorities and frontline workers are one step closer to defeating COVID-19. According to data provided by the Philippine Administration for Food and Drugs, vaccines against the virus are safe and effective, after several clinical trials on the vaccine have taken place.

Hoping for the Kae Lanie Rae S. Esguerra, Gravin B. Mercado

We FIlipinos are wellknown for our RESILIENCY: the courage to dance in the rain; the ability to rise from the ashes. Like the disasters that we have weathered in the past, the COVID-19 pandemic might have brought us down for a moment, but we get back up and end strong.

This is also what happens to some of our fellows braving the challenges of this invisible enemy. As it forced people to stay home and caused most of them to lose their jobs, there are those who rely on their unique talents to get by.

Rainb w

Jemima E. Pagad, 9-Mendeleev, is an aspiring young photographer who started her business last September, 2020.

This 16-year-old part-time photographer has already affected quite a number of clients, causing her to create a social media page called Jem Captures.

“I started working because I want to enhance my passion and at the same time earn small money that can help me invest for my gears while being a student,” Pagad said.

“I experienced people questioning my service, not

realizing how much money I spent for my gears. There are also times that I don’t have clients because I don’t often promote my page. Sometimes my photoshoots overlap with my online classes,” she added.

Even though the hardest time may come; when someone chooses to live, no matter who she or he is— that person will rise above the occasion. The first light of the sun can be seen illuminating the Earth as the clouds glow with warmth and magnificence. The sun shines beneath the storm, and there they ready, set and aim for the rainbow.

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A Little

from City High

Photo Source: San Jose City National High School Official Facebook Page

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Banie Joanne D. Ong, Alexia Yhuanne I. Fabia

ach of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. - 2 Corinthians 9:7 We cannot deny that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to stay inside our houses for safety. And by doing so, some families have lost their means of living, and would inevitably put their hopes on the local government aid to get by.

If their needs are left unaddressed, our country might be in danger of famine and economic collapse.

In April, a small pantry rose in the streets of Maginhawa, Diliman, Quezon City. It was a small table full of food, which the organizers gave for free to people in need. The said pantry even expressed a message: Give according to your ability, take according to your need. That message encouraged people to contribute what they could and to take whatever they needed.

Soon, that simple act of kindness created a ripple, reaching different communities until it made a nationwide impact in a short span of time.

Those ripples even reached places as far as San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS). On May 18, 2021, our school’s version of the Community Pantry

started through the joint efforts of Principal Aldrin J. Baloc, Administrative Officer Percival R. Tabor, and School Nurse Ginella Marie L. Onato.

They dubbed the activity Project HELP, which means Health, Education, and Life Pantries.

“The community pantry was adopted by SJCNHS, with the same vision of helping the community in need,” said English Teacher Vera Mae Rigor in an interview with The Grain.

“All teachers took part by donating in the pantry.”

And while it is good to remind people of the culture of Bayanihan, the school used the words in 2 Corinthians 9:7 to spread a message of hope as well.

The SJCNHS Official Facebook Page explained that the pantries will be open during the school’s module distribution or return. Each department will give away specific items which can help ease the students and parents’ hardships in coping up with the pandemic.

Some of these items include ready-to-eat foods, vegetables, kitchen supplies, school supplies, disaster preparedness materials, medical and health supplies,

and reading materials.

The teachers and staff placed a long table at the covered catwalk beside the Violago building where they put the supplies. Then they would encourage the parents (or family representatives) to come to the pantry and take whatever supplies each department offers, making sure they all observe safety protocols.

Activities like these only show that despite the changes this world rapidly goes through, we are still capable of caring for our fellow people: a culture that we all need to learn and to pass on to the next generation, because we will never know when another event like this pandemic might visit us again.

Being our brothers’ keepers is the very preparation we need in times like this.

Soon, that simple act of kindness created a ripple, reaching different communities until it made a nationwide impact in a short span of time.

Photo Source: Mr. Heherson T. Bautista

Photo Source: Mr.Jay R C. Soriano

Photo Source: SJCNHS Official Facebook Page

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The construction of these spots became a contest as well. The English Department’s Study Hobbit House emerged as THE BEST SPOT, followed

by Science Department’s El Deseo de mi Corazon (My Heart’s Desire) and Non-teaching Department’s Entrada (Entrance).

Photos from SJCNHS Official Facebook Page, Mrs. Ma. Evelyn R. Reyes

SJCNHS’ #BestSpots #BestSpots:

The Pandemic Made it Happen Kaelanie Rae S. Esguerra

T

he place where students used to enjoy learning, bonding with friends, and expressing themselves has once transformed into a quarantine facility when the fire of pandemic ignited in 2020. But months after, the pandemic that turned San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) into a dreaded asylum became the same phenomenon that made the school achieve its most beautiful form.

When school facilities such as the three-story building in SJCNHS were used as isolation area, it surely created a bad notion on the learners

Did You Know?

THE GRAIN

and their families. To ease this negative impact, School Principal Aldrin Baloc thought of turning some of the school’s dead and dry spots into places worth visiting and making memories of.

Let us journey to the BEST SPOTS as teachers and staff from the nine departments worked hand-in-hand, celebrating the arts month despite one of the darkest times in its history. Take a glimpse at the finished project each department has made for you.

WARM WELCOME The first spot you can find is right at the very entrance of City High. Introducing: ENTRADA (Entrance), made from the combined brains and brawns of the Non-teaching department.

Visiting it will make you feel like you have gone to an eco park. Its amenities, wishing well (a bamboo-made well surrounded by some plants), bridge (made with woods that connect one place to another), and nest represent the well-known tourist location found in Nueva Ecija.

ENCHANTED GARDEN Beside the former quarantine facility is a colorful garden where you can temporarily detach from the outside world, unwind, and reconnect with the spirit. This is JARDIN DEL ARTE (Art Garden), a garden designed through the collabrative efforts of the MAPEH teachers.

On the right side, you can find a cement garden set where you can rest and reflect.

Further, you w enjoy the feelin a colorful mur an array of roc bougainvillea a BATTLE SCARS Are you Department’s be the right pla board painted squares altern human-size ch metal which w move.

FROM BOOK T Have you book that you characters? Th thought when HOBBIT HOUS horseshoe. Its will lead you to Its purpose is t and at the sam for journalistsWHAT THE HE Now, fall department h CORAZON (M the desire of

Zen Garden was hailed as the most loved spot in Social Media, garnering more than 3,000 reactions on Facebook.

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15 15

Photo Source: Mr. Heherson T. Bautista

will find a swing where you can ng of being in a playground before ral of nature. The landscapes are ckeries and clay jars, and colorful and zinnia flowers.

S AND BEAUTY MARKS a chess enthusiast? The TLE CITY HIGH CHESS PLAZA might ace for you. It has a wide concrete d with 32 green and 32 white nately. Also, there are playable hess pieces made from welded will need your arms and legs to

TO LIFE u ever been so affected by a u want to experience living like its hat’s what the English teachers n they developed the STUDY SE, a small building shaped like a book stairsteps and round doors o its hidden treasures: Knowledge. to encourage the love of reading, me time, to provide a safe haven -in-the-making.

EART WANTS in love with the spot Science has made: EL DESEO DE MI My Heart’s Desire). Fueled by a

FIlipino’s heart, this place was considered as the science teachers’ ‘labor of love.’ Its amenities, The Mystree of Love, Hut Affection, Bamboobot Hug and more will make you realize that despite the rapid changes brought by technology, deep inside, we still desire to go back to our roots.

A SPACE TO DE-STRESS Smile and shoo away your stress and negative energy in the next spot: the ZEN GARDEN. Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) teachers derived its name ‘Zen’ from a Japanese word which means ‘calmness’ or ‘relaxation.’

Since ESP is all about values, peace is always a must, so the teachers created a garden for you where you can experience a tranquility. Its amenities: Garden Fountain, Kalesa Garden Set, and Landscapes will help bring positivity in your heart and mind.

A FUEL FOR THE BRAIN Climb up to the two-step stairs of the Filipino Department’s HORTUS SAPIENTIA (The Garden of Wisdom). It is a place where people can share their wisdom. At one side of this garden is a fountain, where water tumbles about from a man-made rock formation. The Rockery is a specific spot on the ground designed to emphasize a variety of rocks and plants between them.

Aside from the aesthetics, the English Department thought of the curricular functionality of the Study Hobbit House, so they turned it into a mini reading center.

PUZZLE PLACE Move on to the geometrical space, presenting: The OPTICAL ILLUSION PARK. It features a table set made of cement and colored chairs, a mural of a hole on the ground leading to a deep darkness, and other Geometrical Enhancements. There is also a green squareshaped pathway, an over one-meter square tree pot made of concrete, and a body of water with plants surrounding it. Feel like falling from a big hole? Do not worry, that is just an illusion; a trick for one’s mind. Just observe; a great exercise for your brain.

BACK TO BASICS Feel the nostalgia and look back to our culturally rich past in the Araling Panlipunan Department’s spot, VISTA DEL BARRIO (Rural Town View) and the Filipino traditional culture.

The Nipa Hut is made of bamboo and palm leaves, A rubber swing is attached to a mango tree, and the Cement Chairs and Table placed in front of a nipa hut façade.

After the dark comes a yellow and orange sky of sunrise. SJCNHS still manages to give way to the best spots, lighting a torch amids the darkness of COVID-19.

Of all the best spots, Entrada is the embodiment of ‘indigenous.’ According to Administrative Officer Percival Tabor, it was purely made of woods, bamboos and other organic/indigenous materials.

It has no metals, steels, concretes, or cements.

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NEWS

School offers ‘technological’ solution to reading problem amid pandemic Darren M. Ballesteros

What can stop a teacher from taking the extra mile just to help learners in dire need?

As response to the division’s Oplan ARAL (A Reader, a Learner) Program, the English Department designed a strategy called Bringing Reading Into Diverse Groups to Enhance (BRIDGE) Readers Program.

BRIDGE is a Special B-R-I-D-G-E THE GAP. If our Special Reading Class found it hard to improve comprehension face-to-face, then imagine the difficulty in this new learning setup. That is what teachers like Mrs. Aibejil Casiño aim to address through the BRIDGE Readers Program. -KCFRamos

Reading Class sub-program which aims to help learners who struggle with reading amid the pandemic.

This inspired Principal Aldrin J. Baloc to encourage the use of the TwoWay Radio System as a means of communication, giving priority to learners identified as non-readers.

It works by converting audio to radio waves that are transmitted through the air.

Learners considered as non-readers are in serious need of the teacher’s guidance, but for them to save money from buying cellphone load, the school lent them a radio unit to talk to the reading teacher

and to their classmates like in face-to-face class.

The principal and reading coordinator Aibejil A. Casiño conducted a dry run first before the learning activity pushed through.

Casiño shared on Messenger that [the school] could improve the range of signal the device can reach.

“Luckily, this school year, most of the students we catered are within the reach of signal range,” she added.

The reading teacher also related that after using the two-way radio system and other interventions, the non-readers got promoted to learners under frustration level.

Pushing boundaries

The Grain’s official podcast takes its first run

John Benedict S. Nacino

SJCNHS’s student publication defied the limits of Campus Journalism after launching its official podcast, "Let’s Stalk" on March 31, 2021.

It gained 1.3k views, 97 reactions, 76 comments, and 48 shares on social media during its first run.

Let’s Stalk is an online show proposed by The Grain School

Paper Adviser, Angelique C. Llena, which took its inspiration from ‘Dialogue with Sass,’ a weekly podcast aired on Facebook and Youtube every Sunday.

Editor-in-Chief Keesha Camille Ramos said that this project could help the school’s online publication to reach more audiences, and inspire students

TALKING STALK. SJCNHS’ podcast ‘Let’s Stalk’ explores topics that are informative and helpful to the learners and other audiences. In the third part of the pilot episode ‘What is the Grain,’ English EPS Marcos C. Vizon shares his experience as the publication’s former adviser. -KCFRamos

to engage more in journalistic activities. “[Of course] kailangan ng manpower kadalasan kasi ang students ngayon wala [nang] will for extracurricular and we need teachers to push them for new experiences. Marami rin kasi tayong students na may ability talaga for that,” she stated in an interview via Facebook Messenger.

The pilot episode, ‘What is The Grain,’ aired on the publication’s Fcebook page hosted by Ramos and Managing Editor Ilene Onia with Atty.

Christopher Pobre as the first guest.

Pobre talked about his journey as the associate editor of The Grain during the school year 1999 – 2000.

He reminisced and shared memories with his school paper adviser, the current Education Program Supervisor in English, Marcos C. Vizon, about the regional and national competitions he joined and won,

and his writing journey.

“You have to push some more for the people to realize that this is a good thing,” Pobre said as he noticed that The Grain’s followers are not even half of SJCNHS’s population.

The first episode ended with life lessons and advices from the former associate ed.

“The Grain is a platform for you to grow, hindi lang para magpasikat o dahil required.

It’s a platform for growth,” he added.

Let’s Stalk has already aired three episodes with two to three parts, tackling issues about campus journalism, leadership, and education in the new normal.

Audiences can tune in to the podcast every first Wednesday of the Month at The Grain’s official Facebook page.

As of now, the podcast team is on the hunt for potential hosts. Auditions are held every Tuesday at 5:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon.

NEWS

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SY 2021-2022 classes begin Sept 13 - DepEd Chriztel Anne C. Basbas

The Department of Education (DepEd) released an official statement on July 16, 2021, that says the opening of SY 2021-2022 will be on September 13, 2021.

DepEd said in the statement that President Rodrigo Duterte approved September 13 among the three options – August 23, September 6, and September 13, proposed by DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones.

Originally, the class opening should start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August, according to Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) No. 7797 or “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to not more than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days”.

However, it can be recalled that in July 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte approved

RA No. 11480, an act that amends Section 3 of RA No. 7797. The law gave the president the authority to open classes later than August when there is a state of calamity or emergency like the pandemic. It was applied when Duterte decided to move the opening of SY 2020-2021.

Araling Panlipunan Teacher Heherson Bautista said that he felt mixed emotions regarding the news.

“Malungkot kasi parang wala kaming bakasyon, masaya naman kasi tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang education natin,” he said.

Bautista expects that the DepEd is more prepared than the previous school year, same with the students because they already had experience on the new standard education.

Meanwhile, incoming Grade 10, Alex Manzano said that SY 2021-2022 might be

SPA, STE students snag major awards in ESP fest Angela Allen P. Cabrillas

Students from the Special Program in the Arts (SPA) and Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) bagged major awards in the 2021 Division Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao Festival of Values and Virtue on June 10 and 11.

Moses Jamuel M. Alfonso of 10-SPA bested other

contestants in the e-slogan making contest, coached by Ma’am Vinia Gracia L. Soriano.

“I'm happy I won the contest despite our current situation. We continue to strive for this type of competition.

My preparation time was short, maybe there was a little problem with the software to be used, with the help of my coach and some teachers but

more challenging because there are subjects that require face-to-face teaching in order for it to be understood by students.

Nevertheless, she still expressed optimism for the coming school years.

“In terms of using technologies and online applications, it will probably be easier because of the experience that students had,” she said on the contrary.

Manzano also added that for her, students have enough break before the next school year.

Students will have nine weeks of break since the previous school year ended on July 10.

Moreover, the department said in the official statement that the school calendar for SY 2021-2022 will be released soon.

it was solved,” Alfonso said.

He also said that it was mentally and physically hard, so he sought the help of his classmates to gain more ideas.

“I don't own this victory because this is our victory,” Alfonso added with a quote from Yami Sukehiro, an anime character: “Surpass your limits.

Right here. Right now.”

Meanwhile, Jemima E. Pagad of 9-Mendeleev won 3rd place in the photo collage category, coached by ESP

teacher Eldandy C. Videz.

“I came up with a concept that is unique, beautiful and profound. The title of the collage I made is 'Juan in the middle of the pandemic' as a representation of Filipinos today,” Pagad stated.

Themed, “Pagpapaunlad ng Pagkatao, Pakikipagkapwa, at Pananampalataya: Hamon sa Panahon ng Pandemya,” the event aimed to promote the real Filipino values and transform a humane society.

SJCNHS sweeps awards in divison, regional Gawad Siklab Justine I. Garcia

It was a blaze of victory for San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) as the school garnered ten awards in the Division Gawad Siklab and placed 2nd and 5th in the Regional Level.

Gawad Siklab was a search for outstanding program implementers, student leaders, teacher-advisers, and school heads.

Division Level Awards Supreme Student Government (SSG) President Nierro Chronicle Garcia and Araling Panlipunan teacher Heherson Bautista received the Most Outstanding Student Leader and Most Outstanding TeacherAdviser awards for the SSG Division category respectively.

Yashmiene Grace Dizon and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao teacher Eldandy Valdez won the Most Outstanding Barkada Kontra Droga (BKD) Student Officer and Most

Outstanding BKD Teacher-Adviser in the said category.

Youth for Environment in Schools Organization (YES-O) Most Outstanding Student Officer award was given to Winselle Anne Chris Nueda with Ma’am Michelle Domingo as the YES-O Most Outstanding Teacher-Adviser. School Principal Aldrin J. Baloc received the YES-O School Head Recognition.

Best BKD School Implementer, Best Gulayan sa Paaralan Program School Implementer, and Best YES-O School Implementer were also awarded to SJCNHS. Garcia shared his reaction to his win in Gawad Siklab Division Level via Facebook Messenger.

"Of course I was surprised because I got such an award even though I knew in myself that I did not do that much in school as a

student leader to get that, and at the same time I was also happy because I did get the honor especially [because] it is my first time in this organization," he said.

Regional Level Awards SJCNHS received 2nd and 5th place awards in the Region III Gawad Siklab Awarding Ceremony via Facebook Live on Friday, July 16.

The 2nd place was for the Best Gulayan sa Paaralan Program Implementer, while the 5th place was for the BKD implementation.

Baloc expressed in an interview his happiness over the school's effort, not just at the division level but also at the regional level.

“Rest assured that we will continue to uphold and improve more our performance.

We will sustain the implementation of our programs even in this time of pandemic,” he added.

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SCIENCE

Photo Source: Sir Reynaldo J. Pascual

Photo Source: Ma’am Ginella Marie L. Onato

Photo Source: Ma’am June Edlee T. Dizon

Photo Source: Ma’am Glenda L. Pobre

VACC-TO-SCHOOL. The new normal adjustments make the students seek for face-to-face classes, so the Department of Education enjoined teachers and staff to protect themselves from COVID-19 by means of vaccination. MAPEH teacher Glenda L. Pobre, English Teacher Reynaldo J. Pascual, and School Nurse Ginella Marie L. Onato get their vaccine doses at their appointed schedules. The Division of San Jose City also distributes COVID kits as part of their Vacc2School campaign. -KCFRamos

WELCOME VAXXED

DepEd launches vaccination program for teaching, non-teaching personnel Gravin B. Mercado

COVID IMMUNIZATION REGISTRY UPDATE As of August, 2021

329 or 26% Vaccinated teachers/nonteaching personnel

401 or 32%

Teachers/non-teaching personnel who are registered but still waiting for vaccination schedule

537 or 42% Not yet registered/ unvaccinated Teachers/nonteaching personnel

May 13, 2021 - The Department of Education (DepEd) launched the project, “Vacc2School: Ligtas na Bakuna para sa BalikEskwela” for both teaching and non-teaching personnel, based on DepEd Task Force COVID-19 (DTFC-19), Memorandum No. 372, which supports the nationwide immunization push.

According to the department, the Vacc2School campaign aims to promote vaccination drives and other associated activities to control the COVID-19 situation.

COVID-SAFE DIVISION To promote the Vacc2School Campaign, the School Health Division of DepEd San Jose City posted reminders and health protocols and encouraged everyone to get vaccinated.

Division Medical Officer Dr. Mikee Fiel Soriano stated that there are promoters called the

Vacc2School Champions which consist of health personnel, whose roles are to provide information about the COVID-19 vaccines, encourage their co-workers to be vaccinated, and address false information.

Vacc2School Champions also discussed why people should get vaccinated, why there are multiple kinds of COVID-19 vaccines, why people experience side effects, and so on.

Soriano added that the teaching and non-teaching personnel can do their part as educators through promoting and sharing verified information and become Vacc2School Champions as well.

Aside from the aforementioned, the division also promoted health concerns through creating a Tiktok account, distributing COVID kits to teachers and staff, and hosting

a town hall session that aimed to spread awareness of and address various concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

REVVED-UP CITY HIGH On the other hand, School Nurse Ginella Marie L. Onato related that in the latest Learning Action Cell of the Non-Teaching Department, the topic discussed was about vaccines and vaccination.

She also shared that the school encouraged the teachers and staff to participate in the division-initiated town hall session to voice out their issues regarding vaccination.

The DepEd will engage in the National Deployment Vaccination Plan on three levels: as recipients or beneficiaries of the vaccine, as members of the different task groups on vaccination, and as champions for immunization advocacy.

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SCIENCE

19

New COVID variant threatens PH; SJC takes preventive measures John Benedict S. Nacino

BRACING FOR A BIGGER THREAT. The Delta variant that is more dangerous than COVID-19 original strain poses a bigger threat to the country, as it can be detected from symptoms such as allergies. As a response, the citizens of San Jose exercise more caution to keep safe from the mutated virus.

-KCFRamos

The Philippines is currently under threat from a more infectious COVID-19 variant: the Delta variant, says Rosselle V. Carrasco, a registered nurse, Health Educator Promotion Officer Designate, and a Maternal and Child Health Coordinator.

Carrasco said that San Jose City is aware of this new variant and is also taking preventive measures after its announcement, via Facebook Messenger interview.

She also added that the city is currently in “modified quarantine,” but still observing minimum public health standards.

“My extra tips to avoid being infected from COVID are the

following: observe and maintain the minimum public health standards to mention, strict wearing of face masks, face shields, observe social distancing,” Carrasco stated.

Structure and origins A variant in medical terms refers to an alteration of one’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), and is also often used in place of the term “mutation,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

The Delta variant has a collection of mutations in its spike protein, or the crown-like part of the virus, which makes antibodies unable to bind them, thus making NEW | turn to page 20

COVID vaccines now available for San Josenians Patricia Arabella R. Santos

San Jose City (SJC) is finally on its road to pandemic recovery as the first set of vaccines arrived on March 17.

Before ah scheduled inoculation, Mayor Mario Salvador inspected the vaccines in the City Health Office (CHO) on March 18, 2021.

City Health Officer Dr. Marissa Bunao was with Salvador during the inspection of 33 vials of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is equivalent to 330 doses (10 doses per vial) from the Department of Health (DOH).

The healthworkers conducted simulation or dry run for vaccination on March 22 on 11 personnel groups.

Groupings were as follows: A1 for Frontline Health Services, A2 for Senior Citizens, A3 for persons with comorbidity, A4 for frontline personnel in essential sectors including uniformed personnel, and A5 for indigent population.

On the other hand, B1 are teachers and social workers, B2 are other government workers, B3 are other essential workers, B4 are sociodemographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and poor population based on the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), B5 are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), and B6 are the other remaining workforce.

An A1 personnel was vaccinated on May 18 for her first dose, and on June 15 for the second.

“I'm excited and very calm before my vaccination. I feel more confident now,” Irma Llena, a vaccinated citizen of San Jose City, said in an interview.

She even shared her experience and how the vaccine has impacted her.

“No bad side effects. I only felt sleepy after the first and second dose,” she added, saying further that there is

VACC-CHECKING. City Health Officer Dr. Marissa Bunao and Mayor Mario Salvador inspect the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines before the dry run.

no reason to fear the side effects of the vaccine.

The National Immunization Program Coordinator Nurse, Marilyn Ong of CHO, asserted that 160 doses of vaccine were allocated for health workers of San Jose City Hospital while 170 for the Heart of Jesus Hospital.

Ong added that they aim to vaccinate 100 citizens a day, so the estimated vaccination will only last two to three days.

Photo Source: City of San Jose, Nueva Ecija Official Facebook Page

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RISING ABOVE THE PANDEMIC. Despite the new set-up for competition, the SJCNHS teachers and students manage to shine by showcasing their different talents in Slogan Making, Spoken Word Poetry, Dancing, and Tiktok challenges during the campaign of Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd. - KCFRamos

More than just OK

City High shines in OKsaDepEd contest Patricia Arabella R. Santos

San Jose City National High School (SJCNHS) stood tall after bagging five awards from the Oplan Kalusugan sa Department of Education (OKsaDepEd) Contest which consists of seven categories regarding health week.

Michaela Datayan of 10-Aristotle won the Deworming Slogan Making Contest for the secondary level themed “Oplan Goodbye Bulate sa Panahon ng Pandemya."

Batch 10-Aristotle, had proven that teamwork divides the task and multiplies success by winning the TikTok Handwashing Challenge themed “Choose handwashing, Choose health."

On the other hand, Den Rick Ganuelas of HUMMS 12-Heiddegger, placed first in the National Drug Education Program Poster Making Contest themed, “BIBO-Batang Informed, Batang Iwas Bisyo.”

Also placing first was Justine Ace Sandoval of 10-Aristotle in the Mental Health Awareness

COVID CASES IN SJC AS OF AUGUST 5, 2021

Source: City of San Jose Official Facebook Page

Spoken Word Poetry Contest themed, “An act of kindness towards self and others promotes good mental health.”

City High’s teaching force emerged as champions in the Dance Fitness Challenge.

Winners were announced on March 23, 2021, via Facebook Live.

Behind the Scenes One of the winners in the TikTok Handwashing Challenge, Keesha Camille Ramos, shared their team's preparation and how their harmony led them to victory.

“In preparing for the OKsaDepEd

NEW | from page 19 it immune, says Markus Hoffmann, an infectious disease biologist at the Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Germany.

A widespread virus makes copies of itself as it circulates a population, and during this process there is a likelihood that it will develop mutations, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This mutation caused the variant to infect five to eight people at once, much larger than the one to two from the original variant.

“It really rapidly takes off and spreads between people more efficiently than the Alpha variant that was first detected in January 2021,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist and WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19.

contest, we first conceptualized what we should do in our Tiktok video. We did that in a Google meet for us to communicate easily,” she said.

Ramos added that it was not easy, but they did their best and proved that unity is the key.

Teachers, learners, parents, and stakeholders were reached and informed that these health programs and school health sections exist in the Schools Division of San Jose City by conducting these OKsaDepEd contests on a social media platform and evaluating audience engagement through likes and shares.

This variant has reached the country after the Department of Health (DOH) reported four new Delta variant cases as of June 21, 2021. Three of them were returning Overseas Filipino Workers from MV Eastern Hope crew ship.

Vaccines vs. Delta Regarding the new variant, Food and Drug Administration Chief Eric Domingo showed confidence that the vaccines in the country are still effective against the Delta variant, saying that Pfizer is 88 percent effective; AstraZeneca is 60 percent.

In San Jose City, 11,268 citizens have received the first dosage of vaccine, as of June 22, 2021 according to Nurse Carrasco.

All of the City’s vaccines were from the DOH: Sinovac and AstraZeneca, which is given in two dosages.

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EDITORIAL

Reset, Readjust, Restart

Printed module production is a significant contributor to environmental waste.

Printed Modular Learning provides individualized education by allowing learners to employ self-learning modules in print or digital format; it is also the backbone of distance learning. Schools have printed the modules and gave them to the parents on the day of distribution. In ABSCBN News’ study conducted from June 25 to July 2, 2021, 86.7 percent of pupils enrolled in modular learning.

In San Jose City National High School alone, 72.67 percent of the student population enrolled in a printed learning modality. If, for instance, the

S

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SCIENCE

an Josenians should get vaccinated for the community to achieve herd immunity.

To completely immunize its citizens, San Jose City's Local Government Unit (LGU) has enforced immunization programs that prioritize three categories such as A1 (frontliners), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (people with comorbidity) as early as March 2021.

However, many San Josenians refuse to get the shot as their anxiety over the past vaccination still lingers.

In an interview, Liza, a farmer

ratio of the modules is 1:1, then the school has to produce 4,166 copies of modules for eight weeks in a quarter. Imagine how many papers get wasted.

On September 9, 2020, Education Secretary Leonor Briones stated in a virtual news briefing that the impact of printed modules on our environment is detrimental.

And because of the great need for paper, modular will be incredibly costly in the long run. In addition, the volatile organic compounds and heavy metals in ink can lead to soil and even water pollution when left in a landfill.

The rising demand for paper leads to deforestation.

Producing millions of printed modules for eight weeks in a quarter would sacrifice lots of trees. If this continues, global warming, loss of animal habitat, and imbalance in the ecosystem will occur.

The teachers’ use of time and energy to create, print, sort, and distribute modules also affects the environment.

As we waste energy, we continue to emit more carbon and methane into the atmosphere.

Students can enroll in alternative learning modalities such as online learning, digital modular, or TV/Radiobased instruction. If printed learning modalities shifted to digital learning modalities, the country’s waste of paper and ink would decrease.

Those who cannot afford online education can view instructional channels and video lessons on YouTube and other social media platforms. They can also tune in to their TV or radio if they have one or borrow facilities from the school if allowed, with the assurance of following safety protocols.

The Department of Education could also issue books to the learners because these materials can be used repeatedly compared to printed modules.

Most of us do not think that printing documents and using loads of paper would negatively impact the environment, but it would. If people continue doing this, we will eventually run out of trees and contribute to the harmful effects of climate change.

Vaccination is a Must ELYSIAN | Justine Ace C. Sandoval

from Barangay Kita-Kita with comorbidity (asthma), stated that she is still unsure whether she will get vaccinated because she is concerned about the side effects. But then, according to CDC News, vaccine side effects are pretty common and are natural immune system response; it signifies that the body is reacting to the vaccine.

If a person should experience any allergic reaction, they must consult with a doctor for the remedy.

Before the vaccines get

released to the public, they go on thorough studying of experts and different phases to ensure their safety and efficacy. And it is also based on the available evidence from the Department of Health.

COVID-19 vaccinations have been granted an Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration and are considered safe and effective.

On the other hand, one more contributing factor to why people generally refuse

to get vaccinated is the spread of misleading news on social media p l a tf o r m s that the majority can easily access.

To prevent this, people should always be vigilant of what they are sharing, and they should always do factchecking.

As the saying goes, "Prevention is better than cure." Getting vaccinated is not only for one's safety but for the entire community as well.

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Not a Science Fiction Justine Ace C. Sandoval

T

hey say change is a constant thing that has been in a loop in human lives, but what if I tell you that it is also a norm to our coexisting microorganisms, specifically the SARS-COV2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)? This is the mutation of COVID-19, and it is not science fiction.

A coronavirus with seemingly extended legs to travel over countries and arms has been given the name COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

There are four variants of the COVID-19 virus currently known globally. The Alpha variant is known to overwhelm hospitals, according to the University of Minnesota. This variant may help the virus evade immune system response from the body, making it harder to cure the disease and eradicate it.

India was overwhelmed by the surging case of coronavirus in their country because of the emerging

Delta strain. The Delta form spreads more quickly due to changes that improve its ability to hook onto cells in the human body. Experts say it is a major threat to public health.

Change has indeed been on a constant loop, whether it is to do good or bad, but in this case, where the coronavirus variants are on a killing spree, it is a harmful change.

Never a science fiction, but a horrifying reality.

#AWordADay: COVID CASES John Carlo A. Maraña

W

hen COVID-19 crept its way to the borders of our country, it brought many terms along with it like “Frontliners,” “Quarantine,” “Protocols,” “Lockdown,” and more. With these terms were four of those that could have caused some of us to tremble in fear for the number it bore, or seethe with anger while blaming our government for its kind of response.

Since the pandemic started, the Department of Health (DOH) has been giving daily or weekly updates regarding the number of COVID cases in our country. The World Health Organization (WHO) labeled it in four categories namely: Total Cases, Active Cases, Recoveries, and Deaths.

Now, before we allow our feelings to consume us, let us first shed light on our four “Words of the Day” to see if the numbers are really worth investing our emotions on.

TERM no. 1: TOTAL CASES The numbers provided in this term may look scary for reaching more than six digits, but “Total Cases” actually means the sum of active cases, recoveries, and deaths. It is the total number of people who have been diagnosed with, survived, or died of COVID-19. Although the total cases as of press time has reached 1,649,341, this is not necessarily a cringe-worthy number.

TERM no. 2: RECOVERIES These are the numbers that should keep our hopes up.

These count the people who have fully recovered from the virus.

As of this time, the number of recoveries in the country reached 1,544,443, meaning it holds the lions’ share in the total cases.

That does not mean that we should start breeching the safety protocols though.

TERM no. 3: ACTIVE CASES Then we have, “Active Cases.” From the word active, it means that the carrier of the virus has not fully recovered yet or has a critical condition that may lead to death in the time WHO or the DOH updates the number of cases.

Active Cases is between recoveries

and death. The number of active cases in the Philippines is 76,063. Very significant difference compared to the number of recoveries. With proper treatment, a great number from it might be added to the total recoveries.

TERM no. 4: DEATHS “Deaths” records the number of people who have given in to the virus.

As of now, “Deaths” has the lowest number of 28,835. Again, even though it holds the smallest part of the total cases, it should not encourage us to brush off the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) protocols and start living like everything’s back to normal.

Still cringing at this point? No need to be, if we know our terms well and place our focus on the number that gives us a positive outlook. People who survive the COVID-19 continue to increase, even larger than the number of those who die, so it proves that we have a high chance of winning against the pandemic.

But while we are still in the middle of the battle, may we all be reminded to continue educating ourselves, and that “Prevention is always better than cure.”

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SCIENCE

23

Seeing the

BIGGER PICTURE through Tiny Lenses

John Benedict S. Nacino, Jaren Mykel A. Javate

D

oing more with less: this is the primary intent of nanotechnology.

Along with its forward-looking nature comes the science that sees the bigger picture in something that is a billionth of a meter (nanometer)— all while expounding their instrumentality, for our convenience.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of atom in the nanoscale; from tiny fibers used in medicine, to fuel efficient automobiles, nanotechnology has no probable limit— giving us a timely leap towards technological advancement, especially during this pandemic.

Although a lot of facilities and establishments remained closed, nanotechnology research laboratories kept open, trying to find a vaccine or possible medicines to fend off COVID-19.

Viruses are naturally occurring nanoparticles, which the nanotechnology community has long been capitalizing on and observing their behaviors to produce the highest quality medications—and with COVID-19, repurposing of existing drugs like Dexamethasone (a drug use for myeloma, a type of blood cancer) is the center of research to finding more vaccines, according to nature nanotechnology, a journal that covers all aspects of nanoscale science

Hogwarts The

Of San Jose City

Justine Ace C. Sandoval

and technology.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, “panic buying,” became rampant in a lot of countries including the Philippines causing high demands in basic necessities especially face masks and rubbing alcohol. To aid this, Central Luzon State University (CLSU) developed Nano-Enhanced Alcohol and Hand Sanitizers to aid the lack of Ethyl Alcohol or Ethanol due to panic-buying.

Led by Dr. Juvy Monserate, Head of CLSU Nanotechnology Research and Development Facility, the team developed NanoEnhanced Alcohol and Sanitizers using nanoparticles mixed with turmeric extract. The usage of Zinc Oxide (a topical for the skin) nanoparticles as medicine which is effective to other types of Coronavirus (H1N1 Influenza and SARS) could also be effective to the COVID-19, according to a study by Ghaffari, et al. Moreover, the research team developed a washable face mask using nano fibers and “filters.”

“These efforts are really service-oriented for it intends to provide the frontliners—doctors, nurses, military personnel, and anyone providing services in the grounds—with alcohol, sanitizer and masks for protection from COVID-19,” Dr. Fe Porciuncula, Vice President for Research and Extension in CLSU stated.

Nanotechnology is the primary weapon against the pandemic, which intends on making our lives easier amid the new normal, and advancing us to the world of technology.

opened its gates for the students Ittoonce learn, until the dark days came.

A year ago, COVID-19 started to spread like a wildfire. Students and teachers locked themselves inside their homes for their own safety as the virus spread. They were in a rush, crunching time, completing their requirements for the upcoming fourth quarter In the famous movie and book series called Harry Potter, when the dark forces started to attack the whole wizarding community, everyone shut their doors including their ministry but not one school. Same thing was done at San Jose City National High School the largest school in San Jose. The city’s Local Government Unit has decided to use City High as a quarantine facility for patients.

Nierro Chronicle Garcia, the current Supreme Student Government (SSG) President of the school, says he is not surprised that the school will be made as a quarantine facility. The once ecstatic school is now dull as it adapts to the new normal form of education.

“I think that the safest facility for COVID-19 patients will be the school,” Nierro said.

However, a certain mist of fear still lingers along the school’s hallways and its teachers who are still there despite the changes.

It will openly extend its loving arms to bring healing, comfort and compassion and offer what it can until the dark days have vanished.

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PRIDE UNLEASHED

PH lifts first ever Olympic gold, ends 89-year-long medal drought

2020

Photo Credits: REUTERS, Dailymail

THIRST QUENCHED. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz sets the highest bar to bring home the first Olympic gold medal to our country for nearly 100 years along with three medals from the other athletes. -KCFRamos

Djuliana Odessa R. Nimes, Esron B. Garcia

Four Filipino athletes raised the flag as they clinched a record of 4 total medals, becoming the largest haul of the Philippines in its Olympic history with one gold from Hidilyn Diaz, two silvers from Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, and one bronze from Eumir Marcial in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

WEIGHT IN GOLD Paalam salvaged 9-19 score 9th place with five other golfers Urban Sports Park last July 26.

After a long journey of and Nesthy Petecio, the first after she fired a score of -10 to Despite not getting a title drought, Hidilyn Diaz once Filipina to score an Olympic par and 274 total points, despite medal, Didal has already made again completed cinderella boxing medal, proudly sealed a rough start at Kasumigaseki history as the first Filipina run and brought home the their silver medal, while Eumir Golf and Country Club in board skater to qualify and first ever Olympic gold medal Marcial came with a bronze.

Saitama. compete the skate boarding after lifting 127 kg final try in CLOSE TO PODIUM FINISH NO LOSS FOR MARGIELYN historic debut with her 13-yearthe clean and jerk event of Ernest John Obiena Cebu City native Margielyn old rival Nishiya Momiji a women’s weightlifting and missed to secure another Didal landed 7th place in the Japanese teen who snatched uncrowned the top spot record medal for the Philippines after finals of women’s street skate the gold medal with 15. 6 points. holder Liao Quiyon of China. failing to clear 5.80 meters event showing off one of her The Philippines has MIDAS’ FISTS after three attempts and five tricks to garner a 7.52 total entered on board the Tokyo On the other hand, ranked 11th overall, being the score during the prestigious Games tally and placed 50th in Filipino boxers seized three last remaining Asian in Men’s quadrennial meet, cleary the overall ranking regardless Olympic medals and showed Pole Vault, August 3. celebrating her games debut in of the gold, silver, and bronze off their dominance as Carlo Yuka Saso finished joint- Tokyo Olympics 2020 at Ariake medals garnered.

MSC: Execration dethrones Blacklist, 4-1

Photo provided by Execration

PRAYING TOGETHER, STAYING TOGETHER. Members of Execration leave their fate in the hands of the Mighty One before the competition.

Crownless no more.

"Uncrowned Kings" Execration finally broke the code to gain redemption against the reigning PH Champs Blacklist International in a lopsided best-of-seven Grand Finals of the Mobile

Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) on June 13.

It was a sweet revenge for the Execration posting a 4-1 walkaway on Southeast Asia loop, after receiving a 4-3 upset upon Blacklist in the Mobile MSC | turn to page 26

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SPORTS

25

DepEd holds trainings for sports coaches The Department of Education (DepEd) conducted webinars that aimed to equip the Physical Education (PE) teachers with skills in new sports events and approaches in the new normal.

One of these webinars was the Philippine Sports Institution with the Philippine Sports Institute Coaches in National Sports Coaching Certification, particularly the National Virtual Orientation on the use of DepEd Sports Manual, according to MAPEH EPS Exlan W. Timbol.

“They are working for that na magkasports pa rin since puro virtual,” he explained.

SJCNHS Teachers who participated in the training were Jenia Fajardo (BOCCE), Anthony T. Llena (goalball), Silvino G. Panalangin (billiards), Jezzerly C. Tabalno (gymnastics) and Leonardo M. Alimorong (pencak silat).

Teachers and learners were looking forward to a sports event, but its possibility in the new normal setup is still in question, as it depends on the decision of IATF and DepEd Palaro Board in relation to face-to-face meetings.

As of now, only webinars are still allowed to further discuss and conduct sports activities and training despite the distance.

“Kapag naglapag ang DepEd ng guidelines, limited lang siguro ang face-toface,” the EPS said regarding the possibility of training programs for future sports events.

Timbol added that a proposal for taking individual sports events to a virtual arena is still on blueprint. -KLRSEsguerra, JJBRafael

HIDILYN DIAZ Weightlifting

NESTHY PETECIO CARLO PAALAM MANSUETO VELASCO ANTHONY VILLANUEVA Boxing HIDILYN DIAZ Weightlifting

EUMIR MARCIAL

MIGUEL WHITE

ROEL VELASCO

SIMEON TORIBIO

LEOPOLDO SERANTES

Athletics

JOSE VILLANUEVA

TEOFILO YLDEFONSO

Boxing

Swimming, 1928, 1932

EDITORIAL

The Rise of the ‘Four-gotten’ It has been 44 years for the four NBA/ABA mergers - Suns, Clippers, Bucks and Hawks since their Playoff Champion title was buried. Now it is their resurrection to finally take a spot to NBA playoffs 2021.

All four teams haven’t won a title since 1976. As Los Angeles Lakers fell from the chart, one of them taking the title is certain this year.

The NBA playoffs in 2021 with the second round completed and the conference finals are underway.

For the first time in over a decade, the Phoenix Suns swept the Denver Nuggets and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. They'll play with the Los Angeles Clippers, who advanced to the conference finals for the first time after defeating the No. 1 Utah Jazz in six games in the conference semifinals.

Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker said in an interview that they will secure a solidified win, defending their

court. In game 2, however, D-Book and Clippers star Patrick Beverley appeared to accidentally clash heads during a play in the 3rd quarter.

The Suns Star was taken to the locker room where doctors stitched up the wound and Booker returned to action in the 4th quarter. It looked painful, but Booker battled through the injury and threw a key screen on that inbound dunk to DeAndre Ayton that ultimately helped the Suns win the game.

In the East, the Milwaukee Bucks dispatched the Brooklyn Nets and advance to the Eastern Conference finals to play the Atlanta Hawks, who stunned the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

With their remarkable performance in their previous games, the four teams hope to break their own 44-year title drought while their fans brace themselves for this to happen.

26

Humility

&

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Productivity

Achillez Marcuz M. Cajayon

I

t was 2016 when Mobile Legends was introduced and became a life changer for him. Even without a gaming set, he continued playing using mobile phone and that what got him where he is now. He was in the shadows, but through his blades, he earned his way up.

An alumnus of City High, Fernando "Godzy" Villanueva is now the main hero-Hayabusa who dominated the Rumble Royale One Mobile Legend match with 3-1 triumph in a five-series battlefield in Mid Only Mirror Role Tournament last October 28, 2020.

During this match, he showed off his dominance to pull San Jose City Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) players in its way up for its skilled and tactful Mobile Legends players.

Since Mobile Legends has been recognized as an e-sport and widely popular MOBA game that meets a lot criterion for having successful victory by taking an established genre -PC MOBAS and transitioning it into mobile form because of its accessibility, it is now a part of everyday lives of most every person, especially teenagers.

Godzy shared how his squad prepared for

MSC | from page 24 Legends Professional League Philippines (MPL PH) Season 7.

Execration rode on the shoulders of the 16-year-old MSC Finals MVP Grant Duane "Kelra" Pillas flexing his dominant performance with an astonishing 15 kills, 2 deaths and 5 assists on his iconic “Chang'e” to help shut the Blacklist in the series Game 5 to seal the deal and bag the top prize of $70,000 (around P3.3 million).

Team’s Jungler Kiel Vj "Kielvj" Hernandez on his Brody assisted Kelra in Game 5 with 8 kills, 2 deaths and 15 assists, while the 20-year-old Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog contributed 1 kill, 2 deaths and 20 assists on Diggie.

On the other hand, Patrick "E2max" Caidic had 3 kills, 4 deaths and 21 assists on Rafaela, while Renz "Renzio" Cadna put up 2 kills, 3 deaths and 14 assists on Gloo.

Going into the tournament, Blacklist International was undefeated, not allowing their adversary to take any advantages.

Their confidence was too high as they took the first game comfortably, securing the game under 12 minutes of the clock.

Execration, however, kept their feelings on check and

displayed calm throughout the game, as they managed to pull off a comeback in Game 2, rushing ahead into Blacklist's base and destroying the main inhibitor after a successful team fight at the latter part of the game with Kelra's “Kagura” using the life slashing yin yang overturn to cancel the healing performance of the queen Johnmar "ohmyv33nus" Villaluna on Rafaela, tying the series 1-1.

Execration finally learned from its loss to Blacklist in the MPL PH Season 7 Finals, as Exe Shots continued its aggression to capture the momentum on their side, with the help of the rookie sensation Kelra on his Esmeralda and Lunox in Games 3 and 4 respectively, Exe have Blacklist on match point 3-1.

On Game 5, Execration's unyielding play gave them the advantage, grabbing a 5k gold lead at 8 minute mark of the clock. Dynamic duo Kelra and Ch4knu was unstoppable on late game showing perfect combos as Ch4knu's reverse time on Diggie complimented the life melting meteor shower of Kelra's Chang'e that left Blacklist outsmarted within the game, ending with a 4-1 victory in favor of Execration.

-JJBRafael

Qu ran

Ilene R. Onia

A

s everyone is hoping for the pandemic to end, we are still left with uncertainty. Although there are vaccines in the Philippines and we are aiming for mass immunization, a stronger variant of COVID comes in. To contain the virus, a strict border control is imposed in our province. You certainly would not want to go out in these tough times, so here are things you can do, to get your body moving even if you are inside your homes.

It is important to take care of ourselves more than ever, physically and mentally. If you belong to the group of people who stay up late because of Tiktok, online games, movie-binging, and the like, here are some activities that you can do daily, to feel happier and increase your energy.

Try doing YOGA, a low cardio work-out that can make you feel relaxed and energized. With different yoga poses along slow movements and deep breathing, it will surely increase blood flow and warm-up your muscles. A pose such as tree pose can improve balance, strength and flexibility, with your foot resting on your calf in an angle, while balancing for a couple of seconds up to a minute. The cat-cow pose can help with back relief, a pose you do on all fours, letting your stomach drop down towards the ground as you inhale and exhaling as you arch your spine like a cat. With continuous practice, yoga can even help you sleep better, reduce your stress levels, brighten your mood, and give you more energy.

DANCING has always been a part of our culture,

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SPORTS

27

Godzy’s Ultimate Weapons Even though he is now a well-known ML player, he never looked down on his competitors.

He also never forgets to give credit, gratitude and respect to all of them.

the game.

"Kapag may laban kami, todo handa at todo practice ako, as in bigay 100 percent,” he said.

Even though he is now a well-known ML player, he never looked down on his competitors.

He also never forgets to give credit, gratitude and respect to all of them.

"Dumadayo lang po ako sa computer shop kasama ang mga kaibigan ko para makapag-wifi at makapag-stream. Inaabot kami ng madaling araw, nilalamok at nababasa ng ulan," Godzy stated in an interview with the Grain about his humble beginnings.

"Practice and willingness to learn is a must.

All of us start from being the underdog," Godzy said for those ML player who are planning to start their live streaming.

“Ang paglalaro ng Mobile Legends or kahit anong online games ay nakakatulong sa‘kin

nTivities from tribal to modern. Nowadays, dancing is also a recreational activity that helps you express yourself while staying fit. It is a great choice for a hobby, because all ages can participate and the weather does not matter as it is usually done indoors. It is a workout that can help improve the condition of your heart and lungs, and strengthen your bones and muscles. Like yoga, dancing also helps with body coordination, flexibility, balance and strength. With continuous dancing, your confidence and esteem are boosted, along your social skills.

JUMPING ROPE is another cardio exercise that is guaranteed to increase your heart rate and make you sweat. Jumping rope, like dancing can strengthen your heart and lungs for a healthier body.

Body coordination, agility, balance and strength are also tested as you do this exercise. This is a thermogenic exercise. Since most of your major muscle groups are working together, they create more heat. That is an effective calorie burner as it can burn 200300 calories in 15 minutes. Jumping rope also reduces your risk in injuries as you are challenged to coordinate your upper and lower body, you are more agile and awareness is improved.

CYCLING has become popular among teens and adults this quarantine. A bicycle is a gasoline-free vehicle that is powered by your feet. Cycling increases bone and muscle density since most of the major muscles are used. Not only that; your heart and lungs will also improve. It can also be a fun activity that you can do with your friends a family.

As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do without having to rely on your phone, or without having to resort to online or video games. Exercises and hobbies that make you sweat can do you a ton of things. Your balance, posture, body coordination, agility, strength, confidence and along others are improved. So what are you waiting for? Choose an activity and incorporate it in your daily life and see the difference with your body and mood.

bilang mag-aaral upang mapabilis ang pag-iisip dahil nangangailangan ito ng lohika at estratehiya kung paano manalo. Nakakatulong din ito upang mabawasan ang stress, pagkabugnot at kalungkutan. Isa sa mga bagay na matutunan mo dito ay ang pagkakaroon ng mahabang pasensya, dahil kung hindi magdudulot lamang ng pagkainis ang pagkatalo sa laro,” he added.

Godzy also said that some of its positive impacts are earning by playing online games such as Mobile Legends, making friends in the process.

He added that when a person does something that he or she likes, the daily stress go away and the person feels happier.

Godzy’s weapon in the online game became sharp that was developed through sustaining tactful attacks. Nevertheless, he remains humble, grateful, and productive.

THIS

PANDEMIC CANNOT stop a

JOURNALIST whose

PASSION

is

BURNING.

#PressOn

THE GRAIN