Rheims I September 2022

THE LASALLIAN RHEIMS

Academy of Saint John’s

ASJ Initiates Environmental Care Week

De La Salle University – Dasmari nas Associate Professor Mr. Marlon Pareja was invited by the Academy of Saint John to con duct a Symposium on Environmental Care Protection for Grades 4-12 students, September 30.

During the webinar, Pareja high lighted the importance of the environ ment, linking it to the production of food, medicine, and other materials, air and water purification, climate modi fication, disaster risk reduction, eco nomic value, and even our social/cul tural value and language.

“To summarize why the environ ment is important, it’s because it gives us home, number 1. It provides us med icine, timber, and other sources of ma terial. It has a disaster risk reduction po tential, and it can modify climate. It has an economic value, and it has social and cultural value,” Pareja said.

“So when we ask ourselves, ‘how important to us is the environment?’, it’s basically who we are,” he added.

Pareja also showed different en vironmental problems and gave ways on how students can mitigate

the worsening of climate change.

“Number one, personal behavior change. ‘Anong pwede kong magawa to reduce my impact’...Number two, let’s work for policy changes. Ipaglaban din natin yung iba, lalo na yung walang bo ses…Number three, mag-aral tayong mabuti. So when we become leaders, we can be the change that we want to see in the world,” he said.

At the end of the symposium, Pareja answered several questions from student listeners. Asked for ways on how to recy cle plastics and how to properly dispose of plastics to prevent air pollution caused by incineration, Pareja said, “since plas tics are not naturally occurring, we can not return it to the environment.”

“The best solution is to really elim inate the use of plastic,” he said.

“Would there be a possibility that someday we can achieve zero plastic? Yes, it’s a possibility. But if you’re go ing to ask me the probability now, it’s a long way ahead. We cannot just fo cus on recycling and reusing, we re ally need to focus on reducing and rethinking as well.”

Ka-Li-Kasan Launches Contests for ECW

ETHAN NIVERA

The Kabataang Linkod at Kasanga (Ka-Li-Kasan) spearheaded this year’s Environmental Care Week, conducting various contests from September 26 to September 30.

The contests were a Slogan Making con test with the theme “Protect Earth, Protect Life” for Grades 10-12, and a Collage Making contest with the theme “My Ideal Environment” for Grades 7-9.

Additionally, higher level students competed in Re cycling contest “A Bird Feeder”, and the lower level stu dents were able to enjoy an Interpretative Dance con test with the theme “Dance and Science: A Graceful Partnership for Change!“. Lastly, “Animal Habitat” Di orama and “UnderWater World” Diorama contests were enjoyed by kinder and nursery students respectively.

Ka-Li-Kasan’s Auditor, Quir Alfornon, said the youth “are critical to the preservation of our environment” and gave examples on how children can contribute to saving nature.

“Students nowadays are quick learners, so we should teach them things that will benefit everyone in society. For example, we can propose a project that helps recy cle plastic waste and transform it into something use ful, such as eco bags. When it comes to these types of activities, the youth are very creative and adept, which we can take advantage of,” Alfornon said.

Kabataang Linkod at Kasanga is a student orga nization which aims to raise environmental aware ness and protection to the ASJ community.

ETHAN NIVERA

ENVI-CARE WEBINAR: Environmental speaker Marlon Pareja lectures students on the importance of the environment, its problems, and environmental care. The symposium on environmental care was conducted in conjunction with this School Year’s Environmental Care Week.

Luzon Experiences Philippines’ “Strongest Typhoon This Year”

ETHAN NIVERA

Super Typhoon Karding, internationally known as “Noru”, rcently delivered intense rains and floods to Central Luzon and some parts of Northern and Southern Luzon, September 2426.

Karding first made landfall in Burdeos, Quezon on Sun day afternoon, September 25, which was followed by another landfall in Dingalan, Aurora, in the evening.

Due to the strength of the typhoon, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No.5 was raised over Pollilo Islands, Northern Quezon, Southern Aurora, Southern Nueva Ecija, Eastern and Central Bulacan, Northern Rizal, and Eastern Pampanga.

On Monday, September 26, classes and government offices were suspended and businesses were temporarily closed. Like wise, international and local flights, and ferry services were also postponed.

As of Sep 30, 2022, the typhoon’s death toll rose to 12

after a drowning victim was discovered. Karding left 52 people injured and displaced more than 19,000 families.

The typhoon started to weaken before making a land fall in General Nakar-Dingalan, and further weakened af ter its landfall as it crossed Tarlac and Northern Zambales.

Karding left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Sep tember 26, 8:00 PM, according to the Philippine Atmospher ic, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PA GASA) in a final bulletin issued on the same day, 11:00 PM.

Originally a low-pressure area, Karding went through several periods of intensification and became a Severe Tropical Storm on September 24 after entering the PAR on September 22.

After exiting the PAR, the typhoon headed towards Viet nam, causing major blackouts throughout the country brought by its intense winds and thunderstorms. Noru then dissipated in Thailand, where it left huge floods until the end. [R]

FACE MASKS NO LONGER MANDATORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

ETHAN NIVERA

President Marcos Ferdinand “Bongbong”

Marcos Jr. has signed Executive Order No.3, allowing the voluntary use of face masks outdoors, Malacañang announced in a press briefing on Monday, September 12.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Ange les, who announced the news, said the EO “shall take effect immediately”.

“Naglabas po tayo today ng Executive Or der No. 3, allowing voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings and reiterating the continued implementation of minimum pub lic health standards during the state of public health emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cruz-Angeles claimed.

The order allows the voluntary use of face masks in outdoor, public, non-crowd ed places. However, individuals who aren’t fully vaccinated, senior citizens, and im munocompromised people are “strongly encouraged” to still wear face masks.

It also notes that “Face masks should still be worn when indoors, inside pulic transpor tation, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

Cruz-Angeles stated other min imum public health standards im plemented during the pandemic shall still be observed.

“Tuloy pa rin po ang other minimum public health standards intended to effec tively prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the country. It shall continue to be implemented, consistent with the princi ples of shared accountability, evidence-based decision making, socioeconomic equity, and rights-based approach,” she added.

The Press Secretary said the DOH is directed to update the mini mum public health standards guidelines with the issuance of EO No. 3. [R]

PH Detects 4th Monkeypox Case

After detecting two cases prior to the announcement, DOH re ported the Philippines’ fourth monkeypox case on August 22.

The reported case was a 25-year-old Filipino with no document ed travel history from countries where Monkeypox is rampant.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the case tested positive for monkeypox via real time poly merase chain reaction (RT PCR) test on August 19.

About 14 close contacts were identified, includ ing one who was taking care of the patient. All close contacts underwent strict monitoring.

The country’s first case was detected back in July 29, who was confirmed as a 31-year old Filipino. Weeks later, the coun try detected its 2nd and 3rd cases; a 34-year old patient whose results were released on August 18, and a 29-year old patient whose results were released on August 19. DOH claimed that all four confirmed cases are unrelated to each other.

Vergerie stated the first patient had already recovered and was released from isolation on August 6. The second case has re covered on August 31, while the third case was considered the same on September 8. On September 15, the fourth case was al ready discharged from the hospital but is still recovering.

To date, only 4 Monkeypox cases in the Philippines have been confirmed. [R]

ETHAN NIVERA

ASJ Celebrates Araw ng Lahing Kayumanggi

ETHAN NIVERA

In celebration of this year’s ALK, ASJ conducted various contests and activities for students of all levels to participate and compete in on August 30.

The contests for the lower level were Pagbigkas ng Tula, Gayang-gaya Kaya?, Pagkukuwento, and Bayani Look Alike, while the higher level were able to enjoy con tests like Pagbigkas ng Tula, Awiting Kundiman, Fam ily disco ‘70s, and Poster and Slogan making

Meanwhile, the high school department compet ed in competitions such as Tunog ala Batang ‘90’s, Post er and Slogan making, Sikat na Sikat Look Alike, Infographics Making, Pinoy Rap, and Family Disco ‘70s. The pinakamagarang kasuotan, wherein class advisers will select the students with the best native attires, will be applied to all levels.

Grade Levels in group three, whose schedule con verged with ALK’s schedule, reported to school wearing their native attires. Likewise, levels who reported online also attended their classes wearing the same dress code. `

Miss Onie Ison, high school Filipino teacher, highlighted the importance of celebrating ALK.

“Mahalagang ipinagdiriwang natin ang Araw ng La hing Kayumanggi kasi dito po natin binabalikan at si

nasariwa yung tradisyon at kultura na dapat nating ip agmalaki bilang Pilipino,” Miss Onie said.

“At dahil din po sa Araw ng Lahing Kayumanggi, mas napapaigting po natin ang pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika,” she added.

Some contestants also shared with us how they felt participating in such an important event.

“It makes me feel happy because I am able to showcase my talent through ALK with a feeling of nostalgia and love for my own coun try,” Tunog ala Batang 90’s for Grades 10-12 1st place Atasia Guinto said.

Bea Calicdan, Tunog ala Batang 90’s for Grades 7-9 2nd placer, said she felt proud showcasing the Philippines’ lan guage, identity, and her “wholesome love for the country.”

On the other hand, Zackary Ventura, who finished in 1st place in the Infograpiks contest for Grades 7-9, expressed his thoughts on celebrating ALK with face-to-face classes again.

“Celebrating ALK with face-to-face class makes a big impact for us students to experience again wearing our native attire in school. It is much better than just wearing it inside the house. The pandemic really changed the life of each student like me; and I’m glad that little by little, everything is going back to normal.” [R]

GenTri CYDO Conducts LYO elections

ETHAN NIVERA

A new batch of student leaders were eleced during the Little Youth Officials elections at the Manpower Building in Pasong Kawayan II on Friday, September 2.

The General Trias City Youth Devel opment Office celebrated Linggo ng Ka bataan in light of this year’s Internation al Youth Day with the theme Integral Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.

Twenty-nine student leaders from different high schools in Gener al Trias participated in the event.

Among the participants, LASO’s As sistant Secretary Martina Charisse Ferrer was elected as the Little Congressman.

“I promise to be a leader who uses her voice to raise awareness regarding differ ent concerns. I promise to always do my best and I would always have the aim of serv ing others. As I am a youth official, I promise to stand as an example that the youth is ca pable of extraordinary things,” Ferrer said.

Before the said election, the local youth development officer, Ms. Baby Lyn Kem piz, gave a brief background on the celebration of the Linggo ng Kabataan and the histo ry of the Youth’s participation in governance.

The elected officers had and will con tinue to have several more activities for months to come and will hold their respective positions for a year. [R]

Face M(ust)ask?

Ah, the good, (kinda) old face masks. Whatwould happen without them? These little guys have been our best friends ever since the pandemic began. Whether your favorite masks are surgical masks, N95s, cotton masks, or even transparent masks, they’re still face masks at the end of the day, fulfilling their purpose of protecting us from the virus. But imagine this, imagine going out tomorrow then seeing everyone around you without face masks. Knowing the threat of COVID despite being vaccinated, what would you feel? Oh wait, nevermind. You don’t need to imagine any more, this IS already happening nowadays. Which brings us back to the opening line: What would happen without them?

In a press briefing last September 12, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced that President Marcos has signed Executive Order No.3, allowing the voluntary use of face masks in outdoor public places. This means that we’re no longer required to use face masks outside as long as we’re fully vaccinated, not immunocompromised, and below the age of 60. However, the Executive Order also stated that we still need to wear face masks in indoor public places and we still need to perform basic health standards im posed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

While many people rejoiced at the announce ment, the amount of people who disagreed were… quite substantial as well. Just a few weeks after the approval of the Executive Order, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines President Dr. Jose Rene de Grano urged the Department of Health to bring back the face mask mandate due to the 22% increase in cases, which they believe, was mainly caused by the approved order. In response, DOH Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that groups do not need the reimplementation of the mandate as the DOH will reintroduce it once it sees fit.

Despite the intentions of this Executive Order being pure, I don’t think Filipinos are ready to re move their face masks yet. From what I can see now, the problem really isn’t the order itself; it’s the discipline of Filipinos. Even before the order was

approved, many people already neglected the use of face masks, thinking that two shots and boosters can fully make them immune from the virus. And what’s worse is that no one will really get mad at them anymore, since it’s a pretty common sight now that COVID’s treated much like a common disease. With this alone, it’s common to guess that the same people who abandoned face masks also don’t follow other minimum health requirements. I mean, sure, it was stated in the order that “minimum public health requirements imposed to mitigate the spread of COVID should still be observed,” but do you think people really care? Do you think that peo ple who already neglected face masks even be fore the order was approved care? Do you think that people who do not wash their hands care? No, they do not. The order will just be another excuse for them to not wear face masks.

What I’m claiming here may be risky, since I’m ex ploring subjective matters and I can’t say “Filipinos” without affecting disciplined ones, but we have to accept what’s happening around us; we have to face reality. We need to acknowledge that even if you’re the most careful person in history, you’re still prone to danger if you’re in a room full of careless people, and that’s exactly what’s happening around us.

The approval of the said Executive Order gives more freedom for people to remove their face masks, which means that obviously, we’ll be seeing less(er) face masks outdoors. Knowing that there was a 22% spike in cases just weeks after the approval, it’s really just a matter of time before you and your neighbors possibly catch COVID if this goes on. If there’s one thing we can do now, then it’s, well, to be careful and follow the protocols, and as much as possible, still wear face masks. I get that it’s tempting to not wear masks since there’s already an order and COVID is easily treat ed now, but it’s better safe than sorry, am I right?

Online Classes are Better Because

It’s Easier to Cheat in Exams

There. I said it. In plain words. No hidden meaning, no sacasm; online class es are better because it’s easier to cheat.

I do not condone cheating, of course, in school or anywhere else in life. As someone who (most of the time) works diligently, nothing would irritate me quite like an obvious idler getting the scores of a hardworking achiever. But the thing is, that doesn’t happen, even if we take exams in the comfort of our homes, where our books could be wide open and multiple tabs could be dictating the answers to us. Hard workers still get the results they worked for, and the not-so hard workers still get what they deserve. It’s as if nothing changed, except everything has.

Because it’s easier to cheat, teachers have to put more trust in their students, and in turn, students have a more precious integrity that is also more difficult to maintain. Another effect of this is the proliferation of an activity that most students dread: product per formance. What I could only describe as ‘the online equivalent of a face-to-face project usually done once a year except it is done quarterly and is a requirement in all subjects instead of a select few and is a much larger part of your grade and is not actually quarterly because teachers can assign a number of these in a single quarter and is thankfully slightly easier than the usual yearly projects,’ is perhaps the best thing that has happened as a result of online classes.

As much as some students dislike it, I firmly believe that product performances are a much better way of assessing what a student has learned through their lessons, especially in an online modality. In an exam, you answer questions based on what you learned and that’s it. In a product performance, you demonstrate your ability to do something based on what you learned. Instead of students working hard so they can pass a written exam which is the majority of their grade, they work hard so they can get the knowledge and skills required to do a practical task which is simultaneous ly the majority of their grade and a fitting simulation of how they can use these skills in their daily lives and future occupations; a clear upgrade compared to writ ing words and marking boxes in a piece of paper.

Apart from product performances, some teach ers also changed the way they make exams. They were driven to focus more on understanding than memorization since memorization is useless if you could just look it up. And that’s a good thing. I be lieve that the purpose of education is enlighten ment, and I don’t think cramming overnight just to memorize a hundred bizarre terms and their defi nitions is an enlightening experience, but more like the opposite of it: an endarkening experience.

In this digital age where you can just search for the most intricate of questions with numerous an swers instantly popping up, though with question-

able reliability, what we need are not people who can memorize well but people who can learn well. People who work hard to be proficient at some thing they are taught about so that they can apply the knowledge they have in practical ways, not peo ple who can vividly remember something they read over and over again, albeit with a limited time span of three days. We need people with helpful skills and useful knowledge rooted in them and not peo ple with ‘useful’ information in their short-term mem ory. Examinations based on understanding instead of memorization help us shape these people.

Then again, there are still exams that opt for the good old memorization test, but as I mentioned, stu dents still have an integrity they wish to keep. Besides, the teachers could very likely tell if their student should be able to achieve this grade or not by the impression that the students create of themselves through their actions, especially now that schools are slowly re turning to the face-to-face modality. Teachers would easily be able to tell if a student is honest in their ex ams because they have personally seen their perfor mance, behavior, and overall aura, so to speak.

Online exams are better than in-person ex aminations because now, it is not only an examina tion of knowledge, but an examination of wisdom, un derstanding, and above all, morality. [R]

I’ll Think of a Title Later.

Yes, that’s the title. I know, I know. Right now, you’re probably saying something like “what kind of title is that? How did this get approved? I thought this publication was serious.” But, trust me, it will make sense… later. Be sides, I know that you’ve done this before, too. You know, putting things off for later? The Mañana habit? Procras tination? Dilly-dallying? Well, whatever you call it, more likely than not, you’ve done it at least once in your life and you know exactly how awful it could make you feel.

Let’s not procrastinate any further and get straight to the point. The reason we procrastinate is because we don’t want to do something, and when we do something that we don’t like, we get stressed. I am definitely no psycholo gist or neurologist or any other practitioner that specializes on the brain and its behavior, but I know for a fact that less stress makes you happier, and being happier makes you more productive. So, procrastination is actually not that aw ful, and maybe we could use it to some advantage, I think.

I’m not saying you should procrastinate to the very last minute, that would surely just cause even more stress, but I’m saying that, maybe, sometimes, you should give in to that little voice that tells you to do something more fun. If you keep that uninterestingly bothersome thing for ‘lat er you,’ or even ‘tomorrow you,’ ‘now you’ can help them out by recharging their ‘boring things battery.’ I realize

that this sounds like child talk, but there’s no better way to describe it, or maybe I’m just too lazy to think of one.

Anyhow, part of what I’m trying to say is that procras tination isn’t that bad if you actually get to accomplish your task before its due date. If you find yourself doing some thing you don’t like just for the sake of being able to submit it earlier, why don’t you do it on another day; a day where you feel better about doing it? Forcing yourself to finish that task would just create subpar results. Does it really matter if you finish it two weeks, two days, or two hours before the deadline? I don’t think so. You even get more time to think about it if you delay your submission by a bit. So, I believe we should also abolish the thoughts of procrastination being a purely evil thing. Because of the aforementioned ideas, pro crastination isn’t inherently bad, but too much of it is; just like how too much of anything is bad, even water and oxygen.

Procrastination is like a controlled drug: are drugs bad? No, but illegal drugs and overdosing on drugs are. Thus, we should simply choose how much we procrastinate, in a way that would not obviously harm us. I like to think of procrastination as a sort of painkiller; it doesn’t exactly solve the problem, but it in terferes with the pain signals to temporarily distract you from it, and once the painkillers’ effects wear off, there is likely no more pain. Once you’re done procrastinating, you will probably hate doing that certain task less because doing the thing you like al leviated your stress, little by little. Sure, it’s a band-aid solution,

but even band-aids are useful and effective to some extent, otherwise they would have surely gone out of production.

Again, I’m not an expert in this field, but I think procrasti nation has helped me in many ways. As a matter of fact, what you’re reading right now is a product of procrastination. There was this task that I absolutely did not want to do, and thinking about procrastination led to this idea. I wrote this a few days before the deadline of a certain term paper about a certain text, which I’ve only read a single page of; I haven’t even started writ ing anything in the term paper itself (apart from my name, that is). It also happens to be the day before a certain presentation, and also the day that I was given an assignment by a certain organization. At the time of writing, I don’t know when this will be published, but all I know is that I trust myself to accomplish all those tasks even though I ventured on this little escapade of ours, and I strongly believe that I will do better because of this. Or I could just be making an excuse for myself.

No one told me to write any sort of article (yet), but I wrote this because I didn’t want to do any of those other tasks at the moment. So, this is basically just a form of pro crastination which stemmed from thinking about procras tination which might convince you that some procrastina tion is alright from time to time. Did I say “procrastination” so much in this column that it makes it look like a fake word now, as in something you might redefine? Good. [R]

Youth of Today, Future for tomorrow

Have you ever noticed something about this generation? Something… dif ferent? Well, most of the people I know say and think that this generation really is different. They way we act, the way we think, it’s all different from the past generations. I myself don’t know why either… but I do know one thing about this generation; it grew up faster than it was supposed to.

Every August 12, we celebrate all those who are young at heart; we are to celebrate International Youth Day! A day in which we val ue and give importance to youths, who holds future in their hands. A day in which we make them feel appreciated and loved.

Youth is the time of life when one is young, it often means the time be tween childhood and adulthood. At this stage of life, it is important to give them love and appreciation for once in a while. Making them feel loved is what they need the most; for, they are in that stage of life in which they have to deal with problems about growing up and facing reality.

The youth are valuable aspects of the future, for they are capa ble of shaping it. “The future lies in the hands of the youth”, after all. It’s astounding, if you look more into it. We, young people, are able to make decisions that would affect the future. It would affect every one around us; that just proves that the youth really is important.

Mentioned that the youth is capable of shaping the future, we should shape them into better people. We shouldn’t just let our future die, should we? For us to shape the youth into better people, we should try our best to un derstand them; not make them feel like they’re always wrong. Let’s try to look more into the bigger picture, and put ourselves in their shoes. As time chang es, people change too. We can’t just keep comparing each other. The gener

ations are different in their own way; let’s just try and accept that difference. They should receive the best love treatment in order for them to develop a good character for the future; that love treatment should start nowhere else but at home.

It may be hard for some adults… and I’m not really siding on anyone here. I understand that you only want what’s best for us, but please… find a way that won’t only make things worse. Some adults may think that our generation is wrong, and just overreacting to the “light” punishments they do… but I think that they should just accept the fact that not all of us would react the same to the same punishment. Not all of us think that correcting mistakes are bad… we’re actually thankful to the adults who are there to support us and nourish us into better people. Understand ing is just what we need. We may grow in a different way than other gen erations did… but hey, at least we still want what’s best for the future.

Guiding the youth is what the adults should do. They should fos ter a healthy environment for the young ones; it helps them to be more open about their problems, and live a life with better thinking. Most kids are dependent, they need someone to rely to. Since they’re still kids, it is only right that we let them know that we’re here for them, and that they won’t always be alone in this world. By doing so, adults are able to do their job, and create better people for the future.

It can be a bit hard for some people to accept facts… but that’s what we should all do in order to have a better future ahead of us. May we re mind ourselves that the youth are very important, for they are capa ble of maintaining or making a better future for all of us. Let us not put dis crimination in our ages; we’re all humans at the end. Let’s create a world with intergenerational solidarity; a world for ALL ages. [R]

Around the World, 500 Years Ago

ZOELINE HONRADO

Most of us contemplate how big this world really is. Thanks to advanced technology, we are able to discover minimal information about the world we live in. And according to these “minimal” information, it is already clear to us that this world is bigger than we thought. People back then also thought the same thing. Their lives only revolved around the environment they know so far; they were not aware of the environment beyond it. Until they decided to venture and travel across the world, to find answers to their questions, and to discover more about the world we live in.

For this month of September, we look back at the great achievement humanity has done in discovering new boundaries and getting to know the world more. For this month of September, we celebrate the 500th an niversary of the completion of the first circumnavigation of the world.

In 1519-1522, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese-born explorer, marked history as he initiated the first circumnavigation of the globe. These three years were remarkable, for it served as an adventure filled with risks, hardships, dan ger, and death; three years that would change the world forever. This voyage brought answers and new discoveries about our world. New islands were ex plored, new territories were unlocked, and different kinds of people were met. Our world was once known to be flat, but thanks to Magellan’s exploration, we were able to discover that the world is round, and travelling around it would lead you to the same place where you started. The curiosity of humanity never fails to amuse me. If humanity weren’t so curious about this world, and decid ed not to explore it, what kind of world do you think we’ll be living in now?

Our county, the Philippines, served as a remarkable destination for the explorers, especially to Magellan. In 1521, the Spaniards landed on an island called “Homon” and claimed the islands they saw for the Span ish empire. Magellan established a friendly relationship with the early Fil ipinos, and taught them Christianity. Exploring brought Magellan success and achievements; but with good, always comes bad. As the Spaniards ex plored the archipelago more, they found themselves in a battle against the local leader of Mactan. Unfortunately, Magellan’s life ended in that battle.

Few decades later, more Spanish expeditions were sent to the archipel ago, and was officially declared as a Spanish colony. Years later, we were able to adapt many practices from the Spaniards that made most of our tradi tions and practices we apply in our life right now possible. The circumnaviga tion affected our country, and many other countries too. Whether the effects may be bad, or good, they all serve as an important mark in our history.

You can say that a lot has happened ever since the completion of the first cir cumnavigation. It changed how we see the world, knowing that there’s always more to explore out there. It is important for us to remember this event, for it is one of the main reasons why we are able to figure out the countries that occupy our world now. Now, we’re still far from completely exploring everything in our world. Who knows? It might take years, or decades, or even centuries to finally answer all of our questions. For now, may we all be our own little Magellans, circumnavigating our own little worlds until we find happiness and contentment within ourselves.

Teacher and Students: Hand in Hand

TRISHA ILAR

Whenever I hear the word teacher, I’m always reminded of the memories they shared with us. The people who molded and even became our second parents, and one of the best friends we met during our journey. I still vividly remember one of my teacher’s tactics, which is the Wilbert Hacks, wherein one of his quotes was about the types of lines. He said, “A parallel line is like two persons who walk side by side, but are never fated to meet each other.” Then, the room back then was unbelievably filled with the sound of “aww!”. Indeed, the continuous effort of teachers to find ways to make the students relate to and understand the lessons in their way is truly remarkable.

When the pandemic hit, there were so many new things that were introduced to us, and the introduction of the online modality was one that had a huge impact on students and teachers alike. With the online modality, came problems like slow inter net speed and device issues. Additionally, technology literacy was a big challenge as the big paradigm shift of teaching using chalkboards suddenly became Zoom Meet ings. Fortunately, we are slowly shifting to a face-to-face setup, which will further nurture the interactions and discussions between teachers and students. We’ll once again be introduced to their unique and iconic ways of teaching, which help us develop our character and make it easier for us to learn even the most complicated lessons.

The celebration of Teacher’s Day allows us to reflect and give thanks to our teachers for the efforts and sacrifices they make just to make it easier for us to understand their lessons. Teachers always have to endure sleepless nights, multi-tasked break times, and restless days, yet despite all of these, we can still see them smiling and greeting us happily every time we meet them. As a student, it’s normal to feel negatively about dozens of assign ments and homework, but if you come to think of it, you’ll realize how hard it is for teachers to repetitively check assignments multiple times. The effort made by teachers to continue on and move forward despite everything inspires every student to do the same.

Teachers really deserve a salute! From a student and a friend, happy teach ers day to every teacher out there! We thank you for choosing to teach us de spite all the difficulties you encounter and sacrifices you need to make all for the sake of your students. Truly, teachers are one of the greatest instruments in teach ing minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives. We may not perfect your quizzes, but undoubtedly, you are the perfect role models for students like us. [R]

MATA

Matang pintuan ng aking palasyo Tatahakin ang mundong tayo

BALANGAW

Pag-ibig, Pangarap, Paraiso sa likod ng mga ulap

Himpilan ng pagal na tadyang nang saya’y mayakap

Balangaw na mailap gumuhit sa makulimlim na alapaap

Luksang langit, napawi’t ligaya’y nalanghap

HERSHEY

She’s a bright surprise

The sun when I rise She guns gorgeous glances With ever elegant eyes

Above all her beauty Are her warmth and loyalty

From the day’s dawn to the eve’s end On her I know I can depend

CARMEN DEI

This harmonic tune… It sounds like it’s calling me Has my time arrived?

- Ethan Nivera

She’s always there to cheer me up

Whenever I get teary-eyed And when I fall, she picks me up With boosts from behind Or solace by my side

She never lets me down And never disagrees She just chases me around

And tries to eat everything she sees From beginning to end She’s my best friend

But, oh, why so soon Did her life have to end

- Joshua Nocon

- Ms. Onie Guanio-Ison

- Ms. Onie Guanio-Ison

DOBLE VISTA

TO THE ONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW

To the one who doesn’t know, Please pay attention You’ll find out who you are yourself But your name, I will not mention

To the one who doesn’t know, I have a few words for you I know it’s a stupid poem But if only you knew

So, here goes my message I’ll no longer wait ‘till snow The moon is beautiful, isn’t it? I just had to let you know

- Ethan Nivera

SPACED

Staring at nothing. I kept thinking of something… I should be sleeping.

- Zoeline Honrado

- Joshua Nocon

The light in my darkness. I looked at you like you were perfect for me. Wondered in an illusion, I fell in love with a daft fantasy.

It was a good start, and we were happy. But I figured that it wasn’t destiny. You should know that it’s cruel to shatter someone’s soul… Hilarious, cuz even if you did, it was still hard for me to let go.

You could’ve just kept quiet… Instead of making promises you can’t even keep. Was it fun playing with my feelings? Did it give you pleasure? I was foolish enough to think you’d last forever.

Even if you loved someone else, You didn’t have to leave. I was impotent, for I’m always destined to fall in love… But, with people I can’t have.

Be it near Be it far I can’t see Where you are

Where you are Can’t you see Am I far Am I near

- Zoeline Honrado

To our beloved teachers,

You are all awesome. Looking back at our lives, we can’t imagine a world without teachers like you. Who would’ve thought that the same people who we saw as villains ready to pounce at us anytime when we were younger were actually caring and kind-hearted individuals who would sacrifice their time and effort for the sake of teaching innocent(and naughty) children?

Sleepless nights, burnouts, empty stomachs, inadequate support - it really takes a lot to become a teacher. You have watched as children grow into young adults, yet your passion for teaching never really died out despite all the challenges thrown at you by life. No matter how much weight is put on your shoulders, your perseverance and love for teaching continue to shine brighter than the sun has ever shone. During the pandemic, you’ve inspired your students to face everyday with a smile on their faces, as you have shown on our little screens. There’s really a poverty in words when it comes to describing how grateful we are to all of you.

Teachers like you have changed the lives of all students forever. Through you, dreams that once seemed impossible are now within reach! Even though we’re still quite far from those dreams, the knowledge you bestowed upon us and the experience we gained under your guidance will surely help us achieve our goals in life. You opened our eyes and helped us discover things about ourselves that we didn’t even know about. We discovered more about our capabilities, our talents, and our identity; you helped us discover who we really are, and we’re eternally grateful for that. Even if we may not remember 100% of the lessons you’ve taught us, we’ll always remember the memories we made during our time together.

It’s crazy to think that despite meeting almost, or maybe even more than a hundred students everyday, you only receive small amounts of genuine gratitude before sleeping after hours of work and pain, and dozens of sleepless nights. So, as a token of our gratitude to the ones who guide us from the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs, to the ones who stick with us even through the most chaotic times in our lives, to the ones who teach us how to laugh and love, to the ones who see in us what most do not see, to our best friends, our second parents, to all teachers around the world, thank you!

From the bottom of our hearts, The Lasallian Rheims

Excerpt from the Letter of the Rheims Advisory Board

As the youth play a vital role in our society, the teachers also play a critical role of up lifting the youth in achieving inclusive and quality education according to the ideals of the Academe. Today, we collectively celebrate teachers for their continued commitment to their passion. We commend the teachers of Academy of Saint John for the role that they have played, despite of the pandemic.

It is the time to recognize the time, attention, and effort being given by the teachers in helping to ensure a young generation of students who will become catalysts of social change, quided by the principles of FAITH, SERVICE, and COMMUNION.

Happy World Teachers Day!

“You can perform miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care.”St. John Baptist de La Salle

Marcus Diego A. Mugol Chairman Pro Tempore 05 October 2022