Where have I gone to the past ten days?

Where have I gone to the past ten days?

Hey guys! If you've noticed I've been gone for the past ten days. Where have I been? Well sit down, this is gonna be a long story. ;)

On April 5, 2017 are school sent us to the College Editor's Guild of the Philippines' annual event: Lunduyan 2017 - "A Writer's Sanctuary is the People." Lunduyan is a Tagalog word that means center point or place. 

April 6, 2017 (Day 1)

The editors of the Forefront - the official student publication of Gordon College.

         This was the second day of the seminar. On this day  they separated us students from our advisers and took us to San Pedro, Laguna. It was a 45-minute jeepney drive from Malayan Colleges to the area. We went to an urban poor community composed of informal settlers. There we were able to conduct a basic mass integration (or BMI) and we got to interview one of their elders, Gloria Benedicto whose been living in the government-owned property for about 17 years. Our group, which is composed of students from Gordon College, advised her to seek help from their local government and to the National Housing to legalize her property. By viewing their status in life, I've come to appreciate the things that I have. I became thankful to my parents for giving me a legal home to live and providing me a safe community to stay in. We left the urban poor sector at 6:00 P.M. and returned to the seminar grounds by 7:00 P.M. It was tiring, we had to climb hills, jump through rivers and little crevasses. After having dinner we also had our religious caucuses where we had to discuss the status of our student publication. We finished at 9:00 PM. By the time I got to my room I immediately fell asleep!

Here lie an isolated community within a barangay of San Pedro, Laguna.

April 7, 2017 (Day 2)

Classroom discussion about Investigative Journalism.

   Our call time was 7:00 A.M for breakfast. On the third and fourth day of the seminar where to be classroom discussions. The classrooms of Malayan Colleges are amazing. Each classroom where to have one flat screen television, one laptop to be connected to the television for presentations, double air conditions, sturdy tables and tiled classrooms! This was a happy day for me actually. We made tons of friends from various schools. I made friends with people from Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU), from Ateneo de Naga, and also from the University of Nueva Caceres (from Bicol). It all started when our group (RMTU and Gordon College students) were playing a game called 3 6 9, then suddenly the students from other colleges wanted to join and we all formed one big circle. There we introduced ourselves and started playing 3 6 9, but now as a larger group. The seminars were also good, I listened attentively to the speaker and respected their views and lessons. April 7 was also me and my partner's monthsary so I greeted him too.

April 8, 2017 (Day 3)

Forum talks about the positive and negative impact of the K-12 Educational System.

 After having our breakfast, we had our forum talks and proceeded with our classroom discussions. On the afternoon, we had a seminar about effective broadcasting, our speaker, being a broadcaster from CNN Philippines. The seminar was going well until.. EARTHQUAKE! The ground shook, we felt it from the third floor of the building, then suddenly the whole building started shaking. We were all panicking really, luckily we were oriented before from our earthquake drills, and so we knew what to do. We bowed our heads and covered them with our hands and we exited the building immediately. Afterwards, the school officials advised us to stay on the campus grounds while they check the facilities for any damage. One hour later, they advised us to return to the building to continue the seminar. We had our last classroom discussion about literary criticism by sir Jayvee Pangan Marasigan.

Later that evening they provided us two hours to prepare for our cultural presentation regarding the seminar's theme. The seminar attendees were divided into four groups. Our group prepared a small play and a dance number. I was one of the dancers hahaha! With sheer effort, determination and teamwork, we were able to perform with beauty, grace and harmony.  Weeks before the seminar I submitted poem as an entry for the Gawad Emman Lacaba, and you know what? My entry was one of the finalists! I didn't win the writing contest but that's not bad for a first try right? Here are the poems that I submitted: 

A Prayer for My Country

I kneel on a mountain, atop the cities of ours

I look to you, I raise my arms o’er head and high.

“Oh great Lord of Skies! To thee I plea, open their eyes

For my brothers are blinded by a demagogue.

They worship a false god devoid of rationality

Who seeks peace through death and independence through war.

Oh Maker please guide them! For they know not what they do!

They cling to their god as he waves our flag smeared with reddish hues.

I pray for our predicament, truth be told.

For leaders arose whose hearts were only for gold.

They care not for their brothers, neither our Mother,

But only the coins for their last supper.

In a time of now, of mistrust and terror

Lie a song within our hearts, of freedom from horror.

May our brothers unite to overthrow the dictator.

Have mercy, my Divine, may thou save our empire.”

A House Divided

The Pearl of the Orient Seas

My motherland, the Philippines

Once a land of love and peace

Laid victim to the hands of pride and greed.

Drugs, death, fear and oppression

I fear for the worst, I fear for my children.

Are we but slaves, chained to our master?

We are not dogs. For we have the power.

We fear for their wrath, but ‘tis we are in numbers

We seek the true path, but side with the sinners

Change is coming you say? I see nothing more

Only but the enticement of the Devil’s whore.

A house is shaken, fed up with the lies

Its inhabitants are fighting, all taking sides.

                                            Ignorance and arrogance clung on the left,

On the right are the righteous, justice they heft.

They seek nothing more but peace on their eyes

But with their beliefs formed a great divide.

A country divided, the reckless and the pure

Both with the desire to restore our grandeur.

But What of Us?

The Filipinos are known for their hospitality

When it comes to foreigners, but what of their countrymen?

At least half of the Filipino Facebook community

Has been nothing more than just people lashing out on each other.

There’ve been name calling, bullying.

It’s like the whole Filipino race forgot what freedom of speech is.

Time is wasted fighting on social media

Saying who’s better than who.

We call people out, judge them for what they have in mind.

As if they’re our enemies,

As if they’re not Filipinos,

As if they’re not human beings.

Pollution, illegal drugs, corruption and death.

These are the problems that we have to face

And a country divided should not be one of them

May unity prevail.

Our ancestors did not fight 400 years for this.

It’s time to set our differences aside.

Let our actions speak louder together as one nation.

Make the Philippines great again.

April 9, 2017 (Day 4)

Last day! Finally! I can get home! So on the last day, since most of the seminar nights ended at 10-12 P.M., we arrived an hour late at the seminar. There a forum was held and a few talks were discussed. They gave us our certificates and we left at around 3 P.M. We bid goodbye to our new friends and wished them a safe trip home, hoping to meet again at next year's press conference. Afterwards the rest of the staff decided to seize the moment so we went to the museum of our national hero, Jose Rizal. We stayed there for an hour and headed to Olongapo afterwards.

I'll be telling the other details tomorrow, I'm really sorry if I wasn't able to update ya'll cause I'm really tired and I have a fever... :(

 UPDATE
 Went out of town again. I'll tell you all about it later on but anyways let me continue...
 
April 9, 2017 (Day 4)
We arrived at Olongapo City at 7:00 P.M. We were planning on having our dinner but since it was Palm Sunday I asked to be dropped off at Columban College first then I'll follow them afterwards. I bought three palms since we are three Catholics and waited in line for my turn to get blessed. After getting blessed I followed my peers at Harbor Point, Ayala Malls and we ate at Mang Inasal. I had four cups of rice! I was very hungry. We then rode the van again and the driver dropped us at our respective stops. When I got home I greeted my mom with a hug and told my family I missed them so much. Since I was very tired, I asked to be excused for the night and I'll tell them what happened during the seminars the next day. I got to my bed and fell asleep.


There goes the first four days! For the rest, read my next post! :)