My Teacher: My Hero

          Heroes are not like superheroes, people who could fly, who could hold a car using their forefinger, not even fighting villains for saving the world. But, heroes for me are the one's who strengthen us, the one who are at our side when we are down because they were there to lift us up.
          Our lives are shaped by people and events. And as for the people who shape our lives, they are the heroes and we carry around in our hearts and souls. Many people can readily identify one man or one woman who has made a difference in their lives and i applaud those people. Some of us, I believe are even more fortunate to have a group of people who influenced us. For me, that group includes the teachers who helped me build the person I became now.
          Teachers has a very big mission. Because of them, we, students learn more about things around us. Teachers are to develop the students to be productive and to be responsible citizens. Some teachers make an excellent young artist with artistic potential and renewed spiritually committed. When we feel love and kindness towards others, it doesn't only make others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us develop our inner happiness and peace.
          I love all my teachers. They all helped me and my classmates learn more things. Teachers are similarly the same with heroes. They are the same in the way that they help a lot of people especially the students like us. Teachers and heroes may not be physically the same but their goals are the same and that is to help us people and make a better place for us, and maybe someday, us students will become heroes ourselves because of our teachers.

State of the Nation Address of Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino

The State of the Nation Address is an annual event in the Republic of the Philippines, in which the President of the Philippines reports on the status of the nation, normally to the resumption of a joint session of the Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is a duty of the President as stated in Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution. It had been a year since President NoyNoy Aquino assumed the presidency. Our main question perhaps is what have he done during his first 365 days? What are his plans for our country in the next five years both long term and short term?

First and foremost I would like to applaud PNoy for his use of our national language.  He had used Filipino in his entire speech which means that the State of the Nation Address is truly for the Filipino people and not just a means to impress foreigners or the learned. President Aquino opened his SONA with the reminder of what he promised during his inauguration, which is the removal of the culture of corruption in the country. He referred to this as the "culture of the wang-wang." "Wang-wang" refers to the siren usually attached to vehicles of law enforcement but before he was elected it was also used abusively by government officials particularly the more influential ones. He also mentioned the fact that the fight against corruption is indeed a personal battle for him because he is elected to protect not only the powerful but most specially the Filipino people as a whole. PNoy sighted in his SONA the many cases of corruption including the missing funds in the ARMM and of course the P1Billion expenditure for coffee of PAGCOR. President Aquino also for the first time took recognition of Filipino invention and ingenuity. PNoy's SONA also highlighted economic gains which had been reached during his first year in office. He also has strong position regarding our island claims on the Spratlys located at the West Philippine Sea. To gear up our defenses,  he said that we are now fully modernizing the armed forces and in fact a modern boat and various helicopters are already on the way.

On the negative side, President Aquino’s SONA was notable for what it left out. Not a single word on Hacienda Luisita and land reform, the most critical issue facing the poor. There was hardly a mention of human rights issues, which is unacceptable given that extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and torture continue to be perpetrated with impunity by the AFP and PNP under this government’s watch. Neither did PNoy say anything about addressing the high cost of living; the main concern of the majority of the population. It should be noted as well that PNoy failed to endorse two key pieces of legislation that he pledged to support during his presidential campaign, the Reproductive Health bill and the Freedom of Information bill. As someone put it, he “chickened out” on these vital concerns at the crucial moment. PNoy claimed the Philippines’ upgraded credit rating as a major achievement of his administration. But what did it take to get that upgrade? Nothing less than continued gross underspending on social services and high regressive taxation. PNoy drew cheers for asserting the Spratly’s claim. But sovereignty over the Spratly’s and its oil and natural gas reserves will be meaningless if his government hands over the exploitation of these resources to the big oil corporations like Shell. PNoy touted his housing program for the uniformed services. But what about housing for other government employees, including teachers? What about social housing for the poor? Despite the Malacañang press office’s hype that this year’s SONA would be about the President’s vision for the country, where’s the vision? Absent from PNoy’s SONA is an articulation of his administration’s development plan, how agriculture and industry will be developed, how and what kind of jobs will be generated, how incomes will be raised, how delivery of social services will be improved. Where’s the plan for modernizing agriculture and the development of domestic industries?

 Many reactions were arousing, different opinions and ideas. I hope that it would be a challenge to PNoy’s part. He should react now. He should hear the voices of his fellowmen.

ISULONG ANG BREASTFEEDING: TAMA, SAPAT, AT EKSLUSIBO

               Nowadays, many mothers are using a substitute milks rather than their breast milk. Simply because the baby doesn't want the milk of the mother or the mother doesn't want to breastfeed the child. They say that breastfeeding is better. What is breastfeeding? What is the importance of it?

               Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Breast milk is easier to digest. For most babies especially premature, breast milk is easier to digest than formula. The proteins in the formula are made from cow's milk and it takes time for babies stomachs to adjust in digesting them. Breast milk fight disease. The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breast milk protect babies from illness. This protection is unique, formula cannot match the chemical make-up of human breast milk. Life can be easier when you breastfeed. Breastfeeding can save money. Breastfeeding can feel great. Physical contacts is important to newborns. It can help them feel more secure, warm, and comforted. Mother can benefit from this closeness, as well. And also, breastfeeding can be good for the mother's health, too.

               The nation benefits overall when mother's breastfeed. Medical care are lower for fully breastfeed infants than never breastfeed infants. Breastfeed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescription, and hospitalization. Start now mommies, see what's best for your babies. Encourage every mommies, hand in hand let't promote breastfeeding.

Voices that you should hear!

Dear Mr. President,


               Hello sir! How are you? I hope you are fine as you are reading my letter to you.


               I wrote a letter to you sir because I want to share the problems that we want to solve in our community. And I am hoping that you can help me us.


               I want to talk about the province. Ilocos Sur is such a great place and have many beautiful sites. Many people residing in this province has no jobs, especially the ones that have no education. In this case, many of us suffering poverty. Another is about the leaders, I know and I believe that is is one of the reasons why Ilocos Sur can't achieve progress. One of the leaders are being caught using drugs. And we all know that drugs is a big no no in our society. If this are the kind of leaders we have, how could we achieve progress? Another is about the election that was made last May 28, 2011. I can say that many people in the province are blind, they didn't want change. Instead, they still want the life we had in the past. The life that had no improvement, the life that makes us miserable, and the life that had no equality. I was really disappointed because of this happening. They have already known the backround of that family. Why they still want that family to lead us? It's a big question on my part sir. 


               I am sharing this to you sir because I know that you can help us. I know that you are the most powerful person in the country. And I know that you can help us in giving solution to our problem. I have a request sir, and i hope that this request will be granted. Please do what you can do to make our country one of the richest country in the whole world. 

               Thank you sir! 


                                                                                                                                          Truly yours, 
                                                                                                                                        Lalanie Palado