LABELS

That’s not me.

Fragile. Weak. Meek. That is what they call me, but they are wrong. They are so wrong. That is not who I am—not anymore.

After all the years of constantly being buried under, of them drowning me in dirt, mud, and insults until breathing fresh air has lost its purpose of being my escape, I am finally rising. I am standing up for myself. I am brushing off their words from my shoulders, legs, and mind like they never affected me. Because now they can’t touch me. I won’t let them.

I refuse to live my life just pleasing society.

This time, if they throw sand and rocks at me, I will build myself a palace of comfort and felicity out of these, and I will not hesitate to welcome them into my humble abode. I will say, “Come in. You’ve helped me put up this beautiful castle with the tough and heavy boulders you tried to cover me in, and for that I am truly grateful.” My cheeks will probably be stained with my tears, but I will be proud of myself now, because these tears don’t symbolize my weaknesses. They represent my strengths.

Scarred. Wounded. Broken. This is what I’ve become, but I am healing. I am recovering. I am in the process of changing into someone better, and I’ve never been more accomplished.


- Jenika Gi-An C. Nero

You

You

by Angel Calma

You're my everything Reason why I'm smiling Yields of happiness I got Angel's above singing Never forget the moment that I've wanted

Putting the memories above Forgetting every moment I'm without you Telling everybody your my everything Anyone's getting you but saying your mine

Loving you was the best I've never done this since Never done anything for anyone but you Getting to cherish every thought of you

Hugs are being remembered Unknown emotions mixing up Going somewhere staying with you Because you're my everything

Awakening of the Twilight

As the sun slowly sank at the commencement of the evening, streaks of rich orange, red and dandelion burst in the heavens, substituting its former blue aura, tinging the vast feathery clouds with such warm colors—but, nevertheless, contained traces of tenebrous shadows—for the winds swept them away to distant regions. Numerous avians were prevalent and, like majestic, winged messengers of Providence, glided harmoniously near the surface of the sea, descended, and brought with them food, which, perhaps, resembled mackerel or herring. They delivered it to their nests, dangling precariously near the waters, situated above a precipice, for their offspring had been waiting irascibly for a tedious amount of time. I also perceived many cetaceans foraging in the pelagic; some performed somersaults and stunts, which astonished me, while some maintained their timidness by remaining concealed in the depths. So lovely, so satisfying, was the scene that my eyes began to sore from not blinking too often, for I wished to immerse myself in the view; it offered absolute serenity, an elusive disposition. But after the radiant explosion of luminosity came darkness, an inexorable apparition that asserted its arrival by evoking waves of black and indigo into the sky, wakening the moon and the stars from their transient slumber, for it was time for the diurnal entities to plunge into their relentless dreams and for the nocturnal to rise and vanquish the elements. Night had finally appeared to assume its throne in the sky: evidently as cold and merciless as the freezing permafrost of the Earth.

-Joel Econas

JHS topnotchers win SciMath Quiz Bowl 2016

Junior high school academic achievers Jude Tadios, LykaOmnes, Alyssa Plaza and Eloisa Garcia, snatched the first place of SciMath Quiz Bowl 2016 Wednesday.

Among the four groups, their team, D, garnered a total of 30 points, allowing them to win.

“It was thrilling. All groups were good,” Omnes said, an eighth grade student who held a With High Honor certificate Friday during the 1^st Quarter recognition ceremony.

Plaza, who was a With High Honor awardee and ranked top of her class in ninth grade, said that she was only informed the day before and therefore, had not studied.

“We didn’t expect winning. We were barely prepared,” she said.

The rest of their group members, seventh grader Jude Tadios was acknowledged as a With Highest Honor awardee and was also the top of his class. Eloisa Garcia, tenth grader, on the other hand, also received the same award during the recognition ceremony.

Brendan Salazar (Grade 7), Psalm Aquino (Grade 8), SanchiaAbrea (Grade 9) and Joel Econas (Grade 10) of Team B were the second placers with a total score of 28 points.

Scoring a total of 25 points, Team A followed as third placers. The group was composed of Angel Calma (Grade 7), Triziah Bondoc (Grade 8), Khayla Carreon (Grade 9) and Kyle Supan (Grade 10).

Frederick Lim (Grade 7), Kate Torrecampo (Grade 8), RodessaPino (Grade 9) and LalaineOmnes (Grade 10) came in fourth place with a total score of 24 points.

The quiz bowl was divided into three rounds. The easy round was made up of ten questions, one point each. There were eight questions in the average round, in which each correct answer merited two points. The difficult round supplied five questions to the teams, and whoever raised the board with the right answer was given an outstanding five points.

JHS math and science teachers Sir EldieOcariza, Sir Hero Jorge, Sir Jason Rabi III and Ms. MechailaAlcontin were the organizers of the event.

“By the given time, we can say that it wasn’t enough for preparations. But, we’ve given our best,” Sir Jorge said.

He also commented that the educational competition, despite the mishaps, was successful.

 -Maria Eloisa Garcia

I wish I wasn't Alone

by Lily Joy Apurado

Once when I was little
I was happy and carefree
I used to run around laughing
Until it was time for tea

I used to play games
And smile all the time
I used to feel on top of the world
I used to feel fine

It's amazing how things change
When people let you down
And how that once happy face
Turns into a solemn frown

You search and search
For someone who cares
Anyone who understands
Anyone who dares

Loneliness, it hurts
It kills you deep inside
It makes you feel empty
It stops you in your stride

You cry yourself to sleep
Hugging your pillow tight
Wishing for someone
To hold you through the night

Once when I was little
I was happy and carefree
Now my life's full of sadness,
Pain and misery

Once when I was little
I was never on my own
But now I pray at night
'I wish I wasn't alone'

Lakandiwa ng Milo Olympics

   

Larawan ni Triziah Bondoc

 Lahat na siguro tayo ay nakadama na ng pinaghalong saya, naiihi, natatae – kinakabahan kumbaga. Madalas nating nararamdaman ito kapag naghihintay tayo ng resulta sa inaplayang trabaho o kapag tayo ay sumasali sa mga kumpetisyon. Gaya na lang ni Nikki Patalinghug, representante ng ating paaralan no’ng nakaraang Miss Little Milo Olympics 2016, na sa unang pagkakataon ay sumali sa nabanggit na paligsahan ng kagandahan. Ngunit kahit pinakaunang beses niya ito, bitbit niya sa kanyang kalooban ang mga katangiang dapat mayroon ang isang manlalahok.

    Noong ika-8 ng Setyembre ay naganap ang Milo Olympics 2016 sa Abellana Sports Center na dinaluhan ng mga manlalahok, tagasanay at mga guro galing sa iba’t-ibang paaralan sa Cebu. Sinimulan ito ng isang parada at sinundan ng kumpetisyon ng Miss Little Milo Olympics na kinaaabangan taun-taon ng lahat.

   Nang tanungin ko ang ating kinatawan na si Nikki kung ano ang naramdaman niya sa mga oras na iyon, ito ang kanyang naging sagot: ‘Naramdaman ko ang sobrang takot at kaunting saya’ Sino ba naman talaga ang hindi matatakot sa mga ganitong paligsahan, ano? Pero ang marinig ang salitang saya sa kalagitnaan ng lahat ng kaganapan ay kakaiba. Ibig sabihin lamang nito ay bagamat sa lahat ng kabang naramdaman niya ay masaya pa rin siya dahil siya’y nakatungtong para ibandera ang pangalan ng paaralan.

  Habang nagsisimula raw ang kumpetisyon ay iniisip niya na posible, kahit konti, na siya ang hiranging panalo sa araw na iyon. Nakakatuwa na talagang positibo siya at hindi man lang nabahiran ng negatibo ang kanyang kalooban na hindi niya makakaya. Nagpapakita lamang na may tiwala siya sa kanyang sarili at talagang kaya at malakas ang loob niya.

  Nang nasa kanya na raw ang entablado, ito ang nasa kanyang utak: ‘Iniisip ko na lang na i-enjoy ang moment at gagawin ang lahat ng makakaya ko.’ Giit ni Nikki. Hindi dapat kalimutan ng isang manlalahok na kahit gaano na kaseryoso at kakaba ang kahit anong kumpetisyon man iyan, hindi dapat kalimutan na tamasahin ang sandali. Dapat masaya ka lang para makita ng manonood na talagang ninanamnam mo at nagagalak ka sa ginagawa mo.

  Hindi man nasungkit ang korona ay ipinagmamalaki ng buong paaralan si Nikki dahil sa ginawa niya ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya. Mas nakakasaya sa puso na alam nating buong puso niyang ginawa iyon hindi lang para sa kanya kung hindi para rin sa paaralan. Saludo kami sa iyo, Nikki at sana’y hindi ito ang una’t huli mong pagsali. Fly High! Fighting!

-Khayla Marie Gil Carreon

It’s not Martial Law, It's Safety Precaution

        Just Three months after the 16^th President Rodrigo Duterte sat on the presidency, he had already started to eradicate drugs and is trying to have a permanent peace in the country.

        But just recently, the bombing of the Davao market has caused the president to declare State of Lawlessness. It caused a nationwide debate whether if it’ll lead to Martial law or not.

        What the people don’t understand is that the state of lawlessness is declared to alarm the citizens that the country is not in a good state.

        It is far from Martial law for the reason, it is not to impose strict military actions and it does not stop the daily routines of the Filipinos. It is only to protect the country from mere disruptions of those terrorist attacks.

        More police checkpoints may be added to ensure the safety of the Filipinos. Fr. Ramilio Aquino, dean of San Beda College Graduate School of Law stated that while the declaration, it is “nothing alarming, neitheris it legally insignificant.

        It is not the first time Davao City was bombed neither is it for the state of lawlessness was declared. The declaration is a proof that the president is taking an extra mile to protect the whole country from any further harm.

        And if the Filipinos forget, the President has been a lawyer and knows what he can and cannot do. He knows the limitations. If the Filipino voters trusted him enough to make a change, then they should trust him more for a better country.

-Joveth Fanilag

The Effects of Pokemon Go and Student life

        Pokemon Go has only been released for a few months yet it has already gained popularity worldwide and many people have become addicted to it, especially students.

What is Pokemon Go|?

        Pokemon Go is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality game for mobile. In the game, you first create an avatar and select its appearance. Once the avatar is created, it is displayed on a map based on your phone’s geographical location. There are many features on the map, such as PokeStops and Pokegyms.

In the game, you collect Pokemons using Pokeballs andafter capturing a Pokemon, you also collect candies and stardust, two of the in-game currencies. The ultimate goal of the game is to collect all 151 Pokemon, by capturing and evolving.

Effects of Pokemon Go

        Players who play Pokemon Go often have to travel in real- life to hunt Pokemon and get to PokeStops and PokeGyms. This can cause accidents, from minor to severe, and can even result to death! Players are also at risk of being robbed, kidnapped, or murdered. It could also lead you to commit crimes, like trespassing. Students who become addicted to Pokemon Go decides to skip classes.

        Potentially, Pokemon Go in the long term could lead to diseases like Alchemies’.

Conclusion

        Pokemon Go has its benefits and negatives but students are advised to not play Pokemon Go during class hours or even in school.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                -Brendan Salazar

Stress in School and How to Deal with It

Stress is a part of a student’s life that can be seen every day. You may be loaded with tons of homework, projects, and responsibilities.

It can affect us in many ways and there are many ways to deal with stress, some are good while some are bad.

What is stress?

Stress is a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. There are three types of stress: acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress.

·         Acute stress- it is the most common form of stress. It is omnipresent in school life. An example of acute stress would be a difficult Math question.

·         Episodic Acute stress- it happens to people who deal with acute stress more frequently.

·         Chronic stress- a more severe type of stress. It can be physically, mentally, and emotionally harmful and can lead to death. It can be resulted from bullying or a dysfunctional family life.

Dealing with stress

Students deal with stress every day. Thereare many ways to deal with stress.

·         Manage your time when dealing with homework. It helps you ease stress.

·         Study earlier in the day. It will let you have time for recreational activities later.

·         Try to get enough sleep. It can be helpful in school performance.

·         Have some fun. It will help you relieve some of that stress.

These  are just a few ways to help deal with stress.

-Brendan Salazar

The Festive Season: Its Purpose?

                Christmas is in the air! Actually, no, scratch that—Christmas is in malls, homes, schools, office buildings, the streets, and anywhere else where decorations can be hung and put up.

                Even radio stations play Mariah Carey’s renditions of Christmas songs as far back as Halloween.

                Shoppers start rolling and filling their carts with ingredients for Noche Buena (almost everything is 50% off!) and buying gifts for their ‘manito’ and ‘manita.’ Which I should really be doing soon, I have numerous parties to attend!

                [I FORGOT THE SENTENCE HERE L] Employees wear Santa hats while on duty. Everyone is possessed by the Christmas spirit—but are we celebrating the festive season more than its actual purpose?

                While driving around with my family one December night, the city filled with twinkling lights and colorful parols, I noticed how the malls are always cramped with people and the churches always have open doors, but only a few enter.

                Is this what Christmas has become?

                We should not focus on who’s on the Naughty or Nice list, nor whose Christmas tree is taller and brighter. It’s not just about the gifts we receive nor what unlimited food is on the table. We are celebrating the birthday of a superhero, a teacher, a brother, a friend: the birthday of Jesus Christ.

                And in this season, may we truly and sincerely never forget the love we have for Him—for Jesus.

- Jenika Gi-An C. Nero

Life

Life

By Jywell Buscato

All people will have to go,

Through the journey of life,

Life has ups and downs,

At the most unexpected times,

Which has rough and bumpy corners

Life can’t be perfect all the time,

We all have a feeling that,

Makes us want to go,

But want to erase the past,

And start over again

What matters most is how many times,

You stand – up to continue,

It presented with an opportunity,

To react differently in many actions,

Many situations will test our ability

You must struggle to survive,

But don’t give up to succeed,

It doesn’t matter if you win or lose,

What counts  is how you made it,

And what you feel about it

It offers many opportunities,

It’s up to you if you will grab it,

Or you will let it pass, and let it go easily,

Think wisely before doing actions

Always remember and keep  in mind,

That the failure once experienced,

Is not the end of everything,

The best choice is still standing,

Start doing things that make you feel better

Love

Saying you loved me, with that look  in your eye,

I wish I could say it was a cold hearted lie,

I know that you love me, I know that you care,

But the rage inside you, slowly fade

I admit I’ve made mistakes, overstepping the boundaries,

Which made me look fake, made me look untrustred,

I always said I would never do the things I did,

And I know that’s why it’s hard for you to forgive

So many times we’ve said that we’d try,

Just to turn around and make each other cry,

Remember how it was when we first started out,

We feel so hard, maybe fell in love too soon,

And we both did things we can’t undo

Our love for each other is still there,

I never meant to hurt you or cause you any pain,

We always have these tears to cry,

I have these emotions, I wish you could see

Sometimes I get really upset,

Cause I feel like you don’t  understand me,

Will you ever love me like you used to?

Show me the love that I once knew,

The love that we both grew

When will you see?

I’m starting to feel like I hardly know you anymore

When can we go back to how it was before?

Will we still hurt if we heal?

My dreams of us does not look like it’s coming true,

I feel sad and you’re sick of me and want something new

Moving On

How can I let go?

If I know that I can’t,

Every Second means every heartbeat,

That I waste everyday thinking of you

It’s hard to move on,

If you know that the person you really love,

Doesn’t like you,

Wishing that we can bring back,

Our memories we made together

If I have a time machine,

I would return to the time,

That we have so much fun like there’s no tomorrow,

I hope someday you’ll realize,

That I have loved you so much

Change is Here

                The 16^th President of our country, Rodrigo Duterte, has never been a fan of drugs. In his campaigns, and his first SONA, he had repeatedly said that he’d get rid of it within 3-6 months. And as the number of drug addicts who have surrendered continue to increase, coupled with the multiple killings of accused drug pushers and drug lords, it seem like he can achieve his target in no time.

                Before he sat on the presidency, he had warned these people to surrender before he would name them in public. And just recently, he read the NARCO list containing high ranking officials that were involved. And one of the names mentioned was the Cebu City ex-mayor Michael Rama.

                The ex-mayor went to Manila the next day to clear his name. He had served Cebu City for six years and within his term, he wasn’t able to reduce the drug rate. Is that a proof that he wasn’t paying close attention to it because he was involved in the said allegation?

                His running opponent, Tomas Osmeña, challenged him to a lie detector test to distinguish if he was telling the truth or not, and he’s not afraid to do it with the ex-mayor because he knows he has a clear conscience. The ex-mayor has no response to the challenge of his rival though.

                After naming the said officials who were involved, when will the citizens know that the once trusted authorities were behind the allegedly drug crime in the country? And what will the result do to the civilians? Will this add up to the terror of choosing the wrong people to sit on the position who promised to protect them from any harm?

                The result of the ongoing investigation will remain stirring, and will soon be exposed and is the new talk of the country, and the change that the President has promised, has been felt for awhile now. Are the citizens ready for more of the unexpected revelations of the president for a better and cleaner country? No matter the consequences are?

-Joveth Fanilag

                                                                                              

Energy of the 21st Century

Scientists are researching new forms of energy that will help power the world in the 21^st century and reduce our dependence on non-renewable forms of energy.

10. Antimatter

Antimatter is the twin of matter. It is made up of antiparticles that have the same mass as ordinary matter, but with opposite atomic properties known as spin and charge. When the opposed particles meet, they annihilate each other and release tremendous amounts of energy.

Antimatter is already in use in a medical imaging technique known as positron-emission tomography (PET), but its use as a potential fuel source is still in the realm of science fiction.

The problem of antimatter is its cost and that it can only be produced in small amounts in laboratories, but the cost of antimatter is predicted to decrease in the future as we will have the technology to produce and contain it.

9. Fuel Cells

At first glance, hydrogen fuel cells that may seem like the perfect alternative fuel source. They can generate electricity using only hydrogen and oxygen, and are pollution free.

Unfortunately, while hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, most of it is bound up to water. This means that pure unbound hydrogen must be produced with the help of other fuel sources which, in many cases, involve fossil fuels. Fuel sources negate many of the environmental benefits of hydrogen.

Another problem with hydrogen is that it cannot be compressed easily or safely, and it requires large tanks to store. Also, for reasons that are not fully understood, hydrogen atoms have a tendency to bleed through the materials holding them, thus weakening their containers.

8. Nuclear

Nuclear Fission releases harmful radiation and produces large amounts of radioactive material which can remain active for thousands of years and destroy entire ecosystems if leaked.

Currently, most nuclear power plants use fission, as fusion requires tremendous amounts of energy to produce and maintain necessarily high temperatures. But a natural phenomenon known as sonoluminescence might one day provide means of duplicating the power of the stars.

7. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)

The oceans cover 70% of the earth, and water is a natural solar energy collector. OTEC aims to exploit this fact and use the temperature differences between surface water heated by the sun and water in the ocean’s chilly depths to generate electricity.

OTEC plants generally fall into three categories:

Closed Cycle: A liquid with a low boiling point, like ammonia, is boiled using warm seawater. The resulting steam is used to operate an electricity- generating turbine. The vapor is then cooled using cold seawater.

Open Cycle: Similar to the closed cycle OTEC, except there is no intermediate liquid. The warm seawater is converted into low-pressure vapor that is used to generate electricity. The vapor is then cooled with cold seawater and turned into usable fresh water.

Hybrid Cycle: A closed cycle OTEC is used to generate electricity, which is then used to create the low-pressure environment necessary for the open cycle.

6. Hydroelectricity

Hydropower supplies 20% of the world’s electricity. Until recently, it was generally believed that water energy is an abundant natural resource that requires no additional fuel and produces no pollution. Recent studies, however, challenge some of these claims and suggest that hydroelectricity dams can produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. Another drawback of dams is that people often need to be relocated, such in the case of the Three Gorges Dam Project in China.

5. Biomass

Biomass energy or biofuel involves releasing the chemical energy stored in organic matter such as wood, crops, and animal waste. These materials are burned directly to produce heat, or refined to create alcoholic fuels like ethanol.

4. Petroleum

Some call it Black Gold. Whole empires are based on it; wars have been fought over it. One reason that petroleum is so valuable is because it can be transformed into a variety of products, everything from kerosene to plastic and asphalt. Whether it’s a source for the future is hotly debated.

Estimates of how much petroleum is left in the earth vary wildly. Some scientists predict that petroleum reserves will reach a peak then rapidly decline as early as 2005; others believe that enough new reserves will be discovered to meet global energy needs for several more decades.

3. Wind

Taking the concept of windmills one step further, scientists want to create power stations in the sky by floating windmills 15,000 feet in the air. The strange crafts will be kept afloat by four propellers that double as turbines and feed electricity back to earth through a cable.

Wind energy currently accounts for only 0.1% of the world’s electricity demands, but that number is expected to increase as wind is one of the cleanest forms of energy and can generate power as long as the wind blows.

2. Coal

Coal was the fuel that powered industrial revolution and has plagued an increasingly larger role in meeting the world’s energy needs ever since. The major advantage of coal is that there is lots of it, enough to last the world for another 200-300 years at the current rates of consumption.

While its abundance makes it very economical, burning coal releases impurities like sulfur and nitrogen into the air which can combine with water in the atmosphere to form acid rain. Burning coal also produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, a gas that according to most climate scientists contribute to global warming. Major efforts are underway to find new ways of making coal burn cleaners and to recover waste coal, a formerly unusable byproduct of coal mining.

1.Solar

Solar energy requires no additional fuel to run and is pollution free. Sunlight can be captured as usable heat or converted into electricity using solar or photoelectric cells or through synchronized mirrors known as heliostats that track the sun’s movement across the sky. Scientists have also developed methods for using solar power to replace a gas-powered engine by heating hydrogen gas in a tank which expands to drive pistons and power a generator.

-by Brendan Salazar

Pasorpresa ng mga Asianista

  Ang nakasanayang earthquake drill na didiretso sa likod ng canteen para sa kaligtasan ng lahat ay naiba noong ika-3 ng Agosto sa ACT Bulacao Campus para sa isang mahalagang pangayayari sa isa mahalagang tao sa institusyon. Isa sa mga tagapagtatag ng ating paaralan simula pa noon at hindi kailanman tayo iniwan. Siya ay walang iba kundi si Ma’am Viannie Loquero, ang ating Bise-Presidente sa Pananalapi.

  Nang tumunog ang fire alarm, agad nagsitakbuhan ang mga mag-aaral mula Nursery hanggang Senior High sa quadrangle. Nakayuko sabay lagay ng dalawang kamay sa ulo: kunyari totoong-totoo ang nagaganap na pagsasanay. Lumabas galling sa opisina sina Ma’am Viannie at ang iba pang mahahalagang tao kasama na ang dating punong-guro ng Asian College of Technology na si Sir Gotera at ang pangkasalukuyang punong-guro na si Dr. Kilag sa gitna ng nakalaang dadaanan. Nang sinalubong ni Sir Jason, isa sa mga guro sa Junior High School si Ma’am Viannie, halata sa mukha nito ang gulat at ang hindi maintindihan na ekspresyon sa mukha ay naipinta. Tumunog ang Just The Way You Are ni Bruno Mars at sabay-sabay na kumanta ang mga mag-aaral. Nasa gilid naman ng pasilyo na dinaanan ni Ma’am Viannie ang mga CAT Officers ng paaralan. Nang nakarating sya sa malaking entablado ay patuloy pa rin sa pagkanta ang mga mag-aaral.

Pagkatapos ng pag-awit ng mga Asianistas ay hinandugan naman siya ng kanta sa isang mag-aaral sa Grade 1 na si Sam Trumpets. Hindi rin nagpahuli ang departamento ng Junior High School kung saan inalayan ng isang napakalupit na paghataw sa panguguna ni Sir Rommel kasama sina Sir Jason at Miss Mich na mga guro sa nasabing departamento. Pagkatapos ng sayaw ay ibinigay naman nila Miss Arain at Miss Lyn, mga guro din sa departamento, ang keyk na inambagan ng mga mag-aaral mula Grade 7 hanggang Grade 10. At ang huli naman na naglahad at di nagpatalo ay ang dance troupe ng Senior High School na kung saan hindi talaga matatawaran ang galing ng bawat isa. Ikinatuwa ito ni Ma’am Viannie at iba pang mahahalagang tao sa institusyon sapagkat pinaghandaan talaga ito ng mga mananayaw.

at niyakap niya ito habang ito ay naglalahad. Sa kalagitnaan ng kanta ay isa-isang nagsiakyatan ang iba pang mga mag-aaral sa elemantarya para ibigay ang kani-kanilang personal na regalo kay Ma’am Viannie. Sumunod naman na naglahad ay ang sa ika-anim na baitang na pinangunahan ng isang pagbabasa ng tula at tinapos ito ng isang pagsasayaw sa sikat na kantang pangsayaw na

Natapos ang buong sorpresa sa pagkanta ng maligayang bati kay Ma’am Viannie at hindi mapagkakaila na siya ay tuwang-tuwa. Lubos siyang nagpasalamat sa lahat ng Asianistas at sa mga naghanda sa sorpresa.

-ni Khayla Carreon

Larawan ni Jeanille Cogtas

Navarro hinirang na Miss Science

              Hinirang bilang Miss Science 2016 si Nikki Navarro noong ika-28 ng Setyembre sa 6^th floor para sa pagtatapos ng Science and Math Month.

              Suot ang kasuotang gawa sa aluminum foil, garbage bag at lumang cds, rumampa ang pambato ng Grade 10 – Perseverance sa entablado at tinalo ang pitong kandidata para sa korona.

  

                   “Masaya ako kasi di ko inakalang mananalo ako lalo na’t nagagandahan ako sa kanilang kasuotan na pwedeng magpapanalo sa kanila.” Sagot ni Navarro sa isang panayam.

                   “Nagpapasalamat rin ako lalo na sa mga maiingay kong kaibigan sa suportang ibinigay nila sa akin.” Dagdag pa niya habang tumatawa.

                   “Maayos niyang dinala ang kanyang sarili sa entablado na isa sa mga nagpanalo sa kanya at saka karapat-dapat siyang manalo.” Komento ni Bb. Lorinavi Busa na isa sa mga hurado sa paligsahan.

                    Humakot rin si Nikki ng ilang mga Special Awards kagaya ng People’s Choice Award at Best in Production Number.

                    First Runner-Up ang pambato ng Grade 10 – Fortitude na si Kaye Obando habang Second Runner-Up naman si Miyuki Nakatsuka mula sa Grade 8 – Integrity.

-Allysha Danielle Tadios

Larawan ni Jeanille Cogtas

When Doors Open

It is uncanny to find someone you’re so used to crossing paths with in a school hallway, be someone prominent –someone whose name is uttered excitedly by everyone’s lips and whose face graces the front cover of a celebrity magazine with a headline screaming: RISING STAR. And you falter in your steps, pick up the publication, and hear something akin to the universe’s wakeup call –that dreams can happen in reality and that there are living evidences that were once subtle occurrences in your mundane life.

Named after Canadian rock singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette and German Baroquecomposer Johann Sebastian Bach, ACT alumna Johann Morissette Amon chose to live up the namesake and stepped onto the center stage –into the spotlight where all eyes glared down on her as she unveiled every piece of emotion and sang her heart out. Her unwavering voice and relentless endeavors took her to places she never deemed to be.

Photo from Google

In 2012, Morissette made her Broadway debut as she starred as one of the main characters of the Repertory Philippines rendition of Disney’s Camp Rock. A year passed and her idol, Sarah Geronimo, turned for her when she brilliantly belted Beyoncé’s Love on Top in the Voice Philippines first season. She may have only ended up as one of the semi-finalists, but her career in the music industry flourished. Zoom into 2016, she is now a regular in the ABS-CBN’s Sunday noon time show ASAP, together with Angeline Quinto, Jona, and Klarisse De Guzman as the Birit Queens.

A self-titled album, live performances in foreign countries such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Taiwan, and a duet with international pop star Jessie J, all of these is just the beginning to her quest in etching her name among the greatest female singers in the Philippines –and hopefully, the whole world.

Loquinario with Sara Lahbati. Photo from Instagram.

If we could define Jongz Bendebel Loquinario, another successful ACT alumnus, in just a single word, he would be “passionate.”  Working as a makeup artist, wedding planner and on top of that, a fashion and costume designer, he has never been better.

Word of Loquinario’s artistic ingenuity spread into a national scale, and his stunning creations have been worn by female celebrities such as Bangs Garcia, Jessie Mendiola, Myrtle Sarrosa and Sarah Lahbati. His latest projects include pieces sported by candidates ofCebu Bikini Bodies 2016 (April 16) and Mr. and Ms. Press Freedom 2016 (September 16).

“I am in love with every detail of my masterpieces. Each designer has an inspiration and in my case, I want it to be beyond what people has expected,” he said in an article written in Escooped.com, Cebu’s Top Local Fashion Designers.

- Maria Eloisa Garcia

Dance Muses

                 “When I grow up, I want to become a princess!”

                 I don’t think there is a single girl on this planet that has not proudly stated or even just thought about this line. I can already picture out a little lass with a plastic tiara on her head, favorite blanket flying behind her, and the most beautiful dress adorning her petite figure as she dances across their living room. Not to mention that huge smile on her face despite the absence of two front teeth. I’m sure the little lady looked even lovelier in her imagination.

This childhood dream might be long forgotten now, but I’m certain it’s still here in our minds, kept safely inside a wooden box hidden among piles of stressful stuff from the real world. We can still achieve this fantasy, though. This time, you won’t just become a princess—you become a queen.

A statement headdress.Large wings. And to top it all off: a gown—a masterpiece, really—made of the finest fabric with the most intricate detail and design. Can you handle wearing such an elegant garment while dancing under the heat of the sun?

Well, a festival queen surely can.

It always amazes me how well festival queens carry themselves in front of an audience. Even back then when I was younger in the Sinulog crowd, I’d find myself stretching and ducking and turning just to watch these stunning ladies dance gracefully in the streets. I also found out that old habits never die. Recently during the Pasigarbosa ACT, I too tiptoed and dipped and dodged other students just to see schoolmates who’ve turned into queens perform in celebration of the school’s 28^th birthday.

And all I can say is wow. Just wow. Despite the sun practically burning everyone who was not under a shade, all the girls’ smiles seemed to glow even brighter than the sun itself. The queens’ gowns almost looked weightless as they flew around the quadrangle at ease, their bodies flowing like water as they danced to the beat. One of them also proved that even if we do fall, we should never panic. Simply brush off the dirt from your hands, get up, and flash your biggest smile to everyone! Now that deserves a round of applause. (Go Kaumahan queen!)

Festival queens are living proofs that dreams can turn into reality, and may sometimes even come out better than you expected them to be. So to all the little girls who wish to become a princess, here are some tips: keep smiling, sway those hips, raise those arms a bit more, prep your muscles (because the costume truly is like weights: heavy!), and don’t forget to keep dreaming. You might end up becoming not just a princess, but a fair queen.

-Jenika Gi-An C. Nero

Photos by Jeanille Cogtas

What is Right

Cartoon by Francis Laboga

Illegal drugs have been the top of the country’s problems for decades. And it has been the administration’s top priority –to eradicate the problem; to end the endless crimes committed by drug users.

                 Crime went down in the country by 49% since the president was in place. Drug pushers surrendered, drug lords were killed. It may sound good to hear that those terrifying people are now in the hands of the government and that the people are now protected from any untoward crime they will commit.

                 But are the people really safe? Every day, there are at least two alleged drug addicts killed. Families would say that the person who was killed already presented himself to surrender. Then the police would say he was still a user and hasn’t surrendered yet. Who is telling the truth: the families protecting the murdered member, or the officer who may have not done an official investigation?

One of the major universities in Cebu rallied about the killings happening every day –to stop the murder of those people. They might be considered criminals, but they are still humans with a right to live and should still undergo a proper investigation.

Are the officials protecting the country or are they protecting themselves? Police officials known to be protectors of drugs have been named. Is it their way to somehow clean their name?

There are bloodsheds every day due to the change the citizens are eager for. But were they prepared to see it with their eyes? Were they prepared to see the possibility that maybe one of their family members would get killed because they were suspected as a user?

Fight for what’s right they say, but what is right? To kill the people who kill? Or to let those killers go and allow them to murder innocents?

-Joveth Fanilag

Fortitude wins Lutong Pinoy 2016

                 August 26, 2016 –Representatives from Grade 10 Fortitude won the first Lutong Pinoy cooking competition held during the culmination of the Buwan ng Wika at the campus quadrangle.

                 Kyle Supan, Patt Go and Ryan Patalinghug added Bavarian filling to the most popular rice cake in the Philippines: puto.

                 “Puto was the rice cake my mother prepared every Christmas and other major occasions, so I wanted to share it with others, to show how delicious her recipe is. The Bavarian filling was just a twist,” Supan said.

                Their “Bavarian Puto” achieved first place via unanimous decision according to one of the contest’s judges, Ms. Ma. Lorinavi Busa who is also the preschool and grade school department’s guidance counselor.

Photo by Jeanille Cogtas

                “Their idea was unique. The rice cake wasn’t too sweet, nor did it lack anything. The taste was just enough for us, for me. They were deserving of the title,” Busa said.

Grade 10 Perseverance followed after. The section’s participants were Christian Alferez, Eloisa Garcia and Lois Laboga who also created a twist to the classic puto by coating the cakes in cacao chocolate sauce.

                The makers of the “Chocolate-coated Puto” were also the champions of the previous cooking competition, Nutrichef 2016, conducted during the culminating day of the Nutrition Month.

Third place was given to the participants of Grade 9 Prudence, namely Bea Bacus, Mikhaila Pantoja and Sofia Esgana who crafted the “Budbud Turon,” a sticky rice cake enfolded in lumpia wrapper.

They were also the same contestants who won third place in the Nutrichef 2016 with their Guisadong Manok.

               The Lutong Pinoy was organized in celebration of the Buwan ng Wika. Each section of the junior high school department was to select three students who will prepare Kakaning Pilipino  that can appease the judges’ tastes.  

-Maria Eloisa Garcia

Aquino, Tadios crowned Mr. and Ms. Healthy

Photo by Jeanille Cogtas

Psalm Aquino (Grade 8-Unity) and AllyshaTadios (Grade 10-Perseverance) were crowned as Mr. and Ms. Healthy last July 28, 2016, Thursday at 3:00 pm.

Aquino won as Mr. Healthy, while Kayne Barabat (Grade 10-Perseverance) was proclaimed the 1^st Runner Up and Kyle Ramirez (Grade 8-Integrity), who also received the special award: Mr. Photogenic, followed as the pageant’s 2^nd Runner Up. Aquino represented the fruit mango in all portions of the pageant.

”It’s quite shocking,” Aquino said. “I’m really thankful for my parents, for all their support, and all my classmates, as well.”

Tadios achieved the Ms. Healthy title among the top three girls which included Salve Dorato (Grade 10- Fortitude), who won 1^st Runner Up, and JenneveMoncano(Grade 9- Prudence), who also won 2^nd Runner Up and Ms. Photogenic.

“I’m still shell-shocked. I never expected this,” Tadios said. “I’d like to thank my classmates and my teachers. Without them, I’d never have this wonderful experience.”

Tadios was also given the Best in Costume title for the female category. Her said costume was a ruffled purple gown which accentuated her assigned fruit: grapes.

The beauty contest was hosted by junior high school teachers, Sir Jason Rabi and Ms. FloramaeArain. The judges were Sir Rommel Alavarez (junior high school PE teacher), Sir Jonathan Uy (junior high guidance counselor), Ms. Mary Ann Osabel (school librarian), and Ms. Malousurname (senior high guidance counselor).

The Mr. and Ms. Healthy event was organized in celebration of the Nutrition Month 2016, and is the first of such pageant in ACT so far.

-Maria Eloisa H. Garcia