I welcome myself back!

THE ESSENCE OF MAN

My Lenten Reflection

A lot is happening around us. Natural disasters have not been as common now as before. Crime is high, and so does inflation. Wherever you look, it seems as if nothing good exists anymore. I just read a book that talks so much about our stimulus-response action. According to what I have read, there exist a space between stimulus and our response, and in that space lies our choice. The freedom and the power to choose is our birth gift. Everyone has this power. Whatever bad stimulus hits us, our response is determined by our choice. Hence, we are not supposed to be affected by all these negative vibes around us. However, they have adverse effects on us because of our bad choice for a response.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT - WHAT ARE NEW?

Notre Dame of Dadiangas University Experience

Last April 15, I was in General Santos City. I was invited in NDDU through Phoenix Publishing House to talk about Classroom Management. The school was big - PAASCU accredited Level II. The teachers were very amiable and appreciative of what I shared. My schedule was loaded I was not able to see around GenSan. I did not get to see Cong. Pacquiao too. He was busy preparing for his fight with Mosley. I though lived very close to Jinky's Boutique. I was billeted at Ice Castle Hotel. With this post is my picture inside the hotel's room rehearsing my pesentation. Below is the description of my presentation.

SEMINAR TITLE: Classroom Management in the New Learning Economy

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The seminar is a full day interactive lecture aimed at improving learning acquisition through enhanced student-teacher interaction in an effective learning environment.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE: To enrich teachers with both contemporary and time-tested classroom management strategies for the learning environment of the new economy

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: (1) To re-acquaint teachers with the four elememts of classroom management (Marzano), (2) To familiarize the various behavior influence techniques used to effect order and discipline, (3) To prevent and deal with unwanted behavior inside classrooms of the new learning economy, and (4) To identify teacher roles in helping students become effective persons

PARTICIPANTS: Besides regular classroom teachers, academic heads and the different subject area coordinators may benefit from the seminar. Christian Living teachers may join to provide additional input in terms of the Church’s teachings on discipline.

ACTIVITIES: Meaning-making engagement on the following topics: Content, Conduct and Covenant Management; Mind/mental Set: Withitness and Objectivity; Physical Aspects of Classroom Management; Preventing and Dealing Unwanted Behavior; and Classroom Discipline Models

THE RH BILL HULLABALOO

From Mad as a Politician

(I took this from a Yahoo comment on Pnoy's stand on the RH Bill http://ph.news.yahoo.com/aquino-risks-church-ire-reproductive-health-bill-20110417-053849-671.html)

I was born and reared a Catholic. I have not abandoned my faith in the God that Christianity has been proclaiming and has been worshipping. That, despite what I have learned studying church history, despite Yallop's "In God's Name" or Dan Brown's novels (if you please), and even despite my clear knowledge that my religion is by virtue of a historical accident, that is, due to the mistake of Magellan's navigator.

What has made me keep my faith is the true message of the Christ regarding the true nature and end of man, the world, the teachings about humility, kindness, sacrifice, compassion, etc. All these have made me keep my faith--not and never the doctrinal teachings, dogmas and prejudices of the Church.

In fact, what we see all around us, the corruption, cruelty, greed, dishonesty and apathy, all these to me are signs of the failure of the Church to truly influence the Filipinos to be good and honest men. The scandals inside the Church have not also been good examples. Many times, the acts of the Church have been geared towards preserving its wealth and power. Very far from Christ's teachings.

For me, what the Church should instead do, is to look inwards, search itself and try to find out honestly where they have gone wrong. Its vaunted stand on issues of government often times becomes a smoke screen for unthinking Filipinos and not a fair position considering that religion can be a strong bias for untrained and less-than-critical minds. In other words, that the Church sometimes openly play upon and use the ignorance of men to uphold its own biases. Sometimes, I really wonder if this could be the work of the Devil. Surely, infiltration is a potent weapon and could even be the weapon of choice by the Other Side.

I WAS IN NAVAL, BILIRAN

UBD Workshop in Cathedral School of La Naval

Last April 7 to 9 I was in Cathedral School of La Naval in Naval, Biliran. I was invited by S. Joy, the principal, and Sir Victor, the academics affair head to conduct a seminar-workshop with the teachers on UbD. My stay was fruitful and very rewarding. I was able to rest but at the same time inspire the teachers to write their unit plans for the incoming academic year. CONGRATULATIONS CSN!

THE NATURAL POWERS OF MEN

An Inspirational Message

Last Monday and Tuesday, I went from one room to another bidding the students good luck on their final examination. In those two days I was also able to share some insights about success, failures and foolishness. The latter, foolishness, is to encourage those with failing grades to study harder and pass the exam.

I came across one good definition of a fool. A foolish person keeps on doing the same thing everyday and expects a different result. In a contemporary fable by Robin Sharma, failure is simply a bad decision done each day which grows to be a disaster later on. On the contrary, success is a good decision put into action daily which later becomes a tsunami of victories.

This afternoon you, our dear students, are recognized for the outstanding work you have accomplished. You were no fool and you made every failure a stepping stone towards success. You turned out to be the best among your classmates. However, you should more than know right now that with the honor you receive today comes more responsibilities. These responsibilities are the true measures of your being human. It is not the medal that will be hanged around your neck that makes you human. All of us were endowed with natural powers to be the best. I am now going to tell you the four natural powers we were all given:

1. Being alive and human, you have the power to work each day and express the absolute best within you. All of you here this afternoon have fully harnessed this power. You came to school everyday and worked hard to better your best self next day.

2. Being alive and human, you have the power to inspire, influence and elevate each classmate you have by the gift of great example. Now, this may be your problem. Have you inspired your friends to study as hard as you did? Did they succeed in all the subjects just like you did? Have you influenced your classmates to perform the assigned tasks to the best of what they could? Have you been a good example to your classmates?

3. Being alive and human, you have the power to create positive changes in the face of negative conditions. And this, my dear students, does not need a medal around your neck. Have you been a positive driving force in your class? Have you made a positive change in the family? Kahit wala kang medal na nakasabit sa leeg, kaya mong gumawa ng mga kanais-nais na bagay galing sa wala o’ kaya’y galing sa isang napakapangit na sitwasyon.

4. Being alive and human, you have the power to treat others with respect, appreciation and kindness. This last power sets us apart from other animals. We do not just have the intellect. We also have souls and the heart to love others just like what Jesus Christ did to the last, the least and the lost.

Because of the medals that will soon be hanging around your necks, the challenge to prove among yourselves these powers becomes greater. Yes, you have worked so hard each day. Yes, you have inspired others to achieve more. Yes, you have created a positive change. Yes, you have the heart for the unloved and the unfortunate. Pero itong lahat kayang gawin ng maski sinumang tao, may medal man na nakasabit sa kanyang leeg o’ wala. But because you are recognized to be more than your classmates, you are honored this afternoon, then you share the same dilemma with Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman: with great power comes greater responsibilities. Yours beginning this afternoon is, “With great honor, comes greater tasks…and what are these tasks?

Work harder each day and be the best always.

Set a good example to inspire others.

Create a positive change whenever opportunity presents.

Manifest God's love to others.

KAYA BA?

FOREWORDS FORETHOUGHTS

Fear Not My Friend

When people are confronted with things that are new, this causes fear. By nature, we are afraid of anything new because it agitates the status quo. However, it is only when we are threatened that we fight back, strive harder to survive. When you started English I with me, I knew you were afraid. You have so many apprehensions. That was not really my intention. All I want is to challenge you to work harder, aim for more than what you already have achieved.

I know now that all your apprehensions before, all your fears are baseless. If you have faltered then and gave up, you would not have achieved what you have accomplished now. You have realized that you are no longer the same naïve person who first stepped in SMA nine months ago. With sheer effort, patience and diligence, you have overcome your fears and reached more than what you could imagine last June. You have proven to yourself that with the right motivation, support from your parents and determination you can do things. You have the power to create.

Each of us is endowed with talents and skills. These are God-given gifts for us to enjoy life more the way He wills everything to be. I am very happy that young as you are today, you have realized that you can do so much if only you believe in yourself. Nothing is impossible. Always believe in your power to create. You may have done wrong, but you also have the power to rectify yourself. I hope these new insights about yourself will bring you more successes and happiness in life in the future. I hope you will continue to nurture your giftedness, your skills. Hone them some more. The world is yours… and it will be yours… tomorrow.

ODE TO STILLNESS WHEN YOU WERE GONE

kalalum na sa kagabhion...kangitngit

daw naulaw mopahiyom ang bulan

katugnaw sa hangin

nga sa imong kaunoran

gapukaw ning dughan

nga sa kainit

nakabsan.

dili ba kahapon lang

gaingon ka...

gihigugma mo ako

kalalom na sa kagabhion...kamingaw

maski ang mga gangis

dili mapukaw

sulod sa hagamay kong lawak

anino sa kagahapon miputos

ning kasingkasing kong gaantos.

kahapon lang gaingon ka...

gihigugma mo ako

...kahapon lang

THE FOOLISHNESS OF YOUTH

Parental Blunt, Blame and Blunder

Kung atong sud-ungon karon, lisod na kaayo sabton ang mga kabatan-onan. Ang ila nga mga panglihok-lihok, kanatong mga gulang na, usahay makasapot. Paminaw sulay sa ila nga mga sinulti-an, maluma ang mga asosiloy sa Alcoy. Ang ako gayud nga ikahi-ubos kay ang mga batasan sa mga kabatan-onan nga unta molunot sa pag-usbaw sa panahon, inay mura ug nabaklag. Daw baho pa sa ilagang patay. Usa ka ginikanan ako nga nakahinabi miaging adlaw mahitungod sa batasan sa iyang anak nga ako upod nga tinun-an sa eskwelahan.

Sa wala pa ang pista, nakahinagbo ko ang inahan sa usa sa akong mga tinun-an. Gusto g'yud niya nga ako iyang mahinabi kabahin sa grado sa iyang anak. Kini katungod ug responsibilidad sa usa ka ginikanan. Gikalipay ko kaayo ang iyang sugyot. Pero ang grado sintomas lang sa mga daghan pa kaayong problema. Usahay kita'ng mga ginikanan dili makadawat sa nahimong sangputanan sa atong mga anak. Kay lagi ang bata nahagbong man, ato dayun nga batian ang kaguol kay ang kahuyang sa bata usa man ka salamin sa ato 'pod nga dakong pagkulang kanila.

Sa adlaw nga mibisita ang maong ginikanan kanako, akong nasuta ang dako kaayo nga problema. Siya nga inahan wala 'gyud panahon para sa iya nga anak kay atoa man lagi siya sa layo nanguyamot aron ikabuhi sa iyang pamilya. Pareho sila sa iyang bana. Nahiuli lang sila tungod sa piyesta. Ang ilang mga anak nagadako lang sa ilang iyaan. Ako 'pod nga nahibaw-an nga masuso pa kini nga iya nang gibilin sa iyang igsoong babaye. Niadtong panahona, ang bana uban pa sa bata; pero kay lagi ang iyahang pares nanginabuhi man upod, ang amahan wala 'pod panahon para sa ilang mga anak.

Ang wala nahibaw-i sa daghan kaayo nga mga ginikanan, dili kuarta o' kaha gugma ang bahandi nga ilaha puwede nga ikagasa sa mga bata. Parents did not know that the best gift they can give their children is to develop self-respect in them which is born from healthy self-image and self-worth. Pag mismong mga ginikanan wala makakita sa kaimportante sa pagkatawo sa ilang mga anak, ang mga bata dili g'yud modako nga tarong. Self-worth and self-respect are the foundations for a child developing into a better person. Kung wala ang mga ginikanan sa kiliran sa ilang mga anak, dako kaayo kini nga ikahiubos sa mga bata ug nga kini dayun nagahatag ug sayop nga pagtuo nga ang mga ginikanan wala gamahal kanilang mga anak.

Ang batasan sa mga kabatan-onan karon salamin sa dako ug daghan kaayo nga mga pagkulang sa mga ginikanan. Sayop ug guol kaayo nga hunahuna-on nga ingnon ta lunot sa panahon ang mga nahimong kasaypanan sa mga kabatan-onan. Niadtong dugay nang mga tuig nga milabay, ang mga bata dili pa kaayo buluyagan. Kini tungod kay ang mga ginikanan anaa uban kanila nga gamatuto. Nabati sa mga bata kanhiay nga sila gimahal, that was why they developed a very healthy self-image of themselves. Karon nagpabuyag ang mga kabatan-onan tungod gani kay nagkulang ug dako ang mga ginikanan paggiya kanila sa maayong pamatasan. Kadaghanan 'pod sa mga bata karon wala upoy kumpleto nga pamilya. Subo nga palandungon.

Unta dili sa mga bata ibasol ang tanan...

MY MIND FLIES UNDERWATER

Mumbling the Incomprensible

Ingon sila nga ang tawo gahi ug ulo. Tinuod gani nga ang ulo gahi g'yud. Mao gani nga kung mapakong 'ta, di man g'yud mabuak ang atong ulo. Sa mga aksidente diin ang ulo mapantok taman sa gahi nga butang, niining hitaboa pwede g'yud nga ang ulo mabuak. Tungod sa kagahi sa atong bagul-bagol, gamay lang nga hangin o' kaha tubig sulod sa ulo, makaboang kundi man makamatay na dayun sa tawo.

Lisud diay kaayo kung ang ulo masudlan ug hangin. Dili kini mogaan, kun dili mabug-at samot sa kaboang. Karon nga ako naglibog sa lunsay mahitungod sa akong kaugalingon, sa gimahal ko nga yutang natawhan, ug maski gani ang kagubot sa Egypt nga nikalabat na hangtud sa Yemen ug Iran, nasudlan na kaha ug hangin akong ulo? Mora-mora ug mao na g'yud kini ang nahitabo.

Dili ba 'pod kaha nga nalibog ko tungod sa kainit sa panahon? Pero ning-ulan man pipila na ka adlaw ang milabay. Bugnaw na ang palibot, pero ngano man nga gubot gihapon akong panghunahuna? Eksakto man pod unta ko sa kaon. Hinoon, naa na pod koy gibati sa akong lawas. Pero di man ko mahadlok na nga mamatay, so dili ni ang nagpagubot sa akong ulo daw lukot. Kung ako maglingkod, mag-inusara diha sa balay nga wala man unta'y gibuhat o' kaha gikalingawan, moandar g'yud ako kaboang ug kalabad sa ulo. Naunsa na!

Nagkatigulang na pod ra ba hinoon ko. Pero sa gikaingon ko na, di man pod ko mahadlok mamatay na, basta di lang pod ko mag-antos sa kasakit. Seguro, naa pa ko gusto mahimo o' kaha makab-ot dayun ako na nga nasuta gamay na lang ang panahon. Kini ba kaha ang nakapalabad sa kong ulo? Gabati ra ba ko sa akong dalunggan dayun naa usahay tubig nga mogawas. Wala kaha masudli ug tubig ako ulo? Ug unya nalumos na akong utok? Kalooy sab sa. Pero nahurot na seguro ang tubig kay wala naman gaagas sa akong dalunggan.

Gikapoy na 'pod ko sa akong trabaho. Momata ko ug sayo, dayun ang akong tibuok adlaw pare-pareho na lang ang mahitabo. Puol ba kung ingnon ta. Dayun ang mga kabatan-unan karon dili na nako maangkasan pa. Lisod, ingnon ta spellingon. Napulo'g duha na 'pod ko katuig sa akong trabaho. Seguro nagpuol na gyud. Gusto ko gamay excitement sa kinabuhi. Gusto ko mopalayo una, ug didto sa layong dapit magpahulay ug magpractice sa ug kamatay.

Ang akong kinabuhi karon fake kaayo. Daghan ko ug gihimo nga dili gyud ako ug mas daghan pa gyud unta ko ug gustong himoon pero dili ko mahimo sa pagkakaron. Maldito ko ug Scorpio pa gyud - lala kung mangitik, makamatay pa gani sa hustong timing. Puno na kaayo akong utok sa kaboang dayun gusto na kini nga mogawas. Kung sa tanga pa, kulang kaayo sa labok ug itik. Ako na hinoon ang nalanag sa akong kaugalingong kabangis. Hinay-hinay mura ako ug nahilo na sa akong kaugalingong kaboang. Dili gyud kini tungod sa hangin o' kaha sa tubig ni'ng akong utok.

Lisod kaayo kining kinabuhi ta nga wala na gasubay sa atong panag-ingnan. Ang langgam nga unta galupad-lupad kung ihawla magaluya. Di ba kung ang isda haw-ason ta sa tubig, mamatay? Ang tawo pag-ihikaw mo na kaniya ang iyang kagawasan, maboang. Kung imo nga pugson ang tawo pagpuyo sa kinabuhing bakak, daw wala siya mabuhi ning kalibotan kay buhi man siyang patay nga matag adlaw kanimo nakig-uban. Ablihi ang mga mata ug tutuki ug tarong. Kini bang tawo nga sa kong atubangan ania karon, tinuod ba o' kaha dakong bakak. Boang lang seguro kay humok na ang bagul-bagol.