G A B I 🌙

                         I grew up on the streets of Vigan City, a vibrant, culturally and historically rich city. As I grew up on Salcedo Street, anytime I hear a band, heart-pounding thundering drums, the lovely sound of lyres, and jazzy trumpets, my 6-year-old self would hurry out to witness parades, processions, and most importantly street dance. After watching street dance my younger self would go home and when he’s alone he would dance without any music, imagining that he is in a street dance. Having this dream that one day I would be a part of it.                  The centerpiece and most anticipated event at Vigan's City Hood Fiesta, also known as Longganisa Festival, is street dancing. Elementary and high schools would recruit dancers before the Christmas break and h...

     The year 2021 is not greater than 2020. This year saw a slew of blood-seeking incidents. Tragedies, pandemics, and other natural calamities have happened. COVID comes back with a new variant and second wave in the Philippines on March 12,2021. Recently, on December 17, 2021, Typhoon Odette started destroying homes. And yet, until now, Filipinos that are affected are still moving on. Millions of lives are lost, yet we are fortunate to be alive. Thank God, we are still free to live, and the year 2022 awaits us.       People gain maturity and discipline through time, and it is a process that is ongoing. We face obstacles, and sometimes we fail to pass them because we make mistakes. For me, 2021 is even worse than 2020 because this is the year where I was confronted with academic problems and struggles since tenth grade is a more difficult era in high school compared to ninth grade since it is evident that the grades given were not that accu...

   'Apo Lakay, espalen na kami!' Residents of Ilocos Sur beseech the Senyor Santo Cristo Milagroso de Sinait, or 'Apo Lakay,' for the same miracle that he provided to the province 400 years ago.       It was the same prayer their ancestors prayed when a cholera outbreak swept through Vigan in 1882, The next year, Apo Lakay came in Vigan, and a daily novena was organized. The number of cholera deaths progressively decreased. People said that the fatalities ceased on the final day of the novena. And it is at this point that I am reminded of the birth of our Savior. This is the season that we need to give thanks to our Lord, and pray that our recovery from this pandemic would continue.           Our Lord and Savior was born in a manger to a mother and a father. His visitors included a shepherd, a few animals, and the three magi. It's a heartfelt reminder of the genuine meaning of the season. This year has been challenging for all of u...

             Republic Act No. 10661 titled  an Act Declaring the Month of November of Every Year as the National Children’s Month  and DepEd Memorandum 75, s. 2021 titled  2021 National Childres Month Celebration,  for the Welfare of Children (CWC) in celebrating the 2021 National Children’s Month (NCM) with the theme, “New Normal Na Walang  Iwanan : Karapatan ng  Bawat  Bata  Ating   Tutukan ”.   Poster by John Gabriel Aquino  The pandemic that struck us holds nothing but terror and nightmares—locking down schools, cities, and towns, as well as the dreams and opportunities of children, snuffing out the "life" of us. But more than that, this new normal brought light to new beginnings: a call for tremendous academic recovery with the expansion of digital platforms for education, and most importantly, a race to the development and procurement of vaccines with high efficacy. We are hoping that this va...

       I lived my 16 years near the seaside in Mindoro, Vigan City. The main livelihood there is fishing. Mindoro is also known for its fresh seafood, and vendors in the city proper would use the name of our barangay to sell their wares. When I was in elementary school, I always encountered multiple trucks loaded with dripping black sand that was taken away from the sea. And my ancestors always taught me that the sea was very far away, but as time goes by, the sea eats the fields little by little. It is very sad, but it is not too late for us to make a change, to make our environment sustainable, to be grateful, and to appreciate its beauty.           As a part of a community, it is important to play our roles and to be engaged in small activities in our locality. We can start by setting ourselves up as a role model for others. We can make a big difference in our world by simply cleaning, saving energy, following waste segregation, perf...

This school year brings a new modality of learning, which means we need to face new challenges. Blended learning is quite hard for me because I live near the seaside. The signal or connection is hard to find and sometimes it disappears during my classes, and I cannot do anything about it. Although some of my teachers are very considerate and don’t require you to join the class if you have a poor connection, some of the teachers check attendance. This makes me curious about what the situation is for the learners that are not financially stable. Besides the weak connection, the main problem that I face these days is a lack of motivation. During my freshman and sophomore years, I used school activities, events, and programs as a motivation to study hard. Events such as DepEd Day, High School Day, Recognitions, Completions, Camping and so on add more excitement to learning. We all dreamed about attending prom, having a sleepover because of research or thematic, and the iconic events of the...

Covid-19 has had a variety of effects on the globe. Many individuals have been harmed, and millions of lives have been squandered. Because of the epidemic, transportation, labor, material production, and education have all been halted. It is difficult to live with this virus since the world has changed, but people are adjusting. From preventing kids from learning to ensuring their safety, education offers an answer. Students will learn in a new way using modular classrooms and online classes. While online classes professors will lecture through an online meeting, modules are accessible through link or delivery. The quality of this sort of class isn't great, and as a student, I'm running out of time when it comes to completing responsibilities. Other information and remarks are missing from the module, making it difficult to respond. The internet connection in online classes is an issue, and it is difficult to learn if the connection and communication between professors and stud...