A Glimpse of My Journey

         A lot happened in a year, I faced problems, challenges, bumpy roads, and even people who wanted to pull me down. As the chapter for 2024 closes, I look back and say "I made it again", after those never-ending challenges that I faced during this year of mine, I can say that I learned a lot. My journey of ups and downs, it's amusing that a lot can happen in just a year. I've grown and learned a lot in that chapter of my story, both success and failure have prepared me for what might happen this year 2025. 

        The year 2024 was epic, there were times when I felt like I was on top of the world, achieving the goals I'd set for myself. There were also times when I tripped, I failed, and when I asked myself if my decision was right. But those moments taught me how to be strong—how to get back up and keep moving forward. As the days passed, I said to myself that whatever challenges or problems I may face in 2025, I will not give up as I have prepared myself for whatever war I may face in this chapter. I have the lessons I learned in the last chapter of my story as a weapon and a gear. I also want to be kinder to myself and not push myself too hard, to love myself like I love others, I realized that change isn't going to happen in just a night, it is a little-by-little step we take daily. I wanted to take care of myself—not only physically but mentally too. This year, I don't want to enter a relationship but I am currently admiring someone, I just want to appreciate them, and I will treat myself right this time. Lastly, I plan to embrace new hobbies and journeys, keeping this chapter exciting. 

        Some things have changed but this is still "Me", I will not forget who I was in my last chapter because I gained a lot of lessons when I was in that chapter. This version of myself is now ready as 2025 begins. I am now ready to embrace new opportunities that lie ahead, ready to face challenges, and ready to continue this journey. 

A Small Journey of Mine Before I End This Chapter

        Christmas break has begun, I, myself have nothing to do but to sleep and get some rest, but isn’t that too boring? I thought of something that I could do for this year's Christmas break. The night of our Christmas party, I started to think of something I could do for less than two weeks regardless of the requirements we needed to pass on January 2. January 2 is the exact date wherein our classes are resumed so I said to myself that I need to enjoy the most of it because our break is just less than two weeks. After I thought about it, I made up my mind that I’d enjoy it by watching Thai series, crocheting, and going somewhere I’d enjoy.

        Fast forward, to Dec 21, I woke up late probably because I was so tired from celebrating our Christmas party, that celebration was the only one where I enjoyed participating, it's not that I didn't enjoy participating in other Christmas Parties in my previous years but this time, I can say that this is the celebration where I participated the most. After I got out of bed, I bathed first and ate my lunch. Afterwards, I watch some Thai series all day long, that’s my routine until Dec. 24 but the night of 24, I went out to attend the mass here in Sta. Catalina, it started at 6 pm and they performed on how Christmas exists. After their performance, the mass started. Then after the mass, I went home, got some rest, and waited for 12 am to celebrate Christmas. Next, after the celebration of Christmas, I got back to my routine where I watched some Thai series and then did some crocheting, I just want to keep myself busy and this is my way of keeping myself occupied, I’m actually enjoying it. The day of the 28 came, I went to Caoayan because it was my Lola’s 75th Birthday and to spend some time with my cousins who live there because we barely have time for each other. After that, Dec 31 came, and instead of watching and keeping myself busy, I decided to help my tita, I cut some carrots, chicken, and some Baguio beans for the pancit. On the night of 31, I went out again to attend a mass, and just like the night of 24, it started at 6 pm. Then, I went home and watched a Thai series entitled "Apple My Love", I went to sleep after we celebrated the New Year.

    

    That's what I did during our vacation, I can say that I enjoyed it because I watched a lot of  Thai series. Furthermore, I got to spend my time with my siblings even though they were so annoying. The event that I enjoyed the most was when I got to spend some time with my cousins and when I received some money. 

Fighting Against Violence: Three laws that can be their shield

        The Philippines has a significant legal measures in protecting women and children; Against violence, abuse, and harassment.  Anti-VAWCY or Anti-Violence Against Women and Children is originated in Republic Act 9262, which tackles about addressing physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse against women and children within domestic relationships. The government emphasizes the protection of these vulnerable individuals from any harm, and also holding offenders responsible. 

        Republic Act of 8353 or also known as the Anti-Rape Law of 1997. A crime against a person highlights their dignity and rights. It now includes not only forced sexual intercourse but also sexual assault. It is a public offense and a crime. This law emphasizes how important consent is, clearly, threats, if the victim cannot think clearly and they used force on the victim, there is no consent at all. In this law, Marital Rape is included, even if you two are married that doesn't mean that you own them and that doesn't mean that you can do anything to them, even if married, consent is still required. Republic Act of 8353 intends to protect people especially children and women, from violence or any harm such as sexual assault. This law ensures that the offenders will be responsible for their actions.

Republic Act No. 7877 also known as the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, this law protects people from sexual harassment in schools, workplaces or any other setting. Sexual Harassment is defined as an action, verbal, and other things that make a person uncomfortable. This law applies when the person committing the harassment has power, influence, and authority over the victim. This ensures the safe places for every one of us living in this country. This also ensures that the offender will take full responsibility for his/her actions. 

Together, these are strong laws that can combat the violence and harassment of women and children. These laws can be the voice of these vulnerable individuals, and be their protection against offenders. They expand and impose strict penalties on definitions by addressing abuse in various events to protect human rights and ensure justice. This legal foundation continues evolving with society's growing understanding and commitment to eliminating such gender-based violence.





REFERENCE:

Pinterest. (n.d.). A Lawyer in a courtroom. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from                                                 https://pin.it/EU9WO6S9l

Pinterest. (n.d.). A scale of justice on top of a stone and sorrouded by pillars. Retrieved December 6,         2024, from https://ph.pinterest.com/pin/592012313547637554/

Pinterest. (n.d.). A man harassing a women. Retrieved December 6, 2024,                                                     from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e9/f1/41/e9f141e3bab0676a011f1ea0c8d34c90.jpg

A Glimpse of the Journey of an STE Student

        There are a lot of questions that are running through my head since the day that I took the exam for ICT, like "Did I do better this quarter?". Did I? Well, the lessons were not hard, and I enjoyed them, from the activities to the test. It's been months since we started learning about second-quarter lessons; From HTML Tags to Framesets. I've learned a lot since that day, and I'm willing to learn more not only about coding but all lessons about ICT. We still do blogs but we're more on coding this quarter and I enjoyed it so much. Maybe because I'm into electronics? I gained a lot of knowledge during the second quarter, and one of the things that I learned is 'How HTML Tags work'.  


    

    Moreover, within the second-quarter journey, I've experienced a lot; From learning from my classmates to teaching them. Second-quarter still has some rocky roads and blurry direction but I made it. I learned that HTML acts as the backbone of web pages, with a pair of tags like <html></html> , <head></head> , and a <body></body> for making the structure of the document more organized and clean. Each HTML Tags that we used for coding has a specific purpose, such as, <b></b> for bold, <i></i> for italicize, <em></em> for emphasis, <p></p>  for paragraph and many other more. This understanding allowed me to see how tags simply work together to form a structure of a website and it made me realize how important unity is because without the presence of a single tag or a single symbol, the website won't function. In addition, attributes are essential too, because without the attributes the webpage won't be good. Attributes like href in <a> tags or src in <img> enabled me to incorporate links and images effectively. 


    

    Lastly, learning about the coding not only expanded my knowledge about technology but also nurtured my creativity in designing a webpage. Writing a clean and a well-structured code became my priority because without the presence of a single symbol or a tag could ruin the whole output. Our lesson in ICT this quarter emphasizes how essential patience and discipline are. 

The Legacy of the Sixth President of the Philippines

            One recalls the sixth President of the Philippines, Elpidio Quirino, an irremorseable servant of the state but, at the same time, a key participant who had helped rebuild his motherland after World War II, being born on November 16, 1890, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, from a small beginnings with his father serving the state as a teacher while his mother was incharge of the house. Despite limited resources, his family valued the virtues of persistence and industry. These make him push through in seeking further education: he finished a law degree at the University of the Philippines and passed the bar in 1915. Being a young lawyer-legislator, he had a natural flair for governance, developing some policies aimed at reforming the countrys agrarian system and other programs for social justice to uplift ordinary Filipinos.

            Quirino went up the ladder to reach the position of president while being tirelessly committed to the public service. From having been Vice President, he became the President in 1948 after President Manuel Roxas died prematurely. He was one of those leaders who used his leadership tenure to rebuild and restore his country still reeling with the shocks of war devastation. He focused on building the economy, pushing the industrialization agenda, and housing for the poor. He also strengthened the Philippines' position on the world stage by establishing diplomatic relations with neighboring Asian countries, believing in the importance of regional cooperation. His leadership was far from easy, as he had to navigate the challenges of a recovering nation while maintaining stability and progress.

            

Beyond his policies and programs, Quirino's story resonates because of his humanity. A man who endured personal and professional struggles with the loss of his wife and three children at the Battle of Manila still stands unwavering in the goal to serve this country. It cannot be disregarded that though criticisms are hurled on the corruption he faced as a president, his dream of an independent Philippines with true will and genuine service to raise fellow Filipinos' quality of life still cannot be put aside. Quirino’s life serves as a reminder that leadership is not about perfection but about dedication, resilience, and the enduring hope of building a better future for the nation.





REFERENCE:

Pinterest. (n.d.). The sixth President is walking out the car. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from  https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cf/c6/21/cfc621ae4802037a3d7bac69dd46594d.jpg

Pinterest. (n.d.). A picture of President Elpidio Quirino while sitting. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c5/13/d4/c513d4dba5ff58adf9131eed625336d3.jpg

Pinterest. (n.d.). A picture of the sixth president, Elpidio Quirino. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/92/09/ae9209e64207fab7c3fc790245ad75e8.jpg

Indigenous Heritage: Preserving its Culture

            The Philippines honors the “National Indigenous Peoples Month” every October yearly as a opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage, culture, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) along with promoting their rights and well-being.  In this year’s celebration of the 27^th anniversary of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), with a theme of “Mga Katutubo at Katutubong Dunong: Pahalagahan, Pangalagaan at Parangalana”- it calls for protection, nurture, value, and honor towards Indigenous Peoples and their wisdom. It is the essence of the observance as it highlights the importance of Indigenous People in the preservation of biodiversity, sustainable practices, and tradit
ions that speak of the country's history. It challenges all Filipinos to protect their legacy and ensure their contributions are recognized and respected for future generations.

            This practice fosters a deeper appreciation of the unique contributions of Indigenous People to Filipino identity. Cultural festivals, forums, and exhibits are
 some of the important platforms that celebrate the rich artistic expressions, traditional practices, and environmental stewardship of Indigenous communities. Through these activities, people are able to witness firsthand the deep connection that Indigenous peoples have with their land, culture, and heritage. These events not only showcase their unique art, music, and customs but also highlight the valuable knowledge that Indigenous communities have developed over centuries.

            The **Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997** plays a vital role in the protection of Indigenous Peoples' rights to their ancestral lands, self-governance, cultural identity, and social justice. Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Month is a meaningful way to bring attention to these rights and amplify the voices of Indigenous communities. The Indigenous People's Rights Act of 1997 plays an important and crucial role in protecting of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their properties, self-governance, cultural identity, and social justice. Celebrating the National Indigenous Peoples Month is a one meaningful way to catch some attention for them to notice these rights and to amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples. Through advocacy and education, it calls everyone together—government agencies, organizations, and individuals—to unite and help solve the problems: of land disputes, discrimination, and marginalization. It is a celebration that goes beyond paying tribute to the past; it celebrates the hope for a better future as it calls on all people to assume responsibility for preserving the traditions, wisdom, and rich heritage of Indigenous Peoples so these are kept alive for generations.

 REFERENCE:

Pinterest. (n.d.). Indigenous woman with traditional attire. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/54/78/fc/5478fcf88e94e8daecc2907d887589e4.jpg

Pinterest. (n.d.). Indigenous People playing tag of war. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a9/22/da/a922da511edd0a5bf0027eb99226bf5f.jpg

Pinterest. (n.d.). Indigenous children engaging in cultural activities. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/7c/4e/81/7c4e816b86376b35382c629cb55ca865.jpg

Make the Challenge be your Guide: A Glimpse of How Resilient Filipino is

In truth, the Filipinos are experiencing this serious issue of climate change. The country being one of the world's most disaster-prone lands, has experienced typhoons and unpredictable weather patterns, these natural occurrences are caused by global warming, pollution, and urbanization. For example, typhoon Yolanda 2013 was destructive—Statista 2023 stated that Yolanda was the most destructive typhoon that the Philippines has experienced with 95.48 billion pesos value of damages it caused. As such challenges continue, efforts are made to protect the environment and the community. However, problems like fossil fuels and deforestation still persist.

Filipinos are tough, really, when challenges and problems come. Their spirit of communal unity is growing stronger day by day, for communities help each other by being there for one another when unpredictable disasters happen and showing solidarity in combating crises. Renewable energy projects and grassroots solutions like climate-resistant crops may help the community survive the challenges brought by climate change. Therefore, resilience and sustainability are the way out in solving the continuous current natural occurrences.

   

The future of the Philippines must lead to a transformation from mere adaptation to sustainability. Strengthen policies and by-laws on environmental regulations such as controlling deforestation and industrial emissions. The country shall be accelerated in shifting to renewable energies, more particularly the sun, wind, and geothermal which are easily accessible and cannot diminish with time.

Empowerment must be given also to local communities, so that preparation and countermeasures may be undertaken against the impacts that climate change brings; to them, necessary resources and know-how must be given. Moreover, international cooperation is significant as the high percentage of carbon emissions found in the world exists in the industrialized nations and adversely affects poor countries like the Philippines with extremely adverse environmental conditions.

Finally, education and awareness are a must in the building of a sustainable future provide parts that can really open the way to a society of accountability by bringing climate education into school curriculums and getting people and businesses to participate in environmentally friendly practices. Even with resilience, which already exists in the system of the Filipino people, more than that would be dealing with the root causes of climate change, which would be a very crucial element of sustainability. Bringing collective actions together with policy reforms and sustainable practices would mean many vulnerabilities are actually opportunities for growth and innovation for the Philippines, leading to a brighter future.

REFERENCES:  

Pinterest. (n.d.). Houses that are destructed by a typhoon. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/03/4e/9e/034e9ee8b589624f3ea34d0d469f01dd.jpg

Pinterest. (n.d.). Some people who are giving relief goods. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/24/8e/34/248e341d16bb44f033da1c2785a69625.jpg