A century old tradition

       It's been centuries that every March we all students, staff, teachers and stockholders gather to celebrate High School Day celebration at Ilocos Sur National High School It's a momentous occasion that showcases the talents of students. Each grade level prepared unique dance presentations, showcasing their skills and creativity. For 10th Grade, we proudly raised the flag of Pride while dancing to Lady Gaga's Abracadabra. We had the honor to represent those students that are part of the LGBTQIA+ community that still are afraid to come out due to discrimination.

      The High School Day celebration at Ilocos Sur National High School is known for its spirited competitions, where students demonstrate their talents and compete in various activities.  The celebration started during March 21, where a mass was done. After the mass was the General Practice of all Grade levels. On March 21, the booths of different clubs and organizations in the school also opened where I joined Science and YES-O club in selling local Vigan products. 

        On March 22, the real celebration happened, it started at 7 o'clock with a parade, during the parade there were evaluators that observed each and every section ISNHS has and will award Most Disciplined Section per Grade Level. Thankfully, our section was awarded that title.

    After the parade was the performance of students.The dance presentations by each level were the highlight of the event, showcasing the students' dedication and  teamwork. Although, we did not win, it was still a fun experience for all of us.  Boys from all grade levels competed with each other, and girls from all grade levels competed with each other. The Champion for Boys was the Grade 9 and Grade 10 got 1st place while the girls were the Grade 8 and Grade 10 got 3rd place. 

        Lastly, the day ended with the Battle of the Bands where different bands from ISNHS competed with each other.

      Truly, the High School Day celebration was a memorable experience that fostered a spirit of togetherness and highlighted the rich cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur National High School.

REFERENCE:

https://pin.it/N2C0enif3

www.blogger.com

The epilogue of learning

         

In a Google Search, the word epilogue means the ending chapter of a book. As this 4th quarter ends it also signifies the conclusion of a school year. In terms of life lessons, the 4th quarter taught me to always cherish moments and to always live life. On the other hand, school learnings that i have learned this quarter are a lot. 

I had fun making a FrontPage website with of course the contents of our CBR. From learning the parts to inserting links and interactive buttons, i learned a lot. Well, this won't be possible if Ma'am Charleen didn't teach us. She made every step easy and not complicated. Her way of teaching is very helpful. Moreover, i have my classmates, especially, my seatmate, Shatine, every moment shared with her is pure funny, i also learned a lot with her. She taught me things that I didn't know the FrontPage can do and I am grateful for her. Maybe asking for a little bit of help isn't always a bad thing, right? 

Moving forward, I will continue to apply all the lessons i have learned, from 1st quarter to the 4th one. This may be the last reflection that I will make this school year, but the life and academic lessons will always stay.

REFERENCE:

https://pin.it/34LmAf3Wn

www.blogger.com

An ideal future

        Fifteen years from now, I would be 31 years old, I can see myself as someone who finally achieved her greatest goal in life — to become a doctor. I envision myself as someone who is passionate about her work and in saving other people and contributing to other people. I want to be someone who is financially stable and can travel whenever she wants but still continuously learning from her experiences. I hope that by that time she learned that failing doesn't mean that shes also a failure, instead, she takes that failure and learns from it.

        Of course, getting there isn't easy, like anything that we want we have to work for it. As early as now that I'm in 10th grade, I need to always strive and persevere in achieving my goals. I want to grow into a person that doesn't back out just because she thought she couldn't. In achieving my ideal future, I need to be strong because, there are many more challenges that I will face. This is just the start, there'll be more bumpy roads that i will encounter. 

         In fifteen years, with my faith in God, may all my dreams be achieved. I want her to know that one day, someday, I made this blog predicting what her future is. I want her to read this, and let her know that i set a goal that i should have achieved in 15 years.

REFERENCE:

https://pin.it/5jz7Ap3NH

https://pin.it/5CzavHvyK

Roses are red, violets are blue, women are more than just a who

        

            We have been celebrating many events where women are the main focus ; Mothers day and Women's month. Yet, how is it that there are still women all around the world seeking for equality and are continuosly facing challenges in their everyday lives? With the theme of this year's Womens' Month, "WE for Gender Equality and an Inclusive Society," may all women achieve peace and freedom from any discrimination. This month serves as a reminder to always empower women, not just in our community but all over. Do not empower women just because, empower them with a reason and sincerely. Let's always take a stand in protecting women's rights and confront those who stand in their way. They aren't JUST women, they are WOMEN. 

        We need an inclusive society where everyone feels safe and benefits many, regardless of their race, gender and background. Opportunities shouldn't be limited due to one's gender, it should be limited to one's choice and fears. All genders must have equal opportunities where they can freely do what they want and be treated with dignity and respect. This month allows us to celebrate the many achievements of women while addressing the barriers that cause inequality. The more inclusive we are, the stronger our communities will as we take a step in knowing each gender's potential.

       I believe that it is important that we continue advocating policies and campaigns that promote gender equality and acknowledge women's rights. This includes equal access to education, freedom to walk around without the fear of men (Safe Spaces Act) and the elimination of discrimination. By working together, we can easily achieve a society that is inclusive and where everyone feels safe. Remember, that in His eyes, everyone is equal. Women are not less of a man.

REFERENCES:

https://pin.it/3VZWowZCI

https://pin.it/2mNhgcUgM

https://pin.it/5MVBymlhr

One festival, One Ilocos Sur!

    

     In the province of Ilocos Sur, there lies a celebration full of festivity and culture. Celebrating the province's rich heritage and cultural identity, Ilocos Sur presents one of the grandest celebrations in Luzon, Kannawidan. Kannawidan means heritage or legacy in Ilocano. It is celebrated in the heart of Ilocos Sur, Vigan City. The festival happens at the end of January where locals and visitors come together and participate in events that will surely teach you about the past.

      The aim of this event is to promote Ilocos Sur's beautiful and instagram-worthy heritage. From the theme song of Kannawidan, a lyric says, "Generations to generations come together to celebrate" crafts of locals like abels and burnay that were passed down up to this generation is showcased at the festival too. Another lyric says, "Where the past and the future collide the celebrations begin" that talks about the beauty of preserving Ilocos Sur's past meets the modern world. Music, arts and performances take over the whole week as we celebrate the joy of Ilocos Sur. These performances allow the visitors to immerse themselves and be part of the town's historic and rich lore while also showcasing how talented different people from different barangays are. As said earlier, it is a celebration wherein the modern world meets the past. 

       Kannawidan also showcases how rich the town is when it comes to agriculture. Products such as local longganisa, empanada and vinegar are also shown. The event helps the farmers to promote their products and for people around the Philippines to discover it. Indeed, Kannawidan is an event that showcases the talent, culture, delicacies and panoramic views of Ilocos. Indeed, it is an event full of learning and a reminder to honor the roots of each and one of us.

REFERENCE:

https://pin.it/4SVanaY1C

red hearts, red hearts

        

        Oh how beautiful it is to fall in love. To love without limits and to love everyone around you. Isn't it so amazing? a month dedicated to pure love. Every year on the 14th of February, we celebrate Valentine's Day, a day dedicated to different kinds of love. In an article by Country Living, it is said that the roots of Valentines dates back to ancient Rome, wherein in the midst of February, they celebrate the festival of Lupercalia to honor fertility and romance. But then, the word Valentine gets its name from the legend of Saint Valentine who defied a Roman Emperor's ban on marriage for young men. This martyr saint led to the celebration of love. 

       Valentine's day is a tradition that has evolved throughout the years. It has evolved into a day where everyone in the world celebrates love, wherein each person expresses their appreciation to the people around them. Valentine's doesn't just limit among lovers, it can be between friends, families and relatives. All over the world, wherever and whenever they are, people exchange greetings whether in the form of texts, letters, face-to-face or cards. 

          People have different ways to show their love, but, some gestures are similar, like the giving of chocolates, flowers and material things. Couples are often seen during this day on dates and romantic dinners. While for families they usually eat out and spend some quality time together. The most important thing is that we shouldn't just show our love during Valentine's but also in our everyday lives.

REFERENCES:

https://pin.it/1svto8TZF

https://pin.it/6pJYTI3ue

https://pin.it/6IcekGHrK

https://www.countryliving.com/life/a46353

Tres

      The third quarter taught me once again, that if you want to get something, you need to work for it. I have discovered the importance of time management, especially in balancing both of my studies and my personal life. Moreover, I discovered the beauty of helping and collaboration as in this quarter we were grouped and we created our CBR, in which I was luckily grouped with Cassandra, Feim, Terence and Jamaica.

   One of the main challenges that i faced this quarter was juggling my responsibilities as a student and as a daughter to my parents. There were times that the urge to just give up and bed rot was tempting. Our CBR was hard to do, applying the codes that we learned at school was not the easiest task. We needed to be meticulous so that the outcome would be perfect. One more challenge was the communication with my groupmates because sometimes our ideas would clash.

     To address these challenges, I knew I needed to improve my time management skills. I need to balance all my responsibilities. I started using schedules and learned to do everything on time. No more procastination. Moreover, my groupmates and I decided to work together, to combine all of our ideas to create a wonderful CBR. The codes weren't the easiest to do, but with the help of cooperation, we managed to deliver.

     Moving on, I will continue and keep in mind all these learnings i gathered with Quarter 3 because it is the reason why I survived another quarter. I will continue to improve myself until I get the best out of me.

REFERENCE:

www.blogger.com

Bantay Discoveries

 

In the first week of making our cbr, we utilized the times given to us by Ma'am Evelyn, to search the internet some of the places we'll visit to discover the hidden gem that Bantay has.

This is a picture of me researching about Bantay's famous places. We can see in the phone, we have the Bantay Bell Tower and such.

During our weekend, we set a schedule to visit the places that we researched. In here, you can see that I am interviewing one of the Registration Facilitator of the famous Bantay Bell Tower.

Next we visited Señorita Dulce, wherein we stayed and ate there for lunch as we talk about on how we will do our CBR.

In here, we are currently seeing the magnificent views of the Banaoang Bridge. We were in awe on how beautiful the scenery is.

We also visited Caniaw. 

We garnered some informations about the place by asking the persons there and took some pictures.

Lastly, we encoded our CBR and researched some codes that we'll going to use in making our webpage.

REFERENCES:

www.blogger.com

Red Dragons

 

    Have you ever wondered, why does the Philippines celebrate Chinese New Year every year? Well, my mother once asked that question and I couldn't answer her because I didn't know until I did my research. Filipinos Celebrate Chinese New year for many reasons, these reasons are particularly based on the history, culture and influence of the Chinese to the Philippines. While the main and grandest celebration only happens in China, it still is a major event in the Philippines. One reason why we, filipinos, celebrate Chinese New Year is because of the so-called Tsinoys or the half chinese and half filipino peoples. They helped us in so many aspects like in our economy and culture. 

       The Chinese New year or also called Lunar New year, is celebrated grandly with festive dragon dances and fireworks. Filipinos, especially those who live near Binondo join the festivities and celebrate with every Chinese person. Chinese New Year is also one event wherein people pay respect to their ancestors, thanking them and asking for guidance all throughout the year. While Filipinos, also celebrate Chinese New Year because of their influence on their fortune, like the wearing of red as a sign of luck and believing in loud noises to scare away bad spirits. This influence resulted in a fusion of both cultures of the two countries, we have food inspired by chinese like siomai and siopao. 

       The Philippines is home to a lot of Chinese people, particularly in Binondo, Manila and Cebu wherein they influenced a lot of Filipinos with their culture. It is a moment to thank, share happiness and culture with everyone, whether if you're a Filipino, a Chinese or even a mix of both, Tsinoy.

REFERENCE:

https://pin.it/z94to29xO

When a Municipality becomes a City

         Vigan, a known place for its rich culture and history. It was once a municipality that was located alongside the Mestizo River in the province of Ilocos Sur. Its cobblestone streets and spanish-era houses made an impression that started the tourism industry of Vigan. The people of Vigan are often called Bigueños, they are known for their resilience and they made a mark through preserving Vigan's heritage, making the municipality a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

     Also what happened in 1999 was the official transition of Vigan from a municipality to a city, thus, calling it Vigan City. Today, Vigan City is a place wherein culture meets modern times. Visitors, local or international visit the place to take some Instagram worthy shots and bring home some pasalubongs like Longganisa and Bagnet. It's historical landmarks like the St. Paul Cathedral and Calle Crisologo are still standing to tell people stories of the past. From this, the city now receives more benefits than when it was still a municipality such as healthcare and education. This change gave bigueños hope that their culture will be preserved and cared for. 

    Vigan is a testament to the resilience and dedication of bigueños. Vigan's journey from a municipacility to a city shows the power of transformation of preservation and progress. Making sure that the future generations will still be able to witness a culture.

REFERENCES:

https://pin.it/3L63KAvAs

Year End Resolution

 

I think this is year isn't the best but also not the worst. It was somewhere in the middle. I learned a lot, i failed, i loss friends but also gained friends. 2024 was one of the years that taught me a lot. This year I vow to change for the better me, for the best version of me. The Donna that wasn't last year. As 2025 starts, i have a lot of reflections on what i was last year. 

First and foremost, i will prioritize discipline in every aspect if my life. This means managing time and staying consistent with my studies. Last minute cramming will end this year and i will set a clear goal that i will achieve by the end of this year. I want to live with purpose that i should contribute more. 

As the new year starts, i look forward to to embracing the changes that i need to do. It's the beginning of a new chapter  and i want to see my self improve whatever it takes me to do.