Photo Fiasco: The 2013 NSPC Archive

The overwhelming experience at Ormoc still lingers my memories though this year's National Schools Press Conference has already signed off a month now - it still is fresh and very much alive.

It is in my humble beginnings that I became aware how big a writer will be if the very least of his fruit of labors is being a participant of the coveted confab. In a writer's case, if you have already paved your way throughout the NSPC, that only means one thing - you belong to the elite, the ones I consider as a natural gift and not a synthetic talent.

As my journey ends with my senior year just around the corner, the challenge was another regional victory and qualify for the Pampanga nationals in April next year. In any circumstance, as humble as I can bare these words, I now am part of the elite, and the reputation of being a national qualifier just recently will be put to a ruination if I face not only the brink of failure but failure itself. I may now be feared by my fellow contenders but I, myself must confess that I also am afraid of what surprises the future might bring. But there is no backing out now, it's now or never, it's do or die, confidence must kill the fear within me, within myself. 

And when the time comes, my battle cry for my slot at the nationals begins. No matter what occurrences may come, I will fight. I need to win this. 

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Newspaper Layouting: Not Just Some Work

Our different layouts

As for a student collaborative writer, lay-outing papers are not just some work, but a way of life. I, myself have ventured the art of honing perfect-looking papers for high school throughout the years, and since opportunity finally had the courage to show up, it might be the time to take some advantage of this humble talent.

The first layout of the team's collaborative publishing layout artist

Just recently jet-lagged from the national campus press tilt, the annual NSPC, when I was dumbfounded after halting to a realization that my teammates could have a chance to embrace the great probability of vying for the Collaborative Publishing victory come DSPC 2013 and even make it big in the regionals.

Collaborative Publishing is a new, fun and exciting press-con group event composed of seven members, each in English and Filipino mediums in elementary and secondary that are tasked to produce a four-page publication that contains a news page, an editorial page, a feature page, and a sports page.

Since my field of expertise specializes in Copyreading and Headline Writing, I could not enter myself in such event and had to select a few to be taught of. The way I see it, this was a hard job for me, but summer will be a great start to prepare the chosen team. "The more you practice, the less you bleed in battle," cliche that still brings incessant inspiration to us campus journos.

So what I did is start first on the lay-outing over the first week of the tear-jerking col-pub session. I have presented some of my works where my trainee may draw inspiration in creating her own design. I thought this could get far but the potential is clearly evident with her work that I am amply satisfied with it for a first-timer.

My layout for our school publication

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A Mother's Day Special: Kay Inay

“Ang awiting ito’y para sayo

At kung maubos ang tinig di magsisisi

Dahil iyong narinig mula sa labi ko

Salamat! Salamat…”

Hindi ko lubos na mawari kung sapat na ba ang maialay ko itong natatanging musika ni Yeng Constantino upang magantihan man lang ni katiting ang pawis at hirap na kanyang pinuhunan sa aming magkapatid magmula pa ng mahimbing pa kaming natutulog sa kanyang sinapupunan.

Ang aking ina’y sumisimbolo sa bawat inang nagsusumikap sa bawat tahanan mabigyan lamang ng karampatang buhay ang kani-kanilang mga anak sa bawat araw na ginawa ng Maykapal.

Gaya ng aking inay, bawat isa sa kanila ay nakikipaghabulan sa oras at pilit bumabangon bago sumapit ang bukang liwayway upang magtrabaho. Bawat isa sa kanila ay kinakaya ang mga pasakit na dala ng mga suliranin upang mapagtagumpayan ang hamon ng bawat araw. Bawat isa sa kanila ay pasan ang daigdig, daigdig na walang ibang ginawa kundi ang pagbuhatan sila ng kamay na mapait na karanasan lamang ang kinukubli.

Ang Inay ay hindi naiiba sa pangkalahatan. Nasa kanya na lahat ng maaaring makitang katangian sa isang natatanging magulang. Maaruga. Mapagkalinga. Maalahanin. Malambing. At higit sa lahat, mapagmahal. Ngunit ang mas nangingibabaw sa lahat ay ang walang katapusang sakripisyong kaya niyang ilaan sa pamilyang ito dahil lang sa mahal niya kami.

Kay Inay, marami pong salamat sa walang hanggang pagmamahal na ibinibigay nyo po sa aming magkapatid, at ipagpatawad nyo po kung minsa’y nagiging pasaway po kami’t sumusuway sa inyong utos na alam naman po naming kapakanan lang ng bawat isa sa ami’y inyong hangad. Wagas pong pagmamahal ang iniaalay namin para sa inyo ngayong Araw ng mga Ina.

Sa lahat ng mga magulang, taos-pusong pasasalamat ang nais kong iabot sa inyong lahat sapagkat naririyan at naririto kayo palagi upang suportahan gabayan kami sa bawat hakbang ng aming buhay.

Sa mga oras na ito’y maluha-luha ko pang ipinagpapasalamat sa Panginoon ng lubos dahil nabigyan ako ng isang natatanging inay. Sa iyo, minamahal kong nanay, “Salamat! Salamat…” at ika’y aking naging Tanging Ina. 



Photo credits: wishespoint.com

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Pro-Nature: Make the Right Choice

Burning plastics is a bad habit. Don't burn plastics.

Ignorance and laziness. Either of the two can create a huge impact from the human race that can later lead to impairment of the earth.

With these intolerable acts, incorporated with the human nature of being selfish, it is highly regretful to say that our very wealth in our forests are fading slowly, and even very noticeable no immediate remedy can humanity ever sustain.

With the unpleasant effect the raging storm named ‘Pablo’ has left to the people of Cateel, the town is now highly in risk of like disasters, and due to the fact that majority are unaware of their wrongdoings, they become instant contributors of distraction to the balance of ecosystem, resulting to another ‘Pablo’ episode that might strongly happen in the coming days.

The community is trying to rebuild the lost haven that is the once prosperous Cateel, but the way I see it, we were lured to the wrong road, that is why it is such a work to save this bosom place, let alone Mother Nature, especially the world.

Several months after the aftermath, people are still engaged with clearing operations, striving hard to attain cleanliness and beautification at best, but by using the method that is incorrect.

Burning garbage or pag-dok­ as locals used to say is extremely hazardous, not to mention the trashes I cautiously am talking about are purely made up of plastics. Our environs grew weaker and weaker whenever one of us involves ourselves in such activity.

Take it from science: burning plastics is a very unsafe practice of cleaning, let alone the risks to our health as well as our nature. The said process is cancerous and can ruin our respiratory system, and worse our whole body. In the other hand, the dark smoke conjured by burning plastics contain poisonous gases that depletes our ozone, resulting to global warming, and later climate change.

In my opinion, ignorance and laziness takes charge from here. If not uneducated, people become indolent in trash segregation, and only engages self to a much quicker way. Out of laziness, we aren’t even taking 
interest in recycling, let alone the rest of the four Rs – reuse, reduce, and restore.

At this day and age, each one of us are tasked to cure the unending wounds our nature has thoroughly suffered. The youth are the new generation and the future lies in our hands. We need immediate solutions, and I know we can put a stop to this illness that we, as one society, have once started.

Just an eco-friendly reminder: Avoid burning plastics.

Sea of Waste

Photo credits:
saamyspeaks.blogspot.com
badlani.com
sprinterlife.com

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