The Student-Teacher Exchange

Program was truly a BIG step! The

Malaysian Delegates of Wesley

Methodist School Ipoh (WMSI) ar-

rived at the Camp 7 campus of Small

World last May 31, 2013, and stayed

until June 9, 2013, to commence the

Student-Teacher Exchange Program

2013 (S.T.E.P. 2013). The goal of this

partnership program was to build a

broad and competent international

learning environment for the stu-

dents from a Christian standpoint.

The Malaysian team was composed

of four male students, namely

Elikrines Ng , Ng Kin Sern, Jason

Cheah and Chee Yao Kin; and four

females, namely Benita Yim, Jaime

Lim, Joycelyn Lim and Choong Sze

Chee. Two teachers accompanied

them: Ms. Nishabel Anbalakan and

Mr. Francis Thermalingam. After

roughly a month, students from

Small World Christian School Foun-

dation (SWCSF) travelled to WMSI

and stayed there from July 4 to July

15. The Philippine delegation was

also composed of four males and four

females, namely Rhedge Ballesteros,

Arsenio Baylon, Jr., Charles Cas-

tillo, Jeremy Javillonar, Jr. Kathe-

rine Ang, Karin Bangsoy, Nicole

Carmen and Kate Fernandez. The

Filipino students were accompanied

by teacher Virene Azarcon.

Upon the arrival of each dele-

gation, students and teachers of the

host school immediately started the

immersion process. When the Malay-

sian delegates arrived in Small

World, teachers, administrators,

young leaders, SBC officers, and sen-

ior class accommodated them. In a

short span of time, several students

took the time to tour the Malaysians

around the school, as well as get to

know them.

CONTINUED AT PAGE 13

by Kate Fernandez and Karin Bangsoy

SW Delegates pioneer Student-Teacher Exchange Program

Manila—Grade 10 Dauntless’s Katherine Ang represented Baguio City

and the Rotary Club of Baguio Sunrise to the 12th Voice of Our Youth (VoOY)

Impromptu Speech Competition. The National Finals was held last February

22 at the Tanghalang Yaman Lahi Theater in the Ermita District.

The competition was a collaboration between the Philippine National

Bank (PNB), the Department of Education, and Rotary Club Philippines.

Fourteen-year-old Katherine placed second-runner up during the October

2012 Club eliminations and first runner-up during the November 2012 Dis-

trict eliminations. Nikki Lucenario from Miriam College High School emerged

as the VoOY champion, while Anton Sison from Ateneo de Manila High School

followed as first runner-up.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

By Charity Grace Rosario

SW G10 Student is Voice of

Our Youth Grand Finalist

Small World Christian School Foundation once again held the well-known annu-

al event, the Student Body Council Elections. This year, however, the SBC elections

were slightly different since parties were permitted to campaign this 2013.

The filing for the SBC Party candidates started last January 21. The following

parties running for the SBC were ASTIG (Aspiring Servants That Initiate Growth)

with Rhedge Ballesteros as President, STARS (Students That Are Ready to Serve)

with Karin Bangsoy as President, and STEP (Students Trailblazing for Excellence

and Probity) with Kate Fernandez as President.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

By Corinne Casas

Student Body Council Elections

SMALL WORLD BIG VOICE. Photo taken at Manila by Teacher Charity Rosario

EDUCATION ACROSS BORDERS. (Bottom right) SWCSF Grade 10 student Kate Fernandez (left) takes notes alongside WMSI Head Pre-

fect Haan Xi Yu (right). - Photo by Rhedge Ballesteros

2

NEWS

The Journey staffers made

their way to the top as they joined the

annual Division Schools Press Confer-

ence held at the Main Campus of

Pines City National High School last

January 26, 2013. Out of seven, three

staffers garnered a place in their re-

spective events.

Mervine Aquino (10-EUNOIA)

won First Place in Editorial Writing

and Karin Bangsoy also bagged First

Place in Secondary Feature Writing-

English. Regine Madayag landed as

Second Place in Secondary News Writ-

ing-English. The other events were

also participated by Paula Javillonar

for Editorial Cartooning, Kate Fer-

nandez for Sports Writing, Noel Diaz

for Copy Reading and Headline Writ-

ing, and Gail Viaje for Photojournal-

ism.

The winning Journey staffers,

accompanied by their adviser Charity

Grace Rosario, are slated to join the

Regional Schools Press Conference at

Bontoc, Mountain Province on Febru-

ary 9-13, 2013.

By Regine Madayag

Journey Staffers emerge

triumphantly in DSPC

Representing the Division of Ba-

guio in the recently concluded Regional

Schools Press Conference, the team of

SWCSF’s The Journey which is com-

posed of Mervine Aquino, Karin Bang-

soy, and Regine Madayag are still

blessed despite not being part of CAR’s

delegations for the National Schools

Press Conference which was held in Ley-

te last April 7-13, 2013.

Mervine Aquino was declared

fifth placer in Editorial Writing, but only

the champion until the third place is giv-

en the opportunity to join the National

Schools Press Conference.

Indeed, it was a survival of the

fittest and the team is still proud to have

represented God’s glory, Baguio City,

and Small World Christian School. They

were accompanied by Charity Grace Ro-

sario, the Coach/School Paper Adviser.

By Regine Madayag

Regionals School PressCon 2013

The Third YLTC, which focused

on First Aid training, was held in Small

World on July 20. The training was sup-

ported by Red Cross Volunteers and the

teachers of Small World. The trainees

were taught how to give CPR and other

basic First Aid techniques.

The fourth camp was held in

Neverland Mountain resort. The camp

focused on swimming and water safety.

“It was a fun learning experience for all

of us…” Cora Vega, from Grade 7 Lion-

Hearted explained, “Aside from learning

about survival and first aid, we learned

that God gave us different unique abili-

ties for us to use in our daily lives.”

The campers are now currently

preparing for the National Camp which

will be held in Iba, Zambales on Novem-

ber 20-23.

By Eloiza Dirige

Third and Fourth BGB YLTC

BACK TO THE BASICS. Photo taken at Neverland Mountain Resort by Teacher Virene

Azarcon.

REGIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE. Photo taken at Bontoc, Mountain

Province by Teacher Charity Rosario.

Small World’s present and

prospective young leaders united with

Guiding Light Christian Church

(GLCC) for the Summer Youth Camp

that was held last May 23-25 in

Neverland Mountain Resort in Tuba,

Benguet.

With the theme “Fierce for

the Gospel,” the Youth Camp aims to

challenge the young people to stand

up for the truth and to fight for the

gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of

the many influences and philosophies

of the world that seek to shake the

foundations of young peoples’ faith.

The said Summer Youth Camp was

organized and supervised by GLCC,

but was also a SWSCF-BGB event,

therefore combining the 1st and 2nd

BGB camps with the program.

The three-day program

brought together almost 150 students

both from GLCC and SWCSF, partici-

pating in introductory games and in-

teractive gospel sharing between as-

signed groups. One of the various ac-

tivities in the three-day camp was the

most awaited Amazing Race wherein

the different groups had to race

against time with their creating ex-

clusive strategies to hold the title as

winners in the end. The students and

teachers were also engaged in team

building activities. The SW campers

were accompanied by Jemma San

Pedro and Donald Espenilla, two of

the school’s teachers in charge of the

said event.

By Regine Madayag

BGB YLTC partners with

GLCC for Youth Camp

On May 11, 2013, SWCSF

hosted a Mother’s Day event entitled

“Mothers on the Go”.

The program officially started

at 8:45 AM with Dance Aerobics

which was followed by a light break-

fast at 9:45 AM. The event was con-

cluded by a message from a guest

speaker, Mrs. Anna Mae Gonzales.

Mrs. Magdalen Cayat, mother

of two, stated that she found the event

very enjoyable and lively, and that she

will spend the rest of Mother’s Day

with her kids. Another mother, Mrs.

Suzanne Villanueva said that: “It is

nice to get to know other mother’s ex-

periences”. When asked about Moth-

er’s Day, she simply said: “I think that

we will just eat out and just relax.”

In a father’s perspective,

Teacher Donald Espenilla, remarked:

“This is an important day, we are abl

to see the importance of mothers and

the special opportunity to express the

deep appreciation we have for them.

And this day, we are really able to

focus on the unnoticed efforts of

moms.”

By Noel Mozart Diaz

Mothers On The Go

ZUMBA. Photo taken by Teacher Irene Domondon.

3

NEWS

By Maia Boncan

SW conducts

outreach in Camp

7 Elementary

Last May 13, 2013 was the day of

the Philippine National and Local Elec-

tions. For the campaigning of candidates

for Congressman, Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and

Councilor, COMELEC had set January 13,

2013 as the beginning of the election peri-

od. There were over 52 million eligible vot-

ers to vote for the 18,000 positions. In ad-

dition, police and military forces were put

on higher alert for expectations of violence

during the campaign which had resulted

in about 60 deaths since the campaigning

period had begun.

As of the Baguio-Benguet elec-

tions, there had been a total of 90,048 of

146,230 registered voters, with 186 of 215

election returns. The top candidates of the

local election go as follows: Nicasio Aliping

Jr. as Congressman, with a total of 33,402

votes; Mauricio Domogan as Mayor, with a

total of 43,218 votes; Daniel Fariñas as

Vice-Mayor, with a total of 67,883 votes;

and Edison Bilog as Councilor, with a total

of 46,566 votes.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

By Corinne Casas

Philippine

Elections 2013

Disasters are inevitable, and it

is everyone’s responsibility to

prepare for them. That is why

Small World Christian School

Foundation has the annual

Disaster Week – which has a

compilation of activities to edu-

cate and prepare students for

possible natural disasters. This

year, the school’s Disaster

Week was held from August 1

to August10. The activity schedule included a simulation drill to be done

by the entire school and lectures from different response groups in Baguio;

namely the Baguio City Fire Department, Baguio City Police Department,

and the BB-PICAG (Baguio-Benguet Public Information and Civic Action

Group Philippines, Inc.)

The simulation earthquake drill was designed to be as realistic as

possible in order to adequately practice emergency evacuation and proce-

dures. The teachers mobilized and prepared the student response teams

as well, to train them and teach them what to do. Four student teams

were gathered from the high school department: the Fire Brigade, Search

and Rescue, and the Medical Team. Students in these teams were given

training beforehand, such as how to properly extinguish fires, proper car-

rying and patient transport techniques, and adequate bandaging and first

aid. Certain students and teachers were also picked to play the roles of

victims, and actual fires and obstacles were situated around the school to

make the simulation more realistic.

At the sound of a long bell, all students and teachers would prac-

tice the duck, cover and hold technique and wait for the bell to stop. After-

wards, all students and teachers would calmly exit the school building

and gather per class in the designated safe zone: the school’s basketball

court. After the teachers and class presidents conducted head counts,

numbers would be reported in order to see if any had been left behind.

After doing so, members of faculty would do a primary sweep of the build-

ing and outline the hazardous and unsafe places. When deemed ready, the

student teams would mobilize in order to begin the search and rescue.

Medical teams were stationed at the court while some first aiders accom-

panied the able-bodied search and rescue teams. “Victims” were posi-

tioned inside classrooms and in different areas around the school. The

“injuries” ranged from mere panic attacks to spinal injury to even death.

The most severe injuries required the students to perform spine board

immobilization, which they accomplished.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

On March 1, 2013, the students of

Small World Christian School Foundation

went to Camp 7 Elementary School for the

annual H.E.A.R.T. Reach. For this

H.E.A.R.T. Reach Program, as Teacher

Jons Aquicio mentions, “We extend sup-

port to a group, community, or institution

for a certain amount of years. And my fa-

vorite part is to see students their school

giving us a warm welcome, participating

in our activities, and showing interest in

what we are doing. They even asked us to

come back!” There were selected primary

students and Grades 5 to 10 who came to

help the Camp 7 students grow in their

knowledge in Health, the Environment,

Aesthetics, Recreation, and as we do our

task of Teaching.

The high school students readily

transported noodles and soup for the chil-

dren. However, it was a challenging task

that Teacher Jons commends, “I would say

that our students really did a good job, and

no one got tired bringing the thermos [that

had soup inside] from our school to another

school. The high school boys were tired but

didn’t complain. They were eager to be com-

manded.” Simultaneously, other high school

students were teaching the children how to

make seat cushions out of used snack wrap-

pers, or were teaching the children about

the Word of God; the noodles and soup ar-

rived promptly in each designated class-

room.

Both of the school’s students and

teachers had an hour of lunch break after-

wards. Teachers told exciting stories about

their earlier experiences of teaching to us.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

By Karin Bangsoy

Disaster

Awareness

Week

Last June 17, 2013, Small World

Christian School Foundation held the an-

nual Father’s Day Challenge. The event

started off with the father-son race at

7:30am, and was followed by breakfast at

9:00. Afterwards, an inspirational talk

with Mr. Alexander Bangsoy.

The route began in the school, on

to the highway, and until Camp 7 Elemen-

tary School, where the runners turned

around and started the route back through

Rich Gate Subdivision. The route was 4.5

km in total and was challenging according

to some runners.

The winners were: Mr. Alexander

Cenzon and Anton Calaycay as the first

placers, Mr. Mario Benitez as the oldest

runner, and the Beyom Kim family who

had the biggest number of runners in a

single family. To finish the event, the dads

and the SWCSF team went head-to-head

in a basketball game, where the dads de-

feated the sons to uphold their winning

streak.

By Noel Mozart Diaz

Father’s Day

The Company Camp, a two-day pro-

gram in which students from pre-school up

to Grade 10 were required to participate,

began on the 28th of April lasting until the

next day, the 29th.

The activity, proposed by the Stu-

dent Body Council, was a prerequisite in

order to join the four SWCSF-BGB Young

Leaders Training Camps.

“God as the Creator of All Things,”

the program’s theme, was the subject mat-

ter of all activities that were to be done

during the camp, such were the role plays

regarding the six days of creation and the

gospel teaching by Teacher Jons Aquicio.

The students from grades 5 to 10

were to stay overnight, having enough

time to bond with other school mates

through cooking their own meals and per-

forming skits in front of the others.

The students were dismissed at 12

noon the next day.

By Sean Tristan Francisco

First SWCSF

Company Camp

By Karin Bangsoy

SW coordinates with World

Vision for Market Fair 2013

The World Vision Market

Fair at Small World was a first-

time occurrence, although the

school has been raising money for

World Vision for four years. This

year, on July 26, Small World opted

to have a market fair instead of a

DIY Famine. Organized by the Stu-

dent Body Council in cooperation

with World Vision, the school raised

enough funds to continue their

sponsorship of 14 children for one

more year.

Students and faculty were

divided into 4 teams: Purple, Red,

Green, and Blue. Each team was

tasked to raise as much funds as

they could through activities and

selling of food and merchandise. In

order to keep track of the money

circulation, tarpo currency was im-

plemented. One “tarpo” was bought

for PhP 11 with a worth of PhP 10.

The one peso was given to World

Vision. Items and activities were

sold and bought in tarpo money.

The Market Fair was a

whole day affair, although the

teams had started raising money in

the days before. Activities included

games such as the Playstation3,

Wii, facepainting, and others. Food

was also sold on that day. After all

the tarpos had been remitted and

money counted, the Red Team

emerged as the victor.

The money earned from the

Market Fair will all go to the con-

tinuation of Small World’s sponsor-

ship of 14 children through World

Vision’s child sponsorship program.

4

FEATURE

By Nicole Anne Carmen

Dauntless Destinations

Senior year!

Without a doubt, is the

best time for us to decide

on our college courses

and to focus on our cho-

sen field. This is a very

essential decision to an

incoming college fresh-

man’s life simply be-

cause this decision will

lead each one of us to

our future and our ca-

reer relies on it as well.

We started our

journey on the evening

of February 18, 2013,

using the school’s new

coaster with Manong

Joey as our driver. On

the 19th, we had our

breakfast in McDonalds

and afterwards, the first

university we visited

was UE, or the Universi-

ty of the East. It is locat-

ed at Recto Avenue, Ma-

nila, and is owned by

Lucio Tan. The people

were very welcoming,

hospitable, and the tour

they gave us was very

informative. The campus

had six libraries and

each one was very amus-

ing. Moreover, dentistry

is one of their top cours-

es and the building they

have for it was impres-

sive. Imagine a floor full

of dental chairs, dentis-

try students, patients,

and the scent of the den-

tal clinic – all in one. We

also had our lunch in

their cafeteria.

Our second des-

tination was located in

McKinley Hill, Fort Bon-

ifacio, Taguig. We were

going to the luxurious

university, Enderun.

Our very own alumnus,

ate Zheri de Vera, gave

us a tour around the

campus and enlightened

us about her school. The

campus was astonishing,

prestigious, and it made

us feel like we were in a

different country. I

would highly recom-

mend this university if

you have courses like

culinary arts or Hotel

and Restaurant Manage-

ment in mind. Wearing

your corporate attire

every day is like your

own school uniform and

that sophisticated-look

would definitely be seen

in you. The campus’ caf-

eteria looked more of a

restaurant and eating

there was very delight-

ful. The food they served

was very appetizing and

the ambiance was also

very uplifting.

For the second

day of our campus tour,

we were headed to the

home of the Blue Eagles

– Ateneo. If you’re the

type of person who is

business-minded and

you’re up for courses

related to that, you

should absolutely con-

sider this university. In

touring the campus, we

were divided into two

groups. The other group

was led by Small World’s

alumnus, kuya Tim Ru-

fino and the other group

was led by other Ateneo

students. During the

tour, we met some of the

Small World Alumni.

Going around the cam-

pus made us feel like we

were actually students

of the university and the

experience was a blast.

As we went to the souve-

nir shop, we made sure

all of us had that “I

PRE-COLLEGE. The Grade 10 students are introduced to college life at various colleges:

(clockwise from left) Enderun Colleges, Far Eastern University, De La Salle—College of

Saint Benilde, -Photos by Gian Estandian and Grace Garcia

A Flambeaux Foray By Prezil Dana Ong

The Grade 8 class was very

eager to have their much-awaited

Ilocos Fieldtrip. It was our first field-

trip that was quite distant from Ba-

guio and going as a class was exciting

for each of us. The fieldtrip was from

February 4 to February 6. Those are

the days we will cherish for the rest

of our youth as we get ready to em-

bark on a journey that we will not

easily forget. It was a 7 hour trip;

however no one was bored because

everybody was overjoyed!

Reaching Ilocos, the first

place that we visited was the Cotton

Farm. In here, we learned about the

different types of cotton and how

each of them grew. It was very fasci-

nating. Next, we were headed to the

historical Paoay Church. One story

we learned about the said church was

that the bell would be rang more and

louder each time if it's the wedding of

a prominent family. Our next desti-

nation is the Sinking Bell Tower. We

were surprised when we were told

that the Sinking Bell Tower sinks an

inch every year! We also visited the

Tobacco Monopoly and learned more

about the place and why it was called

such. For some of us like me, we had

a chance to taste a dragon fruit for

the first time when we went to the

REFMAD Dragon Fruit Farm.

We then headed to the wind-

mills located at Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

It is the first "wind farm" in the Phil-

ippines and considered to be the big-

gest in Southeast Asia, providing

40% of the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

ILOCANDIA. The Grade 8 students experience living history at Ilocos Sur and

Ilocos Norte. –Photoa by Maia Boncan

5

FEATURE

Magnanimous Mission By Gail Viaje

It was a Monday and we,

the Grade 9 Magnanimous class

was beaming with excitement for

what we used to dream was about

to become a reality. Our trip to

Zambales was just a sleep away.

When I got to the lobby,

everybody was giddy from thought

of going to this place unknown to

them with the people who they

came to know as family. I too, was

very eager to hop on the bus and

go to what was going to be consid-

ered as the trip of the year. While

everyone was aboard in the bus,

the speakers were brought out and

most of us sang along to the Pitch

Perfect rendition of Kelly Clark-

son’s Since You Been Gone. Sing-

ing or not, we were all happy.

As we reach Pundaquit,

Zambales, the sun was scorching

and many were noting how hot it

was! It was like being a penguin in

the dessert. After getting settled,

we headed to a small pantalan or

dock to stay in Nagsasa Cove, a

small inlet at the Bay of Nagsasa.

The class was divided into two

boats since our class was too big

(figuratively and literally) to fit in

one boat. I was aboard the second

boat which took about fifteen

minutes to get to shore. In the

middle of the boat ride, our boat

stopped! Everyone on the boat was

blaming those of relatively larger

mass than the rest of us. However,

after a few pulls here and there,

the boat was up and about! After

fifteen or so minutes of loud boat

shrills, we arrived safely at Nag-

sasa cove, and boy, was everyone

glad to be back on land.

We were ready set to hike

up a mountain for a refreshing

swim at the infamous waterfalls

after eating our breakfast of Mai-

ling meatloaves, Ligo Mackerel

canned goods of all kinds. As we

got to our destination, we were

somehow disappointed for the wa-

terfalls have dried out. On the

bright side, the water was cold!

Just what our scorched bodies

needed. Even if there was no wa-

terfall, we had fun spending hours

of splashing each other and show-

ing of acrobatic tricks. Once every-

one has refreshed themselves, we

headed back to camp to eat lunch.

All that walking and trekking

made us like ravenous creatures,

tired and hungry. Hiking up a

mountain in slippers is not easy, I

tell you.

Although we were enjoy-

ing the waves, goofing around, we

were not wholeheartedly wel-

comed by the sea as Teacher Vi-

rene was stung by an invisible

creature of the water, a jellyfish.

Nevertheless Teacher Vie was still

smiling and grateful that she was

the one who got stung and not us.

Talk about martyrdom! When we

were all worn-out from swimming

to and fro, we had dinner of what

came to be the food of the trip:

canned goods! Even after hiking,

swimming and whatnot, we were

not yet tired! We still decided to

play and run around the shore

line. Slowly getting exhausted

from playing, all of us simply lied

down, looked at the stars and sang

Pitch Perfect songs. The following

day, it was time to say good-bye to

the hidden paradise. Nonetheless,

before leaving for an open sea

swim, we took pictures with the

kind manongs of Nagsasa Cove

and bid farewell.

Having arrived at the re-

sort in Iba, Zambales, everyone

stood in awe of how beautiful the

place was! The place was clean

and serene. After settling down,

playing pool, and swimming, we

headed to their town center to eat.

All of us were excited to finally be

able to eat real food. Our livers

were probably as strained as we

were. It was also Argylle’s birth-

day, so we requested the live band

to greet and sing him a happy

birthday! It must have been a

memorable birthday for him!

When we finished eating, we

looked around, bought some

things and headed back to the re-

sort to prepare for what the high-

light of the trip was: cooking for a

family and meeting our sponsored

children.

With some few hours of

sleep, it was time to say goodbye

to my bed, but it seemed to sing to

me, “Baby, come back!” As much

as I hated having to leave, it was

time to go and experience a once

in a lifetime opportunity. Every-

one was very excited to be able to

meet the children we had been

writing letters to. It was like

meeting old new friends. As soon

as we arrived Lupang Pangako,

we were offered kamote and saba.

And to our excitement, our spon-

sored children were there! We

cheerfully walked over to them

and started small talks about how

they were. We also planted trees

using their method of planting,

taught the children the Word of

God and how much He loves us,

and held some games for the kids.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Showcasing Ipoh By Karin Bangsoy

Coming from a country

where our main exposure to Ma-

laysian culture is the dubious Dis-

ney show of Upin and Ipin, we did-

n’t know what to expect when we

landed on Malaysian soil. Howev-

er, the show’s view of Malaysia

was very different from the Ipoh

that we experienced during our

stay.

On one of our sightseeing

trips, we were toured around Ipo-

h’s Tin Museum. Ipoh has its roots

as a mining town, as it is sur-

rounded by huge hills of limestone

and tin mines. Through our muse-

um visit, we learned that mining

was an integral part of Ipoh’s his-

tory, although recently bigger cor-

porations are dominating the in-

dustry. But like all of history, Ipoh

started small. In the museum, we

were shown life-size dioramas of

how the first Ipoh miners found

precious metals – the primitive

action of panning the streams and

sifting them in order to come up

with their quota for the day. Simi-

lar to the California Gold Rush,

the Malaysians eventually

brought in more sophisticated

equipment in order to make the

process more efficient. Tin was one

of Ipoh’s main aspects in its econo-

my, and it still thrives up to this

day. Although tin was what main-

ly drove Ipoh’s mining industry,

other substances such as kaolin,

zircon, and limestone were found

in Ipoh’s mines.

Ipoh has also much to offer

in the culinary experience. The

region is famous for its chicken

rice and white coffee, which our

host families ensured we tasted.

Due to its mixture and blend of

cultures, the food was also very

varied. Chicken satay, which is

chicken barbeque dipped in pea-

nut sauce, was one of the common

examples. From the Chinese cul-

ture, noodles and dumplings were

also fairly common. Indian and

Malay food such as roti canai

(Indian bread) and char kway te-

ow (Malaysian savory noodles)

were also in abundance. The food

culture is also very similar to that

of the Philippines in that every

house or food establishment has

its own recipe for a particular

dish. Every gathering became a

feast!

Guided by Malaysian

teachers and students, teacher

Virene Azarcon was also able to

experience Ipoh’s Heritage Trail.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

PRE-COLLEGE. The Grade 10 students are introduced

to college life at various colleges: (clockwise from left)

Enderun Colleges, Far Eastern University, De La

PRE-COLLEGE. The Grade 10 students are intro-

duced to college life at various colleges: (clockwise

6

FEATURE

A Unique

Signature in

the World By Noel Mozart Diaz

What is a country? What

makes a country, any country,

unique? Is it the sights, the colors,

the food or the culture? Do any of

these define a country? According to

encyclopedias – yes, they do; but

how do we differentiate our country

from others? What’s the piece of

cloth suspended there, waving in

the wind mean?

It’s our identity, the symbol of

our country, the flag sewn together by

the blood, sweat and tears of the patri-

ots and heroes.

Blue, the faith and belief of our

country, is held in the highest honor

and will continue to wave as we rise

from the many traps that was set for us.

It represents the people, striving to-

wards better futures and presents.

Red, the pride and esteem of the

country, is held lower than any other

symbol in the flag, to keep ourselves

controlled even when taunted – the dis-

cipline of the people. It represents the

blood and dedication of the heroes and

unsung heroes who sowed the seed of

patriotism in the heart of hearts of the

masses.

The stars and the sun represent

the perpetual illumination of our liberty

and freedom; they are symbols that

show that we will never fall to abuse

and tyranny again.

And lastly the white, our equity,

unity and purity, shows the final and

the accomplishment of our independ-

ence. It represents our unity and compe-

tence as a state; it also represents our

democracy through equity.

These are all symbols that mean

something to me. The colors and sym-

bols of the flag-these are what I see be-

yond the casual meanings, beyond

peace, beyond courage and beyond the

façade. This is the flag that sewn to-

gether by countless deaths and uncount-

able drops of blood; this is a flag that is

standing the test of time.

And this is what makes a coun-

try unique; the faith and love of its peo-

ple for it, the hope and beliefs that are

simply symbolized by the flag. And

there is always more to a flag than it

seems.

The Flag

is Raised By Kate Fernandez

What is a country? What

makes a country, any country,

unique? Is it the sights, the colors,

the food or the culture? Do any of

these define a country? According

to encyclopedias – yes, they do;

but how do we differentiate our

country from others? What’s the

piece of cloth suspended there,

waving in the wind mean?

It’s our identity, the sym-

bol of our country, the flag sewn

together by the blood, sweat and

tears of the patriots and heroes.

Blue, the faith and belief

of our country, is held in the high-

est honor and will continue to

wave as we rise from the many

traps that was set for us. It repre-

sents the people, striving towards

better futures and presents.

Red, the pride and esteem

of the country, is held lower than

any other symbol in the flag, to

keep ourselves controlled even

when taunted – the discipline of

the people. It represents the blood

and dedication of the heroes and

unsung heroes who sowed the seed

of patriotism in the heart of hearts

of the masses.

The stars and the sun rep-

resent the perpetual illumination

of our liberty and freedom; they

are symbols that show that we will

never fall to abuse and tyranny

again.

And lastly the white, our

equity, unity and purity, shows

the final and the accomplishment

of our independence. It represents

our unity and competence as a

state; it also represents our de-

mocracy through equity.

These are all symbols that

mean something to me. The colors

and symbols of the flag-these are

what I see beyond the casual

meanings, beyond peace, beyond

courage and beyond the façade.

This is the flag that sewn together

by countless deaths and uncounta-

ble drops of blood; this is a flag

that is standing the test of time.

And this is what makes a

country unique; the faith and love

of its people for it, the hope and

beliefs that are simply symbolized

by the flag. And there is always

more to a flag than it seems.

Manong Bernardo:

The Fireman-Teacher By Kate Fernandez

At first glance, Manong Bernardo seems like

your typical fireman – if firemen could be described

as typical. Certainly the profession deserves more

appreciation than it actually gets, but Manong Ber-

nardo seems to want none of the fame – only the

fulfilment. His humble, easygoing persona belies

what lies underneath: a heart of gold, carried not

just by him but also by his colleagues – the people

who wouldn’t think twice about going into a burning

building.

Manong Bernardo C. Bravo, holding the po-

sition of Senior Fire Officer 2 (Sergeant) has been a

fireman long enough to cultivate a love-hate rela-

tionship with the job. He is 45 years old and has

been a firefighter for 23 years. When asked what he

loved most about the job, he readily answered:

”lahat ng pagod mawawala when you’re able to save

a life.” (All the fatigue goes away when you’re able

to save a life.) It is obvious that he loves what he

does, and begins to talk animatedly about the differ-

ent aspects of being a fireman.

We asked him what his worst fear as fire-

man was. His answer was straight to the point:

“Syempre, ang pag-iiwan sa pamilya. Kase walang

peace of mind kapag tinutulungan mo ang ibang tao

pero iniiwan mo ang pamilya mo. Hindi mo alam

kung iyon ang huli mong pagsakay sa fire truck.

You don’t know.” [(My worst fear is) leaving family.

You can’t have peace of mind while helping other

people but leaving your family. You don’t know if

that would be your last time to ride the fire truck.

You don’t know.]

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

BOSES By Kate Fernandez

Last July 31, 2013, I was

finally able to watch the movie

I’ve been waiting to see; “Boses”

the story of a young boy named

Onyok under the care of an abu-

sive father, but learns to over-

come the trauma he has experi-

enced through the help of music.

Accompanied by other charac-

ters, such as Ariel – a distraught

man who taught Onyok to play

the violin, they were not only

good actors, but good violinists

as well! Watching this movie,

you could really feel the realness

of the fear and pain experienced

by the child. No wonder many

institutions such as the Depart-

ment of Education, Commission

on Higher Education, and World

Vision recommend this film, for

its plot may be simple, but the

message it conveys is indeed,

very powerful and poignant.

Growing up in fear of

getting hurt by my parents was

never a problem of mine. Yes, I

would get spanked as a conse-

quence of doing something

wrong, but I always knew they

did it in love, not in anger or

hate. After watching Boses, it

made me realize how blessed I

am with parents who love me

and do not hurt me out of anger.

It also made appreciate them,

despite my shortcomings and

hardheadedness, they are still

patient with and they still do

their best to provide for my

needs.

Another great point

greatly stated in the movie is the

ability of music to bring peace to

one’s heart. This just proves that

music is a great therapy, and

that it is not just for the old, but

for everyone.

This film is not only for

those who experience the pain

and trauma caused by abuse,

but also for the bully, that they

will also have their day.

I highly recommend this

for children and parents alike,

and surely their hearts will be

touched and they will not leave

the cinema unaffected

by this movie.

PHILIPPINE FLAG ART. Photo from deviantART.com

7

LITERATURE

The Sea By Gail Viaje

Oh, the waves I miss,

I hear it crash over me,

Oh, the sea I truly miss,

Please come back to me

Sterile

I was sent to a place,

Clean and wiped,

I was dressed and designed,

Gorgeous in sight,

I was hot and steaming,

Beneath the fresh air,

Nothing dirty,

No bugs, no hair.

But then I was sent to this reeking loca-

tion,

The worst feeling, the worst sensation,

I was chewed, and mashed, I was grind-

ed up,

And the sudden grasp, I was set-up!

A large sound in that certain location,

Down I went, with the worst frustra-

tion,

I looked at myself, as unsightly I was,

I remembered the minutes,

Those short, precious minutes,

I was beautiful and gorgeous,

By David Bae

The Eyes of a Wanderer By David Bae

The eyes of a wanderer,

Though how curious it may be,

Not knowing what will happen,

Until the eyes are there to see,

The eyes of a wanderer,

Though its sight so wide,

Can still figure out,

A spheres tiniest side.

Made of More By Jeremy Javillonar

“There is a titillating pleasure in looking back at the past and asking

oneself, “what would have happened if …” and substituting one chance

occurrence for another, observing how, from a gray, barren, humdrum

moment in one’s life, there grows forth a marvelous rosy event that in

reality had failed to flower. A mysterious thing, this branching struc-

ture of life: one senses in every instant a parting of ways, a “thus” and

an “otherwise,” with innumerable dazzling zigzags bifurcating and

trifurcating against the dark background of the past.”

- The Eye, Vladimir Nabokov

The works of human kind, books and writings go back thousands of

years in history. Writings that express character in ways such as biog-

raphies, novels, poems, and books; literature is the form of communi-

cation that we use for understanding problems. And to express ideas

that are of great interest to a numerous number of people. Literature

is a great accomplishment towards how, past and present, humans use

to record special events, rare extraordinary phenomena, etc.

Philosophers, historians, poets, and writers; these are people

who practice that art of literature, people who love to study literature.

Love of literature drives our thirst to know, discover, and explore, to

inevitably be curious. This love makes us do things that extend our

reach and expand our thinking. It isn’t simply about the words and

floating adjectives. It is made of so much more. It is made up of all the

identities of countless writers. It is made up of the passion of different

generations. It is simply made of more, more than what we know.

Pessimism Deterred By Karin Bangsoy

Kept for another time

All the dreams of yes-

terday

Shelved and boxed

and put away

Never again to see the

light of day

You thought that they

were superficial

Birds without wings

set into motion

Sometimes you don’t

need to fly to touch

the sky

I don’t know if you see

it

My dreams, my hopes

Wrapped up in it

Hidden away, you’ll

never find it

And that’s the joy of

keeping it.

By Katherine Ang

I was walking in the sky. I felt like a butterfly.

The clouds were my home. Everything was illuminat-

ed with the sun’s gracious light. When I look up I see

a haze of blue that slowly changes as the sun goes to

bed. When I look down I see the earth’s colors.

I was walking in the sky. I felt like a butterfly

One day the clouds broke away. I fell like the fallen.

I crashed on the earth. The blow was hard and pain-

ful. The rock pierced my skin. I look down to find my-

self divided. I cried and cried, for my other half

couldn’t. I have the eyes and she has the legs.

That day the clouds broke away. I fell like the fallen.

I went to the heavens. My arms climbed up the high

mountains.

I knocked on the saintly gates hoping to get in. I

pleaded with the guard. I was the upper half. Surely

I belonged among the saintly. I had a mouth to sing

and hands to pray. But I did not have legs to kneel.

“You are too broken,” he told me.

I went to the heavens. My arms climbed down the

high mountains.

She went to the pits of hell. Her legs moved down.

She knocked on the gates of hell hoping to get in. She

stood there silently. She was the lower half. Surely

she belonged among the sinners. Her legs can com-

mit all harm. But she did not have the mouth to

speak. “You are too broken, even for hell,” he told

her.

She went to the pits of hell. Her legs moved up.

We should shed a thousand tears. But she could not

cry, so I cried two thousand.

We walked around aimlessly hoping to belong. But

neither heaven nor hell wanted us. We were imper-

fect- destroyed and separated. Nobody wanted the

imperfect. Nobody wanted us. We were rejected.

We should shed a thousand tears. But she could not

cry, so I cried two thousand.

In all those years of being lost, I found her. And she

found me.

Now we were complete again. We were the whole

that we should be. We had eyes to see, a mouth to

speak, and legs to walk the miles. We were not per-

fect anymore but at least we were whole.

In all those years of being lost, I found her. And she

found me.

Now heaven wanted us. Hell wanted us.

But we did not want them. They turned us away be-

cause we were not complete. They were too perfect to

be tarnished by our flaws. Now we turned them away

because we still aren’t complete. We are still broken.

Now heaven wanted us. Hell wanted us.

We gathered my tears. Now it is a sea.

We accept anyone, we accept the imperfect. We ac-

cept man whose body was dumped on our shores. We

accept the woman who jumped from the cliffs. Our

arms wrap around them, because we know how being

broken feels like.

We gathered my tears. Now it’s a sea.

Because we were unwanted.

Fire

Burning

So bright,

Without control

Things can’t go right.

A little spark can make fire,

And if not careful, it’ll be very dire,

Fire helps hum survive, abused and it will deploy,

The great destruction of many lives with fire that’s finally employed.

But in the bright side, fire is why we are here, why we live today,

But keep in mind that great fear of carelessness and dismay.

We use fire for many things, like cooking and warmness.

And to us it brings life, hope and brightness.

Energy, Power, and Rebirth Because I Was Unwanted

The Flame By Philip Ang

8

ENTERTAINMENT

ALBANIA

ANDORRA

ARMENIA

AUSTRIA

AZERBAIJAN

BELARUS

BELGIUM

BOSNIA

-HERZEGOVINA

BULGARIA

CROATIA

CYPRUS

CZECH REPUB-

LIC

DENMARK

ENGLAND

ESTONIA

FINLAND

FRANCE

GEORGIA

GERMANY

GREECE

HUNGARY

ICELAND

IRELAND

ITALY

LATVIA

LIECHTEN-

STEIN

LITHUANIA

LUXEMBOURG

MACEDONIA

MALTA

MOLDOVA

MONACO

NETHERLANDS

NORTHERN IRELAND

NORWAY

POLAND

PORTUGAL

ROMANIA

RUSSIAN FEDERA-

TION

SAN MARINO

SCOTLAND

SLOVAKIA

SLOVENIA

SPAIN

SWEDEN

SWITZERLAND

TURKEY

UKRAINE

SERBIA/MONTENEGRO

VATICAN CITY

WALES

Countries of Europe Find and circle all the Countries of Europe

that are hidden in the grid.

Divergent By Kate Fernandez

The book is actually of

a dystopian genre. It

introduces its readers

to a society that isn’t

so idealistic, but dif-

ferent from the world

we live in. The world

has been grouped into

five different factions,

all equally contrib-

uting to civilization.

There was Abnegation

- the selfless, Candor-

the honest, Dauntless-

the brave, Erudite-

the intelligent and

Amity- the peaceful.

At sixteen, under one

of these factions, is

where every individu-

al must decide to be-

long to. Choose to stay

and live as you’ve

lived before or aban-

don the past and enter

a new domain. Your

decision will dictate

your fate forever.

But what if you were-

n’t fit for any? What if

you weren't limited to

one preference among

five choices? What if

you were different?

All her life, Beatrice

Prior was taught to

always give way to

others. The walls built

around her were de-

signed to remind

her that others

had to go first.

But as much as

she tried to con-

vince herself that

she belonged to

Abnegation, she

knew she didn’t.

She was merely

living life to meet

the expectations of

others. Then where

did she belong? What

was she? But most

importantly, who was

she?

She meets the turna-

round after finding

out the aptitude test

results. She wasn’t

made for one faction

at all, because she

was fit for three, Ab-

negation, Dauntless

and Erudite. Although

it seemed promising

to be a Divergent, it

wasn’t conventional.

And that made her a

threat, a threat to

those who wanted to

be in control.

But the old Beatrice

Prior just isn’t who

she used to be. She is

now Tris, stronger

and determined. With

a hint of willpower

and motivation, she is

compelled to make it

through the Dauntless

initiation. In an at-

tempt to face her

fears, she surrounds

herself with people

who can aid and brace

her. She meets Four,

who happens to be a

Dauntless instructor.

But she finds out he’s

more than that. He

was also from Abnega-

tion. He was a fellow

Divergent. And he had

the answers she need-

ed.

Along with her com-

panions, she embarks

on a ride that’ll

change everything.

Their seemingly flaw-

less society actually

isn’t as good as it

sounds. And although

Tris is bound to con-

cealing her being a

Divergent, she be-

lieves that disclosing

it may be the solution

to fixing a world that’s

falling apart. And alt-

hough it seems hope-

ful, it may also be the

key to her oblitera-

tion. She doesn’t know

how it will end, but

she knew it was about

time to wake up from

the horrible night-

mares and fears. It

was time to embrace

difference. And it was

time someone started

trying.

This story is about

deciding for you and

for others. All our

choices come at a cost.

Now, are we willing to

meet the prerequisites

of our daily battles to

sustain ourselves and

others? Are we willing

to pay the necessary

balances to ensure

hope? Are we willing

to risk a seemingly

perfect today for an

uncertain tomorrow?

DIVERGENT. Photo from

BookTwirps.com

Photo from deviantART.com

It’s flagrant light,

Shinning in the gloom,

With its undying sight,

Whether in cave or in

tomb,

Its shimmering beam,

Though how small it

may seem,

Like a flower that

blooms,

Soon,

Spreading to every

room.

Fire

9

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Latest gadgets you say?

Apple has been in the

world of business since the year

1976 which is founded by the fa-

mous Steve Jobs (1955-2011). Ste-

ve Jobs has made an incredible

change in the world of technology.

He has been famous for his origi-

nal iPhone, which has been devel-

oped over the years. Do you want

an inner look to Apple’s latest

gadgets?..

Here is the famous iPhone

5 by Apple. We heard some stories

that it is one of the world’s great-

est gadgets ever invented. But I

want to show you my opinions and

experiences about the iPhone 5.

Yes, the iPhone 5 can be the latest

gadget in world but, there are

some features that are still has

that apple signature.

I will first talk to you

about its differences and similari-

ties between the past gadget which

is the iPhone 4s. I have to say that

the iPhone 5 doesn’t have that

much difference as the iPhone 4s.

The shape and texture of its frame

and body has been changed into

something thinner, yes but, how

about its difference in the gadget

itself?

The iPhone 5 has that

unique and smaller charger that

can go any way you want when

you put in the USB connector, un-

like the iPhone 4s, you can’t actu-

ally have that both-ways charger.

It also has new ear pods which has

a better quality in the sound of

your music. The iPhone 5 also has

8 hours of battery life with the use

of your internet or WiFi Connec-

tion while the iPhone 4s has only 6

hours of battery life. Its camera’s

quality has the same 8 megapixels

as the iPhone 4s. And finally, the

iPhone 5 is lighter than the iPhone

4s.

The new iPhone 5 is an

excellent gadget and the prices has

gone off lower in stores right now.

Just have some responsibility in

taking care of it and you will be

fine. I have been very happy with

my iPhone 5 and I hope that you

will be funned of it too.

iPhone 5 Student Review By Grace Garcia

APPLE iPHONE 5. Photo from Forbes.com

Microsoft has unveiled

its new and improved version of

their operating system named

Windows 8. It has a new metro

design and a new full screen

‘Start’ screen with Live Tiles

which replaces all the small

icons in the Start menu from the

past versions of the operating

system. More features have been

added to the operating system

such as the new Marketplace

where you can download applica-

tions like Facebook, Twitter, and

YouTube- limiting the use of the

internet browser. They also re-

moved the Start button in the

taskbar because of the new Start

screen. They also unveiled new

tile logos during the launch.

And it doesn’t stop there,

Microsoft announced another

sweet surprise! They unveiled

that all desktop computers, tab-

lets and laptops will have a bet-

ter experience with Windows 8

since that this operating system

has touch capability. You won’t

need a mouse to go around open-

ing a file or a keyboard to type a

document. With that being said,

Microsoft also launched their

own line of tablet computers

running the new OS that you

can detach the keyboard so that

it can turn into a tablet.

The pros of this Operating

System is that it has a more

clean design with respect to the

desktop interface. Another is

that it is more responsive when

it comes to updates. The cons,

it’s hard to navigate throughout

the whole new Start Screen un-

less your ultrabook half a tablet

and half a laptop.

With the launch of this

new Operating System, Mi-

crosoft also launched a new line

of ultrabooks called Surface and

a new whole design of the Win-

dows and Microsoft logo.

Metro User Interfaces

and touchscreen operating sys-

tems are just the beginning of

the new digital age. We will ex-

pect more improvement in the

world of technology in the future

as it continues to grow.

Within regards to answer

the question whether it is better

than the previous version, Win-

dows 7, it depends on the user.

Windows 8 brought a new

desktop experience that may

need a long time to get use to.

Windows 8 By Vohn Benedict Duran

Apple-manufacturer and

developer of iPhones, iPads, and

iPods- is on the decline. As seen

in declining shares and profit,

Apple is losing a large portion of

its customers to its other com-

petitors. By comparison, Sam-

sung is doing much better with

its modestly priced phones and

effective operating systems.

Over the past few months, Apple

has released a number of new

products which helped ease the

low earnings of the iPhone 5.

However, even these products

received much criticism due to

their glitches, flaws, and contro-

versial properties.

Many people specu-

late that the decline is due to the

absence of former CEO Steve

Jobs- after all he was the person

who turned Apple into the global

market it is today. However, Ap-

ple co-founder, Steve Wozniak,

dubbed Apple’s recent flops as

just ‘a bad day’ for Apple.

However, Apple’s de-

cline is getting more and more

evident. Unless it can come up

with a completely new product-

one that isn’t just a repackaging

of the previous product- we

might see Apple fall to other

competitors.

The Decline of Apple, Inc. By Noel Mozart Diaz

“ - Elbert Hubbary

The machine does not isolate man from the great problems of nature

but plunges him more deeplyinto them. “ - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

THE NEW MICROSOFT. Photos from Wikipedia.org

THE iPAD MINI WITH A ROTTEN APPLE. Photo from GIZMODO.com

10

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

This plain periodic table

(characterized only by dots),

is created by graphic designer

Alison Haigh. Haigh is cur-

rently a graphic designer in

Proud Creative, a creatively

led multidisciplinary design

studio based in London.

Each element in this

easy-to-read periodic table is

presented with only the visu-

alization of its electronic

structure, instead of the actu-

al numbers and letters. An

element’s electrons are pre-

cisely displayed only by dots.

Getting Hydrogen as an ex-

ample, having only 1 elec-

tron, is represented by a sin-

gle dot in the upper left hand

corner of the picture.

The electron orbit level,

with the corresponding num-

ber of electrons in each, is

also shown in an element’s

dot representation as like 2 in

the first orbital, 8 in the sec-

ond and so on and so forth.

Here is a closer look at

an example: the radioactive

synthetic element Copernici-

um, which has an atomic

number of 112.

The Periodic Table of

Elements in Dots By Regine Madayag

THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS, IN ELECTRONIC

STRUCTURE. Photo by Allison Haigh

COPERNICUM 112 Pho-

to by Allison Haigh

SUPER SCIENCE. Grade 7 students portrayal of their own heroes from Science & Technology.

2013 International Consumer Electronics Show which was on January 8-11, 2013

The Light Toshiba Ultrabook U925t Meet the new Samsung Curved OLED TV

The new, waterproof , yes waterproof! Sony Xperia Z.

11

OPINION

Little Steps

By Nicole Anne Carmen

“I want my mommy!” says the little girl to her

teacher. She then starts crying and shouting

”MOMMYYYYYY!” as she would chase after her, trying

to cling on to mommy’s legs. The preparatory years,

how can I ever forget? As I look back to those years, I

can’t stop but think, “I’m really growing up!” When I

was in pre-school, I remember seeing kids like me cry-

ing because they want to go home, seeing kids playing

around, chasing each other or the “I have my own

world” type who stays alone in the corner. I was a jolly,

little fat child and to me, school was like a huge learn-

ing playground. SWCSF pre-school uniform with

matching knee-high socks, bunned pigtails tied with

colourful fluffy hair ties – my usual appearance.

My much-loved hang out area was the swing. I

had the dream of flying. As I swing back and forth, I

just thought of me, embracing the morning breeze and

swinging like there’s no tomorrow. Sadly, we had to

take turns in swinging, so I had to patiently wait for

my turn, again.

Snack time! Oh, definitely my favorite! Open-

ing my Rugrats lunchbox, I was excited to see whatever

I had inside. Cubee, Teenie Winnie, Oreo, drinks like

Dutchmill, Chamito or Chuckie were some of what I

would usually have and I don’t seem to get tired of

them. As I enjoy my baon, my classmates would start

asking each other “What’s your food?” or “May I have?”

Teacher would even join us and tell us stories while

we’re eating. We just can’t help but love her stories! As

soon as we start getting noisy, teacher would remind us

of the Best Behavior Award. If you get this award, you

have the chance to play with the computer games for

about fifteen minutes and your classmates would just

watch you. All of us wanted this award badly, so every

time teacher reminds us to behave, best behaviors up!

“We are going, we are going, now good-bye,

now good-bye, see you all tomorrow, see you all tomor-

row, now good-bye, now good-bye!” Despite how long I

last sang this song, I can still hear me and my class-

mates singing it in my head. Sometimes I would imag-

ine how it would be like if every going home time, we

would still sing this song. Would it still sound as cute

singing it now like it did before? – I don’t think so.

As I arrive home, Blue’s Clues would still be

showing. It was number one favorite cartoon back then,

and believe it or not, but Dora was at the end of that

list. My favourite character was Steve. At times, I

would even imitate him by also having my own Handy-

Dandy Notebook! Trying to draw what Steve drew, I

would feel disappointed they didn’t look like his draw-

ing. Afterwards, Hi-5 would be showing next. Kelly,

Nathan, Kathleen, Charlie and Tim were the best! My

morning would always feel complete watching them.

On the other hand, I miss those shows. I also miss

those days.

Truly, change is inevitable. Time really does

fly fast and the best way to deal with it is to relish each

and every moment. Sometimes, you have to enjoy the

little things and see how big the impact can be in your

life.

With the recent slew of harsh maltreatment of

working Filipinos abroad – executions in China, verbal

and written degradation in Hong Kong, physical abuse in

Taiwan – it is no wonder that even Filipino tourists who

want to take a trip abroad are doubtful and afraid of how

they will be treated. After all, widespread misconception

about the Filipino people has already taken its toll, most

noticeably in the nearest Southeast Asian countries.

In July, nine Filipinos (eight students and one

teacher) pioneered the first undertaking of the school’s

Student-Teacher Exchange Program in Ipoh, Malaysia.

This was almost directly in the time period aftermath of

the recent Malaysia-Philippines conflict over Sabah in

June. In fact, it was delayed because tensions underlying

the issue were still high.

To their pleasant surprise, these delegates experi-

enced none of the animosity that had currently bannered

news reports all over the country. At most, they experi-

enced well-placed curiosity about the Filipino culture and

way of life. What a contrast to the widespread anger and

disgust!

They were taken in and hosted by willing Malaysi-

an families for the entire duration of their stay, and day

after day were completely surprised and amazed by the

generosity and love poured out by these families.

Depressing news reports such as the ones we reg-

ularly see concerning the treatment of Filipinos abroad do

not represent the entire world’s view of the Filipino race.

There are people, nationalities that appreciate what we do

and why we do it. There are people willing to make peace,

willing to forge the first bonds of friendship: and these are

the youth.

When the eight students started their school week

in Wesley Methodist School Ipoh, they were able to expe-

rience the difference of culture in terms of the younger

generation. Malaysia is a melting pot; these eight stu-

dents were able to experience the views and opinions of

the three races that populated Malaysia through their

different classmates. And what they discovered was that

even though these students had heard of the horror sto-

ries and misconceptions about the Philippines, they were

willing to learn the truth.

Seeing this, there is hope for the Filipino abroad.

For even though humans are quick to jump to conclusions

and base their opinions on dramatic events, there is hope

that one day there will be bonds of friendship that will

grow from undertakings such as these, stronger than the

shackles of hate which so enrapture and deceive.

So from we who left our country for nine days to

our kababayans who have been abroad for years, we sa-

lute you. We cannot thank you enough for your sacrifice;

and we want you to know that you are not just held in

high regard in our hearts, but there are those in the world

who see what you do and appreciate you for it. But most

importantly, we beseech you to keep your head up despite

what is happening around you and keep your faith

grounded in the Most High; for with Him, there is always

hope. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday

there will be more bridges for you to cross cultures and

misconceptions, built from these friendships of the yester-

years.

EDITORIAL

From Baguio to Ipoh:

Building Bridges

Tablet Children

By Gail Viaje

Wherever I go, may it be a mall or a restaurant a park

or a party, I always see children, children of all kinds :

quiet ones and noisy ones, or those in dresses or those

in pants, those with scabs on their knees or those fairer

than me. Whichever part in the Philippines you may

be, there will always be children just outside your win-

dow.

But along the side the child, I see not teddy bears ,

dolls, or books, but I see tablets, cellular phones or any-

thing with bright flashing lights. And it got me think-

ing: Are these what children venture out with now a

days?

When I was younger, I remember playing with my

cousin and we would pretend that we owned, as funny

as it may be, a gulaman stand. We would crush Bou-

gainvillea petals and add water to it and that would be

the “gulaman” that we would sell to our older cousins,

and just with that, we were already having fun. But

sometimes, I would drool over the newest Barbie dolls

that get advertised on television and beg my parents to

get me one if I did my best in school. But even if I didn’t

get that, I would cry for a while but I would then be

reminded of my ”kingdom” waiting at home. Yes, I had

a kingdom at home! All thanks to a friend who makes

everything better: my imagination. With that, a double

bunk bed became a secret lair filled with hidden treas-

ures which were really just my toys. Books were also

what I considered to be gems even if I didn’t know how

to read yet. I remember the first book that I was able to

read was something my father bought for 10 pesos at

Book Sale. Even without the latest iPad mini or a Nin-

tendo DS, I could say my childhood was a happy one.

But now a days, all I see are children clinging a tablet

closely to their faces as if their lives depended on it. If

you take it away from them, they’ll throw tantrums and

12

EDITORIAL

Confessions of a Panganay

I am the eldest of five siblings. Needless to say,

mine is quite a different kind of role in the family

compared with my youngest sibling, for example. It is

a role full of responsibility, joy, anger, and yes, even

sadness. These are sentiments that I am sure are

shared with many of my classmates and schoolmates,

expressed many times during idle moments in class.

Growing up, I could hardly remember a time

when there wasn’t a smaller human being crawling

around, following me or just being there, cradled in

Mommy’s arms. For as long as I can remember, there

was always somebody there. And as we grew up,

these somebodies multiplied. Now there are four,

each human beings who are slowly developing into

their own personalities and characters. And I would-

n’t have it any other way. This might seem to be a

strange way to describe a sibling, but honestly there

seemed a time when they didn’t seem like human

beings.

When I was around three years old, my brother

was born. I don’t remember anything from back then,

although my parents told me I would talk to him

when he was “still in mommy’s tummy”. When we

both got older, there were around five years where it

was just him and me. I remember him during those

years as a playmate, one who was very much willing

to engage his Ate in “rough” wrestling on the bed.

Although I don’t remember much, the pictures serve

as evidence to his – shall we say, cute (?) - appear-

ance. But then, I will stop myself before he comes

storming after me for embarrassing him in the Jour-

ney. Suffice it to say that if we wrestled now, he

could probably kill me.

After those five years, my first sister came along.

You can imagine my elated reaction. Finally, another

girl in the house! I was an Ate twice over. I remem-

ber being in grade 2 at that time, excitedly sharing

the news with anyone who would care to listen. In

fact, it even found a place on my narrative for that

term. But my initial happiness was dampened a bit

when my brother and I found out that we would have

to endure nights of endless wailing. It was an una-

voidable situation as our family slept all in one room.

We quickly learned the art of blocking out the cries

and trying our best to sleep before we had to wake up

for school. And this was before either of us had head-

phones.

Then, the next beings entered my life in quick

succession, with only two years in between. After my

sister, another brother came. At this point, I was

slowly accepting that while being an Ate was the best

thing that happened to me, it was not without its low

points. By this time, I was enjoying the feeling of

being the one that Mommy and Daddy put “in-

charge”, lording it over my first brother. Of course,

this also meant that I would usually be blamed even

when I had nothing to do with it, “having to be the

example” and all. This, I am sure, is common to all

oldest children.

After another two years, my youngest sister came

along. I was twelve years old, quite adapted to the

rigours of being an Ate, such as sleeping through the

new-born’s wailing. In all honesty, what was running

through my thoughts at first was, “Oh, another one.”

In retrospect, I realize how easy it was for me to take

them for granted. But now, as all of us are growing

up, I too grow as an Ate because I see how different

each of my siblings are, but I still love them equally.

When they were born, I didn’t feel the typical “first-

child syndrome” where they feel that they are being

replaced or that Mommy and Daddy won’t love them

anymore. I scoffed at the idea, secure in the fact that

my parents would love me still no matter how many

more came along. That, however, didn’t stop me from

playing the ‘I’m-older-so-follow-me’ card to the hilt.

Since the gap between me and my first brother is

only three years, my mom often comments that it

seems the other three are our cousins because of the

obvious age difference. It is now currently described

as the “big ones” and the “three little ones” or the

babies. Recently, my first sister is now balking at

being called a “little one”. She insists that she’s a big

girl now, taking on the name “the big little one”. Af-

ter all, she’s already eight years old. It’s so much

more accurate.

Having been the older sister to babies for so long,

I can honestly say that I cannot believe that they will

grow up. And yet they are, they will and I can’t stop

it. Someday I will come home and realize that they

have indeed grown. Maybe they will be “big little

ones” the first time, and then they’ll be teens going

through puberty the next time Ate comes home. In

fact, I am almost sure that the term “little brothers”

won’t apply anymore in, oh, ten years?

I am leaving home for college soon, and things will

be a little different. I won’t be able to hug them as

often, talk to them as often or even see them every

day. Thanks to technology, it might be possible; but

it won’t be the same. They’ll be growing up too, enter-

ing pre-school, primary, intermediate, and high

school. I’ve gone through all these, and I can say that

although they will be treasured years, they weren’t

easy.

I won’t always be there when my sisters come

home with the news that their friend fought with

them or didn’t want to be friends anymore, or when

my brothers arrive with stories from sports training.

I won’t always be there when the oh-so-detestable

crush makes itself known, when I could console them

and prepare them to endure the constant teasing

while perhaps adding a little of my own (wink). I

won’t always be there, physically.

I think that is the fear of every oldest child: that

your siblings will go through the trials that you go

through now, and the feeling that you can’t shelter

them forever. That sense of protectiveness comes

over you, but you can’t do anything. They will have to

be exposed to the world, and you can only pray that

they will stand strong in the foundations that were

built in their early years.

As I write this, I am surrounded with different

paraphernalia, each telling of a different child and a

different story. The three-year-olds high chair sits

beside the sofa, its covering peeling and covered with

tape so as to last one more baby. That high chair is

another story entirely, for yours truly was the first to

sit in it. Not far from the chair, a pair of football

cleats lies strewn carelessly across the floor, which I

am sure will merit another lecture from Mommy in

the morning while my first brother sheepishly picks

them up and deposits them in their rightful place. In

front of the television set lies the testimony to a six-

year-old boy in the house. The floor is full of dino-

saurs, train tracks (with the trains) and cars as well

as Lego houses painstakingly built. On the sofa, prin-

cess and Barbie dolls abound. Most of these toys were

bought for them, but some were heirlooms from yours

truly.

I cannot help but think that this scene will change

in the next few years, with books hopefully outnum-

bering the toys, when the little boys and girls become

men and women a-star with hopes and dreams. But

until then, I will relish the moments where I can

hug, comfort, and still order them around. Hey, you

train them when they’re young, and they will not

depart from it! So said King Solomon, but I doubt my

version was what he had in mind.

By Karin Bangsoy

Freshman Year

A new year, a new beginning! As a freshman student of this school

year 2013-2014, I find it as a new journey to start off with the high

school life. I know will have more challenges and problems to over-

come, mistakes and failures to learn from and experiences to discov-

er new things. We may not know what these are yet and what they

may bring to us, but surely, we will be able to overcome, discover,

and learn from them. To add to that, God will always be by our side.

He will always be guiding and helping us no matter what we do and

wherever we go in this journey because He is omnipotent and omni-

present.

In this freshman year, this is the perfect quote to define it,

“The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure,

a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights

called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flat tires

called Jobs, but if you have a spare called Determination, an engine

called Perseverance, a driver called God, you will make it to a place

called Success.” This means to say that in life, there are many

things we will go through, but no matter what happens, if we give

our best in doing the things we need to do, it will lead us to success.

Connecting it to us, students, we have to study hard to be successful

in the future.

Everything this year of being a freshman may not go as

some of my classmates or even I would expect: everything will be

easy, will always be having fun, good grades, and more; although,

we all know that when God says "no" to our prayer requests, He has

something better to give us. So now, all in all, I find this school year,

as a freshman, a year to learn new skills to be used for the next

years of high school life.

By Patricia Madayag

I'm not into nostalgia, and I only look back to find lessons. “ - Ian Shrager

As summer arrives (and ends), I can’t help noticing that

this year is going faster and faster. It seems like the older I

get, the faster the years come and go. I remember being

Grade 1 and feeling like that year (2004) was the longest of

my life. Now in Grade 10, it seems like time is just zipping

by.

Like Adele sings, “We were born and raised/in a summer

haze”. Indeed, it may seem to most of us that our childhood

memories are some of the most fleeting, yet most treasured

parts of our lives. We weren’t afraid to run and trip, and per-

haps gain some skinned knees in the process. We weren’t

afraid to make friends. We looked at the world through a

child’s eye: both a blessing and a curse.

And now? We’re teenagers. We are sometimes afraid of

stepping out of our comfort zones, wary of getting hurt or un-

comfortable. Our friendships are erratic, hating this person

one day then spending time with them on the next. We look

at the world somewhat cynically, our wonder replaced with

criticism. And yet, we are much more ready to take on the

world. Dreams and aspirations abound, as well as hopes for

the future.

Such is growing up: bittersweet. And yet, there will al-

ways be the memories. Much more so, there will always be

opportunities to make new ones. In this issue, you will find

new occurrences, old-but-gold happenings, and an extra dose

of nostalgia.

Carpe diem. And while you’re at it, never forget to remember.

EDITOR’S NOTE

13

STEP 2013 from front page

After a while, the Ma-

laysians were then endorsed to

their host families with whom

they would be living with for

nine days. These families were

also in charge of touring the

Malaysian delegates around

Baguio City. Teachers were

not left out – Ms. Nishabel was

hosted by teacher Virene and

Mr. Francis was hosted by the

Peralta family.

It was the same wel-

come for the Philippine delega-

tion. Upon arrival, the Malay-

sian students and teachers

also toured the Philippine del-

egation around WMSI, and

host families welcomed each

delegate. Teacher Virene was

also hosted by Ms. Goh Kai

Lian and Ms. Nishabel. Dur-

ing the course of their stay,

the Malaysian students and

parents also took the time to

show the Filipinos various as-

pects of their culture – such as

the food, language, and differ-

ent tourist spots around Ipoh.

The purpose of having these

students live with host fami-

lies was so that they could ex-

perience closely on a first-hand

basis the Filipino or Malaysian

family, and at the same time

get a feel of Philippine and

Malaysian culture.

The Grade 10 students

of SW brought the Malaysian

delegates to various tourist

spots such as The Mansion,

Mines View, and Camp John

Hay. It was a time for the Ma-

laysians to truly experience

Baguio and all it had to offer.

They were amazed by the dif-

ferent tourist spots and en-

joyed the different views and

scenery. On Sunday, the host

families also took them to

church at Guiding Light Chris-

tian Church. During their time

with the host families, the Ma-

laysian delegates were also

able to taste Filipino food and

also teach games to their host

families. The interaction be-

tween the families and the

delegates was a very integral

part of the program, as it was

the main way for the delegates

to experience the Filipino cul-

ture first hand.

The exchange program

was a way to foster the hospi-

tality of both nations and host

schools. In the same way that

Small World and its host fami-

lies showed Filipino hospitali-

ty to the Malaysian delegates,

the Philippine delegation to

Malaysia also experienced Ma-

laysian hospitality. The Filipi-

no students were also en-

dorsed to Malaysian host fami-

lies, who did all they could to

make the delegates’ stay fun

and enjoyable. They brought

the Filipino students to differ-

ent tourist spots like Ipoh’s

Tin Museum, the Lost World

of Tambun (a waterpark),

night markets like Desert

Street, and historical land-

marks such as Ipoh’s Heritage

Trail. On Sunday, the host

families brought the Philip-

pine delegates to Christ

Church Ipoh. Through this

immersion with the host fami-

lies, the Philippine delegates

were able to experience the

vibrant Malaysian culture.

Another important

aspect of the STEP was the

educational process. Noting

the difference in educational

system – Malaysia implement-

ing the British system and

Philippines implementing the

American system - exchange

students studied in the host

school and experienced their

way of learning. The Malaysi-

an delegates were welcomed

warmly on their first day of

classes. They were divided into

two groups; one group was to

stay with the senior class, and

the other with the junior class.

And with that, the start of the

educational process began.

Although there were

differences between SWCSF

and WMSI, the adjustment

wasn’t hard to do. The Malay-

sian delegates were articulate

enough in English that the

language barrier was not a

problem. They took Small

World high school’s classes

and extra-curricular activities.

The boys learned basketball,

while the girls tried volleyball.

They also joined our art CCAs,

like dance, guitar, drama, and

vocals. Yao and Sze Chee even

joined the vocals club as they

led the singing of “Lupang

Hinirang” for our Pass and

Review BGB (Boys and Girls

Brigade) ceremony. The Ma-

laysian teachers also had the

opportunity to teach Small

World high school classes –

Ms. Nishabel taught English

classes while Mr. Francis

taught history.

Malaysia is a melting

pot of three cultures – Malay,

Chinese, and Indian – so the

language barrier for the Phil-

ippine delegation was a bit

harder to overcome. Delegates

were hosted by Chinese fami-

lies, but the school had Malay

and Indian teachers. In the

same way that the Malaysian

delegates attended Filipino

classes in SWCSF, the Philip-

pine delegation also attended

Bahasa Malay classes in

WMSI. The Filipino students

also attended the school’s aca-

demic classes and extra-

curricular activities such as

playing Net Ball and singing

in the voice choir. Teacher Vi-

rene Azarcon also had the op-

portunity to teach classes such

as biology and volleyball for

physical education.

The last school day for

each program was reserved for

the culminating ceremony. On

their last school day in the

Small World, the Malaysians

showed several presentations

about Malaysia and their

school itself. They also took

the time to thank the school,

teachers, students, and host

families that made their trip

unforgettable. They also had a

try of rappelling from the

fourth floor all the way down

to the school court. Although

some of them were marked

with nervousness and fear of

heights, they still tried, and in

the end found themselves en-

joying it. The Grade 9, in line

with their TLE subject, also

held a special lunch for the

Malaysians, while the Grade 7

presented a skit on Filipino

heroes.

For their presentations

in WMSI on their last school

day, the Philippine delegation

opted to present a dance show-

casing the different cultures of

Luzon, Visayas, and Minda-

nao. They also presented sev-

eral videos: the Department of

Tourism’s “It’s More Fun In

The Philippines” ad, a video

about Baguio City, a school

video showcasing SWCSF, a

video outlining the school’s

different outreach projects,

and an overview video of the

Philippine delegates’ stay in

Malaysia. Except for the ad by

the Department of Tourism,

all the videos were produced

by the students of the Philip-

pine delegation. In turn, the

students of WMSI also pre-

sented several dances – Indian

and Chinese - coming from

their different cultures.

At both closing pro-

grams, certificates and awards

of completion were awarded by

both schools. Mrs. Imelda Ca-

suga and Ms. Goh Kai Lian –

the school heads of SWCSF

and WMSI respectively – ex-

changed tokens of gratitude

and awards of completion. Be-

fore each delegation left, more

tokens and souvenirs were giv-

en to express gratitude. Each

delegation was effective in ac-

complishing the goals of the

program: friendship and fel-

lowship with other Christians

in the ASEAN region, learning

to understand and appreciate

the varied cultures through

first-hand experience and ex-

posure, and improvement of

each host school through the

exchange of students and

teachers.

SBC ELECTIONS from front page

The parties had about a week to

prepare for the campaigning. All

three parties worked hard on their

proper assigned tasks to get the po-

sition as the Student Body Council,

namely everything that was neces-

sary for the campaign, planning for

the school activities they would like

to impose, and preparing the props

and tokens for the students they

would be campaigning to.

Indeed the two-day campaign-

ing was a serious battle between

the parties. During these days that

lasted from January 28 to 29,

ASTIG, STARS, and STEP were

asked to present the students their

ideas of the activities they had

planned for Small World. The stu-

dents had casted their votes a day

after the campaigns and everyone

was to wait for the pending results.

The results came out on Jan-

uary 31. The team whom God called

to be this year’s Student Body

Council is the STEP party. The

STEP candidates were over-

whelmed at the announcement, and

were called over to the stage for the

SBC Oath Taking, with the whole

school witnessing the special event.

Now it is up to STEP to take

responsibility for the school, be-

cause it is by God’s grace that they

were able to get this special posi-

tion. We are continually praying

that God will guide STEP as they

lead us throughout a whole new

school year.

PHIL. ELECTIONS from Page 3

It was a close fight, as the

following top 2 candidates did not

have that far a number of votes

from the winners: Mark Go

(Congressional candidate), having

31,529 votes; Jose Molintas

(Mayoral candidate), having

39,073 votes; and Bobby Ortega

(Council candidate), having 45,340

H.E.A.R.T. REACH from Page 3

While other students rat-

tled on with each other about the

classes they taught, what the reac-

tions of the children were, and who

they found to be the cutest kids.

Humorously enough, some stu-

dents bought small, cheap water

guns. Small World students were

running around, chasing each oth-

er, and laughing at those who were

sprayed. This helped the weary

students, boosting up our strength

to teach even more. After an hour

of food indulging, fun, and story

sharing, we all returned to our

assigned tasks.

The outreach lasted until

the afternoon; Small World stu-

dents were now entering the class-

rooms they haven’t been to yet.

Each of our students wanted to be

there, which aided the passion of

the lesson being taught. Since eve-

ry class was extremely eager to

learn our lessons, it brightened

our day increasingly and we felt

like we were a part of the large,

connected family. It was, as if we

could feel their love for learning.

Later, the primary stu-

dents were brought to the school

so that they could be brought

home already. After an exhausting

day of teaching, the shuttle service

brought the drained, yet satisfied

high school students back to

school. We students loved talking

about how the children at Camp 7

Elementary School reacted to our

lessons, and how they were avid

about our presence there. We all

had a wonderful experience teach-

ing, and most especially, learning

from them. Teacher Jons felt the

same thing as the Small World

students did, “All of us went home

fulfilled.”

DISASTER AWARENESS from Page 3

Victims were brought down to the court

where the stationed medical team took care

of them further. A service vehicle of the

school was commissioned to be the day’s

“ambulance” in order to shuttle the victims

outside of school. In event of a real disaster,

the vehicle would bring them to the nearest

hospital and come back for more victims.

All in all, the simulation drill was a

huge success because it accomplished its

goal of educating the students on what to

do and what not to do when an earthquake

strikes. Another program of the Disaster

Week was the lecture. Different response

groups came to the school to discuss the

different aspects of their job and raise the

students’ awareness on topics such as fire,

crime, and basic responses such as first-aid.

The Baguio Fire Department came

and talked about the dangers of fire in civil-

ian homes and the ways students could pre-

vent a fire from happening. They also

shared about what it was like to be a fire-

man – the different risks and rewards of

the job. In order to raise the students’ safe-

ty awareness, they also gave tips on how to

survive a fire and get out safely. The Ba-

guio Police Department discussed more so-

cial dangers to the students such as crime

and bullying. They outlined safety proce-

dures such as curfew, and they told stu-

dents what to do in case they were the vic-

tims of a crime. The BB-PICAG discussion

was about how students could get involved.

They talked about their first-aid and search

and rescue trainings for civilians and even

invited the high school students who were

of age.

14

DAUNTLESS DESTINATION

from Page 5

they have also won various awards be-

cause of this. Moreover, it is a Chris-

tian School and they put God above all

things. After, traveling to the next uni-

versity took some time because of the

heavy traffic in Manila. As we arrived

the University of Asia and the Pacific

(UA&P) in Pasig, our tour guide wel-

comed us cordially. Business Marketing

is one of the top courses in the universi-

ty and finding your way in the campus

is not a hard thing. The classrooms

were nice and seeing them makes you

feel like you want to try being in one of

them. Our tour guides were active and

even if we were quite weary, their opti-

mistic approach uplifted us and kept us

going.

On the last day of our campus

tour, the first university to start our

day was the University of Santo Tomas

(UST). We had breakfast within the

campus too and by just seeing the cor-

ners of the university, we wanted to

explore. UST is known to be the oldest

existing university in Asia. It is also

known as The Catholic University of

the Philippines. The school has been

standing for about 400 years and along

with this, they have surpassed the

standards. Our class took some time in

taking photos in and out of the campus

because it was antiquated yet exquisite.

The setting also reminded us of the

novel “Noli Me Tangere” by Jose Rizal.

Small World’s alumnus, kuya Marchell

Logronio, gladly spent the tour with us.

If you want to be a doctor or

nurse, or you have that medical edge,

Far Eastern University or FEU is the

school for you. It is located at Sam-

paloc, Manila, and is nearly neighbors

with UE. We were able to experience

how to take care of patients with their

true to life human-dolls and the dolls

were in fact realistic.

Last but surely not the least,

we went to Taft Avenue to tour around

the home of the Green Archers, De La

Salle College of Saint Benilde. In here,

they offer more of the arts and design

courses, one reason why it can be called

an “Arts School.” The campus shows

the view of the city of Manila and the

white paint that colors the walls help

you think clearly, it keeps you relaxed,

and it helps that creative side in you

burst into color. Our tour guides were

very approachable, friendly, and they

gave us so much information about the

school that all of us paid attention to

and enjoyed. The studios, the theatres,

the classrooms, the facilities – it was all

amazing.

Everyone enjoyed one of our

last fieldtrips as a class and it also

made us realize how time flies so fast.

While heading back to Baguio,

all of us started having ideas and clear-

er thoughts of what and where we want

to be, especially as we enter a new sec-

tion of our life, college.

FLAMBEAUX FORAY from Page 5

power requirements of the whole Ilocos

Norte. After the windmills, we went to

the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation,

where we enjoyed and took pictures of

its beautiful scenery. Our last destina-

tion for that day was in Arnulfo's Salt

Farm where we observed how they

made salt.

On the second day, all of us

were excited as we headed to the Fish-

ing Village. There we rode a bangka to

explore around the beautiful scenery of

the lake. Later that day, we had our

outreach project in the Feeding Center.

It was a worthwhile experience, I can

say, to be a part of the feeding program

of that barangay. We were all given the

chance to feed the children, play games

with them, and even teach them some

praise songs. We realized how blessed

we are and to be humble for what we

have. We were also given a chance to

teach at Villamar Elementary School.

The students were very cooperative and

with this, it was easier to manage our

time in teaching. We were entertained

by their joyful and jolly reactions. Tru-

ly, it was unforgettable and the funny

experiences are to cherish.

On our last day in Ilocos, we

went on tour to Marcos' Ancestral

House, also known as his mansion. We

were amazed of the house itself and its

cultural and historical heritage. It had

such fantastic scenery! We then contin-

ued our tour to the Marcos Museum

and Mausoleum where we saw former

President Ferdinand Marcos' timeline

of his childhood until his death. In the

Mausoleum, seeing Marcos’ body laid

there was a “goose bump” experience

for me.

After, we visited the making of

clay-pots. In here, they showed and

taught us how to mold pots which I find

very interesting. We also had a botani-

cal tour at the Hidden Garden where

you can stroll around and see the differ-

ent types of plants they have there.

Time to go to Baluarte Zoo! The

zoo is owned by Gov. Chavit Singson of

Ilocos Sur. He keeps some of his pet

tigers there. We also had a chance to

ride a kalesa within the vicinity. Our

last but definitely not the least destina-

tion was the Crisologo Street, which is

also known as one of Vigan's major at-

tractions. The street is filled with his-

torical heritage of Spanish-style houses

and cobblestone walkway. Being in this

tourist attraction was very exciting,

especially because as you tour around,

the setting of the place is historical,

classy, and magnificent.

I can say that this field trip is a

memorable and enriching experience

for me. It's like a "time machine" expe-

rience that lets you explore and experi-

ence History and at the same time,

have fun.

MAGNANIMOUS MISSION from Page

5

It was finally lunch time a cue for us to

cook for our designated families. I went

to the house of an aling with her fami-

ly, which was the farthest from the

church where we will be gathering lat-

er on with a World Vision staff and one

of our sponsored children. My group

was assigned to cook adobo for a family

of seven and that was when I realized

how hard life outside my comfort zone

is. To them, eating adobo as a viand is

already a feast, but to us, it’s just

something, nothing special that our

yayas or moms would serve to us at the

dinner table every once in a while.

I always knew that there are

many poor people her in the Philip-

pines, but it didn’t really hit me until I

got to be with a family less fortunate

than mine. It’s really different when

you just see it on television. Yes, you

understand their situation, but you

don’t really feel it until you see it in

real life. And with that, I felt absolute-

ly and genuinely blessed that I get to

eat three square meals a day, or some-

times even more; I have a room with no

one to share with while they have to

share a small room with several other

people.

I also got the chance to talk to

one of our sponsored children. He said

he wants to become a seaman when he

grows up. When I asked him why, he

immediately answered because he

wanted to help his family. It made me

teary-eyed, and once again made me

realize that I am truly blessed because

I study without giving much thought to

it, knowing I am not the one who’s go-

ing to feed my family when I graduate.

For him, though, he studies because he

needs to help his family once he’s done

studying.

After cooking our adobo, we

headed back to the church to share

with each other what we have cooked.

Pancit, adobo, and the other viands

that the other groups cooked were all

there. It was pretty exciting for most of

my classmates since it would be the

first time that they would eat using

banana leaves as plates and our fingers

as spoons and forks.

Sadly, it was time to go back

home. The feeling was bittersweet. Bit-

ter since God knows when we’re going

to see each other again, yet sweet be-

cause of the all memories to be remem-

bered, friends that were gained, laugh-

ter that was shared and truths that

were realized.

This trip was full of laughter,

sweat, Pitch Perfect songs, lessons

learned, and lessons gained. If I were

given a chance to go back, I would, in a

heartbeat.

VOICE OF OUR YOUTH from front page

Meanwhile, Katherine claimed

that the being in the competition alone

was reward enough for her. “It was

nice to be able to voice your opinion

without having other people contradict

you,” she stated, “I guess that’s one of

the most beautiful things about being

up there—sharing the stories I experi-

enced in class, sharing the lessons I

never thought I needed. It felt good.

Sharing without losing anything.”

Lucio Tan founded the VoOY

Impromptu Speech Competition in

1989. Its objective is to develop the

Filipino youth’s communication skills

and help them attain world-class profi-

ciency in the English language.

THE FIREMAN-TEACHER

from Page 6

Manong Bernardo comes from a

family of law enforcement. He tells us

that his brothers are all policemen, and

he is the only one to venture into the

profession of firefighting.

At his current age, Manong

Bernardo is 11 years away from retire-

ment. When asked what legacy he

would like to leave to the city and the

fire department, he said: “I would like

to give the best of me.”

Manong Bernardo is not just a

fireman; he is also an informal teacher,

who works mainly for public infor-

mation/education. It is obvious he is

also at ease in teaching – he was the

fire department’s main speaker at the

lecture on fire safety in Small World.

When asked why he worked as a teach-

er, he cited the advantage of being able

to continue his studies. He has worked

14 years as a fire investigator and 8

years as an informal educator, giving

free reviews to interns in Baguio City.

He joined the fire department as an in-

tern at 20 years old, and has continued

in the department until this day.

SHOWCASING IPOH from Page 5

Although mining played a very big

part in Ipoh’s economy, it also has its

own vibrant history and culture. It is

evident alone from the sections of the

region: Menglembu, for example, used

to be a famous mining town, and evi-

dences of it being so are still obvious in

the houses and the buildings. Old

Town Ipoh is the location of many his-

torical landmarks such as Ipoh’s Rail-

way Station, War Memorial, High

Court, and others. New Ipoh, however,

is more modern but still retains its old-

time charm. Not as cosmopolitan as

Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh has much to offer

in its preserved culture without being

too provincial.

All in all, we really enjoyed

experiencing Ipoh and all it has to of-

fer. When we came back to the Philip-

pines and saw Upin and Ipin again, at

least we could confidently say that the

Malaysia we experienced was a far cry

from Disney’s portrayal of it. Terima

kasih! (Thank you!)

15

SPORTS

Goal! Yes, that’s the word everyone

wants to hear during a soccer match.

It brings excitement, thrill, and sus-

pense to the game. Strikers are

trained to make goals, but one thing

hinders them from doing so and they

are Goal Keepers.

Blocking every goal attempt and sacri-

ficing their bodies to help their team

clinch a victory. This is what Jon

Shadrach Codiase Bangsoy’s job on the

soccer field. He has joined numerous

soccer leagues and competitions. Last

December, Jon protected the goal for

the District 2 Team who soon became

the champions in the “Palarong

Panlungsod” where he was awarded

Best Goal Keeper. This was in the

twelve and under age category.

Jon had also been drafted for the team

that represented Baguio during this

year’s CARAA (CAR Athletic Associa-

tion) held last February in Apayao.

The team brought home silver medals.

This was also in the 12 and under age

category.

Next, Jon went on to claim yet another

title of Best Goal Keeper in the Straw-

berry Festival Tournament held in La

Trinidad last March 29-30. Despite

being only twelve years old, he was

able to prove his skills by playing in

the 13 and under category.

Now, Jon is now part of the team

which representing CAR in the 12 and

under category for the Palarong Pam-

bansa which is still ongoing.

GOAL! By JR Baylon

The month of August is the month for

celebrating the Filipino culture includ-

ing Filipino games. As such, it was the

perfect time to set the avenue for the

Palarong Pinoy - a day of enjoying and

celebrating Filipino games where the

whole student body had been divided

into four different colors and teams.

The different team colors were Red,

Yellow, Green, and Blue. These were

the trams that the student body had

been divided among.

Certain examples of games

were the Karera sa Kawayan, where a

group of people would run with bamboo

between their legs and try to get to the

finish before the other teams, and

Tulakan, where bamboo was used to

push forward against the strength of

the opposing team. Basically, the

tulakan game is the opposite of tug-of-

war where you have to overcome the

pulling strength of the enemy team to a

certain extent to win the game. Anoth-

er game which was familiar to the stu-

dents of Small World was Patintero,

where a group of people must pass

through the defense of the other team.

They were supposed to pass without

getting touched by the other team and

whoever can pass through the defense

would give a point to their team. These

were just 3 games that were in the Pal-

arong Pinoy. However, PE teacher Oli-

ver Ongat stated that: “The point of the

games is not a competition, but it was

based on fun and letting the students

enjoy Filipino games.”

The whole-day event devoted to

Filipino games was a fun way to cele-

brate the culture of Philippine enjoy-

ment. The games came from different

parts of the country, and that made it

interesting for many of the students

because they have never seen or played

that type of game before. For many of

the students – especially foreigners -

the new games had them caught in an-

ticipation, suspense and excitement.

The day of fun and excitement had

most of the students lining up to try all

the games they can. Even students who

didn’t have a chance of playing all

games enjoyed how the game was

played by their classmates. The Pala-

rong Pinoy also had a challenge for

every team - win as many games as

you can in order to get points for your

team. At the end of the day, points

were added and a winner was decided

on. At the end of the day, the Green

team bagged the victory for having the

most points in all of the games. Both

Yellow and Red gained the second posi-

tion, leaving the Blue team in 3rd

place.

One day for playing Filipino

games gave the students a sense of

how much fun they could have with the

games of Filipino culture. Next time -

instead of the ubiquitous basketball or

volleyball - why not try patintero?

Palarong Pinoy 2013 By Jeremy Javillonar

The NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant is

suffering from an Achilles Tendon

Injury that he acquired during a cru-

cial 118-116 win over the Golden

State Warriors last April 12, 2013.

The injury occurred just a few

minutes to the end of the game.

There were speculations about how

this occurred, ranging from his over-

time to a possible offence made by

the other team’s defender. But Dr.

Silverman, an orthopedic, discussed

that even if Kobe Bryant didn’t go

overtime this would happen eventu-

ally. Kobe did play professional bas-

ketball for about twenty years, inju-

ries like are bound to happen. Right

now he is sidelined for 6-9 months

and is currently out for the season.

Not only did the injury leave

Kobe devastated, but also his fans.

One die hard Lakers fan from the

SW basketball varsity team said in

an interview, “Kobe is the driving

force that lifts the hopes in the team.

He is a player with skill and talent,

with one goal-- to win. No matter

what happens to him in the process.”

Kobe was one of the reasons but not

the only reason, why the LA Lakers

got so far. Each player has their

share of impressive stats. Like I’ve

mentioned, his driving force rubs off

to his teammates. His ability to hone

not only his abilities but also his

teammates is one of the reasons why

they are in the playoffs.

Rhedge Ballesteros shows his sup-

port for the Lakers even with Kobe

Bryant. He says, “Not only will they

reach the semis but the finals. But

without their key player, Kobe, this

might be a long shot. The LA Lakers

is my team and I’m bleeding purple

and yellow! Lakers All the Way ba-

by!”

It wasn’t the best way to start

of the season, a winner in exchange a

player. The Lakers have a long way

ahead of them. They are currently

struggling in the Playoffs; they’re

uncomfortably sitting in the 7th spot

in the Western Conference with 45

wins and 37 losses.

Fast forward a couple of

games and the Lakers are truly out

off the game. The loss between the

San Antonio Spurs sealed the deal at

103-82. Gasol shot the most points

for the Lakers, but clearly it wasn’t

enough to get them through the play-

offs. This was the most devastating

loss for all the Lakers fans.

Kobe’s Out! By JR Baylon

On June 5, 2013 Net Ball and Captain

Ball was introduced to Small World

Christian School Foundation by Sir

Francis, a teacher from the STEP

(Student-teacher exchange program).

The sports had a mixture of rules that

could be found in other games.

Net Ball is a mixture of soccer, basket-

ball, and American doge ball. It also

resembles water polo, “without the wa-

ter,” Sir Francis would joke. The sport

was pretty simple; each team is made

out of seven members. One would be

the goalie, three attackers, two defend-

ers and a center. The game begins with

a coin toss, to determine the possession

of the ball. The players transport the

ball by dribbling, once the player stops

he/she should pass the ball. They’re

allowed to rotate but they are not al-

lowed to take a step. In terms of scor-

ing, the players have to get it past the

goalie just like soccer. Now the differ-

ence between the two sports is that,

there is a specific boundary where the

defenders of the team can stay but not

the other team’s players. The only way

to score it that area is to jump and

throw the ball past the goalie. Both

feet should not touch the ground. It’s

simple and fun.

Another fun sport that was newly in-

troduced was Captain Ball, a sport that

contains similar mechanics to Frisbee

and basketball. The game starts off

with a jump ball. There are twelve

members, and each team has one cap-

tain. The captain stays at the end of

the court. The ball has to be passed to

the captain to gain a point. Now in this

game the players cannot dribble the

ball but they can have two steps and

pass it on. If they are on the third step

and they haven’t passed it, it becomes

a penalty. It requires both teamwork

and strategy, for the players to pass it

to their captains.

This was a result of the STEP, we

thank Sir Francis and the Malaysian

delegates for sharing these sports with

us.

Net Ball and Captain Ball By Katherine Ang

16

SPORTS

Once again, the SW athletes participated in

the yearly ABBCS Sportsfest. The 8th ABBCS SPUR

Sportsfest participated by those who are part of the As-

sociation of Baguio-Benguet Christian Schools, was

held from January 31- February 2 at the Wangal Sports

Complex for the Track and Field participants and Hope

Christian School Academy, La Trinidad for the other

held events, namely: basketball, volleyball, badminton,

table tennis, Scrabble, Word Factory and chess.

The SW Elementary and High School Basket-

ball Team continue to dominate and bring up the

school’s pride with yet another championship taken

from their rivals, Hope. For the High school Basketball

team, they have now won seven consecutive champion-

ship trophies.

The High School Women’s Volleyball Team also made it

up to 1st Runner Up. Athletics champions: Nicole Car-

men (Grade 10- Dauntless) and Chloe Rivera (Grade 8-

Flambeux) won 1st place in their respective categories

after participating in the Long Jump and Triple Jump

Girls Division. And an addition to the remarks, is Kyla

Alcan (Grade 9- Magnanimous) who won 1st Runner

Up in the Badminton Women’s Single Division.

The 9th ABBCS SPUR Sport fest is very

much anticipated by students who are interested to join

and compete, giving their best to train this year, to be

able to make it to the championships in the next years’

sports fest. The school, also, hoping for more students

to participate and represent the school in the said

event.

SW continues to dominate in

ABBCS 2013

Since the discontinuation of last year’s

Judo CCA (Co-curricular Activity), the

one judoka left fighting and joining the

tournaments is Grade 10 student, Rich-

elle Mae Laberinto. She once again

joined two tournaments (this time for

the national level) for the month of May

representing both the school and the

YMCA-KAITAGI Judo Club.

Last May 4, 2013, she joined the 6TH

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MA-

NILA (ISM) NATIONAL INVITATION-

AL JUDO TOURNAMENT held in the

ISM Fort Bonifacio Gymnasium, Taguig

City, Manila. Having only three days to

train, she was able to bag the 1st Place-

Gold Medal in the Girl’s Middleweight

Category. Also, being the youngest and

the lightest (having her opponents as

college varsity players and 5 kilos heavi-

er than her) she r Girls Division Middle-

weight Category. Her opponents were

College University (La Salle, Ateneo,

UST and UP) varsity players.

Also last May 27- June 2, 2013, she

joined another National tournament.

The POSC-PSC PHILIPPINE NATION-

AL GAMES 2013- JUDO TOURNA-

MENT held in the Amoranto Sports

Complex, Quezon City, Manila. Despite

not being to bring home a medal, she

was glad to have been able to join the

tournament. Being the youngest from all

the (200+) players in the ladies category,

it was a brave step for her to participate

in this event, having only a day to train

for it and having given the chance to

play with good College University varsi-

ty players.

She is looking forward to participate in

the tournaments ahead and is training

for it too. Another upcoming tournament

she is planning to join again is the BA-

TANG PINOY 2013- NATIONAL JUDO

TOURNAMENT, which may be held

around September in Zamboanga.

My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do.

And he said, 'You never know what you can accomplish until you try. “ - Michael Jordan

By Richelle Laberinto

SWCSF Judoka for Nationals By Richelle Laberinto

ABBCS 2013. Photos taken at Hope Christian Academy by Jorel Anthony Garcia .

1st UC Invitational Judo Chapionship.“Photos taken by Richelle Laberinto at University of the Cordilleras Gym.