This blog was conceived not because I wanted to actually share my view and ideas to the public but because, in all honesty, I wanted to pass this subject. It only crossed my mind very recently how actually good it feels to actually speak your mind. All in all, this blog basically comprises of issues I have chosen to write about through out the term.
I believe through ENGLCOM, I have developed my skill in writing. I am aware that despite the fact that I improved on my skill in writing, I would still have some errors that you might find. Well of course, I'm not perfect. And I know that there is still so much for me to learn. I hope, dear readers, you would find my blog enlightening and somehow helpful.
Special thanks to the best professors I've had, not trying to be a suck up here. I've fallen deeper in love with English and especially with writing. Thank you for being patient with me. God Bless!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Reflective Essay: My Improvements in ENGLCOM
All throughout my academic life, I can only recall two instances where I enjoyed English as a subject, that was Reading and Writing in Seventh Grade and World Literature in Fourth Year High School. I do enjoy English, I think its one of best subjects ever since but, those are the only two occasions where I really enjoyed English in depth. I was given the privilege at take up ENGLCOM this year as I enter the University as a Freshman in college. As the school year started, I thought that I was already ready and prepared to face all the activities and tasks that will be asked of me, but was wrong. I did not realize that there was still so much to learn, so many new and old things to remember. And now, as the term ends, I am now very certain that I have improved a lot on so many aspects, my writing skills, reading skills, and my strategy was polished and upgraded all the more.
As I said, I thought that I was already equipped with my knowledge in English before I started taking up ENGLCOM, and one of the misconception that I had was with academic reading and writing. I thought it was just mere reading and writing, instead it is important that readers and writers to put much attention to detail. Without attention to detail in reading, we might miss some very important facts that are relative to the issue at hand. While in writing, it is imperative that we make an extra effort in putting attention to detail so we may avoid committing fallacious and or false statements.
I personally enjoy writing a lot, and that is one of the many reasons why I chose Literature as my major in college. But as a normal student, there will be times of writer’s block and of course laziness. I believe those are the two main hurdles that I faced in writing my Argumentative and Extended Definition essays. I was able to get passed them through reminding myself of what really is my priority. “Your priorities show what you value”, I value my education more than anything, that drove me into writing both essays and not settling for mediocrity.
I believe that I really have improved a lot from my Exit Essay as compared to my Entry Essay. In my Exit Essay, I was already able to apply the things and concepts that I have learned in WC, I was able to construct my outline first and make my thesis statement, which I believed help me in writing and completing my paper, it gave a better flow too.
In summary, I am positive that I have achieved the objectives of the ENGLCOM portfolio with flying colors. Not only was I able to accomplish all the tasked that we were asked to do, but I was also able to apply all the lessons that I have learned all throughout the term. My greatest accomplishment in ENGLCOM would be the fact that I was able to sharpen my skill in writing all the more which I am certain would help in all my other endeavors.
Argumentative Essay: The Positive Effects of the K12 Program to the Filipinos
OUTLINE
1. Definition of K to 12 Program
2. Background information of K to 12 Program
3. Thesis Statement: Although in the K to 12 Program pursuing a college education becomes optional, entails more expenses for parents and suggests that we are conforming to the rest of the world, the adaption of the Philippines to the K to 12 Program is beneficial because: the students can get a respectable job right after graduating high school. acquire more education and become globally competitive, we also become at par with the world’s standard of education.
1. Body
2. Con-Argument 2: Entails more expenses for parents
3. Con-Argument 3: Suggests that we are conforming to the rest of the world
4. Pro-Argument 1: Students get respectable jobs right after high school
5. Pro-Argument 2: Acquire education and become globally competitive
6. Pro-Argument 3: Become at par with the world’s standard of education
“The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship” (Department of Education, What is K to 12), n.d., para. 1). When President Benigno Aquino III was put into office in the year 2010, one of his main platforms was the long overdue change in our system of education. In addition, it was not until last school year 2012-2013 that the Department of Education fully decided to implement the said program. In the public school, the introduction of the K to 12 program was done in phases. SY 2012-2013, as stated earlier, is the start of the K-12 implementation where the first batch of Grade 1 and First year high school then were the first to fully undergo the new program (Department of Education, Implementation, n.d., para. 1). In the case of Private Schools, it is upon their prerogative on how they will introduce the Program to their respective schools based on the transition plans given by the Department of Education. (Department of Education, Implementation, n.d., para. 2). Although in the K to 12 Program, pursuing a college education becomes optional, entails more expenses for parents and suggests that we are conforming to the rest of the world, the adaption of the K to 12 Program is beneficial because: the students can get a respectable job right after graduating from high school, acquire quality education and become globally competitive, and can also be at par with the world’s standard of education.
With the implementation of the K to 12 Program, Collegiate education becomes optional. As a norm, in order for you to obtain a high paying, respectable job, one must be a college graduate yet, the K to 12 Program entails that those students who have already graduated from high school, junior and senior high school, can already get a respectable job without further pursuing their studies.
The K to 12 Program would entail more expenses for parents sending their children to Public and Private schools alike. In the year 2009, according to CIA’s Factbook, 26.5% of the population are below poverty line. (Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2013). That having said, with the implementation of the K to 12 Program, there would be a greater impact to those Filipino parents belonging under the poverty line who are sending their children to school. This is because they do not have enough means to send their children to school.
By adapting the said program, it would also suggest that we are conforming to the rest of the world. As I did my research, it surprised me of how many search results came out when I searched “Filipinos are great imitators”, I found it amusing and very saddening. According to Chacha.com, yes, they are called as such [the great imitators] because they tend to imitate other cultures instead of focusing on their own. As disheartening and harsh as it seems, this is our reality. This is how the world sees us.
Students who graduate from the K to 12 Program can obtain respectable jobs. As I have said earlier, it is only those students who have graduated from universities are the ones given the chance to have a respectable, high paying job. But this time with the implementation of the K to 12 Program, those students can now have the option to further pursue their studies or to be legally employed.
Another benefit of the K to 12 program is that students acquire education and become globally competitive. With the K to 12 Program not only do the students acquire more knowledge academically but the Program also promotes that they learn life skills as well. By adapting the K to 12 Program, we are raising the standard of the quality education that we are providing for the children. Through this, we can prove that quality education need not be expensive; we are giving a chance to those children whose parents cannot afford to send them to Private schools for them to experience quality education. We ensure that the children, who are our hope for this nation, can be globally competitive as well.
Lastly, the Philippines will be at par with the world’s standard of education. It was not only during President Benigno Aquino III’s term that the K to 12 Program was conceived, it goes way back to 1925. Which only means this Program has been considered and thought through, it only needed someone like President Noynoy to prioritize education. Among other Asian nations, the Philippines is the only one left with a 10-year basic education cycle (Department of Education, “K-12 Basic Education Program: Batang K-12, Handa sa Trabaho o Kolehiyo, Handa sa Mundo” PowerPoint presentation.)
In summary, the K to 12 Program has more positive effects to Filipinos than negative. Their promising motto, “Batang K-12, Handa sa Trabaho o Kolehiyo, Handa sa Mundo”, is very, very true to its word. Not only will the students be ready for work, for life and for global competition as well. By implementing the K to 12 Program, the nation can completely eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, we will also be increasing our literacy rate by 50%. I believe this is the chance and opportunity we all have been waiting for for our fellow Filipino men. We Filipinos are known to have so much potential. Through this upgrade in our Educational System, we are giving others a chance to fully maximize their potential and ability.
References:
Department of Education, “K-12 Basic Education Program: Batang K-12, Handa sa Trabaho o Kolehiyo, Handa sa Mundo” PowerPoint presentation.
Exit Essay: Poverty
What is poverty? How does it affect us Filipinos? According to the New Oxford Dictionary, poverty means the state of being extremely poor. To us Filipinos the word poverty is not something new, we have heard this many times before. And yet, it seems like we do not really fully understand what it truly means. To us Filipinos, what is it to us? We see kids roaming the streets barefoot, begging for alms instead of being in school. With the current hot issue in the media: the Napoles Pork Barrel scam, it has yet again opened a very delicate issue–poverty. I don’t understand why the issue of poverty has become a taboo, I believe that this should not be the case. We always say that we want out country be successful, to strive, to be like those other thriving Asian nations and yet we consider poverty as a taboo. How can we resolve this issue when were cowards and do not have the guts to face the issue. Although there has been many suggestions how we can alleviate poverty, I believe these three things stand out, we must: educate people, provide aid for them, and teach them livelihood programs.
In order to alleviate this nation from poverty, we must take somethings in action like educating them. The young ones: the importance of education and for the elders: that it is never too late for them to acquire a degree. First and foremost, some people find themselves in situations of poverty because they lack education. Education for most part is what will help you get a job. Without a proper education, you cannot obtain a respectable job that will sustain an average Filipino family. Its sad that some kids, as young as they are, has already lost hope that they can be successful and that they can rise from poverty. Some of these kids I believe does not have a drive to study because their own parents also was not able to study. And that is why, we must open collegiate courses for the elders. They must be the examples for the young ones. We must remind them and encourage them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that they don’t have to wallow in poverty for the rest of their lives.
We must provide aid for the least of our brethren. We do not necessarily to have to give big amounts of money but these people needs our charity–not pity. Through charity events, we are recognizing that there really are less fortunate people and that we would like to help them. There are still some things that people like them cannot afford on their own, even of they have respectable jobs. Like hospital bills or for the renovation of their house that was blown away by the latest typhoon. By providing aid, these people feel that those people who can afford more are not being arrogant, instead they are sharing their blessing.
And lastly, we must teach them livelihood programs. Ways that they can actually make money in order to fully support themselves. Through this, not only are they making money and helping our economy, but they are also able to be productive. They can also provide jobs to others, especially now that there is a great surplus of unemployed people. Through this, they are also becoming good stewards of their welfare.
In summary, we need to acknowledge that there will always be poor people. And this is even biblical. But, it doesn’t mean that these people should be suffering. These people are there so that we may humble ourselves and be thankful and content of what we have. The younger generation is our hope for this nation. We must encourage them to strive for excellence. Our nation’s future relies on them. With the positive aura that we are giving off to these people about sharing our blessings and helping them and giving aid to them, we are actually getting rid of the social discrimination with the classes. We can treating each other as equals. With this new mindset, I believe that it is only then that we can fully strive as a nation.
References:
New Oxford American Dictionary 3rd edition © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
Entry Essay: Poverty
Out of the many social issues that our nation is currently facing, one of the most critical and outstanding is poverty. For over many years, many presidential candidates used this as their platform, and many years after, poverty is still present. There has been many programs and organizations that aim to alleviate poverty. Although, this may help in one way or another, it is still not enough.
I believe that through good governance, this can be wiped out. It is a matter of prioritizing the least of our brethren and educating them on how to be better stewards of themselves and how to live to the full.
It is not enough that we give them homes and feed them because this will only make them rely on the people who's helping them. We must help them to settle–- find their own two feet then help them land a job, so that they might be responsible and effective on their own. And by this, it can be the start of a new tomorrow four our less fortunate brothers and sisters.
Extended Definition Essay: Reasons Why People Consider Becoming A Vegetarian
What does it mean to become a vegetarian? What do vegetarians eat? According to New Oxford American dictionary, vegetarian refers to a person who does not eat meat.1 Vegetarians do not consume meat of all kinds of animals, may it be fish, pork or beef. Although, they tend to also include egg and poultry to their diet. Generally, there are three types of vegetarians: the lacto-vegetarians, they consume dairy products but not eggs; the ovo-vegetarians, consume eggs but not not dairy products; and the lacto-ovo-vegetarian, consume both eggs and dairy products. 2 Aside from the three types of vegetarians, there are other two variety: vegans, they are total vegetarians, do not consume products derived from animals, even dairy products, egg or gelatin; another is the partial-vegetarian, they avoid meat but may eat fish or poultry.3 Today, vegetarian friendly establishments like restaurants and grocery stores as well as recipes are made available to anyone. It is more accessible to anyone who is just curious and especially to those who decided adapt the diet to their lifestyle. There are many factors that can contribute to why people consider becoming a vegetarian such as animal welfare, a healthy lifestyle and environmental awareness.
Animal welfare is one of the main factors that drive people to become vegetarians. Vegetarians are coined to have a heart for animals. They disapprove the consumption of animals because of the way the workers in the animal farms or factories have mistreated the animals. They believe that if they do not support these products, there will be a big decline on the maltreatment of animals. In the production of foie gras, a famous French delicacy, ducks are force-fed with corn boiled in fat which makes the ducks produce more fat in the liver. Thus, producing the buttery consistency the people are after.4 As a consequence, an inflation of the liver occurs, as well as an expansion of their abdomen making it difficult for the ducks to walk, if the force-feeding continues it might scar the duck’s esophagus and even cause their death.5 Another reason why vegetarians do not support the consumption of meat is because of the over slaughtering of animals. Big supplier of pork, chickens and other meat dealers are profit-oriented, neglecting the welfare of animals. Most of these meat dealers would slaughter animals more that what the suppliers have asked for, hoping that in some way they can still sell the meat and earn a little bit more. Over-slaughtering of animals results in the decrease of their kind, even if there are no threats of extinction, they can still be heavily affected in the long run. The most concrete example is the tunas, there used to be a big amount of tunas in the waters of the Philippines but because most fishermen want to earn extra, they would catch more, even the young tunas thus, resulting in the great decrease of their kind because they cannot reproduce anymore.
Similarly, most people aspire to become healthy. In our current time and age, with the rising popularity of the fast food chains, microwavable food and everything else instant, people have become more and more unconscious and careless of their food intake, all they want is for them not be bothered or hassled by cooking and preparing their food. Consequently, the number one problem of the Americans is obesity; they even call it an obesity plague because of the rapidly growing number of Americans who are suffering from obesity. According to the CNBC report:
“Nearly two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese. Childhood obesity is triple what it was a generation ago.”6
In addition, the heart disease also ranks top as another killer in America, caused by the cholesterol and saturated fat build up in our arteries from the animal meat we consume.7 There are also many other diseases that the vegetarian diet can somehow lower the risk of acquiring such diseases like cancer and stroke whose causes are also directly related to meat diets.8
The last main benefit of becoming a vegetarian is the that, people become more environmentally aware. Vegetarians are not necessarily environmentalists but they acknowledge the imbalance that people cause in the ecosystem. The meat-industry collectively imbalances the entire eco-system through: air pollution, water pollution and even land pollution. The meat-industries all over the world are contaminating and poisoning our water, especially those industries near rivers and or lakes. With water pollution, we are harming ourselves and land animals, by hampering us from fresh clean water for drinking and for other use.
In summary, although there are many possible reasons why people become vegetarians, may it be for their health, even if its just a means to detoxify themselves from the toxins they have acquired from all the buffets they have been to during the holidays, by adapting the vegetarian diet, people are becoming good stewards of themselves and of the environment. With regard to animal welfare, not only will we save the lives of animals in danger, we will also make better their habitat and bring back the balance in the ecosystem and also recuperate the population of some animals that already have threats of extinction. By choosing to live healthy, we lessen our risk of many harmful diseases caused by animal meat. We also improve our digestion and even increase our lifespan. Finally, through the vegetarian diet, we preserve and help the environment; giving the generations to have a chance to live and prosper in a healthier and cleaner habitat.
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Sources:
1New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd edition © 2005 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
2 (2009). Becoming a vegetarian. Harvard Health Publications, Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/October/becoming-a-vegetarian
3 (2009). Becoming a vegetarian. Harvard Health Publications, Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/October/becoming-a-vegetarian
4 Foie gras controversy (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 12, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras_controversy
5 Foie gras controversy (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 12, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras_controversy
6 Wapner, S. (n.d.). One nation overweight. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/id/36073283
7 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, (2011). High blood cholesterol: what you need to know (05-3290). Retrieved from NIH Publication website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.htm
8 (2009). Becoming a vegetarian. Harvard Health Publications, Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/October/becoming-a-vegetarian
Documentary Analysis: The Last Train Home
- Introduction
- Background of Lixin Fan
- Brief summary of film
- Thesis statement: In the documentary “The Last Train Home” by Lixin Fan, he revealed many issues some Chinese families go through. In the filming that lasted three years, Fan was able to present the effects of internal migration, despite his style of questioning that tarnished the authenticity of the responses of the participants
- Body
- The effects of internal migration on Chinese families
- The current situation of the Zhang poverty
- Both parents are working in the city away from family
- Two kids who were raised by their grandparents
- Raise the incident with the dad and the daughter
- What impels some families to internally migrate
- Poverty needs source of income
- Questioning of Lixin Fan to the participants
- The way he questioned, committed the fallacy of Loaded Question
- It tarnished the authenticity
- Conclusion
- Lixin Fan did an excellent job in revealing to the entire world the harsh and sad reality of some families
- Conclude the effect of internal migration to the kids and family
- Internal migration in China
Lixin Fan is a world renowned director who made a name for himself in directing the film “The Last Train Home” which earned many praises and awards, one of which was in 2009, the film won Best Independent Feature Length Award from the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (Independent Television Services, n.d., Reviews & Awards). Also, in 2012, “The Last Train Home” was named Best Documentary by the prestigious News and Documentary Emmy Awards (Independent Television Services, n.d., Reviews & Awards). Fan started from humble beginnings, born and raised in China, he started out as a journalist at CCTV, a national broadcasting company in China. His exposure to China’s rapid economic expansion led and inspired him to be a documentary film make whose aim is to expose its harsh reality of some economics issues to the public (Public Broadcasting Services: POV, n.d., Bio). The film focuses on a family whose parents among many other Chinese families are migrant workers in the city. It is said in the film that there are over one-hundred thirty million migrant workers, these workers are only given one chance, every New Year, to head back to their provinces to visit theirs families. In the documentary “The Last Train Home” by Lixin Fan, he revealed many issues some Chinese families go through. In the filming that lasted three years, Fan was able to present the effects of internal migration, despite his style of questioning that tarnished the authenticity of the responses of the participants.
In the film “The Last Train Home” one of its main foci/focuses is on the effects of internal migration among Chinese families. Our main character is the Zhang family, both parents, Changhua, the father along with Suqin, the mother works in a factory in the city sewing garments. They have two children, Qin and Yang who were left under the custody of their grandparents. Throughout the entire documentary, Qin, the elder daughter’s uneasiness and eventual anger and hate towards her parents were very evident. She was even very vocal about it–telling the audience that she dislikes it whenever her parents are around, that they always just end up in an argument. It was clear as day that the children didn’t have a real love connection with their parents. There was a great unexplainable barrier that the parents could not go through. The children’s parental longing was already filled by their grandparents. They are aliens to the concept of family, they are very unfamiliar to it. The parents are trying very hard to adapt such unchartered concept that it does not come naturally, so forced, that in return the children are pushing them away further. An unexpected scene in the film was captured, the father, Changhua and Qin got into a huge fight which somehow brought the film to its height and which also concretized the loathe Qin had towards her parents.
Poverty impels most Chinese families to become internal migrants. Living on earnings from mere farming does not meet the needs of most families living in the provinces. The livelihood and other jobs in the province are very limited and does not really pay much. And that is why most families like the Zhangs decided that it would be best if they work outside their province. Only they left without realizing the consequence of how might working away from their family affect the upbringing and behavior of their children towards them.
In the film, Lixin Fan’s prompt to question the characters were quite evident. To Fan, this enabled the characters help build the story for the target audience, which also helped the documentary to keep moving. Although in my opinion, there were times when Fan committed the fallacy of Loaded Question. A Loaded Question entailed that the question asked contains an unfair or questionable assumption (Bassham, et al, 2012, Loaded Question). With a Loaded Question, this somehow tarnishes the authenticity of the Zhangs’ answers. Fan would of course steer to what he wants, that in some way I believe, sensationalizes the issue at hand all the more.
All in all, Lixin Fan did a very excellent job in revealing to the entire world the harsh and sad reality of some Chinese internal migrants. I find it very disheartening that the cost to pay of these workers who leave their families to work, to earn a living–which is actually for the families own good are broken families. Today, Suqin, their mother, went back to the province to attend to the needs of Yang, the youngest brother, in hopes that Suqin and Changhua can still salvage their relationship. While their father, Changhua, was left in the city to further support their family. Qin on the other hand, is still working but is still being convinced by her parents to go back home to study. Internal migration in China has become a norm, because of their rapidly growing economy, these migrant workers are the solution to keep them hustling. China is very profit-oriented, she does not ask much; cheap labor is what attracts foreign investors. More foreign investors, more work for these internal migrants, more profit for these Chinese.
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References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.itvs.org/films/last-train-home/reviews-and-awards
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/pov/lasttrainhome/bio.php
Bassham, et al. (2011). Critical thinking: A students introduction. (4th ed., pp. 146-147). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.
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