Essays and Poems

1st Place

This poem won 1st Place in the On-the-Spot Poetry writing Contest (English Week 2006) sponsored by PUNLAD.

2nd Place

Essay

In celebration of the English Week 2007, an on-the-spot writing contest was held last January 12, 2007 at the High School Library Resource Center (LRC). The writing contest was participated by thirteen (13) Formal Education students and two (2) Non-Formal Education students. The essays were judged by Mr. Ferdinand Jarin, two-time Palanca winner and Dr. Gilbert Yang, English teacher. The entries were judged based on the following criteria: Adherence to and development of theme and ideas (40%), Organization of ideas (30%), Grammar and mechanics (15%) and Style (15%). Participants were tasked to write an essay on the theme, “Improving Adult Learners Achievement through the English Language.” And the winners are…

1^st Place

Ruby Naagas – NFE

Challenges in Learning

Many of us are wondering, specially those people who can’t afford to go to school, why so much trouble learning the English language, which is not our own dialect? Why waste time twisting our tongue just to learn the said language. When the former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada told us to remove the English subject many of us retorted. It even caused a commotion in the Senate and those people who are in favor of English were affected.

English language has become the international language used by everyone in transacting business, industry, government, social interactions, and exchange of opinions, ideas and knowledge and school processes.

I on my part, based on my experience, my pronunciation is really bad. I grew up in the province so my deliberation is hard or strong. My A becomes my E and my E becomes my I. to whom do you think do I have to blame my mistakes? To my teacher perhaps for not teaching us the correct way of saying words, to my “Waray” dialect because we are more on the strong manner of saying words or blame myself for not learning it by heart. I just took for granted my Elementary and High School English subject. Not really bugging my teachers to teach me the correct pronunciation.

According to the survey our English language has deteriorated. Try talking to the vendors, drivers and all people around you. You will notice or discover that they have limited knowledge in English. Some will not even talk to you. My parents were just elementary graduates. I was amazed for they can talk in English. That means during our time, now, less people know the English language.

Every Saturday I helped my former employer in her Bazaar in Salcedo Market in Makati. We have lots of foreign costumers buying our Asian food and freshly made iced teas. When my employer first opened her booth I didn’t talk. I let her do the talking. I just work. Why? I am afraid to commit mistakes in saying the proper diction of English words. Little by little my boss let me do the talking. After a month I gained the confidence to practice saying the English language. Sometimes I commit mistakes. What is important is I am willing to learn the language.

Call Centers has opened for those who are willing to do the job. To be able to get this job you have to learn how to speak English with an American accent. It is good because it is not only helping us earn a living but it also helps us improve our English.

The knowledge of the English language is up to us. We cannot blame others for the lack of practice of language. We just have to listen and learn it by heart. That in order for us to learn, write and speak we should bear in mind that “writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.” One must believe in the truth and worth of the scrawl, the knowledge of the reader to receive and decode the message. No one is decent who is distrustful of the intelligence of the reader. This also applies in our speaking. If we will think that people won’t understand us if we speak in English then our first move is to shut out mouth and not talk.

Today the language of advertising enjoys an enormous circulation. The deliberate infractions of grammatical rules using the influential speech, affected the pens and tongues of children and adult. Your new cell phone is beautiful because it is accessorized by logos, music, and other amenities on it. Your cake taste good because of the recipes you got from the best chef in town. Just as you would say you will want to try one in all probability, would try the language. Do your best try the language, it is for all.

Never give up on learning. It is the best tool for your employment. Why? The more knowledgeable of the English Language you are, the more fluent of using the language the greater chance to be accepted. Of course it has to go with your best credentials and assets you have. What I mean is speak for your job. Learn. Practice. Apply. This is the finest way to embrace the English language.


	2^nd Place Lydia Borja – 4B Breaking Barriers It has been found out that one of the difficulties in communication is the barrier in the English language. Many people cannot speak correct English, and this maybe is one of the problems especially in adults. In my observation, there are people who are very afraid to start an English sentence whenever they wanted to recite especially during the English class or subject. They were hesitant to stand up and say a word. There are instances where they would first make a deal with their teachers if they could explain it in Filipino. But how can we improve our skills in speaking English if this is the case? As an Adult Night High School student, I consider myself as one of those who do not surrender. I am fond of learning and knowing everything and anything I want to know. Discovering something enhances our personality. It improves our relation to other people. We can gain many friends, acquire a good position in our work if we can express ourselves accurately. Let it come from within our hearts. The suggestion that I wanted to introduce is to keep on practicing speaking in the English language. If we fail sometimes, we can learn to correct it. We should not be embarrassed by our mistakes. 3^rd Place Aldrin Carretero – NFE Ageless For me learning is ageless, we can not say we are too old or too young to learn things. Learning is a process. Like me, being a student of the Adult Night High School I believe I am never too old for discovering things and learning from it. Everyday is a chance for us to grow and improve what we have. We Filipinos are known for our good traits of being fast-learners. English language is a concrete example. We Filipinos can easily learn to speak, understand and express ourselves in English. In fact our country is known globally as the call-center capital of the world. And who are those people who serve these companies? They are the Filipinos who are good in English. How would you know that you are talking to a Filipino with an American accent and a good grammar? And we Filipinos know how to use our strengths through this; the English language will be our greatest tool in achieving our goals. It is our advantage among other races. In almost every part of the world there is a Filipino, a brown man in the land of the giants. How did they succeed? It is simply because English is the medium of instruction. That is why Filipinos working abroad are successful; they can easily adapt and learn in the foreign tongue. For me being a Lasallian doesn’t mean one needs to be the best in English. What is important is that you strive for your dreams and be willing to discover things that will help you succeed. We must remember not to be proud of what we know. In life’s learning no one I too old or too young. *N. B. The winning essays are unedited.*

Sukatan

Nasusukat nga ba ang pagmamahal

Tulad ng mesa at upuan

Pulga-pulgada ba itong pag-alala

At senti-sentimetrong pagsamba

Wika nila, kilo-kilometro itong pagdurusa

At dipa-dipang pakikibaka

Nang mahalin kita,

Sinukat ko ito sa wala.

Mas nais kong lumikha ng tahanang

May bubong ng pangarap,

May dingding ng pagtitiyaga,

At may bakod ng pang-unawa.

Upang sa loob nito, pagpasok mo,

Madama mong ang walang hanggan ay di sinusukat.

- Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin 1/24/2007

Sanaysay

Handa na ba si Juan Dela Cruz?

ni Alfonso Reyes – 2A

Paano ba sinusuri ng isang ordinaryong Pilipino ang mga taong tumatakbo ngayong eleksyon?

Kadalasan madidinig sa mga tindahan ang magkakapit-bahay, na kung saan ay magtatalo kung sino ang mas dapat iluklok sa puwesto. May nagsasabing mas gusto niya ang artista, kasi guwapo. Sa kabila naman ay mas mahalaga sa kanya ang kandidatong may pusong makamasa. Dagdag pa rito ang mga pangako ng tumatakbo sa taong bayan na kapag siya ay nanalo ay “gagawin ko ito…”, at “Ipapatupad ko ito…”, at kung ano-ano pang matatamis na salita ang maririnig. Sadyang ang pagpili ng kandidato ngayong eleksyon ay napakahirap para sa isang taong walang alam. kung kaya’t madalas humahantong ito sa katatawanan. Ngunit sino nga ba ang naaaliw sa katatawanang ito? Nasubukan natin ang kandidatong matalino, artista, militar at ekonomista, ngunit hindi pa rin mararamdaman ng sambayanang Pilipino ang ginhawang pangako ng mga taong minsan ay binigyan ng tiwala at respeto ni Juan Dela Cruz.

Sino nga ba ang dapat sisihin sa malawakang kahirapan ng sambayanang Pilipino? Kadalasan makikita ang mga taong diskontento sa pamahalaan na nagmamatrsa sa EDSA, tangan ang kanilang mga plaka at mega phone, sabay sigaw sa kanilang reklamo. Kadalasan ang mga senaryong ito ay nagagatungan pa ng mga taong nasa media, kunyari ay kakampi, ngunit ang talagang sadya ay maiangat lamang ang kanilang ratings. Sa panahon ng kalituhan at kahirapan sino pa ang makakapitan ni Juan Dela Cruz kung siya ay naliligiran ng mga taong mapanggamit? Malamang ay wala na at tanging Diyos na lamang ang nakakaalam ng kabuan ng istorya.

Sa panahon ng kagipitan at kalituhan, wala kang ibang dapat asahan kung hindi ang iyong sarili. Madalas nating sisihin ang gobyerno sa ating kahirapan, ngunit sino nga ba ang dapat sisihin kung hindi an gating mga sarili, dahil tayo ang nagluklok sa mga taong tinatawag nating trapo. Ano nga ba ang tunay na sagot sa ating kahirapan, kung hindi ang tunay at tiyak na kaalaman sa mga bagay-bagay. Makikita ang tunay na kaunlaran hindi sa mga pangako ng mga taong tumatakbo ngayong eleksyon, kung hindi sa masigasig na pagsasaliksik ng katotohanan ng bawat botante.

Ang karunungan lamang ang makakapagbigay ng tunay na kalayaan sa kahirapan. Maaring ang landas na aking tinutukoy ay maging mahaba at mabato. Ang bawat Pilipinong botante ay nararapat lamang maging mapanuri sa mga taong ihahalal ngayong eleksyon, sapagkat ang bawat isa sa atin ang huhubog ng bukas at tayo rin ang uukit sa kapalaran ng kabataang Pilipino.