The Nautilus, Volume 50 Issue 1, 2019.

n the nautilus

We disseminate what is true and factual

LESSON LEARNED

7th grader breaks own arm; SSG warns students on cutting classes

By conducting room to room orientations, the SSG-SCNHS officers informed the students about the incident and remind them to always attend classes.

SPREADING AWARENESS

SSG President Luke Matthew Baring reminds students on attending classes to avoid untimely accidents outside the campus.

POLL

Are you in favor of separation of males and females in classrooms to alleviate high teenage pregnancy cases?

p.2

808 books

752

LOST BOOKS (2017-2018)

“Nag-aware ko sa ila nga maglikay ana kay di maayo, gi-cite nako ang panghitabo atong nabalian and other things nga mahitabo sa ilaha once sila mag cutting class. (I told them to refrain from cutting class because it’s not good, I informed them about the student who broke his arm and other things that might happen to them once they cut class.),” Luke Matthew Baring, SCNHS-SSG President.

“It is our obligation to do well in school not just to give back our parents’ efforts that they have exerted just to send us to school but also because cutting classes is a way of disrespecting them and ourselves as well,” he added.

Student-victims alarm public on investment schemes

SCNHS lost, damaged books reach 107%

Teachers suffer on covering unpaid expenses

As of May 2019, the number of lost and damaged books of Sta. Cruz National High School (SCNHS) increased by 107.45% which caused problem in shortage of books.

According to the Learners’ Resources Situation Report on May 2018, 752 books were recorded as lost and damaged and it went up to 1,560 for this school year.

Famulagan there are still books for some subjects that don’t have enough copies for everyone. She also said that teachers are forced to pay the lost unpaid books.

LOST BOOKS (2018-2019)

“Naa may mga books nga sobra sa ubang subjects, pero ang uban kay kulangan gyud, gamay lang maka one is to one, if i-compare ang data sa enrolees ug sa usable books,” said Mylene Ruth Famulagan, Supply Officer and Property Custodian of the school. There are still 11,439 usable books but according to Miss

“Kay daghang dili mag uli ug libro, luoy ang mga maestra kay sila ang magtapal,” she added. There are 442 Grade 7 unusable textbooks, which are the highest among all grade levels, 402 from Grade 10, 365 from Grade 9 and 351 from Grade 8. Science 7 textbook has the highest number of lost and damaged copies with 122.

Electric bill fires up to P65K Students charging gadgets top factors of high energy consumption

Sta. Cruz National High School’s (SCNHS) monthly electricity bill has gone up to an approximated amount of Php 65,000 for this school year and one contributing factor of it is students charging their gadgets in school.

“Natural, makaapekto ang pag-charge sa rooms sa students sa atong bill, kay maka-increase man,” Ryan Ricahuerta, School Accountant.

He advised the students to stop charging in classrooms to aid the arising electricity bill.

“Dili mag-charge sa room kay wala mo nagbayad, besides, cellphones are not allowed during classes,” he added.

He added further that the students have to discipline themselves from charging in schools and if possible, avoid bringing gadgets.

Students from Sta. Cruz National High School who have invested their savings to Kabus Padatuon (KAPA) Community Ministry International warned everyone to beware of investment schemes like this.

After KAPA was shut down by the government, most of the students said that they just want their money to be returned so they could use it for their educational needs in college.

A grade 12 student said that the money he invested was from his savings since he was in grade 8 until grade 9 and some was from the summer jobs he had applied to.

“Ang KAPA sa una Kabus Padatuon, karon Kadugay Paaboton,” he said.

He added that he wanted his capital be back and advised the students to only invest what they

can afford to lose.

Another grade 12 student said that the money her family had invested was from their extra income from their business.

“Nag invest mi kay nakabuo mi ug kwarta gikan sa among mga tinigum para pud maayo na lang inig ka college nako magaangaanan sila mama, at least pud maka-feel mi ug hayahay,” she said.

She added that when they found out that this investment company was shut down by the government, she was disappointed but glad that their daily income from their business was not affected.

WHY WHY

Supreme Student Government (SSG) of Sta. Cruz National High School (SCNHS) cautioned students on cutting classes after a grade 7 student broke his arm trying to get out of school by climbing the fence and fell down.

Erin Danielle MARTEL

AUBREY RHOM

NegoSkwela seminar molds students' entrep skills

Accountancy,

Business, and Managment (ABM) and Bread and Pastry Production (BPP) of Sta. Cruz National High School – Senior High have undergone a NegoSkwela Seminar to harness students’ skills in entrepreneurship in the modernday corporate world.

On October 11, 2019, the ABM and BPP students were educated about how to start up a business and how to establish an effective marketing.

“Maka-survive ka sa business dapat naa kay diskarte,“ said Prince Euclid Loreto, Department of Trade and Industry Sta. Cruz Director, speaker of the event. He also advised the students if they want to engage into business they should start it right now.

“This seminar enriches the learning of students in entrepreneurship and business.

HIGH UPDATES

Don’t settle for less,“ Mrs. Linda C. Mahomoc, Assistant Principal.

Mrs. Geralyn Roble, grade 12 ABM adviser, said that this seminar will provide more knowledge to equip students to be successful businessmen in the future.

“Makatabang to sa atoa kung magtukod man gali tag business ug para pud mas wiser ta,“ Shena Mae Quirante, ABM Student.

Anthony Salica, BPP student, said he’s more encouraged to start up a business like bakery or restaurants and he hoped he can.

Peer helpers transform stock room into listening facility

Peer helper caters student's concern regarding her problems at home. (The photo is intentionally blurred to hide the student's identity for child protection.)

This was administered by the Society of Peer Helpers under the moderation of the Guidance Office in partnership with the Population Commission as part of their Adolescent/Youth Development Program.

“Although, pwede ra pud diri sa Guidance Office kay kanang private man pud ni amoang room. Pero, since it’s a requirement that we are going to establish a listening room at the same time, it promotes mental health. (Although, it’s okay to settle the issues of the students here in the guidance office, because

6.3 M quake jolts Regions XI, XII Residents evacuate as 'fake tsunami alert' rattles Sta. Cruz

Students and residents of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur were alarmed after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the province, causing them to evacuate as a false tsunami alert circulated.

6.3 MAGNITUDE TULUNAN, N. COTABATO INTENSITY VI DAVAO DEL SUR 700-1000 AFTERSHOCKS

Governor Douglas Cagas suspended the classes on October 17. The activities on October 17-18, 2019 were all cancelled due to the incident as announced by the Schools Division Superintendent of Davao del Sur, Mrs. Eufemia Gamutin.

The classes were resumed on October 18, but the students of Sta. Cruz National High School (SCNHS) still did not attend because of their fear that it might strike again and aftershocks were still happening.

“Hadlok kay first nako naranasan atong klase na linog, unya imohang mga silingan nagpanic na ug taman unya maapil na lang pud ka. Naa na sa akong mindset na maayo na lang maniguro so namakwit mi (It was scary because it was the first time I have experienced an earthquake that strong, my neighbors were

panicking so I panicked too. It’s in my mindset that it’s best to secure safety that’s why we evacuated),” Twicxi Joy Carreon said, Grade 12 student.

Second Quarterly Examination in SCNHS – Senior High School (SHS) were also moved on October 28 -29.

“We suspended the quarterly exams because on October 21-25, which is after the earthquake is the Mid-Year Performance Review and Evaluation (MPRE) was scheduled already so we just moved the exams to October 28-29,” Mrs. Linda Mahomoc said, Assistant School Principal of SCNHS-SHS.

Furthermore, after the earthquake, the municipal office checked the buildings and infrastructures of schools and barangay offices around the municipality to ensure everyone’s safety.

it’s also private here. However, since it’s a requirement that we are going to establish a listening room at the same time, it promotes mental health,” Mrs. Victoria Cordero, Guidance Designate said.

Mrs. Cordero said that when it comes to a more sensitive issue that Peer Helpers and Guidance Office could not settle, the student could go directly to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“We are also going to establish a teen center, the purpose is to help the students too,” she added.

The establishment of listening

room was also part of the Mental Health Program of the Department of Health (DOH) in tandem with the School Nurse, Mrs. Raquel Mateo.

“Recycled na siya na room, ang mga libro ug bangko na guba ginabutang didto pero amoang gilimpyuhan. Gamay ra mi ug nagasto ana (The listening room was before a storage room, the damaged book and chairs were put there and we just cleaned it. We only spent a little amount of it),” Mrs. Cordero said.

SSG gives school supplies to IP students

Supreme Student Government (SSG) of Sta. Cruz National High School helped the indigenous students by conducting a school supplies drive. Aubrey

On June 8, 2019, the SSG donated notebooks, pens and papers to 60 students funded by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWD), Councilor Michelle Bajo and Jajaz Pabs Restaurant.

“I am glad we student leaders have been able to help these students who are less fortunate,” SSG President Luke Matthew Baring said.

He added that they are hoping they could initiate more programs like this for the school year and also for the next administration.

“We are very thankful to the benefactors for this drive, without them we would not be able to help the students and for this program to be successful,” John Mart Wagas, SSG Vice President said.

AFP orients students vs leftist group involvement

Armed Forces of the Philippines – 39th Infantry Batallion (AFP-39th IB) oriented students of Sta. Cruz National High School to be aware on communist group recruitment through a symposium.

On October 10, 2019, Military Technical Jairus Ignacio said that communist groups like the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) usually recruit children.

“Kasagaran biktima aning

communists kay mga estudyante or dili kaya katong mga less fortunante nga dali ra mailad (Typically, the victims of these communists were students or those who are experiencing poverty because they are easy to be manipulated,” he added.

He added that the students

should always be careful and fully aware.

After the symposium, the students were free to ask questions and were presented with several facts.

The AFP-39THIB said that they are also conducting out of school seminars.

Sta. Cruz National High School converted a stock room into a listening room to help students with confidential and mental health issues.

Erin Danielle MARTEL

Aubrey RHOM

Zyra Jones BILLEZA

Zyra Jones BILLEZA

'Be careful, beware of treacherous communists'

DIANE BEATRIZ DELA CRUZ

Gov. Cagas grants P10 M for campus gym, fence

PTA collects P152K Campus Journ fund

School Pub buys new equipment

MEN AT WORK

Construction workers endure the heat of the sun as they make the SCNHS-SHS gym possible.

DIANE BEATRIZ DELA CRUZ

Sta.Cruz National High School – Senior High School (SCNHS – SHS) received a Php 7 Million project for a covered court and Php 3 Million for the perimeter fence of the campus from the Provincial Office of Davao del Sur.

The target completion of the covered court with a stage, dressing rooms and covered pathway and the perimeter fence with gate is within eight months and the construction started on September 2019.

“Last February 2019, when Governor Douglas Cagas and Congresswoman Mercedes Cagas

visited the school, they promised a ground development and we followed it up together with the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) President of SCNHS-SHS Camelo Rodriguez from his office,” Mrs. Linda Mahomoc, Assistant Principal of SCNHS-SHS said. She added that there’s no need to worry about the Senior High

SCNHS installs e-library

Students benefit equipment for researches, assignments

Sta. Cruz National High School received e-library equipment from the Department of Trade and Industry intended for the students’ school works and researches.

This was part of DTI's Personl Computers for Public Schools (PCPS) program in association with the Department of Education and Department of Finance. There are ten units that students can use funded by the Government of Japan through its Non-Project Grant Aid Counter Value.

The project was implemented on November 2019 and was evaluated through the learning resources management and development system.

The e-library is beneficial to learners since internet connection is available where they can instantly get into educational content.

Students were also provided with a printer and can print out their projects but they are required to bring their own bond papers.

According to Dolores Aguilar, School’s Librarian, even with the computer units, a lot of students still use books and other printed materials.

School [buildings] since SCNHSSHS is one of the most prioritized schools in Davao del Sur for having the biggest population around the province.

The contractor and supplier for both projects is Antipas DT Construction and Develeopment Corporation.

n ews poll

7th

...Mr. Nestor Amoroso, SCNHS Principal, advised the students inside the school to attend classes to avoid such accidents.

“When you plant banana, it will not bear apple. So, if you plant good, you will harvest good. So, if you didn’t follow the school’s rule and regulation which was implemented by the school for the students good and safety and security, you’ll be experiencing accident. Because generally, policies, rules and regulation are made for security and for safety purposes," Mr. Amoroso said.

He added that he cannot say that the student is bad because of what he did.

"I cannot also say that, that student was bad. You know

students are also allowed to grow in their own. So jumping over the fence at grade 7 will also be part of the student's growth. I do not judge that it was bad. What he did was a mistake but I cannot say that he is bad. What is important is that, the school administration keeps on telling the students to be careful and keep yourselves in school especially in class hours,” he added further.

Mrs. Marissa Matillano, Guidance Designate of the School expressed her frustration about the students cutting classes even with their reminders they still do it.

“Wala gyud nagkulang ang mga teachers na magpahimangno sa ila na dili gyud muambak ug mag cut class (The teachers did not lack in

Parents-Teachers

Association (PTA) accumulated Php152,460 for the School Publication fund which contributed on purchasing new equipment to be used on campus journalism competitions and trainings.

For the school year 20182019, the projects were two units audio condenser microphone, five units of 3-in-1 printer, six internet modems and four units of microphone to be utilized by TV and Radio Broadcasting, Online Publishing, and Collaborative Desktop Publishing worth Php 75,500 and Php25,000 was allocated for campus journalism training.

"As far as I remember, this has been the highest collection for our school publication fund. We are very thankful to our parents, benefactors, and PTA officials for their willingness to contribute and help our students, especially for our student-writers," Girlie June J.

Solamo, The Nautilus Adviser said.

She added that the school paper printing was also financed by the school publication fund worth Php54,500 and was backed-up by the school’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) with the amount of Php48,000.

“It really helped a lot that our fund is that big to enhance our skills and provide the needs of the different teams during competition,” said Nino Angelo Pamilgan, The Nautilus Editor-inChief. He added that the school paper is essential in disseminating information to update the school clientele of what is happening in and outside the campus.

JUNIOR HIGH AY: 2019-2020

Anonline survey conducted by The Nautilus revealed that 89 out of 94 respondents from the netizens combined from Facebook and Twitter disagreed with the National Youth Commission Chair Ryan Enriquez to separate male and female students in classrooms to alleviate teenage pregnancy.

Through a Facebook poll posted on the official page of The Nautilus, it showed that 94% of the 67 respondents said no, and for the Twitter page, it showed that 96% of the 27 respondents said no.

The students and faculty of Sta. Cruz National High School as well as the followers of The Nautilus Facebook and Twitter page voiced out their opinions as to why they agree or disagree.

“Kana bitawng disadvantage kapag i-seclude ang mga females sa males kay kanang the more ibulag ang mga babae, mabag-uhan pud sila kung makakita ug lalaki. Na-experience ko man na before kay na-scholar ko sa girls’ town, kay separated man mi sa boys’

grader breaks own arm; SSG warns students on cutting classes

reminding the students not to jump over the fence and to cut class),” Mrs. Matillano said.

According to her, the usual reasons why the students cut class and climb the fence are because it’s out of their curiosity, they did not want to go to school or to go to computer shops to play online games.“Gitaas na ang pader, gibutangan na siya ug sin pero ila gihapong giguba. (The wall was constructed higher and we put galvanized iron roofs but they still damaged it,” she added.

The guidance office said that the students who cut class climb over the barriers of the school usually at 9 to 11 in the morning.

town,” Mrs. Mary Anne Wenceslao, Supreme Student Government –Sta. Cruz National High School (SCNHS) Adviser.

Mrs. Wenceslao disagreed to this issue because they were only separated in classrooms but not outside the school.

“Dili ko musugot kay maymag sa skwelahan na [intercourse] nila buhaton,” Julianne Princess Marie Palanca, The Nautilus Facebook page follower.

"I think, the best solution to the problem is to educate our students regarding the pros and cons of indulging into sex at an early age," Mr. Michael Villaret, a Grade 7 teacher said.

MICHAEL ANGELO

DISAGREE 515 451 408 454 293 374 225 286

63out

67

94% 96% 966 862 667 511

Poll shows 95% disagreed to separate male, female students in class

Erin Danielle MARTEL

Zyra Jones BILLEZA

Erin Danielle MARTEL

Wesly Mae PELLAZAR

SOON TO RISE

10 computer units were installed with Wi-Fi access to browse the Internet

INSIGHT

See the Urgency

Cherylle Anne MACAOAY

Wesee it quite frequentlymillennials sitting rather comfortably on buses or jeepneys pretending to be asleep or busy with their phones, ignoring the suffering elders to keep their balance in the running speed of the vehicle. With this alone, we could see the urgency in bringing back GMRC in the education system in our country. GMRC stands for Good Manners and Right Conduct. It was a formal subject and students were graded for it- to measure children’s behavior. A child’s grade in this subject would be a sign for parents if their children are doing a good job or needed to be improved. This was helpful for the parents to keep track about how their children behaved in school.

In the Philippines, typical Filipino parents teach their young children the basic manners a child must bear as he or she grows up such as pagmamano and saying po at opo in conversing with

Spit or Swallow

Schools are sometimes hard to swallow. It seems that every classroom is a battleground for different fighters with diverse field sand whether we admit it or not, battles can get exhausting.

Students are expected to do a lot of things and are expected to do them exceptionally or up to their best ability, and as these expectations are many, it can feel like a blow to the unready mind. Which is why, a question is raised like a flag of surrender: when will the pressure stop?

Academic pressure is derived from the need for perfection, worry over grades, parental pressure, competition, sports, or tough class load. The National Student reported that 82% of students suffer from stress and anxiety. This is true for even the younger students. When projects, assignments, and activities are all crammed up, it becomes fairly unbearable.

What commonly happens during these times is that, the blame goes to the teacher. But it is their job and it is our obligation to do what we are told and oftentimes, it is actually the student’s fault.

elders as a sign of respect. Parents want nothing more than for their children to group into wellmannered individuals and give people the proper respect.

GMRC was always a part of the curriculum in schools until it was eliminated two decades ago and was changed into values education, incorporated with Social Studies and other related subjects. This is unfortunate because it seems to have been swept under the rug, favoring more the other academic requirements.

The K-12 curriculum aims to produce students who are globally competitive, thus the specialized academic subjects being prioritized for the students.

Parents want nothing more than for their children to group into well-mannered individuals and give people the proper respect.

FORUM editorial

CAN SEX EDUCATION ALLEVIATE HIGH CASES OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY?

Personally, I am not in favor of sex education which is conducted to secondary high school as early as grade 7. I don’t think that it will help lessen the problem of teenage pregnancy.

Personally, I am in favor that the— when we talk about sex or sexual aspect of a person, it must be coming from the parents and not from the other persons because those are sensitive issues.

Second is, though we are Filipinos, we have different cultures. Some families would consider talking sexuality at home as a book(?) in other words its prohibited. And, it will not be a guarantee that it will lessen but it will. Because today, many is in clamor that sexuality or sexual education must already be taught in school. That is their opinion, but they have to consider culture.

That is why sometimes we don’t move forward because we tend to reject our values. We do not improve. We keep on saying what is good is we are adapting the Western culture, we are modernized. Sacrificing our values will lead us to many confusions. What is important again, discussions regarding sexuality or sex education should still be in the family— the parents. Sexuality or sex education will be given to the parents, not to students as early as grade 7

Nestor R. Amoroso Secondary School Principal II

A lot of things happen inside a student’s mind and it mixes with the good academically inclined thoughts. Other times, procrastination overcomes us and this is what results to cramming.

Remembering that in the K-12 curriculum, unlike the past one, teachers are considered guides, not mouth feeders. And if we count on them for everything, then what happens with learning? 21st century learning is not spoon feeding. You cannot expect them to lay everything down on the table.

According to the Mrs. Linda Mahomoc Senior High School Assistant Principal, “It is not the brilliance but the patience that is tested,” in education.

Pressure is not all the time bad. Sometimes it helps the mind to be molded into what it should be. Spoon feeding is so last century and it is up to oneself to either choose to spit or swallow.

The issue is multi-faceted. It cannot be curbed by a single program activity it's because it is multi-dimensional. It should start at the family and social relationships with other people.

When it comes to issues like this, sex education may alleviate when it's approach is good.

No matter how good the dissemination of information, at the end of the day, it's upon the hands of the teenagers. There are information influx with regards to sex nowadays where teenagers have a lot of sources of information that may or may not lead to effective application taught by the school or experts.

As part of the LGU, you can have better consultation to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development. It can mitigate, but it is not the only solution to the problem.

In this modern age, we can subscribe to the theory that sex education as a subject in school could alleviate the incidence of teenage pregnancy. This is in support of the belief that knowledge is a sure fireway of enlightenment. Imparting knowledge to youngsters about the facts of life could make them aware of the dangers of going beyond the limit at a young age.

Teachers, parents, and other persons of authority should treat the matter of sex education as a necessary tool in imparting to the young students to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Emphasis on the negative social, economic, and moral impact of unplanned pregnancy could be tackled during sessions of sex education classes.

While we cannot totally say that talking about sex and its consequences in the classroom is the only answer to this phenomenon of teenage pregnancy. Surely, it is a very viable and practical option for our society, through our educational institution to take.

Ermie Lyn F. Gerona Mun. Gender and Development Coordinator

15% 3%

DISBELIEF EVACUATEDIMMEDIATELY

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ACTION/ REACTION AFTER RECEIVING THE FAKE TSUNAMI ALERTS CIRCULATING IN TOWN?

the nautilus SURVEY 49% 33% OUT OF 200 RESPONDENTS

Maurice Dence Bacaling Guidance Designate of SCNHS-SHS

At first I had some side thoughts, but then I came to think and wonder about the reality. As I have observed, those innocent-looking ones are very prone to early pregnancies. I realized that they were defeated of their curiosity or any other factor that led them to do such things. We also have to accept the reality that there are really students practicing sex at early age, it's just that it's their habit already or maybe they are using contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Those innocent ones got pregnant due to lack of knowledge or they are not used to it. That’s why, I agree to make sex education as one of our subjects to educate us especially those innocent ones. If there is something that we could do to contribute for the world, it’s to alleviate overpopulation in our own ways. I’ll go for sex education.

It is not the brilliance but the patience that is tested

Omar Jason B. Martel Municipal Administrator

Jan Alduin Hormilleja Grade 12-STEM Hornbill

When it comes to that, the only ones who should handle [sex education] are those who are qualified. I’m really in favour of sex education because in other countries, they discuss sex and the students are advised to wear condoms for protection. Not to encourage them to have sex, but to protect them from diseases if they choose to do so. For security reasons, like unwanted pregnancy, maybe we should just change the name. In Filipino context, when we say sex education, it is assumed that the subject teaches children how to have sex. It’s the stigma. But that’s not the purpose.

Despite Elevated Walls

Actions speak louder than words and there is nothing that screams hatred for school more than jumping off campus walls, and risking physical injury, just to escape undesired circumstances. Incidences like these have plagued Sta. Cruz National High School for so long that one can’t help but ask; is there a cure for this problematic behaviour?

Almost every day, in almost every classroom, there is an empty chair because skipping classes have become too normal. Some even consider it as somewhat a rite of passage to prove that truly, one has finished elementary school where being well behaved is the ultimate achievement. But students who skip class have changed into these fake parkour enthusiasts who practice their craft by jumping over the school’s walls.

“The wall was constructed higher and we put galvanized iron roofs but they still damaged it.” Guidance Councillor Marissa

Matillano said in an interview with The Nautilus. The walls were developed in 2017 after an increase in cutting classes. Yet school administrators, not just in Sta. Cruz, can only scratch their heads because although the incidences have declined, their goal of stopping students from skipping classes altogether is a failure.

The Brown Daily Herald of Brown University reported that roughly 14% of students reported that they skip class once a week, 11% skip more than once a week and 1% skip class everyday.

However, around 15% of students have never skipped class, with 34% skipping class less than once a month and 26% skipping class once or twice a month. But it is highly doubtful that students from Brown University would actually jump over 10 feet fences to skip school they paid thousands of dollars for unlike public school students who have free education but only take it for granted.

There are factors like subject interest and student-teacher

compatibility that contribute to the students desire to be absent in class. However, this complacency that teachers will be blamed for the student’s behaviour can no longer be accurate because educators have continually improved their teaching strategies to suit different students learning styles. They have even integrated games into lessons just so students could find normally boring subjects more exciting. What more can school administrators do?

It should be considered a huge privilege to attend school because not everyone has the finances to support their education. Shameless troublemakers who continuously cut class and create problems for their parents and teachers need to stop thinking only of themselves and start honouring the privilege given to them.

Regardless of elevated walls, when a student decides to skip school, no barrier is high enough because again; “When there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Editors-in-Chief: Gwyneth Bea Rodriguez, Niño Angelo Pamilgan, Erin Danielle Martel, Lovely Maupoy

Associate Editors: Leonard Tucjayao, Diane Beatriz dela Cruz, Cherylle Anne Macaoay

Managing Editors: Carl Necole F. Taypin, Luke Matthew Baring, Valerie Llena

Lay-out Artists: Niño Angelo Pamilgan, Lawrence Abangan

Editorial Editor: Valerie Llena, Ellaine Cortezano

Editorial Cartoonists: Ever Gentle B. Ocariza

News Writers: Aubrey Rhom, Zyra Jones C. Billeza, Wesly Mae Pellazar

Photojournalists: Diane Beatriz dela Cruz, Michael Angelo Bermudez

Feature Editor: Johanna Gabriel R. Jumilla, Ayumi Toyoda

Science & Technology Writers: Rae Ann E. Diaz, August One Dabon

Sports Editor: Kian Franco Codilla

Contributors: Kyle Manapol, Leticia Mel Dato, Thea Blaire Guimary, Harlow Jay Domopoy, Derek Walter Ramos, Jenoel Jacob Eknadan, Aliannah Mundoc, Sherynna Maye Cañeda, Jan Maurice Quingco, Uriel Deypalubos, Angel Jane Ote, John Edgar Udal, Hannah Zorayah Macasipot

School Paper Adviser: Girlie June J. Solamo

Asst. School Paper Advisers: Raechelle Mae T. Mawalic, James B. Jamero, Boon Genesis M. Amoroso

Head Teachers: Rogelio D. Duhaylungsod, Ingred C. Soria

Assistant School Principal (SHS): Linda C. Mahomoc

School Principal: Nestor R. Amoroso

SURVEY

Lastpublication, we conducted a survey regarding on the factors why students do not make assignments at home. In connection to the rampant issue 'No Homework Policy', we conducted a survey about the activities of 50 students when there are no assignments given to be done at home.

Shutting out the good thing

During the introductory days of the K-12 Program, the government was rather too optimistic and the people: too skeptic about its implementation. Many did not know what it would bring and what it would change and so former DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro clarified that “basic education was not merely to be reformed, but transformed.” And we all know that when something sounds that great, it’s too good to be true.

The propaganda was spread by the DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro and former president Noynoy Aquino which holds with it a promise of easy employment for K-12 graduates without having to pursue higher learning. And yet more than 5 years after Aquino signed the K-12 bill into law, Philippine Business Education survey stated that four out of five companies won’t accept K-12 graduates.

In the article “Serious Problems with K-12 Senior High School” Joel Tabora wrote that K-12 reform was inspired…?

Other than employment uncertainty, curriculum planners from the DepEd-CEAP Mindanao Summit held in 2014 have initially raised concerns after DepEd Program Coordinator Mr Elvin Ivan Uy spoke of 31 total subjects required for Senior High School each with 80 hours per semester.

Dr Gina Montalan, Dean of the College of Education Ateneo

Logically right in all the wrong places

Unwanted teenage pregnancies continue to plaque Philippine schools, but instead of a proper implementation of the Reproductive Health Law, National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ryan Enriquez naively suggested that separating girls and boys in class will immediately solve this dilemma.

On October 3, 2019, due to the gravity of the situation, Enriquez proposed that girls and boys must be in separate classrooms from Grades 7 to 12 to curb the rising cases of teen pregnancies. While Enriquez also urged for proper sex education in schools, he was firm about his segregation idea. But sex education is already part of the Reproductive Health Law so why is he trying to suggest a completely new answer to an old problem that was already provided with relief?

“A lot of grade school students already have girlfriends and boyfriends because they are classmates. If they have an activity that they need to finish after school, they do it in their houses and the sex happens there. They could become teenage mothers.”

Enriquez told ABS-CBN News.

Under this proposed set-up, students can still interact with

de Davao University, pointed out that with 80 hours per subject per semester, it meant 6.5 hours of contact daily and it would be the equivalent to a whopping 32.5 units whereas college units should be taking no more than 20 units.

Fr Onofre G. Inocensio, Jr. SBD, Superintendent of Don Bosco Schools and TVET Centers explained that the senior high school “core curriculum” requirement is so heavy that there would be no time to develop the hands-on skills the students that the manufacturing industry requires. It is just not possible. Yes, K-12 is the law and one cannot question the law, but we can improve it. Its benefits are also highly regarded since the program is good, and might have been designed, for international mobility of its graduates. But, as what Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns wrote on Sunstar’s forum, do we only want “our youth to become cheap labourers and gear them to serve foreign countries?"

The program was precisely supposed to either prepare students for gainful work after basic education or prepare them for college. The problem isn’t the program, it’s that the either/or has become a both/and. Its intention to both equip students with skills necessary for employment and preparing them for college simultaneously, we have now shut out meaningful skills development in exchange for pre-college preparation.

the opposite sex around campus, but won’t be assigned to the same classes. He then added that if students “wouldn’t be assigned together for projects, there wouldn’t need to be a reason to stay over.”

The Commission on Population (POPCOM) reported in 2017 that the Philippines, with only a population of over 104 million, had nearly 200,000 women aged 15-19 years old getting pregnant every year. But does the chairperson really think that the solution to this is keeping the opposite sex apart? Because to me, it sounds like he is trying to teach the alphabet to a college graduate just because the graduate can’t write Shakespearean critiques; far-fetched and obviously unnecessary.

And aside from being a BandAid solution, separation of male and female students means doubling the facilities and the Philippines already lacks enough classrooms.

His idea of segregation is a quarter away from being logical and practical. The Reproductive Health Law is right there ready to be used, why not strengthen that instead? There is something we call logic Mr Enriquez, please have more of that.

Diane Beatriz DELA CRUZ

Too good to be true

Investmentenvelops the promise of providing financial security and income but all hope fell for the KAPA Community investors when President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the corporation’s legitimacy.

“When it is good to be true, it is fraud,” Duterte said in June as he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to probe and shutdown KAPA-Community Ministry International and other similar groups for alleged involvement in investment scams. About a month later, the President successfully ended these “scams” and this might have been a win for the government, but obviously not for the people.

With a promise of 30% growth in donated money per month, no wonder the president thinks it’s a scam and considers it a Ponzi scheme, an investment program that offers impossibly high

DISCUSSION

returns and pays investors out of the capital contributed by later investors. And although the Civil Code of the Philippines doesn’t prohibit “donations” because it is a voluntary transfer of possession without any consideration and is considered a gift, the assurance of growth in donated money renders the scheme a sham. It would have passed if not for the written promise.

A grade 12 student of Sta. Cruz National High School said that he paid-in his savings of several years so he had money for college. Similar stories like this are numerous; people losing their money to these investments after the president forced them to shutdown. But would these corporations stop generating money for its investors even if the president did not get involved?

Pastor Joel Apolinario, the organization’s leader, claims that KAPA has been operating for six years and boasts of a diverse portfolio of businesses to sustain

its promises to its investors. However, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that majority of the businesses are newly registered sole proprietorships which are unlikely to have generated billions.

“No one, no bank, not even the Bank of America can afford to pay you Php 30, 000 every month for your Php 100, 000. That is why NBI, close everything and bring them [to jail] upon my orders.” Duterte said in Filipino.

No matter what the reason for these investors loss is, whether it was due to the government’s interference or the corporation’s inability to sustain in the first place, people must always remember to only risk what they can afford to lose.

Only risk what they can afford to lose.

DO YOU PREFER TO WEAR CIVILIAN ATTIRES OR UNIFORM IN SCHOOL? WHY?

I prefer to wear my uniform. Aside from my own safety as a student, it also helps me in controlling the amount of dirty clothes I produce every week. I can repeat my uniform while I can’t do it when I’m wearing civilian attires. Aside from this, the school would consider me as a student of the institution because there have been cases of gangs entering school without wearing a proper dress code.

When I’m dealing with matters concerning school, I prefer to wear civilian attires because I can move freely with it. Uniform can offer limited actions because I’m wearing a skirt. It is very convenient for me and I am able to listen on class discussions because I feel comfortable. Unlike when I’m wearing uniform, I found myself distracted and not comfortable to be attentive in class.

Wearing uniform. I can’t decide which clothes to choose when I wear civilian attires and it takes my time so I arrive late in school. It is very decent to look like ‘professional’ when people see you. It is clean to look at and to ensure safety as well.

I usually go with civilian attires because I’m more comfortable with it. It also helps me in keeping up with fashion and trend. Uniforms are good, but sometimes, we need to find for our comfort zone. But, wearing civilian should be in moderation. Whatever will be the dress code, we should still abide the rules of the institution.

I prefer to wear my uniform. Let's be practical. I can save money because there are fare discounts for students (especially when you wear a uniform). I feel like I'm a good student because going along with the rules and regulations of the school will give you a good image. Wearing civilian attires is convenient, yet, it needs moderation.

RIPPLE

Vanishing Hope

Teenagers engaging to premarital sex and getting pregnant at an early age have been one of the biggest problems of our society. The supposed-to-be “pag-asa ng bayan” are slowly drifting away as they give in to the sinful and destructible call of desire.

As modernization and liberation continues to take over the world, more teenagers are continuing to engage in premarital sex. Forgetting that sex is sacred and should only be done by married couple, some millenials endulge to it like it is some kind of an addictive candy that they can’t live without.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, one-third of Filipinos aged 15 to 24 have engaged in premarital sex and a majority of them do not use any protection that can lead to early pregnancy.

It was stated in a survey conducted by Commission on Population (POPCOM) that almost 196,000 young Filipinas get pregnant in just a year and an average of 500 give birth everyday.

The alarming cases of teenage pregnancy is an eye-opener to people especially to helter-skelter youths who choose the temporary happiness and pleasure without even thinking of their forsaken dreams.

The government is doing their job. They have already

Ayumi TOYODA

implemented programs such as Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program, they have given protections to teenagers and birth control pills are even free in health centers. All of those programs and actions but until now, we can’t feel and see any improvement, infact, the cases are getting worse. No matter how people persuade other teenagers to stop and no matter how we make them understand the possible outcome of their actions, nothing will happen. It is too hard to convince people who can hear but do not listen.

If it can’t be solve through kind actions, why not make moves that will push them to prevent the doings themselves? In the end, the victim will be the innocent baby. Every irresponsible parent should be penalize and if possible, should be jailed. It is their actions anyway so they should pay for it.

They say resisting is too hard especially if the ‘it’ has been started, so better not let the curiousity take over you for.

HORIZONS

Valerie Llena Good in Moderation

With the recent anomalies that involve the youth in the country, such as being involved in illegal drugs, the government has provided a potential to solution with regards to the issue. It is to revive the mandatory ROTC in the education system in the Philipines. Will the ROTC enable to straighten the crooked paths of the youths or would just cause them more burden as students?

Despite the fact that the President Duterte himself skipped the ROTC as a student, as he said in his SONA, he agrees that the ROTC should be brought back in schools.

The House Bill 8961 or the reinstatement of the mandatory Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) to be brought back in schools for all the senior high school students, for the purpose of instilling patriotism, moral and spiritual values, good citizenship, and discipline among younger Filipinos. It sounds upright and worthy, however, the proposal was met with backlash and certain negative criticisms from the netizens. And somewhere between these arguments, we might find some good common sense.

First thing, one of the apparent reasons is due to past and previous hazing incident that smeared the reputation of ROTC. Teacher’s Representative France Castro points out that the recent hazing issue of a PMA Cadet that resulted death to the latter strengthens the appeal to halt the reinstatement of ROTC in schools. It is really disappointing, knowing that such terrible event took place where future military officers reside.

So if this is to be reestablished in schools, although the lawmakers are ensuring that the gloomy past would not happen again with some safety nets, still there is no certainty that the students won’t go through the same traumatic

and horrific experience. Hence, there would be a failure in instilling patriotism but rather create a subculture of fear and violence among youngsters.

Second thing, for Orland Nolasco Miñoza, said via Rappler that fixing the K to 12 curriculum should be a priority instead of the ROTC Program. It is a hardto-swallow pill for the lawmakers because it is apparently true. For the four years since it has been implemented, the program has encountered a lot of criticism regarding its curriculum.

In addition to that, a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) revealed that some schools were not ready to provide the various tracks and strands under the program. And if ROTC will be approved in the Congress, it would cost 38 billion pesos annually, said Senator Win Gatchalian. So if ROTC would be restored, will the government be able to compensate the expensive cost?

Next, some arguments were raised due to ROTC being linked to the West Philippine Sea dispute. In which the backers of ROTC see it as a good opportunity to add numbers in the reserved military forces. Senator Gatchalian said via article in Rappler that the revival of the mandatory ROTC “would help drive the point that although we are a small nation in terms of economy and military, we will never back down from our fight in sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.”

With this kind of thinking, it seems like war is inevitable, and we are to face China sooner or later. Dejectedly saying, a piece of land isn’t worth the lives of an entire nation. And having more numbers in the armed forces doesn’t necessarily mean enough stronger forces to defend the country.

Despite its negative criticisms, reestablishing ROTC might not be bad if it goes under thorough process. Everything is good, but in moderation.

It is too hard to convince people who can hear but do not listen.

POINT OF ORDER

Banning the Banned

Amongall Philippine issues that blasted in the nation’s land these past few days is the ‘no homework policy’ being pressed by different solons around the country.

Dated August 28, 2019, Sen. Grace Poe filed a Senate bill banning teachers’ capacity to give homework or assignments from Kinder to Grade 12 of both public and private schools. Under the proposed measure, teachers may only assign homeworks to students provided that it would be minimal and lit won’t be needing four hours and beyond to be accomplished.

Truth to behold! School stuff must be done in school for never did a student brought a household chore and complete it in school.

According to the study of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Program for International Student Assessment, the additional time spent for homework has a negligible impact on students’ performance. This is after around four hours of homework in a week.

Staying in the right angle, I strongly believe that homeworks should be fully shut to the life of students for it won’t do any good but burden.

Learning does not end after moving out from the four corners of the classroom and bringing

homeworks even at home. Homeworks take a less parcel on a student’s life that even without this, they’d survive.

As a student and based on experience, students have learned to trade their health just to acquire high grades due to the countless and tons of homeworks sent from school. The prominence of “Health is wealth” seemed to vanish away because of the teachers pressure, “Time management!”

This sick educational system of the Philippines should be halted! We should not let the time to come where students value grades a lot more over their health and families. And one big step to this is the full shutdown of homeworks.

It is not only the teachers who face tons of paperworks in school. It is not only the teachers who comprise a lot of responsibilities at home. Students too! Homework is like a shirt of burden, needed to be taken off. Banning homework is not just a desire, it is a must!

School stuff must be done in school for never did a student brought a household chore and complete it in school.

nThe Nautilus @thenautiluspub

We dessiminate what is true and factual.

2869 Following 3969 Followers

LETTERS EDITORS TO THE

Justine James Rapas @justjamesrapz

Grade 12 - Hornbill

I am a transferee student and I am now Grade 12. There was an instance that Sta. Cruz National High School junior high campus conducted a particular celebration and I together with my classmates wanted to go there. However, the school guard didn’t allow us to enter the campus gate for we are already senior high students. Why is that? Aren’t we considered students of SCNHS just because we are Senior High already?

nThe Nautilus @thenautiluspub

Thank you for tweeting your concerns here. You are considered as a student of Sta. Cruz National High School, however the programs have specific audience depending on the theme. That is why, school guards are strict on monitoring the entrance of students because that is their job. I hope I answered your inquiry.

Princess Anne Joy Paquit @ayenpaquit

Theshaking alone of the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that rocked Southern Mindanao was enough to cause a panic, but the playful broadcasting of a fake tsunami alert led to traffic congestion and a public panic that would leave anyone traumatized.

The unexpected earthquake that happened in North Cotabato on October 16 at 7:37 in the evening was the strongest one to have ever affected Southern Mindanao. Minutes after the seismic activity, approximately 90% of the citizens of the Municipality of Sta. Cruz and all its neighbors went uphill to escape the false tsunami alert that dispersed throughout the municipality and social media. But it was nothing compared to the scare the citizens of Daliao, Toril District experienced.

Lt. Col Jed Clamor, the Toril Police Station commander, said that Evelyn (real name withheld), the mother of “Dianne”, 17-yearold, were endorsed to him after Dianne’s Facebook post caused hundreds of families to evacuate. The evacuation led to a three-hour traffic jam. Evelyn denied and said that the tsunami information did not originate from them and was passed along from someone else, when she told Dianne about it, her daughter, in turn, posted it on her Facebook page to warn other people. Nonetheless, Rodrigo Bustillo of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) said they should still face the consequences. My question is, would the panic have happened if only government agencies released advisories before anyone could spread fake news?

“There was no tsunami warning released after the earthquake. It is the task of government agencies like ours to release advisories,” Bustillo said. However, we must also think of the citizens’ side.

Yes, it is the government’s job but would anyone be able to wait an hour just for an advisory that may

never come? Even the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) takes about an hour to send an alert and during that magnitude 6.3 earthquake I have received none. Not even the morning after. Yet they were able to do so for the Davao Oriental earthquake that occurred early in the morning so may I conclude that they were also shocked, along with the citizens, when that 6.3 hit? Did they also go uphill and forgot to notify the people?

Despite the false tsunami information, Bustillo said that the “People are now alert and know where to go in case of tsunami incident.” And that is true because now, people are more eager to research about what to do during emergencies and calamities. Not every panic is useless after all but it would have been better if only advisories were disseminated faster.

Filipino as we are, many jokes were made about the fake tsunami alert. The first one that caught my eye was a Facebook post that said; “Nagkagubot sa Daliao kay nay nisiyagit og ‘tsunami, tsunami.’ Sa dihang ang inahan diay sa bata nangita sa iyang anak nga si Chona Mae.” This to me is very uplifting because Social Media can turn from a fake news platform, to a fast information platform, then to a good vibes platform in minutes. You just have to know which is which.

For every Chona Mae, there should be two types of people: an informed citizen who only believes trusted sources so as not to risk panicking for nothing; and a government that can race against thoughtless fake news sources.

Would the panic have happened if only government agencies released advisories before anyone could spread fake news?

Good day!

As I’ve observed from the Senior High Students, they are always wearing civilian attires during Wednesdays. As a junior high student, I think it is very unfair for us who don’t have washday when we are also students of Sta. Cruz National High School. Please do enlighten me.

1

Good day to you too.

Grade 7 - Strawberry n

1

Here's the thing. It is because the Assistant School Principal, Ma’am Linda Mahomoc permits senior high school students to wear civilian attires, especially in P.E.. But still, they are obliged to wear uniforms when there are no P.E. classes.

Grade 8 - Diamond

I am a grade 8 student and I have observed that the books we use cannot cater the whole class and majority of the books have damages. Why? What happened to the books?

1

The Nautilus @thenautiluspub

1

Our school is facing a big problem with regards to our learning materials, and also we have an article about that, saying that the loss and damage books have increased by 107%. As students, it is our responsibility to take care of our books so as to avoid aforementioned problems.

Grade 12 - Eagle

I am a twelfth-grader where I am prone to a lot of activities in school. There are times, I lay down in my bed and unknowing, I fell asleep because I am tired of doing such activities. Dancing here. Role-playing there. Acads on this side. And reviews and researches on the other side. It seems that I have no more time to get enough rest. Is these activities still healthy for me? If not, what should I do?

1

The Nautilus @thenautiluspub

1

Thank you for sending your thoughts here. As a student, I also experienced that. Truth to hold, we have many subjects in Senior High School that's why we lots of things to do. It's just a matter of effecient time management. Once the tasks were given, finish it early. Do not wait for the time that you will be procrastinated on the series of activities to be done. I hope I helped you.

Gwyneth Bea RODRIGUEZ

'Chona Mae' Alert

The Nautilus @thenautiluspub

Angel Buquia @angelbuquia

Rose Leslie Beciera @leslie_beciera

Beyond Heartbomb

Ticktock. Tick tock. He can feel the time bomb inside him move. He knows that it might go off any time without him knowing but the sadness that lingers in the hearts of his loved ones. And he can only hope that he would be given more time to experience life.

Christian Edgar Andaya, a Grade 11 student is a lively boy that seems to mask the condition he’s going through. Sometimes, when he takes advantage of his body and gets hyper, he can not tell that what he is doing is beyond what his body is limited to.

Christian has a genetic heart disease, specifically in his left mitral valve. It was only checked when he went to the doctor due to having a terrible cough and later told his parents that his left mitral valve had swollen up. In fear of what they have known, he had an instant surgery.

The condition was only later noticed because Christian is asymptomatic- meaning his body did not show any symptoms of the illness. Up until he knew about his conditions, he never used it as an excuse to stop doing the things he is passionate about, although he knew his body has boundaries in certain activities.

Breaking Boundaries stories of

hardships

During the interview, he highlighted that his favorite sport is basketball, but he can only dream of the moments when he can just play until his breath hitches. He is often seen in the park playing with his friends, or just round-about the school campus. No one can tell his suffering because of how nonchalant his actions are.

‘Every morning is a blessing’ a post he shared on his social media account. He had accepted his conditions and embraced every single part of it because there is not enough time for him to rewrite his life.

‘I accepted it because my mom, my sister, and my brother had gone through the same disease, but they were treated immediately because their symptoms showed, and unlike mine that had reach a good amount of time to be finally diagnosed.’ Christian said.

The heart is the geysers that flow the fountain of life through the human body, and the heart is roughly the size of a large fist yet closely as delicate as a bomb that may explode any time.

Christian is a silent fighter who bats with a demon in his heart that stole his breath right from him, and his scars are someone else’s signs of hope that he will go beyond than what his heart bomb have set for him.

Movement into his heart

Agraceful

movement caught the eyes of everyone. His figure was bathed with soft light. While the music is playing, he seems to be in a dream of a long lost memory. As droplets of sweat began to form in his forehead so does the tears start to fall. He opens his eyes, determination shining inside.

He is John Mart 'Janna' Wagas, a Grade 12 student, has been dancing his heart to the beat of life. In every movement he makes, the feeling of being in a world without problems appear in his mind.

Growing up without both of his parents has not been easy for Janna, but he has his two older brothers who guided him when he was young. He chose to live with his grandparents because both of his brothers have families, leaving Janna to take care of himself.

Seeking out comfort, he found himself a world of acceptance in dancing. It became his home that made him of what he has become today.

“I always keep in mind the words, 'don’t settle for less'.” he said while reminiscing the times when he became a dance instructor.

He is passionate in what he does. Dancing became his steps to cope with from the sadness he is feeling. It became the happiness that made his problem become tolerable. It gave him the home he is seeking and a dream within his heart.

Truly, Janna prove that sometimes, our sufferings are the beginnings of a beautiful way to know our strengths. It is to make the heartbreaking events our turning point with passion and determination to be better everyday.

PHOTOS FROM JOSEPHINE B. ANDAYA, MOTHER

Weak Heart, Strong Mind

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. The sound of her pounding heart seems to tune out the doubts buzzing within her head. With burning courage shining within her brown eyes she paints a smile. She might have a weak heart but not a weak determination.

As the streaks of morning light fills her room, April C. Mombay feels the surge of hope rushing in within. To others it might be a normal day but for her it is another extension for someone who was a heart disease a blessing she is thanking God for the past 18 years of her life.

April’s condition started when she was young but the symptoms reach its peak when she was in high school, with hopes and dreams of a youthful child that seems to be encage in the limitations of the body.

“Sauna, wala. Dili jud. Karon ra man ni nigawas , katong elementary okay-okay pa, karon pa man ni nigawas.” she said as she described her experiences while having a heart disease.

There were instances when she faced circumstances while having the disease. Most of the people around her treated her like a glass that is too fragile to be moved because of her condition. It broke her to the core when people try to reason her disease when she is doing something. Years after that, the fear of being a baggage starts to live within her. Sometimes when she sees people dancing and doing strenuous work, her mind wanders what it would feel. Doing something that is exhausting until you are left panting for air but the rush of being alive is there. But she can’t and her dreams fall short on the things she was only limited to do. She feared that the people will soon get annoyed when her disease keeps them from doing their work.

“Dili man gud ko ganahan na ma feel nila na pabigat ko, muhilom nalang ko pagmagsakit. Kung atakihon ko usahay dili nalang ko musaba, kung magsakit akong dughan dili ko magsaba kay dili ko ganahan na ingnon ko ug dili nako kaya,” she emphasized that her fear has grown into years and sometimes she comes hard headed to most people.

Her strong will is anchored from the people who loved and supported her. But she wants to open the eyes that hold her softly that she might have a weak heart physically, but her courage never tremble.

Indeed, April is someone who embodies a strong mind, courageous heart and someone who never gives up. In every beat of life, she proves that having a weak heart is an opportunity to be strong.

Missing Piece: Way to be Whole

Nothing is more heart-breaking than a broken soul who longs for something that can fill the missing piece in her heart.

Being a parent is hard but having no one to guide you as you grow up is tougher. They are the light that leads their children on choosing a path to take, but Racquel Antaran has to continue her journey even though her own light have dimmed and left her.

Racquel, a 17 year old Grade 12 student has been acting the role of being a mother, a father, and an oldest sister to her siblings. With her cheerful smile, no one can suspect the sadness filling her eyes.

“I want a complete family, not for me, but for my younger siblings.” she said when recalling a memory where her mother and father are still in the same house. They might lack on lavish things, but the love that filled her childhood was overflowing that the memories would crush her inside. Those moments were locked down on the darkest memory of Racquel when her heart has been ripped apart many times by the same people who promised to cherish it.

She is the foundation of her family. Her siblings look up to her of taking care of them but also for being strong. Every time her innocent sibling asks about their parents whereabouts, all she wants to do is cry, but she knows crying would not convince them to go back. She chooses to wipe her tears, and give them smile. It might be breaking her inside but it would not crush the hope and dreams she is holding for the future.

Her friends became her escape zone during the tough times. The school became her home that offers her warmth and acceptance, something that she is longing for. She highlighted the importance of having true friends because they would be the one who will fight with you when the battle starts.

Despite of all the dark memories hunting her, and the problems lurking in her life, Racquel stayed as an amazing person that shares her light.

Racquel is one of the hundreds of people with a missing piece in their hearts. The pieces might never return or make us feel whole, but they taught us a bigger piece of advice in this life. It is to be strong and love without any condition even with a missing piece in our heart.

Breaking Boundaries

Heart-touching stories

CAPTURED BY: MICHAEL ANGELO BERMUDEZ

MISFIT Diary of

David shares his experience of being a stand out

by Cherylle Anne MACAOAY

Whilesome people follow the main stream of life, there are people like David Lee Bondoc who prefers to chase after the current against it. Unruly curly hair that seems to stick out everywhere, darker skin tone and English accent that seems so foreign among most students, it is hard not to notice that he seems to stand out in the crowd.

“It doesn’t bother me at all. As long as I feel like I am me, I appreciate what I am. You do you, I’ll be me.” says David as he was questioned about being different than most people.

Sticking like a sore thumb in the crowd seems to be a straight out of fiction occurrence that only happens in books. But in the daily life of David, he seems to live the life of Harry Potter where he struggles to be

in the world of muggles when he is a wizard. When he was asked about how he feels about being different “Not at all. Sometimes nay mga people na they feel I am weird” he said but explains that it does not bother him. He shares that how you perceive about yourself is more important than how people view you.

Growing up in a place where everyone knows each other, David had the trouble of having friends. He emphasized that in his

SEA Parent's

by Cherylle Anne MACAOAY

younger days he can’t speak the Bisaya dialect so people often move away from him, fearing or judging to be an acquaintance that is an alien of the group.

“Back then I had a hard time having friends, it actually depends on people. It just a matter of choosing the people on who you will be around with.” he said. The people who will surround you contribute on how you vision problems and struggles.

People are different from each other. And you don’t have to fit on someone else’s footprints to be great from accepting yourself, doing what you want and following on things you are passionate about. But if you find someone who stand out maybe a greeting and a little hello will let them feel they belong. Possibly it is what kindness is all about.

crifices

Aparent’s sacrifice for their children cannot be measured by lengths of time and words, however the value of a moment with an overseas loved one is a head above water chase.

Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs are renowned as heroes of today’s era and are the strong pillars of the Philippine economy. OFWs experience various types of hardships- physical, mental, social, and emotional. They are also martyrs—not only for their love for their families but more importantly their significant contributions to the country’s economy.

Gabrielle Lorra Egacila is a grade 10 student of Santa Cruz National High School and is a daughter of an OFW. Her mother is a factory worker in Japan and has worked there since Gabrielle’s elementary days.

Ever since a child Gabrielle did her best in school participation and extra-curricular activities, she made sure to make her mom proud of her even though she’s in abroad.

High school years have been tough for Gabrielle especially in her puberty stage when she deeply needed her mom’s advices and attention. She said that she went through a tough phase because there was no one to talk to in times of despair so she kept it to herself.

As a parent you’ll see in your child’s eyes that he/she is hurting,

but in this case where the mom is a thousand miles away they could only dream of the moments where they can have a glimpse of their child. Her mom seldom comes home in the Philippines, most of it are once a year, twice a year or sometimes none.

Every year there is a school competition held on Santa Cruz National High School’s Intramurals day, a pageant of beauty and athleticism. Mr. and Ms. Intramurals are always the crowd favorite to watch not only they can see beautiful and handsome faces but they can scream in glory for their candidates. Gabrielle was chosen to be this year’s blue eagle candidate, with a beautiful face and nice physique she can win it over a smile.

As the tension rises, each teams are yelling to the top of their lungs and as the energy heightens the vibe the queen of the skies has brought home the title as Ms. Intramurals of 2019. Outstanding was an understatement, there were no words she could’ve felt when she was crowned.

She also won a couple of contests, she achieved a lot since

her first year high school until the fourth and she can only wish that her mother was here to see those. Even though she is happy for winning these she can’t help but to feel sad whenever she remembers her mom.

Her advice to all the students who have OFW parents is to do their best and make them proud, and make yourself feel worth it of your parent’s sacrifices. To accept that life will always have its fair share of challenges, but no problem is too big if you aspire to be great in the future.

“Being an Overseas Filipino Worker is not a piece of cake and it is not easy to be away from your family. Just remember what and why they had to come to that position, the reason why they had to go there and be thankful.” Gabrielle Egacila said.

Gabrielle’s achievements have made her mom feel an unexplainable measure of happiness and pride. OFWs may be an entire ocean apart from us but their dedication and hard work is felt to the ground, and a parent’s love is a tip apart from their children.

LEGENDS MOBILE OF THE One

With its different variety of heroes with different skills and power, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has been one of the most addictive games that even kids and adults cannot resist.

Mobile Legends:Bang Bang was developed by Moonton and was released in July 11, 2016. As soon as the game was released, many people started playing and slowly got immersed with the game.

The game showcases the gamers’ hidden competitiveness for they need to compete and win against their opponent team consisting of five

members to reach higher rank. The players are individually ranked in 8 ascending order—warrior, elite, master, grandmaster, epic, legend, mythic and mythical glory. Lance, not his real name, has been playing since 2017. It has been two years already but every game still excites him like it is his first time. Every “you have slain an enemy” still hypes him and awakens his hidden barbaric side. He considers himself as an “MLBB addict” but he doesn’t see it as a hindrance in becoming who he wants to be in the future. In fact, he is a certified honor student and he sees the game as his escape zone to

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EDITED BY: MICHAEL ANGELO BERMUDEZ

shot, one kill. As the hero continues to shoot arrows, it seems like the target were not just the enemy, but also the person in front of the screen, the one who is running from the real world and refuses to fight the battle within him.

temporarily lighten up the burden of being a student.

However, the effects of online games depend on its players, things may not be the same with what it’s like with the others. And sometimes, they tend to be uncontrollable that it can already harm us.

Alu is a newbie player. He just started playing recently but the effect of the game in him is clearly visible in his report card. He spends almost a third of his day holding his gadget and all you can hear is “Welcome to Mobile Legends,” that it already alarms his parents.

The worst part is, he’s already too addicted that it got to the point when he forgets to eat his meals just so he could continue playing. Gaming is not bad at all. It makes us feel young and updated. Some seeks comfort in games because it provides understanding. However, we shouldn’t get lost to the game’s graphics and immerse ourselves on a place that only exists behind the screen. We should always remember that we are not a game character, we are humans who have our own responsibilities that should be taken care of.

PHOTO & EDITED BY: MICHAEL ANGELO BERMUDEZ

Breaking Mariathe ClaraSTEREOTYPE

by Gwyneth Bea RODRIGUEZ

“Act like a lady.”

A statement that almost every Filipina girl is familiar with. It seems like Filipino culture still holds this ego-idea of the many bygone years. The so-called Maria Clara image of a demure, shy, and being the epitome of virtue is still being upheld for the Filipina of today. But how many Filipinas in reality are like Maria Clara really?

"Make no mistake."

Expectations of women have slowly changed for the better in the recent years. Some roles expected from our grandmothers no longer apply to now, except for the occasional “Women should know how to cook” comments. Women are always asked to be like this and like that, do this not that, just so we can be that perfect “Dalagang Pilipina”. To be that image, here are 5 things expected from women that they don’t need to do.

“Sit with your legs together”.

Have you ever sat on a bench or in a jeep with a man? He will spread his legs as if asserting

dominance without care of whether or not his seatmate can fit both buttocks on the chair. If they can do that, women can sit however they want, wherever they want. As long as she’s wearing panties of course.

“Be nice."

People often mistake being nice as being kind but there is a huge difference between them. Kind is good. Everyone should be kind. Being nice makes a woman unable to do a lot of things like turning down a guy because she doesn’t find him physically attractive – a choice deprived from women and the same choice men can easily make because women are expected to be perfect anyway.

“Ignore the fact that you’re beautiful."

Women are expected to be beautiful but not know, or pretend not to know, that they are beautiful because knowing that you’re attractive and being confident about your appearance turns off men. Here’s the thing, everyone is

beautiful and anyone has the right to flaunt it.

“Have kids."

Just because we have the ability to have kids, doesn’t mean we are required to have kids. It doesn’t make the childless selfish or loveless. People.

“Shave." Whether it’s down there or on the underarms, why is it shameful when girls have body hair? Everyone expects us to be perfectly plucked chickens all the time.

We don’t have to live up to what society wants us to be. Acting like a lady doesn’t have to mean women should act perfectly because who is perfect anyway? And different women mean different behaviors so acting like a lady should be different for everybody. Maria Clara is a fictional character, we, on the other hand, are real people capable of evolving in both roles and characters. This unrealistic picture perfect image of us needs to stop.

MORNING

Maria Clara is a fictional character, we, on the other hand, are real people capable of evolving in both roles and characters. This unrealistic picture perfect image of us needs to stop.

MOURNING TO

In loving memory of Sir Pepet Niemes

Gray clouds began to hover above me. Rain is coming but the droplets of water started to fall within the eyes that lost him. Cries of complete utter loss initiates to resonate on the corners of the stage. Moments with him began to flash in my mind and I was stuck in a never ending loophole of disbelief and loss. I can feel my hands shaking and tears starting to race across my cheeks, but a hand held me tight dragging me into reality where his life was taken away in one bullet. The sadness came crashing inside, filling and crushing me into oblivion.

Shining brown eyes began to scan the whole room. With a thunderous voice he said “Amazing morning everyone”. I was surprised because it was supposed to be good but he told us being alive is beyond good, it is amazing. Inside the corners of our classroom, he made a home. His laughter shines through us, making our burden seems to lighten and can be solved. Relishing these moments, repeating his smile and life advices only seems to widen the emptiness inside instead of filling it.

Pulling me back in reality, I began to look in the hallways he once walked with the smile between his lips. Evening came and I hope the morning becomes visible again. Amazing mornings became mourning. Times have passed, but the memories of sir Pet still lingers in our hearts and maybe it will stay there forever.

Astranger is interested in you’, a notification popped out from an app and wandered inside her desiring mind. Unknowingly, she opened a door of opportunities that led her to the world where love lies on both ends of technology and reality.

An app called Omegle is an online dating application that allows a person to strike a conversation with someone that has same interest. It went viral when Kyo Quijano, a Filipino youtuber that made a vlog who dressed up as a girl and was looking for a date in the app. Since then, citizens from all around the country had used it, and majority to those are students.

Annie is a student from Santa Cruz National High School. She has been single for a long time and is intrigued to try dating because all the students were into it. She met a guy in the application that provided a lot of people who were looking

for a lover, and that someone is one of the thousands who seek for a relationship.

Gone were the days of being single, when he met a boy named Tyrone on Omegle. They have been talking for several weeks yet she still does not know anything about Tyrone other than his name. This led Annie to further confusion when the guy started acting different, and suddenly he ended the conversation and vanished into thin air.

A student who goes by the name Fred never really used dating apps like Omegle where the disclosure of names is optional, people become more confident in what they say as

NLINE W LOVE

their true identity is hidden behind a screen, he said. “Although this can lead to very callous acts and sending the wrong message has a higher chance of occurring” he stressed out.

People on Omegle often lower their inhibitions because of the fact that the person you are talking to does not know your name, therefore they feel that they can send anything they want because their identity is protected which is highly unbecoming of a person being a possible romantic partner, which is the aim of all dating sites. Annie says that being active on social media did not have any effect to her participation in school. She

managed to balance both school works and love life. She said that everyone could give it a try but be mindful of the person you are talking to. It can either be good or bad, black and white, and right and wrong yet it has no in between, so try to look at love as it is with all its goods and bads. There is nothing wrong with looking for love, whether it may be in a way of digital or actual life form, it’s the thought that counts, and knowingly Annie found a love that everybody deserves right in front of a screen.

GREEN REVOLUTION

Intentionally Problematic

TheAmazon Rainforest has been burning itself out for three weeks straight.

Zyra Jones BILLEZA

silence. And they were told that there was no record, it is just his feeling.

President Jair Bolsonaro is blaming his own government of setting fire to the lungs of the Earth. Awe can feel the cries of help from afar, and blaming each other can’t solve the crisis.

Jair Bolsonaro accused environmental groups for being the cause of the arson in the rainforest. People suspected that he is trying to cover up his failure of protecting the world’s biggest forest. It is disappointing to see a president accusing others just to defend his own mistakes. If this is his plan, to point fingers to people, thinking the Amazonian fire will never be solved.

The president took advantage in the environment agency and put some minor penalties and such. But what bugs the public is the sudden accusation the president said. Due to extreme high records of fire situations, it prompted halt donations from Norway and Germany to support NGOs as well as government agencies.

But Europe block the trade deal to Brazil and other South American Nations. Bolsonaro claimed that fires were started because of the environmental NGO’s, to embarrass his government. In an interview, at a steel congress in Brasilia, he said “On the question of burning the Amazon, which in my opinion may have been initiated by NGOs because they lost money, what is the intention? To bring problems to Brazil.”

The President also made a similar allegations, said that the groups had gone out with cameras so that they could film them. But the interviewer asked if he has evidence, or he could say one of the names involved, all they got was

Now, that is very specific details was given by the president. The public can tell that most of the information given was all bluff, and only full of accusations of Bolsonaro. There were more help from other countries than Brazil has helped itself. The tribes and farmers are shouting for assistance from the government. But look at this, the president was only wasting time to point fingers to others, and not focusing on the main problem of his own country.

The Amazonian crisis will continue to blow. According to the environmental activists, “Those who destroy and let deforestation continue unabated are encouraged by the Bolsonaro government action and policies,” said by Danicley Aguiar of Greenpeace Brazil. There are many fires that have occurred, but this arson is the biggest.

There’s no time for pointing fingers, but there is still room for saving the Earth. Let’s stop being intentionally problematic, and lend a helping hand to the world.

There’s no time for pointing fingers, but there is still room for saving the Earth. Let’s stop being intentionally problematic, and lend a helping hand to the world.

VIRTUAL ENTRANCE

A student avails from the Municipal Hall's Pipol Konek for his research.

In Danger: Sleepless Early Birds

Today’s learning system in the Philippines capitalizing early morning classes has led the students to become drained and exhausted at the end of a normal school day.

School was supposed to be fun, providing a convenient place for learning, as well as for self-improvement and personal development. Classes usually start at 7:30 am and ends at 4 in the afternoon, both public and private. Due to early classes, students are sleepy during lecture periods. Some arrive late, especially those who have to travel a long distance to school.

Students don’t get enough sleep at night as they are loaded with assignments that need to be done at home. Plus the fact that the students tend to wake up early to attend flag ceremony shows that the students fail to achieve the 8-10 hours of sleep and could result

to sleep deprivation. Thus, the concern of parents to their child’s well-being.

Various students have shown that early classes have significant effect for the well-being of teenage students, saying it is bad for them.

According to a research by Diana Zuckerman Ph.D, students starting and undergoing puberty tend to have an adjustment in their body clock. Most adolescents “naturally” feel awake later at night, making it difficult for them to sleep before 10 pm. In fact, some tend to sleep as late as 12 am, or even later.

In a survey held by the National Sleep Foundation that focuses on the sleep patterns of US teenagers, only 20% of adolescents get the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights and 45% of the respondents have less than eight hours of sleep. This could lead to a number of consequences such as limited ability to focus and learn and might also affect the students’

mental and physical health.

On the other hand, it is not only the students who are affected but also the teachers, who are as well, in need of more sleeping hours. Teachers have particularly busy schedules that often extend beyond the usual class hours. Sleep deprivation amongteachers also have its own consequences that could affect their cognitive function and emotional health.

Sleep plays a vital role in the well-being throughout the life of a person. Having enough hours of sleep is already a tough game and the early class hours doesn’t help at all. Some might say “it is only a matter of time management”

It is time for the education department in the country to open their eyes and listen to the propositions of the people, especially the people – the youth who are the future of this country.

EARTHQUAKE 101

Panic, terror and shock filled the whole place. People were in daze, we were supposed to be eating happily with our family when all the happiness faded in just a shake of the ground. October 16, 2019 left a big mark, at exactly 7:37 PM when a traumatic experience that will forever be etched in the memories of Mindanaoans happened. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Mindanao and brought panic all over the place. And the rest was history. But, curiosity strikes us unconsciously. Some SCNHS students expressed their inquiriess.

Can we predict earthquakes?

DICT installs Pipol Konek

Students benefit free wi-fi access

August One DABON

Sta. Cruz National High School has been one of the proponents installed with Pipol Konek, free-wifi access, by the Department of Information Communications Technology (DICT) of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur to give internet access without buying load for data subscription.

Pipol Konek is being used by the students and teachers for school-related purposes such as for researches and making reports.

According to Engr. Edward Tukim that the public wifi was a project of DICT and they are still continuing to install access points around the municipality.

He added that its success is evident on the considerable number of individuals who were able to access it.

The internet speed of Pipol Konek is at 8mbps for 32 users and guaranteed 256kbps per user.

"Dako kaayo siya ug tabang sa amoa isip mga estudyante. Ilabi na nga wala mi tarong library, at least, pinaagi aning free wi-fi nga gikan sa DICT, maka-research mi sa among mga assignments," Joseph Adan, a twelth-grader said.

He also reminded that availers of free wi-fi should be utilized responsibly.

pd sh fy

No. No scientist can predict a major earthquake. Some people say they can predict earthquakes, but they are not based on scientific evidence, and earthquakes are part of a scientific process. According to USGS, an earthquake prediction must define three elements: 1) the date and time, 2) the location, and 3) the magnitude. For example, earthquakes have nothing to do with clouds, bodily aches and pains, or slugs. They do not define all three of the elements required for a prediction.

Is climate change a factor of producing earthquakes?

According to Floris Wu (2018), global average temperature is rising at an increasingly faster rate and is already more than one degree centigrade higher than preindustrial times. Climate change can’t cause quakes in the solid earth that couldn’t have happened otherwise. But if we don’t act upon it immediately, our mother earth could be shaking us sooner and stronger than we ever expected.

Are there man-made earthquakes?

Earthquakes are known to be natural occurences that are out of conrtrol of humans. Though it's natural, humans can even trigger a much massive effect in an earthquake. According to Prof. Bohnhoff, land conversion, mining, extraction of natural resources such as potash, coal, crude oil or natural gas, and many other human activities can intensify the aftermath of the earthquake, and the worse, could even destroy a lot of structures, and even lives.

MICHAEL ANGELO BERMUDEZ

KILLING THE OLD AGE

THE POWER OF

The answer: because there are dead people within us. Old cells, dying tissues causing us to wither slowly in a functional decline. Luckily, scientists such as Susan Short and her team are currently finding new ways to fend off old age in their quest to minimize cancer with our first step towards a future of anti-aging: senolytics.

In the hierarchy of life, the most fundamental units are its cells. Cells have the ability to grow, develop and perform quintessential functions in order for our bodies to stay alive. However, although cells have the ability to divide and

The biggest questions in life are asked in light of every burning problem. The biggest answers are discovered in labs and studied on researches. What is life made of? What will it take to fight cancer? How does one prolong his own life? Why do we die of old age?

reproduce itself, the number of times it does is actually limited. According to Short, once a cell divides to a point of un-dividing, it can never reproduce anymore. This is what scientists call a senescent cell.

Senescence is only a fancier term to dub the state of old age. Aging is a disease. When people turn old, most become physically weaker, some start to lose memories more frequently and others simply become frail and fragile. This is because old people have a growing number of senescent cells. Being old, the

cells of the body also become old; which explains why old people observe a decline to maintain a youthful appearance because their bodies’ cells are unable to renew themselves as well.

Senolytics stem from the words “seno—” which refers to ‘senescence’ and “—lytica” which means “to cut”. Ergo, senolytics is literally the science ‘to cut senescence’ and the study to ultimately kill old age. Senolytics is a family of drugs or chemicals that selectively kill old cells.

Senolytic drugs consist of proteins and other chemicals specifically

Fishpond-monitoring Device

Maintaining a fish pond is costly for owners since they need to hire workers to do the maintenance like changing the water and keeping an eye on the water quality of the fishpond.They need to tend more effort just to maintain its level because if now it may result to less production of fish and it may also affect the income.

The Automated Fishpond Monitoring Notification and Control System is a device made by the researchers of Sta. Cruz National High School that helps the pond operators and owners to conveniently assess and monitor the water quality of their pond in real time. This technology will innovate the water quality monitoring and maintenance of ponds that boosts aquaculture production.

The device contains many sensors to monitor the water quality,water level and water temperature of a certain fishpond. It can also respond automatically to those factors if there will be a change from the specific measurements. The automated fish monitoring notification and control system was tested in a simulation by some alternative materials to create or represent a fishpond. Each sensor and output has its own function

and it has been tested that it was operational. The results of the research showed that all of the components were able to do its own work and was able to respond for every factors that affect the water quality. It was also been found that it was able to send a message to a certain phone when the water level exceeds to 7 centimeter. This technology made a difference in the maintenance of a fishpond for the owners of fish ponds.

Automating the maintenance of the fish pond will give the owners a free time to enjoy their business without worrying too much and also it allows them to be less exposed to hazards. This device is very helpful in the society since some places of Sta.Cruz specifically in Bato,Sta.Cruz,Davao del Sur are home of aqua business and boosting the income in a cost efficient way.

Things you should know about

manufactured to destroy senescent cells. Thus, this opens to a new frontier for anti-aging and quite extensively, a promising outlook to apply senolytics for minimizing the risk of getting cancer.

Some cancer cells are actually senescent. While normal cells divide thoroughly until they become senescent and die, a cancer cell stays alive and divides uncontrollably—even damaging nearby cells and tissues. This process of cancer growth, called metastasis, will later on develop into a malignant tumor. Short’s team is currently manufacturing

and testing the effectiveness of senolytic drugs in curing tumors. The results of her team and other studies with regards of applying senolytics against cancer cells have shown great promise in 2019. As we speak, senolytics and senolytic drugs are currently being studied and manufactured to test how effective they are on killing senescent cells specifically. In a promising future, the Science of Senolytics can become our weapon to fight cancer and even lead us into a way where old age and senescence will challenge us no more.

STORMQUAKES

A stormquake, which is a combination of two feared natural disasters—hurricanes¬ and earthquakes is very dangerous because no one is standing on the sea floor during a hurricane.

According to a study from the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the quakes are common but were not noticed closely before because they are considered as seismic background noise.

Scientists discovered that huge hurricanes can create this so called stormquake. Storms trigger giant waves in the sea and can cause another type of wave.

These waves could interact with the sea floor but only in a specific place. It has been found in some research that it causes the shaking. The shaking of the sea floor during hurricanes can create trembling similar to an earthquake and also could last for

couple of days.

A research was conducted by Wenyuan Fan,a seismologist and professor at Florida State University to examine seismic and ocean records from September 2006 to 2019 to identify possible storm quakes.

According to Fan, intense energy from hurricanes and other severe storms can create very large waves in the ocean and it could interact some places with solid earth under the sea to cause intense seismic source activity.

Seismic activity was recorded off the coast of New England as well as in Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. The researchers also found evidence of more than 10,000 stormquakes between 2006 and 2019 in coastal areas of the country United States and Canada.

Trance Yuri Alexis PASCUA SCNHS-Alumnus

Rae Anne DIAZ

DIANE BEATRIZ DELA CRUZ

Red Phoenix declaws Blue Eagles 2-1

the_nautilus

Marlou

Joy Cerenio discharged a solid header in the 66th minute as Damel Telebangco sealed off the deal with a penalty kick to grab a seat for the Zonal Meet after dismantling the Blue Eagles in a 2-1 jawdropping match during the Intramural 2019.

After being held scoreless in the first half via Blue Eagles’ tough defense, Red Phoenix started to dominate the grass and the goal manuevered by Telebangco and Cerenio who went ahead with three attempts in the second period.

“Lipay kaayo mi kay na foul si Cerenio atong hapit na mahuman ang dula,” said Telebangco.

Early in the match, Phoenix displayed aggressive attacks resulting to corner kick that held Eagles’ defense crucial.

Eagles striker Roger Surigao made an outside-the-box attempt in the 20th minute that went straight ahead to Phoenix’s goal keeper.

Both team exchanged big plays

and displayed thorny defense, resulting to a scoreless first half. Phoenix’s hopes appeared bleak in the 58th minute when Eagles drew the first goal via penalty kick, 1-0.

Determined to register the first point of the team, Kent Salomeo drove the ball inside the box and made a corner pass the unmanned Cerenio who headed home their first score in the 62nd minute, 1-1. With the momentum swinging on their side, Phoenix finished a penalty foul against Eagles through the big man, John Carlo Ante that was finished off by Telebangco’s straight to the net strike, posting a 2-1 triumph.

Cabrillos stuns Paglangan via comeback win

Cabrillos roared back for a comefrom-behind victory after being down by two sets to reign supreme against Carlos Pagalangan, catching five thrilling sets 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 in the 2019 TabLe Tennis Singles.

Thirteen-year old Cabrillos snapped an astonishing play to set the tone for a win, creating this might at Santa Cruz National High School.

“Gihatag nako tanan bantog ko nadaog ug naa pud ko’y skills para maka-take advantage sa game,” said Cabrillos.

Cabrillos heaved beyond with 11 smashes, nine backhands, 12 topspins and six sidespins.

Meanwhile, Paglangan tallied 13 smashes and 17 sidespins.

Both players struggled to execute their offense in the first set as they opened the scoreline with alternating errors.

Paglangan unleashed solid attacks from both backhand and forehand to post an 11-8 first set win.

Opening a rousing start in the second set, Paglangan blew away four down the line attacks and three service aces to end the second set, 11-7.

Eager to turn the tides, Cabrillos bounced back in the third set

with six sizzling smashes and five topspins posting an 11-6 triumph.

Sensing a sudden sweep if he will not change the tactics, Cabrillos erupted topspins and backspins to survive an 11-9 victory on the third set.

Cabrillos boasted up his confidence, banking seven service aces and blew down the line attack, forcing a deciding fifth and final set, 11-5.

Seeking to immerse himself victorious, Cabrillos blew away powerful smashes and zoomeddown the line attacks that outplayed his opponent.

Cabrillos will be qualified for the upcoming Zonal Meet on October 2019.

SHARPSHOOTER

Nesthy Petecio and Carlos Yulo, both gold medallist during AIBA held in Russia, proved that gender qualification for a particular sport does not matter as long as you are determined to choose what you think would be good for you.

Boxing for boys, gymnast for girls, for a long period of time, we are living in this kind of mindset, but the enormous progress that the Philippine athletes showed during national and international sports events gives as a hint of going out from the ideal and go for the real.

Hidilyn Diaz’ victory in weightlifting last 2016 and ending up a silver for PH showed that even a woman has the strength to join sports events that people thought it’s only for men.

Just because the society’s standard would not meet an athlete who wants to pursue his or her dreams of becoming an outstanding one in its unusual way of displaying it, it is not an excuse

to stop and people who are still dwelling in the mindset ‘boxing for boys, gymnast for girls’ it is now the time to break and open our minds over this.

It is not the gender but the skills and abilities they possessed, the efforts and tremendous toughness they poured out, and the determination to pursue gold and goals and leave lasting heritage in the history of sports.

Let’s break the stigma that we are living for a long time and wake up from the reality that in this progressive world, there are certain things that what we usually see or believe would change just like in the world of sports, men and women can win and grab gold in an unusual ways.

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thenautilus Recently, majority of the students in Santa Cruz National High School (SCNHS) occupied the large area in the municipal plaza every after class, playing ‘takyan’ as one of the Laro ng Lahi games. They also create noise in different social media platforms, sharing the happy moments and witty posts while playing this traditional game. With these, do you agree to include 'takyan' during Intramural or any local sports?

@sheenadiamona

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jersam_kloves Yes since it has been played by the majority, so why not? Not for the sake of competition but letting every student to play this game since most of them are able to play this game and there are students who are not into ball games so takyan can be another way.

harlequin0711 Absolutely! It’s only a matter of time for us to be inclusive to our own traditions and promote Laro ng Lahi so that intramural will not only be for the sake of competition and making it to the next level, but also letting other students have fun and indulge in leisure while being physically active.

itsme_hannah Takyan should be included in the Intramural or local sports for it is an opportunity who is really not that sports enthusiast. It is not just about competition but also sportsmanship.

clenton_cyjay Why not? Just like the Sepak Takraw, takyan would be very pleasing to be added on the list additionally, this game gives enjoyment to the students and is also promoting sportsmanship. It also bring much more about our cultural inclusiveness.

sydrick_ditucalan I agree that this game should be added in Intramural because it is fun and it is not that harmful. It is another way of working out since you are also using at least a foot to kick.

ronnie_tanio Yes. It is part of the curriculum guide of MAPEH subject to teach ‘Laro ng Lahi.’ It is a way to let them appreciate the games we enjoyed in the past.

wesly_gwapz Yes. It would help us to still appreciate and acknowledge traditional games plus it would also help to improve our physical health.

Carl Necole TAYPIN

It is not the gender but the skills and abilities they possessed

Kian Franco CODILLA

Kian Franco CODILLA

Legends' Limit

Santa Cruz National High School intramurals 2019 held its first Mobile Legend (ML) tournament for the students as a new event lead by the Supreme Student Government (SSG) officials and it adds more highlight as it is the most awaited game as the number of students engaging to electronic games is increasing, but the game does not just end here as there are students who are still into this even class hours.

Catching a right timing and simply taking a glance at the teachers talking in front, students who are into ML are sometimes showing a lack of respect just because they have to finish the rank

game or else they are going to lose and get rank down.

It is not an excuse, however, not to listen to classes for the sake of this game. There are vacant period and intended time to play ML at the same time, playing this at the wrong time especially during class hours, creates disturbance as it catches attention not just from teachers but also to those students who listen.

There are students, though they are on their free day or vacant time, spotted staying outside the porch while the other classes are going on. They are not just upsetting the teacher who teaches but their noise while playing is not ideal.

Schoolchildren must set boundaries and limits in playing

this game. There are intended time and right place to play ML. After classes or maybe during vacant hours in an open place they can together play it with their laughs and noise.

Students can play this without disturbing the others. Setting a right place and time to play is a pleasant idea for those who know that there are things a person can put into place being a responsible and courteous individual.

School children must set boundaries and limits in playing Mobile Legends.

HEAT ON THE FLOOR

SCNHS dancers spice up 1st Nat'l Ballroom Battle amid Araw ng Sta. Cruz Kim

Justin Quindoza and Rhea Jhen Tamayo heated the dance floor with their foot works, expressions, routines and highlights as they placed fourth and third in the Junior 3 and 5 dance category while Quindoza and Althea Vale reign supreme in Exclusive Santa Cruz Category during the first Santa Cruz National Ballroom Dance Competition.

Quindoza, Tamayo placed 3rd, 4th

The young duo, Quindoza and Tamayo snapped an astonishing routine to set the tone for a win, creating this might at the Municipal Gymnaisum last September 28, 2019.

“Gihatag nako ang tanan and daghan pud mi experiences ug gasige pud mi og practice bantog nadaog mi sa kadaghan-daghan og nangapil,”said Quindoza.

Both dancers competed with the 17 other couples, mostly are from the Davao Oriental and Davao City.

With volta movements and rhythm bounce, Quindoza and Tamayo wowed the crowd as they flawlessly move with the song throughout the competition.

Vale-Quindoza tandem notches champion title

Meanwhile, Quindoza and Althea Vale heat the dance floor with graceful routines and harmonious movements, arousing the crowd’s screams and shouts in Exclusive Santa Cruz Junior category after ousting their rivals. The two dancers ended the competition, snatching the title for an immaculate victory, grabbing their first ever championship as duo.

Different teams coming from different schools, country, and regions participated in the said event.

TNR outplays DEM

Withbarely anytime to rest, The Nine Ronins of Grade 10 Blue Eagles splashed their way to victory with their tactics, wonderful combos, and teamwork as they reign supreme against DarkEnglishemas, 2-0, in the 2019 Mobile Legends Tournament Championship at Santa Cruz National High School, last September 5, 2019.

The devious X.borg pick in the second game rears its ugly head once more dominating DEM as TNR’s JLxPH (Khufra) turns over multiple team fights in late games to turn the tide in their favor.

“Friendship and teamwork held us great force to be reckoned with,” said RainingStars (Alice) “It was easy until the finals it wasn’t easy anymore it was average because we had a nice plan and we had no weak link in our team composition,” he added.

Zywon was named Most Valuable Player using the new hero X.borg with 21 KDA as REIDiculous and Yheen (Granger) tallied 35 KDA respectively.

The first game kicked off in an unexpected manner with both teams playing cautiously, as if bidding their time while measuring the opponents, contrary to the common early game blitz plays famous in the league.

Both teams soon reach stalemate in a slow game, but TNR soon remind their opponents and everyone watching just how they made it to this stage of the tournament with amazing rotations, team fights and executions to put the match on an early 1-0.

DEM came back in the second game with renewed strength and focus extinguishing their hopes to be the first ever champion.

2nd game showed more promise from DEM who were able to fight on somewhat even ground with TNR in the opening minutes of their encounter.

However, TNR seized control on the 2nd game doubling DEM’s kill score on the board to force it to an early end with immaculate 2-0 victory.

The championship kicked off in amazing fashion for the Challengers, DEM as they took control of the game in the early and mid game but it turned out that TNR was only bidding their time.

BULL'S EYE

Ancestors' Legacy

Ina recent survey indicating that a large percentage of the recreational time of school children is spent indoors, facing their gadgets and TV screens while playing video games, Santa Cruz National High School teachers, especially the event organizers are eyeing for promoting traditional Filipino games to preserve and encourage healthy competition among students.

During an interview with Sir Jan Michael Momo, an event organizer of SCNHS, he stated that in the upcoming foundation day, February 2020, they will be having ‘Laro ng Lahi’ as one of the highlights with the purpose of appreciating, preserving, and propagating Filipino culture through traditional games.

To awaken the youngsters who are dwelling in the virtual world, the idea of reviving the Filipino traditional games is a must. It is another way to counter the negative effects of the video game and computer game fad that may lead to addiction to schoolchildren.

With the recent takyan game craze of the students who occupy a large area in the municipal plaza every after class, it encouraged more to the organizers in pursuing the proposal of including Laro ng Lahi as part of the local sports, however it will be separated to

school intramural.

Filipino traditional games do not just give entertainment and fun, but they also boost the social, mental, and physical health of the students as their bodies are the medium to participate and it does not highlight competition but the preservation of culture and enjoyment among the schoolchildren while joining the game.

More than the health benefits it gives, as what Dr. Raul Pertierra, Sociology and Anthropology Professor at Ateneo de Manila, said, “The preservation of our culture starts with us and what we teach to our children. We are in the position to shape the minds of the young and develop nationalistic, healthy, and socially sound to the next generation of Filipinos.”

If this would be away to preserve the Filipino traditional games beyond the modernization and emergence of technology, then it is a good start to promote this in schools and even in local events as an act of patriotism in the midst of innovation.

The preservation of our culture starts with us and what we teach to our children.

Kian Franco CODILLA

Kian Franco CODILLA

Kian Franco CODILLA

WIPED OUT

The Nine Ronins shows their teamwork to attain victory over DarkEnglishemas.

MICHAEL ANGELO BERMUDEZ

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE Tamayo and Quindoza wreak havoc as they slay the dancefloor.

DIANE BEATRIZ DELA CRUZ

sp rts

John Michael Crisostomo shrugged off 18 points that named him as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game as he drew wicked roars coming from their supporters.

White Lions crushed the expectations of the crowd as they entered the court as underdogs.

“It was hard kay among naka laban kay mga kuya na namo but nakaya namo tungod sa

PREYED PREDATORS White Lions deprive Pink Panthers

White Lions of Grade 11 booked a spot for the Municipal Meet as they blasted off Pink Panthers of Grade 12, 84-47 triumph during the 2019 Santa Cruz National High School Intramural at SCNHS Gymnasium, last, September 5.

teamwork,” said Crisostomo. “Gi buhat namo tanan ug gibuhat among makaya tapos lipay kayo mi kay na pa Champion namo ang Grade 11 White Lions,” he added.

Joel Porras tallied 11 points together with Kit Kit Osmena and Marc Danielle Castro contributed 15 points, respectively.

Both teams struggled to execute their offense in the first frame as

they opened the game with turn overs.

Pink Panthers scored first with deep three-point shots that resulted to a six point margin in the match.

Crowd went wild with cheers and jeers as both teams trade big plays on both ends of the court as they kept a close ball game in the end of the first frame, 24-20, Pink

Panthers on lead. Coming back more aggressive in the second frame, White Lions bombarded Pink Panthers with four consecutive rainbow shots that turned the momentum on their side, 42-28.

White Lions sailed through in the third frame and continued their dominance after Castro nailed a three-point shots together

'Walang hinto hangga't walang ginto'

Gold TAKING THE ROAD FOR

with Chloei Jericho Garcia who strengthened his defense, 68-36. Seeking to immerse themselves victorious, the tri of Crisostomo, Porras and Castro drove the gymnasium crazy as they unleashed beyond the arc shots and 10 unanswered points chocking and leaving Pink Panthers gasping for breath which rose them up in the duel.

SPORTS

harvest as she bagged gold during a boxing event in Thailand and her current victory in the AIBA’s Women category.

Her pieces of lose were gathered and mended and became whole.

Just like Hidilyn Diaz, Petecio also received an incentive from the Malacañang Palace recognizing her implausible strength and poise she displayed.

the Southeast Asian Games this year.

Last October 13, 2019 Philippines raised the banner of victory when Nesthy Alcayde Petecio hailed as the gold medalist during the AIBA Women’s Featherweight division. But beyond her victorious bout is an untold journey. It was at the age of seven when Nesthy’s father Teodoro Petecio encouraged her to pursue boxing through various trainings and work outs. With the skills and unveiled talent, it took years for Petecio to show off her ability in a big stage and it was a good start to qualify for national games at the age of 15 yet destiny has its own way test herself.

Her good start lead her to door of opportunities for both national and international boxing events thought it takes a tremendous toughness, poise and fluidity. With what glory she received in the beginning, is her sweetest downfall when she lost a lot of battles and tournaments that is significant to her.

Questions pop up in her mind and ending her boxing career became one of her conclusions after her lost. Yet those losses lead her to a path she never traced before. 2019 becomes her year of

From being a seven year old child who would just simply seeing herself becoming a famous boxer is now accepting applause from the crowd and greetings of congratulations from the highest authority and her career becomes the key to make a stable living to her family.

Petecio, beyond her victory and glory, never fail to look back at her past, visiting the places and people who become part of her journey of both trial and triumph. And now, she is eyeing for Olympics and she will be one of the participants of

Things happen beautiful in their own time. Just because her progress is not obvious, that does not mean her faith and efforts are not working. In an interview she said, “Walang hinto hangga’t walang ginto.” This quote becomes her lifeline as she takes her path for gold.

Kian Franco CODILLA

HEADS-UP

Pink Panthers are left dumbfounded as Garcia of White Lions treads on the air to get a point.

DIANE BEATRIZ DELA CRUZ

by Carl Necole TAYPIN