ANG PIPIT

http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=vSfzTPKsZdrYHM&tbnid=DdPSyaq_7_

HDM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2F

www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGCpN8l_sWKQ&ei=-7cWU4_1GsjYige78oG4BQ&psig=AFQjCNFqKpMzPU1Vds6LK_MRw-6hbH9Akw&ust=1394084215483183

ANG PIPIT

By: Levi Celerio

May pumukol sa pipit sa sanga ng isang kahoy
At nahagip ng bato ang pakpak ng munting ibon
Dahil sa sakit, di na nakaya pang lumipad
At ang nangyari ay nahulog
Ngunit parang taong bumigkas,
"Mamang kay lupit, ang puso mo'y di na nahabag,
Pag pumanaw ang buhay ko
May isang pipit na iiyak!"

Teoryang Ginamit sa Pag-analisa:

Sikolohiya (Psychological Analysis)

            Ang konseptong sikolohikal ay sumusuri sa kamalayan ng may-akda.  Pinanghahawakan nito ang paniniwala na ang panitikan ay sumasalamin sa buhay ng isang tao (Songs About Life, 2011).

Ginagamit rin ito upang ipaliwanag ang panitikan bilang representasyon ng kaugalian ng tao. Maaari ding gamitin ang ganitong mga kaalaman sa pagsusuri sa maaaring kahulugan ng tula o nobela (Reyes,1997).

Pag-analisa sa tula/kantang napili:

            Ang Ang Pipit ay isang Filipinong awitin ni Levi Celerio na tungkol sa ibon na kung tawagin ay pipit. Ang pipit ay uri ng ibon na nanggaling sa pamilya ng Motacillidae. Sa awit na ito, isang ibon ang nadisgrasya dahil sa pagkakapana marahil sa kanya ng isang mama. Nabanggit sa unang taludtod na may tumama(pumukol) sa pipit na nasa sanga ng isang kahoy. Hindi na makalipad muli ng maayos ang ibon dahil sa sobrang sakit ng pagkakatama sa kanya ng pana. Nabanggit sa mga susunod pang taludtod na nahulog ang ibon, hanggang sa inihalintulad ito sa isang tao na kung magsasalita ay sasabihin ang mga katagang:

"Mamang kay lupit, ang puso mo'y di na nahabag, kapag pumanaw ang buhay ko, may isang pipit na iiyak!"

            Ang awit na ito ay isang pagwawangis (allegory/metaphor).

            Marahil ay magtataka ang marami kung bakit inihalintulad ang ibon sa isang tao na nagsalita(bumigkas) ng mga katagang nabanggit. Isa itong pang-agaw atensyon sa awit na ito. Gamit ang sikolohikal na konsepto ng pag-aanalisa ng tula, ang isang sitwasyon ay sumasalamin sa buhay ng isang tao kung saan habang siya ay buhay pa, patuloy siyang sinasaktan ng kanyang kapwa, ngunit kapag ito ay pumanaw na, kung kailan huli na ang lahat, ay malulungkot at iiyak na lamang ang kapwa taong nanakit. Kung kailan huli na ang lahat ay doon na lamang ang hustong pagsisisi sa nagawang kamalian. Bakit kaya ganoon ang isang tao? Ang old sinful nature na siguro ng tao ang makapapagpaliwanag.

           

Mga Pinagmulan (Sources):

Ang Pipit. [Online Image]. (2013). Retrieved March 05, 2014 from

http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=vSfzTPKsZdrYHM&tbnid=DdPSyaq_7_HDM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGCpN8l_sWKQ&ei=-7cWU4_1GsjYige78oG4BQ&psig=AFQjCNFqKpMzPU1Vds6LK_MRw-6hbH9Akw&ust=1394084215483183

Tagalog: Songs About Life. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Tagalog_Default_files/Tagalog%20Songs/tagalog_mundane_songs.htm

Reyes, S. (1997). Pagbasa ng Panitikan at Kulturang Popular. Quezon City: Ateneo De Manila Univeristy Press

INTRAMUROS FROLICKING

These are my shots of the paths above, beneath and beside the walled city called Intramuros.

It is actually my first time to have a tour around the famous walled city of Manila, which is the Intramuros. If not unless this is just a school requirement, I wouldn't get the chance of discovering the living history behind this Intramuros walls. Intramuros came from a Latin word which means walled city. It has the most famous feature: an almost three-mile-long structure of stone walls and fortifications that surrounds an entire district. 

From the streets of Pureza along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, we, together with my classmates, rode a jeepney to Quiapo. Then, another jeep transport from Quiapo to the city hall of Manila to where the Intramuros is nearly located. A bus or an LRT train may do also. Our travel time was just 30 minutes less.

 

My friends and I are at the Kalinga Octagonal House.

Once you have entered the Intramuros, it is like an extensive school campus once you see the several students from different prominent schools located inside. You will notice the building of the LPU Culinary Institute at the main entrance. Universities such as San Juan de Letran that has existed during the historical Spanish times, Mapua Institute of the Philippines and Lyceum of the Philippines can be seen at the inside-district. 

San Juan De Letran

A historical fact may help for you not to be just like a plain wanderer of it.

The entrance to Intramuros is free of charge unless you go inside the Fort Santiago, ride a calesa or a pedicab. Those vehicles will help reach your destinations as the driver tours you to different buildings, sceneries and infrastructures inside. The pedicab costs 10php per head only while the calesa may cost higher unless you ride by group.

I, wearing a blue-striped blouse, and my friends, frolicking around the Intramuros.

If you want to experience the 18th century mode of transportation, riding a calesa may do.

The commercial and residential buildings in the district have architectures that are old-fashioned and unique.

These streets make up the district of Intramuros.

ITINERARIES

 

These are my shots of some of the historical tourist spots that can be seen inside the Intramuros.

            This is the piaza mayor  or known as the main square of the Intramuros. The statue at the center is the monument to King Carlos IV of Spain, cast in 1808 and erected in 1824 by a colonial government grateful for his having dispatched a shipment of smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.

Some of the primitive ancestral houses can be seen as you go further and explore the infrastructures in the district of the Intramuros. The picture above shows the Kalinga, which is an octagonal house with the native name, Gilitob.

    In front of the main square stands the Manila Cathedral-Basilica.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Manila. Here once stood the Archbishop’s Palace named Palacio Arsobizpal.

According to the signage, this was one of the original entrances to the Walled city. It was destroyed during Battle of Manila and then restored later on.

Puerta Real and Revellin de Real de Bagumbayan. This is one of my favorite spots. I felt like remiscing what had happened to Rizal when he was in prison during the 19^th centuries.

Though we are all dead-tired, we still have the energy to pose in front of a camera (photo credits to Christine Joy Calsis).

The Jesuit Compound. This is where the first stone church has been built until it was destroyed. For now, it is still under construction. I think they are going to modernize the church’s structure.

________________________________

COFFEE BREAK

________________________________

After a while, it’s been getting late.

It’s good to savor a coffee scent or  a sweet-smelling pastry after having a great tour in the vast district streets of Intramuros. So it is better to experience the savor and explore the Ciocolata Churros Café, under the Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel Building. Eating at such café restaurants is one of my favorites. I like the coffee-scent atmosphere, the warm and soothing ambiance, the interior design and the healthy sandwiches they offer. 

At the Ciocolatta, I tried two sweet delicacies. It was my first time to taste that what they call the churros, a deep-fried spanish doughnut. You can also choose a dip for your churros—coffee caramel or cocoa. I have also ordered the Cinnamon Pretzel which costs 35php and the Moroccan Mint Tea that costs 85php.

Once again, this kind of deep-fried stuff is called the churros. It is a Spanish doughnut partnered with either coffee-caramel sauce or cocoa. This is peculiarly different from those typical round-shaped doughnuts. This is one of a kind. Its shape is uniquely patterned like a rope and then bended in a U-shape form. If you are health-conscious like me, you should have tissue on your side to absorb those excess oils from the thin, rope-like doughnuts.

The Cinnamon Pretzel glazed with a caramel sauce tastes like just an ordinary bread. The thing is pretzel is much heavier and I feel full in just a few bites of it. I recommend this as a kind of snack that is a much healthier choice than the other menus (i.e. cookies, muffins, etc.).

I like the ambiance of the Ciocolatta Churros Café. They have a soothing instrumental background that suits the warm, modern atmosphere. Their comfort room is also pleasing not just to the eyes but to the nose as well. The citrus-smelling scent filled the air inside. Everything is just worth it.

I like the ambiance of the Ciocolatta Churros Café. They have a soothing instrumental background that suits the warm, modern atmosphere. Their comfort room is also pleasing not just to the eyes but to the nose as well. The citrus-smelling scent filled the air inside. Everything is just worth it.

Well, I think that's all for now. If you have not tried visiting Intramuros, it will be better if you could. It is a way of appreciating the living history behind that great, extensive walls. You will be able to learn some mysterious things from the past.

Enjoy and may God bless your trip! :)

POPULATION AND POLLUTION

POPULATION AND POLLUTION    The informal settlers' houses being compressed alongside waterways of Sta. Mesa, Manila depicts poverty. Some garments and the laundry basins are being hanged on the fences under the coconut tree, which shows that residents contribute to the water pollution after throwing their drained waters from laundry.

OBEDIENCE: A Safety Guarantee

Philippine Daily Inquirer January 2014

Last year, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) immediately imposed a 30-day preventive suspension on all 78 bus units of the Don Mariano Transit Corp. (DMTC). Then a case hearing on the possible cancellation of the bus franchise of the DMTC had been set on January 7, 2014 (Villanueva, 2013).

Stubbornness seems to rule over again leading to a recent news about the bus firm (DMTC) that loses its franchise for death of 21. It is now being one of the top alarming flash reports these days.

“The government imposed the ‘heaviest penalty’ and cancelled the franchise of a 20-year-old bus company over the Dec. 16, 2013, highway accident that killed 21 people and injured 24 others in Taguig City (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2014).”

“Around 5 a.m. on Dec. 16, a Don Mariano Passenger Bus driven by Carmelo Calatcat fell off the elevated Skyway and crashed onto a closed van below. The company’s entire fleet was placed under preventive suspension immediately after the accident (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014).”

       It was then when LTFRB Chair Winston Ginez said that the board looked into the company’s checkered safety record, which included a 2012 accident that killed a motorcycle driver on the northbound lane of Magallanes flyover. The investigation also found that Don Mariano allowed the first illegal use or change of chassis on its busses without informing the LTFRB—a clear misinterpretation which this board can never tolerate (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014).

        Ginez also stressed that with all the evidence submitted and gathered, there is no doubt that respondent Don Mariano has repeatedly failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the certificates of public convenience granted to it. Moreover, it also failed to provide services that were “safe, proper and adequate” (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014).

            

       What is so hard in obeying rules? To obey is to simply follow and comply with the rules or directions being set in order for one to serve as his guide. Well, in some cases, maybe, to obey is very hard because of pride and lack of self-discipline.I have often heard people blaming and saying that the blame should go to the government for their negligence and failure to properly regulate. Road accidents should only be avoided if only there are conscious efforts about road safety. Of course, that is important. Road safety is the government’s responsibility. However, nothing would change if people will keep on blaming the government agencies. Blaming could not already even return the 21 lives of the victims being killed on the tragic accident. 

       It seems that both sides are wrong—the DMTC and the government agencies. The two may be considered as equally liable for the casualties. In the case of the Don Mariano bus mishap, the owners should be made personally liable, not just the bus company. Unless this is done, other bus operators will not get the message that they need to behave and follow the laws (The Philippine Star, 2013).

    Furthermore, the Skyway management should also be held liable for damages, since that is not the first time a bus or vehicle has jumped off it. There is negligence in the enforcement of traffic safety rules including violation of the speed limit. Government should invest on road safety (The Phil. Star, 2013).

    However, I agree with what the government has done to the bus firm. Cancelling the license of a 20-year-old bus company (that is also known for having almost 20 years of being stubborn and noncompliance to LTFRB’s rules and regulations) could only be the best solution for reducing the risk of road accidents. This is for the people to realize and learn from their mistakes. They have just reaped their consequence for being disobedient.

     With the so many dilemmas our country is facing nowadays, we should value accountability even in small but terrible happenings like these. It is just like a matter of accepting your own mistakes andkeeping your feet off the ground always. It may be easy for us to blame the bus driver for his disobedience or the government for their late prevention actions; however, looking at a general perspective, the change should start within ourselves. We don’t have to wait for someone to take the action but the initiative for a change is in us. If you’re a responsible citizen of the country, then follow rules and regulations; if you’re a government official, things that matters life and death should be given an ounce of prevention immediately better than cure.

Sources:

Camus, M. and Gamil, J. (2014, January 15). Bus firm loses franchise for death of 21. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A23

Villanueva M. (2013, December 20). Look left and right, then look up, too. The Philippine Star OPINION, p. 17

Chanco B. (2013, December 20). Who is responsible for road safety? The Philippine Star BUSINESS, Retrieved from: http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/12/20/1270051/who-responsible-road-safety

               

TUNAY NA DIWA NG PASKO (Featuring Orchids Street-- my residential street)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIlW5Yq3Bac&feature=youtu.be

If chivalry is dead, bayanihan is still alive! In this video blog of mine, I just want to impart you the warmth, love and unity that can still be seen nowadays. One good example is our small community to where I live. Enjoy watching!

Do-It-Yourself-Pizza (HANNAH'S RECIPE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ukT2kARWI4&feature=youtu.be

Aside from oatmeal goodies, I am also a big fan of pizza. Here is my own version of making a DO-IT-YOURSELF Pizza. Aside from drawing, writing, singing and scrapbooking, making such food recipes are also my hobbies. 

At least I hope you enjoy making one too as you also try to get some of my healthful and budget-saving ideas from my own recipe of pizza!

Happy New Year! May God grant us all a bountiful new year ahead!

WORDS ARE POWERFUL

I will not forget that one incident during my sixth grade. It was the day when I first met the world’s meanest person to me. Looking out for a chair to sit on, I noticed that the one in the middle was empty and so I decided to go on it. I found everyone in the classroom so amiable and appreciated a ‘transferee’ like me except for that one. A girl approached to where I was sitting and began to hit the desk of the chair saying, “Layas! Ako ang nakaupo diyan!” Terrified by her abruptness, I timidly said ‘sorry’ and was just like a dog lowering down its ears slowly leaving the chair. It was then when I started to feel something would be going wrong all the way in my new school. Every time I would be reciting, she would often criticize. Then, the rest of the class, especially her friends, would laugh with her. I have always been intimidated by that. Her meanness continued until high school. I could hardly imagine why she, together with some of her friends, was like that to me. Their negative responses gradually reduced me into what I perceive myself to be—nothing but a sort of laughing stock. I did not even know if I was just being too sensitive or it was just her being too nasty.

All the while I have thought of my personality as something that is negative and unacceptable. It is generally my high school classmates who brought humiliation to my character. It is like they are bullying me emotionally. I find this situation true to the theory of symbolic interactionism. It is under Max Weber’s assertion that symbolic interactionism explains how individuals analyze society (including themselves) by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose them (Crossman, 2011). Most of my high school classmates imposed me critics about my personality. Hence, I later become paranoid with them (and the people around me) because of the harmful perceptions about myself. This is when my self-concept about my personality changes. I have perceived in myself that being reserved or mahinhin is something that I should not be proud of.

With symbolic interactionism, the concept of the self can be framed. This is where the “looking-glass self / generalized other,” which is the sum total of responses and expectations that we pick up from the people around us, is being formed. We naturally give more weight to the views of significant others (Symbolic Interactionism, 2013). If in my family and real friends, I can visualize myself as someone who is loved and acceptable; to my high school classmates, I can see myself as someone who is hateful and a laughing stock.

https://www.boundless.com/sociology/understanding-sociology/the-theoretical-perspectives-in-sociology/the-symbolic-interactionist-perspective/

The concept of the “looking glass self (or generalized other)" argued that the way we think about ourselves is particularly apt to be a reflection of other people's appraisals and that our self-concepts are built up in the primary groups. (Cooley, 2013).

Self-concept is the image we have of who and what we are (formed in childhood by how significant others treat/respond to us).  The self-concept is not fixed and unchanging (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993). I am elated and totally agree with this notion. If my self-concept during my high school days is something what I perceive myself to be—nothing but a sort of a laughing stock; my self-concept now is much more confident and optimistic. This is the reason why I got interested in the symbolic interactionism theory.  I am grateful and can relate much of my character development to this principle. Criticisms have made me much stronger to be able to withstand not only painful words I encounter but to go on with life as well despite of how incessant we may be able to encounter them.

SOURCES:

Crossman, Ashley. (2011). Symbolic Interaction Theory An Overview. Retrieved December 22, 2013, from: http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm

(Symbolic Interactionism, 2013) Univeristy of Twente. (2013, November 26). Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved December 22, 2013, from: http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/theory%20clusters/interpersonal%20communication%20and%20relations/symbolic_interactionism/

The Looking Glass Self (Photograph). Retrieved December 22, 2013, from: https://www.boundless.com/sociology/understanding-sociology/the-theoretical-perspectives-in-sociology/the-symbolic-interactionist-perspective/

(Cooley, 2013). Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved December 23, 2013, from: http://www.d.umn.edu/~bmork/2306/Theories/BAMsymint.htm

 (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993). Symbolic Interactionism Theory (adapted from Scott, Plunkett’s Course Pack). Retrieved December 23, 2013, from: http://www.csun.edu/~whw2380/542/Symbolic%20Interactionism%20Lecture.htm