Power of Agribusiness

    In our community based research, we got to interact with the citizens of Sta. Catalina. Often times and is currently observed everywhere, younger generations nowadays stay indoors soaked in the effect of early exposure to technology. This severed the link between the 'next generations' to traditions. During the CBR, it has been fun to reconnect with people in our hometown. They are all caring and are kind in all aspects.

    One point in our study, we wanted to interview the adults but we were all too shy to approach them. They instead approached us and answered our questions regarding our research paper. They played a big role in the creating of our study, not only as our requirement but also for the town itself. In our study, we concluded that the business industry of agriculture in Sta. Catalina is not extravagant, it is only enough to sustain lives by attaining most of the basic commodities.

    Sta. Catalina is a municipality that showcases peace unlike most cities that are often too crowded and too loud. It is a place wherein anyone and everyone could take a rest and unwind. It serves as a refreshener to people who are having a hard time. The scenery tells us that a rest now will get you a long way ahead of your task. This typically means that you have to regain your energy instead of draining yourself too much and be unproductive.

Third of The Four

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months. These are some of the measurements of time. Each time you blink, time passes by, it could be just seconds, or you could remember blinking months ago. Blinking only steps forward in time, you cannot blink backwards. 2 months, that's all there is left for 4th Quarter. It could take 300,000 blinks and it will feel as if you've blinked only once. This school year was cut short and that everyone will part ways soon. 

This third quarter, several events came up. One of which was the Division Schools Press Conference. Participating in this event was enjoyable. I got to be friends with the soon-to-be-graduates. Although it was fun, I don't feel like I would join again on senior high school, considering the much more advanced and tight schedule.

Feburary celebrated the Mathematics month and held different events. Each event had their own perspective prizes and they also staged a rubik's cube speed contest. The final ranking was held during the awarding as a way of entertainment. 

This quarter, we also got to celebrate the 122nd Foundation Day of ISNHS, showcasing the talents of the students through field demonstrations of festivals. 

March is also celebrated as the Women's Month, and our thematic output was centered on this. Several events were on hold due to the fact that the 3rd Quarter exams were held on this month. We also went to different studios to get our own gradports early for it to be edited soon and not rushed.

Several outputs were rushed but we managed to survive. Couple more months 'till we say our fairwells and no one will ever be prepared for this. We'll miss every loud chatters heard on all four corners of the classroom. A beginning always have an end and this is the only race where everyone wants to be slow and finish last.

Pit Senyor!

    On March S.Y. 2023-2024, we celebrated the 122nd High School Day Celebration. Students of Grade levels 7 through 10 prepared a field demonstration in the form of festival dances. Each grade level had their own corresponding festivals and are divided into 2 groups whereas males and females do not perform the same dance.

    Grade 7 males presented Dinaklisan Festival which originated in Curimao. Dinaklisan Festival is celebrated as thanksgiving and tribute to their patron saint, Nuestra Seniora Dela Paz. This is a reminder to the fishermen and residents of God's blessings to them for bountiful harvest and being safe at sea when fishing. Their props included oars, hats, and illustrations of fishes. Their oar consisted of 2 colors, yellow and blue, which divided their sections. 

    Grade 7 females presented Tadek Festival which originated in Nueva Era. Tadek Festival is a ceremonial dance performed as an expression of happiness for an atainment of victory, courtship and marriage, and even after burial when remembering the dead. Their props included baskets with their crops.

    For Grade 8 males, they presented their Panagbenga-based field demo. Their props composed of cone hats, red cloth, and a basket with a flower. Panagbenga Festival is celebrated as tribute to Baguio City's flowers and as a way to rise from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

    For Grade 8 females, also presented their field demo with Panagbenga-based field demo. Their props composed of flower headdress and flower fans.

    Grade 9 males presented their filed demo inspired by the Bagani warriors. Bagani refers to the warriors-leaders of various Lumad ethnic groups of the island of Mindanao. Their props included feathers for headdress, a shield, and a spear. A unique move was presented by these Grade 9 students, they utilized a huge bamboo stick in order to carry a student at one end of the stick whilst a number of them raised the stick from one end.

    The Grand Champion for females, the Grade 9 students presented Tobacco Festival. Tobacco Festival is a festival of culture, history, agriculture, and cityhood of Candon. Their props included tobacco headdress and tobacco leaves utilizing plastic bottles as its handle.

    The Grand Champion for males, the Grade 10 students presented Sinulog Festival. It is a festival celebrating the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, symbolized by the Sto. Niño. This is held every third Sunday of January in Cebu. Their props included a headdress with flames, and a fan composed of layers of colors with a candle as its closed form.

    The Grade 10 females also presented Sinulog Festival. Their props included a stick shaped like an oval and was covered with crepe paper to create a ripple effect.

    The high school day also presented booths for the different clubs. The YES-O Club established a thrift store. They sold different kinds and brands of clothing as well as fans of Vigan.

    We can never forget the concert for a cause in the Centennial Gymnasium at 2:00 pm. The concert was performed by a band, and students of the school. The songs were themed as either love or broken songs. Majority of the students did relate to the songs as they were singing along with the band wholeheartedly.

    This all happened during the 122nd Foundation Day of Ilocos Sur National High School. It was celebrated with bright colors and warm smiles.

The Means of Generating Income

    The ICT and STEP Club are at it again. The ESTUDYANTEpreneur blasts right through and offers you different services and products as their means of generating income young as their minds are. These include; film viewing, food, and a photo booth.

    Let us delve into their foods and services one by one. Starting off with film viewing. The film presented was entitled "Under The Tree Trunks." This showcased the undying love of a student to another. The lead, a female student, showed her crush where she destressed and layed her worries down. The male student dies due to bullying, leading to the attempt of taking the protagonist's own life. The story ends leaving her with hallucinations.

    Up next, we got the foods offered. Food is actually one of the most common ways of making income. You can literally find it almost everywhere, convenience stores, karinderya, restaurants, many more. Most social media influencers focus on it too — mukbang.

    

    Lastly we got the photo booth. Vibrant colors covers a board which serves as your background. Like other photo booths, they offer you different items to pick up as props. Mustache, sunglasses, and even captions.

    

    All of these were presented by said clubs which are at a student-allowance-friendly price. Exchange your pocket money of the day into memories that'll last a lifetime.

Pink, Red, Maroon, and Other Shades

    Pink letters, red roses, maroon gift wraps, we all know it's valentine's day. We see students express their love through these small tokens. Some give it and run away instantly because their shy, some stay and also take pictures with them if they are brave and open enough to do it, some just don't do anything either because they don't feel like it or they think that they don't have any 'chance to be with them' whatsoever. I am included with the latter one, I didn't do anything simply cause I was questioning myself. But this blog isn't centered to me, it is centered to the event.

    Though gift giving does show affection, others prefer to show it using words or actions. Compliments, poems, dates, or anything that they enjoy doing—any hobby. These don't take form in an object, these take form in memories. Memories that would last a lifetime, memories that would make them smile when they randomly think about it at a random time, "The Good Old Times" some might say. 

    The Supreme Secondary Learner Government(SSLG) posted a dress code to show people about their current state. It includes being happy and contented, waiting for someone, ready to fall in love, and many more. I've observed that there were only few people who used red—the color usually used at this event.

    In the end, new relationships were made. Labels, 'upgrade', mutual understanding, anything that shows intimacy. Some even stay 'lowkey', not telling the public that there's something going on, some even 'soft launch' where they slowly reveal who they've been talking to by showing an 'incomplete' picture of that person. 

    Since we're in high school, everyone deserves to do what they want. We're our own authors to the book of our memories. We all just need a little reminder to loose our tenses a little bit 'cause in the end, there would only be ourselves to blame if said book wasn't as happy as it could've been.

References:

123FreeVectors. (n.d.). Red Rose Vector Art. pinterest. Retrieved, February 20 from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/red-rose-vector-art--64598575889691396/

Aleksandra Tarasiuk. (n.d.). Pink Envelope. vecteezy. Retrieved, February 20 from https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/5849538-love-confession-in-a-pink-envelope-with-heart-cartoon-vector-illustration-isolated-on-white-background-saint-valentine-s-day-mail-symbol-of-love-letter

Iconsdb. (n.d.) Maroon gift 3 icon. iconsdb. Retrieved, February 20 from https://www.iconsdb.com/maroon-icons/gift-3-icon.html

Kaleidoscope of Colors

    The Ilocos Sur Festival, also known as Kannawidan Ilocos, rises onto the scene each year from the last week of January to the first week of February, bringing with it a spirit of joy, lively music, and brilliant colors. But the Ilocano people regard this yearly festival with great significance that goes beyond simple amusement. Knowing the worth of the celebrations helps to highlight their significance for the neighborhood.

    

    First and foremost, Kannawidan Ilocos honors the anniversary of Ilocos Sur's establishment. The festival's events on February 2nd commemorates the province's founding and serves as a reminder of its rich past. The different events, including as dance competitions that showcase cultural practices and street parades that feature traditional costumes, all help to preserve the past and strengthen the Ilocanos' sense of identity.

    

    Beyond honoring the past, the celebration is necessary for boosting the Ilocanos' deeply rooted spirituality. A mass and a procession with patron saints and religious images are usually part of the first celebration, which highlights the community's strong religious ties. The Ilocanos' emphasis on faith not only demonstrates the ideals that they uphold, but it also serves to bring people together in their various towns and municipalities.

    Overall, Kannawidan Ilocos engages the younger generation in order to look towards the future. Aware of the potential threats associated with cultural separation, the festival includes youth-oriented programming. In addition to showcasing ancient talents, contests like the
Street Dance and Showdown Competition inspires younger people to pick up and continue these traditions. This emphasis on preserving the cultural legacy for upcoming generations guarantees its survival and fosters the growth of the Ilocano identity.

References:

Etsoy Mapute. (2024). Kannawid Float Parade 2024 at Vigan City, Ilocos Sur Philippines. Youtube. Retrieved, February 11 from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1pkZPiYN5HE/maxresdefault.jpg

Ilokanong Vhaklush. (2024). Kannawidan 2024. Youtube. Retrieved, February 11 from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9ZqEdkKWfHs/maxresdefault.jpg 

Paul John Castaneda. (2024). Vigan Longganisa Festival | Category B - 2nd Runner Up | Naguilian Caoayan. Retrieved, February 11 from, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2AC65XDFCg

Second of The Four

    It is that time of the school year again, writing about the moments we've had after a quarter studying. This one-fourth of the school calendar, we've taken part in Parol Making Contest, celebrated year-end party with pageant, used an entire week for the Zumba Mapeh Thematic, Marching Band, and many more. Throughout these events, we've created a bond that we wish not to be broken and we do know one thing, time will inevitably crush it.

    Recently, we've been informed that school will end on May in order to bring back the previous opening month of school — trying to revert the effects brought by Covid-19. On the contrary, this means our time got lower limit, deducting two months of happiness. Sure, we're gonna find our own happiness in the near future, but to think of it, Covid already took two years of interaction with each other, how come they're gonna deduct another twelfth of it?   

    We find ourselves connected into a fabric of shared memories as we think back on the events and moments of this school quarter, from the Marching Band to the Parol Making Contest. These experiences have not only improved our educational journey but also created relationships that we hold in admiration. But learning that the school year would finish early comes with it a sad conclusion. In an attempt to resolve the issues raised by Covid-19, we have decided to return to the pre-pandemic opening month, although this will shorten our remaining time together.