THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PUBLICATION OF MARCIAL O.

RAOLA MEMORIAL SCHOOL

Region V (Bicol)

Department of Education

May 2013 - January 2014

Albay Division

Guinobatan, Albay

THUMBS UP MORMS alumnus Lorenz Ray Payonga and teammate Alyssa Tricia Vintola gleefully pose for the camera as they
emerge as the World Champions of Schneider Electrics Go Green in the City Global Finals held on June 26-29, 2013 in Paris,
France.

12 Pages
Photo Courtesy: http://www.philstar.com/campus/2013/07/04/961572/admu-wins-global-green-city-challenge

Vol. lviii issue 1

Albay OCD
is best in
disaster
response
by

Diana Pableo

The strength and ability of

Albayanos was once again
proven as Team Albay OCD
V will be receiving the Most
Outstanding Disaster Response Award in February
21st this year.
The award will be given by
the Publishers Association of
the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) in
recognition of the well-organized and timely response of
the team to the destruction by
Supertyphoon Yolanda.
The team was organized in

Payonga is Schneider 11
world
champ
MORMS alumnus goes green
by Yves

4/ALBAY OCD

SPORTS
Bye Bye
Boxing

Lawrence Ivan Oarde

Lorenz Ray Payonga, Engineering and Science Education Program (ESEP) valedictorian of class
2009-2010 of Marcial O. Raola Memorial School and Alyssa Tricia Vintola brought home the World
Championship title of Schneider Electrics Go Green in the City Global Finals held in Paris,
France last June 26-29, 2013.
The duo bested competitors among 25 teams from
France, Germany, Russia,
Brazil, Turkey, India, China,
United States, Poland, Singapore and Indonesia with their

WHATS INSIDE

EDITORIAL
See you
in Autumn?

NEWS
MORMS wins in
Patiribayan
First Longganisa
Fest

by

4
5
6

SciTech
Project NOAH:
Philippines ark
against deluge

Communications
Engineering (ECE) students of Ateneo
de Manila University had
earlier represented the country for the East Asia regional
4/SCHNEIDER WORLD CHAMP

BRIGHT WISHES Campers of the School Leadership Camp raise sky lanterns
that illuminated the sky with their prayers and wishes. This was done on
August 16, 2013 at Albay Sports Center, Guinobatan, Albay.

26 participate in
UPJES 2013 ; Tumolva, MORMS bags Math
2 an outstanding leader tilt, camp double win

FEATURE
Bicol Quackery: What
the Doctors Cant Heal

project, Oscillohump which

is an alternative energy device
that harvests energy from road
bumps.
Payonga and Vintola, both
5th year BS Electronics and

Twenty six students from

Marcial O. Raola Memorial
School (MORMS) attended the
4th University of the Philippines Executive Junior Society (UPJES) Tunggalingan
last November 30 - December
2, 2013 at Royal Palms Resort,
Bay, Laguna.
MORMS garnered 2nd place
in the talent variety show, won
third place in Product and
Advertisement Making; and
Jaevany Olavario bagged the

first place in the Essay Writing

Contest. Joshua Tumolva was
awarded as one of the Most Otstanding Leaders of UPJES.
The said activity was participated by secondary students
from different schools all over
Luzon.
Hosted by the University of
the Philippines College of Agriculture, the said activity was
done to harness the youths
unconventional
leadership
potential towards innovative
competence.

by

Thea Marie Sales

As last years champion,

Marcial O. Raola Memorial
School proved to be undefeated as it remains the overall
Champion for the Division
Math Competition and Camp
for two years in a row.
Dana Eilyn Sambajon,
garnered the first place for
Math Quiz Grade VII; Angelica del Rosario, 2nd place,
Math Quiz Grade VII; Cedrick
Mar, first place, Quiz Grade

The Quill, among the regions best

by

Czarina Cantal

Earl Fred Orozco

The Quill, the English publication of Marcial O. Raola

Memorial School made it to
the top ten Best School Papers
in Region 5 in the recently con-

cluded Regional Secondary

Schools Press Conference held
at Marcial O. Raola Memorial
School, Guinobatan, Albay last
January 29-31, 2014.
The Editorial Page ranked

4.5; the paper was 6th Best in

Layout and Page Design; 7th
Best in News Page; and ranked
9.5 in Best in Feature Page.
Overall, The Quill garnered
the 6th spot in the best school

VIII; John Andrei Acero, 3rd

place, Math Quiz Grade VIII;
John Patrick Notario, 3rd
place, Math Quiz Level III; and
Yves Lawrence Ivan Oarde,
3rd place Math Quiz Level IV.
The teams in all year levels from MORMS qualified for
the Math Team Competition.
Dana Eilyn Sambajon and
Angelica del Rosario coached
by Mrs. Lilian Rangel, John
Patrick Notario and Melrose

5/MATH DOUBLE WIN

papers in Bicol.
The school publication is
now qualified for the Group
Contest in the forthcoming
National Secondary Schools
Press Conference that will be
held in Subic, Zambales on
April 7-10, 2014

EDITORIAL

ee you in

Autumn?

As more schools are planning to synchronize their

academic calendar to the rest of the world, the proposal of
changing the start of the academic year to August is now
being weighed by the Commission on Higher Education.
This must be carefully thought out as they try to determine its implications to the nations educational system
and they must also hold consultation to view things in different perspectives.
The first one to propose the shift were the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). University of Santo Thomas (UST) and De
La Salle University (DLSU) followed the trend shortly after.
This has created a bandwagon effect on the other 2000 colleges and universities. To change the calendar they must
first notify CHED, a move that only UP and ADMU has
done.
The Philippines is the only ASEAN country to adopt
a June to March academic calendar unlike other countries
which follow a September to May academic calendar. There
are few exceptions, however, for example in other countries
not all calendar are scheduled for a May ending but surely
they kick off the year sometime near September.
Executive Order No.292, signed by the late former
President Corazon Aquino in July 1987, provides that the
opening date of all academic institutions from elementary
to the tertiary level should not be earlier than June 1st and
not later than the 31st of July.
This was approved for it to coincide with our countrys two seasons dry and wet. The said schedule avoids
summer as it is not advisable because of the scorching
summer heat.
Changing the calendar also disrupts the system.
Fresh graduates (Elementary and High School) would have
a huge gap before entering another school year. It is hypothetically assumed that not all schools would be adopting
the change, if ever. It would spark some confusion.
Another concern is the other activities that would
be missed. Summer has always been a time of family bonding, which is rather considered very important. Fiestas
and holidays are plentiful in summer, too. There is no way
of contemplating for all these missed events.
On the bright side, despite the number of contradictions, there are still some advantages to it. Doors will
be opened for students to transfer to our academic institutions. If we synchronize our calendar with foreign countries, research collaboration would be possible along with
long term students and faculty exchange programs.
This decision must be studied carefully. It should
benefit the greater good. It should fit the better interest of
the people.
If the decision is made for an August push, well, see
you in autumn.

talking points
Earl Fred Orozco

What a waste
Public enemy number 1
----- the monicker of Janet Lim
Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the ever popular Pork
Barrel Scam that siphoned
10 billion from the PDAFs of
government officials, didnt
spill the beans during the senate hearing.
The pork queen, as expected, strategically evaded
all questions by the Senate
Blue Ribbon Comittee by uttering the ever trending lines
I invoke my right against
self-incrimination and Hindi ko po alam (I dont know).
It seems like justice has been
stalled for the hundreth time
in recent history.
The government must
play their cards right. They
shouldnt let this issue slip
away or be covered by another
controversy. They must not
rekindle the anger and frus-

tration of millions of Filipino

taxpayers or we may see another Million People March.
The 10-B that Napoles
chanelled to her possession by
creating non-existent NGOs
would have done a lot to improve this third-world nation.
It could have been used to
benefit the greater good but it
seems that Napoles has been
consumed by her own selfishness.
Ten billion is a staggering amount and the full narrative of how an amount so
big has been repossesed is yet
to be pieced together. Ten billion worth of new classrooms,
new infrastractures and retrofitting of the old ones would
have done a lot to improve
the students learning experience. It could have been used
to increase the availability of
computer laboratories and li-

braries in small-time schools.

it would have made a students
dream come true by letting
him/her use a fully functional
laboratory. But instead we still
walk down the path of the boulevard of broken dreams.
That money could have
been used for free healthcare
services for those financially
incapacitated. It could have
provided better health care facilities. it could have been used
to purchase more advanced
medical equipments for diagnosis and surgery alike. It
could have saved lives.
This issue must be resolved or else the peoples
trust in this current administration will be shattered into
a million pieces. Taxpayers
would become furious if the
people behind this remain unpunished.
What a waste.

What Happened?
by

Princess Jean Orfano and Yves Lawrence Ivan Oarde

The next big thing, the Museo de

Guinobatan which should have been
an edifice of our rich culture and heritage, appears to be restrained from
construction and was left of what
looks like a repugnant wreck. What
happened?

November 13, 2013. The overpass

that could have been an instrument to
prevent too much traffic should have
been done by this date, according to
the signage flying just outside the
MORMS fence. But up until now, it
remains a two-by-four lumber structure, unfinished. What happened?

The Department of Science and

Technology Building, supposedly
dedicated for educational scientific
and laboratory works of ESEP students, appear to have lost the purpose
of its equipment and facilities and is
now used as classrooms for regular
students. What happened?

behind the
by-lines

Dana Sambajon

The Challenge
The youths potential in
disaster risk reduction has
never been noticed. It is said
that disaster risk reduction
is a grown mans job. With
the ever evolving, always
destructive calamities that
loom just around the corner, it may be time for some
serious role identification
in disaster risk reduction,
especially for the youth.
Disasters
nowadays
have taken yet another step
towards unleashing hell
on earth. Typhoons for instance are becoming more
frequent. With that, it is
very safe to assume that the
worst is yet to come.
Given our rich history of calamities, Albay
has evolved into a disasterready province through the
concentrated efforts of Albay Governor Joey Salceda
and it has even been recognized internationally. Disas-

ter risk reduction is Albays

vanguard against harsh
aftermaths in which they
intensified after Typhoon
Reming way back in 2006.
The time is now for the
Albayano youth to step into
the scene. This isnt a grown
mans job anymore, its everybodys job now. They
must take part in preserving our havocked environment to further reduce the
adverse effects of Climate
Change. They must do the
little things like practicing
proper waste disposal or
take it up a notch by participating in tree planting
events and other environmental programs. By doing
so, they have contributed
to reducing the effects of a
disaster to as much as preventing it.
Instead
of
playing
DOTA, a popular computer
game in which they select

textwrap
Diana Pableo

Name - calling
In a classroom, there is
always the fashionista, the
average, the silent types,
and of course, the bullies.
Bullying is a product of
ones mental problem that
grows through time. Pain
develops the monster in
them. It devours them and
without knowing it, they become the person they never
envisioned themselves to
be.
They make anyone they
choose feel like they are living their life a hell. Every
school day is a nightmare
for a student who is being
bullied. In the end, all they
would want is to be isolated from the others. They
would rather end their own

life than being treated in an

inhumane way for the rest
of their lives.
I still hear echoes of the
unfavorable name-calling.
The bursts of laughter that
followed. I still see it in my
memory so clearly, so vividly. What did I do to deserve
that? Whats even funny
with Diana Tuna? Its okay
if they call me that but not
every time, especially when
Im in a crowd. It hurts you
know. It hurts every time.
It started when I was
in elementary and until
now, I still live with it. Well
I guess I got used to it. And
the name Diana Tuna has
been a part of my life.
I know that its not easy

Heroes to engage in combat, they too can be a hero,

a real one, for Albay. Albay
needs them to take on the
challenge, the challenge of
finding a role in Disaster
Risk Reduction. With much
powerful storms that may
come our way, the youths
efforts are very much needed to reduce its aftermath.
They should help us because
its not just for them, its for
all of us.
The youth can play a vital role in disaster risk reduction if they take it seriously. They can be of great
help. Knowing to prepare
the essentials before a storm
hits is something theyre capable of. By knowing basic
safety protocols, they have
reduced the chances of a
disaster. The youth is classified in the vulnerable sector
during a disaster but if they
do the work, they arent as
vulnerable as you think.
This is not a challenge
that we could say no to. This
is a battle that we cant afford to lose. This is the moment to prove all doubters
wrong in which they claim
todays youth is unproductive. It is time to send a message that age is not a guarantee of efficiency. Let us
capitalize on this challenge,
for the better.

dealing with bullying. According to a survey, approximately 42 percent of teenagers nowadays are being
bullied online. Sometimes
we may not know that our
simple gestures of teasing
someone because of his/
her name can make them
feel unimportant.
Bullying may happen verbally or physically.
Words can hurt more than
blows or kicks. People can
be bullied with their flaws
in physical appearance, gender, religion or even their
names. When a person bullies someone, they feel powerful and superior while
on the other hand, the one
being bullied loses his/her
confidence or self-esteem.
Only two actors thrive
in this world, the prey and
the predator. But you dont
always have to be the prey
that is hunted. You can fight
for yourself and stand up
against bullies. No student
should be bullied for any
reason.

MORMS wins in Patiribayan

Math, Science
by Jaevany

Olavario

Marcial O. Raola Memorial School has once again proven its worth in academic excellence in the Bicol Region as
it won in three events during the 2013 Regional Patiribayan
Festival in Mathematics and Science last December 8-11, 2013
at different venues in Legazpi City.

Scribes grab top

spots in DSSPC 13

by James

Carl Orbase

Student journalists of
Marcial O. Raola Memorial
School (MORMS) added a
few more feathers to its cap
during this years Division
Secondary Schools Press
Conference held at the Polangui General Comprehensive
High School, Polangui, Albay
last December 17-18, 2013.
In the two-day competition, MORMS snatched
three-first place wins: Asti
Nasayao, Sports Writing
(English) ; Princess Jean Orfano, Feature Writing (English) ; and the Broadcasting
Team in Filipino.
Meanwhile, Czarina Seanne Paliza grabbed the 2nd
place in Sports Writing (Filipino); the Broadcasting team
in English is overall 2nd ;
Earl Fred Orozco finished
4th in Editorial Writing (English) ; Anthony Solano won
5th in Editorial Writing (Filipino); Arenz Tercero, 6th in

Editorial Writing (English) ;

and Xyrel Tuson, 7th place in
Feature Writing (Filipino).
The broadcasting teams
of MORMS garnered special
awards with Mariel Tuson
being declared as Best Anchor and Julieta Nopre as
Best News Reporter in Radio Broadcasting (Filipino).
The said team also won Best
Scriptwriting and Best in
Infomercial.
The schools publication in English, The Quill
received Best in Feature,
Best in Sports Page and
Best Layout.
Overall, the MORMS
team finished third.The top
4 journalists and first placers in Radio Broadcasting
and Collaborative Publishing advances to the Regional
Secondary Schools Press
Conference to be held on January 29-31, 2014 at Marcial
O. Raola Memorial School,
Guinobatan, Albay.

John Patrick Notario

and Melrose Razal, III-Dalton topnotched the Regional
Math Team Comptetition
Level III with Mrs. Gemma T.
Tayo as coach. Mr. Domingo
Tuazon, T-II of Mathematics
won first place in Teachers
Device, Mrs. Leonora B. Orejo as coach. Ms. Jean Vibar,
meanwhile,
T-II of
the
Science

Department won first place

in the Strategic Intervention
Material for teachers.
The Regional Math Fair
and Quiz was held last December 9, 2013 and the Regional Science Competition
was held last December 10,
2013 at Legazpi City Science
High
School, Legazpi
City.

STARS OF THE NIGHT Newly crowned Mr. Intrams, Jaian JV Ramirez

and Ms. Intrams 2013, Margiela Matrocinio leading the night during
the Search for Mr. and Ms. Intrams 2013.

Ramirez, Matricinio crowned

2013 Mr., Ms. Intrams
by

Mark Anthony Nobleza

Jaian JV Ramirez of III-Ebony and

Margiela Matrocino of IV-Turquiose won the coveted crown for
the Mr. and Ms. Intramurals 2013
last September 11, 2013 at Marcial O. Raola Memorial School,
Guinobatan, Albay.
Karl Anthony Palencia and Jinuel
de los Santos finished as the runners-up. Josaiah Nakpil and Elen

Olavario placed 2nd runners-up;

Anthony Solano and Sandra Padua placed next as 3rd runners-up;
and finally, Martin Ailes and Jolina
Anne Dacir as 4th runners-up.
Candidates battled it out in the
Production Number, Casual Attire,
Sports Attire, Festival Attire, Cocktail Attire, Formal Attire and Talent
Portion.
The search is one of the highlights of this years intramurals.

MORMS
champs
division
science tilt
by

Dana Eilyn Sambajon

Marcial O. Raola Memorial School (MORMS) brought

home the overall champion
title for the Division Science
Quiz and Teachers Competition held at Malilipot National
High School, Malilipot Albay
last November 15, 2013.
Angelika del Rosario of
7-Edison won 7th place for Science Quiz Level 7 ; Cedrick Mar
won 4th for Science Quiz Level
8 ; Priam Navera finished 5th
on Science Quiz Level 8 ; Mark
Anthony Nobleza placed second in Science Quiz Level III.
John Argin Panesa garnered the first place in Science
Quiz Level IV followed by Yves
Lawrence Ivan Oarde and Winona Shantal Sayritan finishing
3rd and 4th respectively.
Ms. Jean Vibar grabbed
the first place for Strategic Intervention Material (SIM) Level II for Teachers. Mr. Richard
Riobaldez paced third in SIM
Level IV for Teachers.
Mr. VIrgio Morcozo, Ms.
Brenda Montas and Mrs.
Ronalyn Lirio bagged the
fourth place in the On-the-spot
Improvisation.
Garnering the most number of points in the division,
MORMS becomes the overall
division champion for Science.
The first place winners in
the division level qualifies to
the Regional Patiribiyan Festival that will be held on different venues in the City Division
of Legazpi in December.

Albay OCD
OSCILLOHUMP Lorenz Ray Payonga and Alyssa Vintola present their
winning project for the Go Green in the City Challenge.

Schneider world champ

from front page

finals and had succeeded to

represent East Asia for the
Go Green in the City Finals in
Paris, France.
Payonga and Vintola presented their project to a panel
of top executives of Schneider

Electric.
Winners were chosen
based on the design and creativity, innovative thinking,
feasibility, cost effectiveness,
energy efficiency, and social
impact of their projects.
(admu.edu.ph)

from front page

2008 by Governor Joey Salceda
to give humanitarian services
in times of calamities. Team
Albay went to Samar, Leyte
and Tacloban City to help the
restoration of the said places
after the destructive Typhoon
Yolanda. Together with Governor Salceda, they spent
their Christmas Eve in the
Barangays of Maribubot and
San Antonio in Basey, Eastern Samar. With its 179 strong
personnel and 17 vehicles, the
team went to their 12th mission.

The team was the earliest

response to the assistance
from the outside and was distinguished as the most organized response. The team will
continuously render their
services and help especially
to those who need it most.
Team Albay continuously
renders their humanitarian
services, it was organized in
2008 by Albay Governor Joey
Salceda, it served as an emergency response group. It is
composed of specially trained
organic elements from various national government

agencies including the Office

of Civil Defense in Region V.
Last November 2013, with
its 179 strong personnel and
17 vehicles and related equipment, Team Albay went to
Leyte and Samar. Together
with Governor Salceda, they
spent their Christmas Eve in
the Barangays of Maribubot
and San Antonio in Bassey,
Eastern Samar. They hosted
Noche Buena for the Yolanda
survivors and that was concluded as their 12th mission.
(Source:Philippine Daily
Inquirer)

MORMS joins Yolanda relief efforts

by Jensen

Nasol

Spearheaded by the
MORMS Supreme Student
Government (SSG), relief efforts for the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda has been
started by the school since late
November, gathering relief
goods from the students and
the members of the teaching
and the non-teaching staff
such as used clothing, instant
noodles, canned goods and
other basic necessities to help
those who have been devastated by the typhoon.
Relief goods that have been
accumulated by the MORMS
SSG will be forwarded to the
Local Government Unit (LGU)
of the municipality of Guinobatan. It will then be transfered to the Albay Office of

Civil Defense (OCD) V headed

by Albay Governor Joey Sarte
Salceda.
Other student governments in the Province of Albay will also be participating
in the said relief efforts.

The Albay OCD V has

flown to different parts of
Leyte for their 21st relief mission.
They were the first team
to respond after typhoon Haiyan hit western Visayas.

Lawrence Ivan Oarde

Guinobatan, a town reknowned for its signature take

on Longganisa, celebrated its
first ever Longganisa Festival
last August 1-15, 2013.
The festival kicked off
with a mass in the Our Lady
of Assumption Parish in
Guinobatan followed by a motorcade.
Competitions such as the
Guinobatan Got Talent, Longganiza Culinaria,

HS boxer dies after seven-day coma

Jonas Joshua Garcia, a sixteen year old amateur boxer

died after seven days in comatose on December 15, 2013.
Garcia, 16, of San Miguel, Bulacan was competing at
the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association meet when
he complained of dizziness during the second round of his
match with a boxer from Bataan, a report said. He was then
transported to the Zambales Provincial Hospital
The Department of Education has now suspended all
boxing events in Central Luzon after the incident. (inquirer.
net)
(S.S.)

Seniors rule Intrams 2013

PACKING FOR TACLOBAN Local Goverment Unit (LGU) Guinobatan employees

help MORMS Supreme Student Government load packed relief goods for transport to Tacloban and other Yolanda-devastated areas.

Guinobatan celebrates first longganisa fest

by Yves

News Bits

Ginang at Binibini ng Longganisa were held during the

15-day duration of the festival.
A dance showdown and
ballroom dancing competition was also held where the
MORMS ballroom dancers took
the first place with Mr. Samuel
Pabilonia as their coach.
Mrs. Annalie Convocar
won the title for Ginang ng
Longganisa 2013.
A parade was also held
with participants coming from
44 barangays in Guinobatan.

The Citizenship Advancement Training (CAT) facilitators and cadets of secondary

schools also joined the parade.
The parade concluded in front
of the municipal hall of the
town.
The Longganiza de Guinobatan, known for being small
in size but big in taste has
long been recognized nationwide and is the One Town, One
Product (OTOP) Product of
Guinobatan, Albay.

The Seniors once again bested the other year levels during the School Intramurals held last September 11-13, 2013.
The Seniors earned a total of 412 points making them
this years overall champion. The sophomores came in 2nd
with 379 points while the juniors, the freshmen, and the
Evening Opportunity Class were declared 3rd, 4th and 5th
respectively. (C. M. C.)

MORMS holds concentrated

training for athletes
In preparation for the Regional Meet, Albay athletes
will undergo a concentrated training which is held every
year.
The said preparation will last for about two months
from December 14, 2013 to January 27, 2014 at Marcial O.
Raola Memorial School, Guinobatan, Albay.
One hundred ninety-six (196) athletes will participate
in the said training for both the male and female categories
of Arnis, Archery, Basketball, Badminton, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, Taekwondo,
Soccer, Swimming, Sepak Takraw, Javelin Throw, Shotput,
Running and Gymnastics.
The training will also include 43 officials and coordinators of the DSSEAU of Albay.
The Regional Meet will be held on February 2-7, 2014
in Catanduanes Sports Complex, Virac, Catanduanes. Bicol
qualifiers shall represent the region in the nationals in Laguna.
(Y.L.O.)

Studes attend training for

newspaper publishing

by

WALKING LONGGANISA Selected students from Marcial O. Raola Memorial School sport their Longganisa costume in the
First Longganisa Festival Street exhibition done last August 12, 2013 at Guinobatan Albay. The street exhibition was one of the
highlights during the First Guinobatan Longganisa Festival celebrated last August 11-15, 2013.

Math double win

from front page

Razal coached by Mrs. Gemma Tayo, Yves Lawrence Ivan

Oarde and Ian Arjona coached
by Ms. Saralyn Manrique all
ganered the top spots in the
Math Team Competition.
Mr. Domingo Tuazon, T-II,

Mathematics won first place

in the Math Device, Teacher
Category. Jaevany Olavario
and Aira Vianca Dayto garnered the first place in the
Math Game. Francie Felices
and Primo Emmanuel Oroyo
got 3rd in the Math Puzzle.
Division winners shall

represent Albay in the regional level.

The competition and
camp was held at Malabog National High School last October 14-16, 2013 at Malabog National High School, Salvacion,
Daraga, Albay.

Guia Mae Londoo

Yves Lawrence Ivan Oarde

and Dana Eilyn Sambajon of
The Quill and Xyrel O. Tuson
of Ang Sinag with adviser,
Mrs. Sarah Red attended the
Regional Live-in TrainingWorkshop on Collaborative
Publishing for Selected Secondary School Paper Advisers
and Writers held last October
1-4, 2013 at the Charisma Function Hall, San Rafael, Guinobatan, Albay.
The four-day activity aims
to strengthen the commitment
of school paper advisers and
campus writers to Campus
Journalism in Region V as
well as to improve knowledge
in conducting interviews, in
writing news, features and editorials, to enhance skills in the

production of school papers

through effective page makeup, and manifest competence
in utilizing modern technology in school paper production.
The workshop included lectures about school paper advising, school paper planning
; news, feature, and editorial
writing, and the usage of Adobe InDesign and Pagemaker.
Participants were composed
of news writers, editorial
writers, feature writers photo
journalists, and school paper
advisers of their respective
editorial boards in the region.
This activity was corollary
to Republic Act 7079 otherwise
known as the Journalism Act
of 1991, and in support of the
development of digital literacy
as 21st century core skills.

Hilot:
Have you experienced any
aching on the back or any
part of the body? I advise
you to consult Tia Pisya, a
known parahilot in a nearby
barangay. She doesnt have
any orasyon to chant, or any
odd liniment that came from
nowhere. She is with no scissors and with no bilao that
spins, just an egg or a bottle
of a special oil with an invisible glue on its shell or
bottle-skin. Sometimes, she
is with no kit at all, just her
bare hands and her relieving
touches.
Hilot is a traditional and
an inexplicable reflexology
practiced thoughout the region.
It is often associated with the
modern reflexology, an alterna-

Jaevany Olavario
doctor. But what if, it wont
do? What if you still feel
whimpered? Bikolanos arent
saying medicinal doctors are
fake, they just know better. If
ever there comes a time that
youre unwell and taking pills
or consulting a doctor doesnt
make you feel any better,
quackery is all
that you need.

The Walking Doll

Energy Zapper: Stinks !

famine. This reek is from a persons smell stinging the energy
of the inhaler. I might as well describe this headache as a sensation due to excessive headbanging for hours of listening to rock
music. Some kinds of sibang
gives LBM or even losing appetite for eating, and to some, they
seem to see the world spinning
round or a lot worse than that.
The healer, whom is termed as
parainibang can only be capable
of the said title if and only if, he
or she had already been through
the same condition. He or she
makes use of leaves of buyo
from Tia Esters backyard. These

leaves are described as a heartshaped sheet of chlorophyll. Both

hands of the person that is in affliction of this state is tasked to
squish two leavesone of each
hand. When the color and odor
of the sap of the leaves havent
change, this means you are ailing
from another condition and you
have to consult a doctor or an albularyo. But when the tint of the
sheet gives the color of crimson
and bequeaths a robust smell, nasibang ka. The redder the color
and the stronger the odor, the
more intense the sibang is.
Sibang-guran,
as to what most
people in Camalig and Guinobatan call it, is
the most intense
kind of sibang.
People suffering
from this condition feel scrawny
in the most unexplained way.
This confers the
reddest sap and
the stinkiest aroma of buyo.

Photo Courtesy: http://www.smartertravel.com/

photo-galleries/editorial/five-types-of-people-to-avoidon-planes.html?id=168&photo=25033

According to experts, the top

five ways to beat energy zappers are to get enough sleep, eat
a healthy diet, drink eight to ten
glasses regularly, eat on time and
exercise. But a parainibang will
advise you to nothing but sleep.
After a series of weird rootless
actions done to the patient, the
zapped will be of life again.
Sibang is a well-known condition among Bikolanos. The
person in this state suffers from
extreme drainage of stamina,
stomachache and vomiting. They
experience severe dizziness
brought by, well, a stinky reek
inhaled while in a state of mild

This is done occasionally with a number of evil enchantments preached all

night long with black candles lit all
over the mangkukulams place.

The victim of this wicked
prowess can only be cured by another
mangkukulam. Sadly, some are with
no cure and the only way to make
yourself feel better is to settle the
scores or take revenge.

Casa Basil

ative-For-Them-/271044851711

Sibang

hair from
them. Tortures are
bestowed upon them
by pricks of needles all
over the body, or blazing the doll on fire.
Easy-Works-Positive-For-You-Neg-

Kulam is a tagalog term for
curse. It is typically an evil practice
of vengeance. Mangkukulams with the use of
some stitched figures of
human reprimand men.
They use this to do something terrible
to the victim by somehow getting

Pho-

Dolls of voodoo are normally being

feared by many. Stories heard from
old natives in barrios with a tell-tale
of these figurines are labeled kulam.
They are talks that daunt the world of
a minds eye and spill a tank-full tar
over a well-furnished house.

Photo Courtesy: http://www.reiki-healing.

asia/printable/filipino-healing/index.html

strands of
locks
of

itm/Revenge-Voodoo-Doll-Is-Safe-

conversation when buying

pepper and seasoning from
Tia Gondangs retail store.
They are the stories that were
kept untrue for lacking of basis but proven factual through
stockpiled experiences.
Feeling ill? You might as
well tell yourself to buy some
medicine over the counter or
go to the clinic and consult a

to Courtesy: http://www.ebay.de/

The Bicolnon beliefs

when it comes to nature is
quite as hard to believe as
fairy tales, only that they dont
have happily ever afters, only
once upon a times. They are
stories that furnish wonders
to minds of many. They are
what we hear when we inadvertently eavesdropped over
Tia Rosing and Tia Gorings

urtesy:

Photo Co

Photo Co

urtesy: h

ttp://www
.facebook

ook.com

w.faceb
http://ww

.com/cas

abasilisa

tive medicine involving the physical

act of applying pressure to the feet,
hands, or ears with specific thumb,
finger, and hand techniques. The
only difference is they dont have
any basis of doing so, just pressing
and caressing a specific body part to
give relief to the person.
The injury or the aching of
something is traditionally called as
lupo, and the person ailing is called
nalupoan. It is when you feel an
aching of a body part due to a fall, a
wrong move or even when you make
a pretzel out of yourself when sleeping. It is far different from a bone
fracture, but a little with relation to
dislocations or muscle aches. This
can or cant be healed by medical or
reflex specialist.
The parahilot makes use of an
egg or oil in a bottle. He or she man-

lisa
silisa

m/casaba

ages to tell what has gone wrong

by his or her kit. When the bottle
or the egg sticks or is temporarily glued to a body part, that is
where the lupo is. The parahilot
makes it well again by pressing
some skin and applying oil, no
chanting of prayers, no rituals
involved. Just a little breaking
of some joints and a tickling yet
painful sensation felt through the
highways of nerves streaming
down your body.
After the sluggish practice,
and some resting, all that ailed is
bailed! People that continue this
custom can tell me no accurate
core of this perplexing alternative. It can better anyone as well
as doctors can, yet with no vivid
elucidation of what this is.

Retribution of the Unseen

Have you heard about
the term santigwar? How about
tawong-lipod? Do you believe in
creatures that overshadow in the
other dimension which you can
call nothing?
The stories about nuno sa punso, tikbalang, tawong-lipod, duwende, and kapre were as good
as a great villain in your fairy
tale story. Hard to believe, impossible to exist, yet considered
as a part of the bikolanos daily
living.
Tabi tabi po or Tabi po
apo. Our elders constantly remind us to chant this whenever
we come across a dark yard or a
forest like place, even when were
just about to throw something
out of the window or to pee on
that grassy place. Then we kept
on bugging them why, until we
get a senseless response that will

tap our head of whys and whats,

getting answers that are on the
list of the worlds false facts.
Santigwar or santiguar came
from the Late Latin word sanctificare which means to make
holy. This is a traditional way of
curing illnesses that cores from
the disturbance of nature spirits
existing in other dimensions of
our own place. Parasantigwar or
albularyo in tagalog is the label
given to people that practice santigwar as a healing custom. They
chant orasyons that are usually
in deep Bicol or Latin while performing an unusual healing practice. Some parasantigwar use
candles, oil and a small plate to
explain what happened or to tell
what the cause is. Teenagers often name-call this as X-ray for
after the enchantment whispered,
a black and white picture seem-

ingly appears of what creature

had punished the poor one. The
parasantigwar makes a sign of
the cross and puts a cross on the
head, the belly button and other
parts of the body after the ritual.
Some use drops of candle wax on
a basin to get a picture. Some use
scissors and a bilao, then chants
question and wait for the bilao to
stop spinning.
The usual statement of a
parasantigwar after the ritual
is naumngan tabi si nonoy or
something out there was disturbeda nuno sa punso, a tikbalang or a kapre. What you will
hear from her or him is without
any basis nor explanations, but
as soon as you feel better, you will
tell yourself that what he or she
said is true.

There are hidden treasures within this place we call Guinobatan. There are
chains of paradise that beg to be discovered. And discover we did!

Oh La La!

Paradise Spring Resort

Photo Courtesy: http://ohlalaparadise.ph/

The lush green gardens of Oh La La! Paradise Spring Resort call for the attention of people everywhere. Twenty-five kilometers of travel from the capital city Legazpi to the jewel of Muladbucad,
Guinobatan is worth all the sweat as each of its corners scream beauty you never want to tear your
eyes from.

We will never get bored. Everywhere you turn is place of utter enjoyment with all the facilities
Oh La La! Paradise Spring Resort possesses. Honeymooners or plain vacationers will be greeted
with plush couches and bouncy beds that will leave you wanting to take it home. Gatherings from
here and there arrive to indulge in each of the five function halls that grace its walls. And you will
never miss any of its four large spring water pools, one being made especially for kids, and kids at
heart.
Sports-minded people will always be in their element with the presence of two Pacific grass
tennis courts. And lets all sing our hearts out inside the videoke bar! Why dont we?

Photo Courtesy: http://ohlalaparadise.ph/

A beauty to marvel. A paradise in the heart of Guinobatan.
Casa Basilisa, in the depths of San Rafael, Guinobatan is a glorious resort that features native Filipino cottages touched with modern
design and bio-engineered facilities. Mayon Volcano towers over the
scenic countryside landscape that is Casa Basilisas theme. Two grandiose pools of clear spring water create a peaceful ambience and one
need only to stand on the hanging bridge over one of them to relax.
Green grass that spread all throughout the premises give the fresh and
relaxing feeling that all of us need.
A fifteen kilometer ride from Legaspi is all it takes to get to this
haven, a hidden paradise in every sense.

One look will be

all the proof you need.
See, feel, experience.
The paradise that is
in Guinobatan. Our
own.

Photo Courtesy: http://www.wattpad.

com/27410034-engkanto-real-life-ikatlong-pahina

: The Perplexing Reflexology

I want
to find
someone
who can
invent a meter. You want to know
what it will be used for? It is to
measure how far the influence of
a teacher can reach, how far it can
go and when it will stop. I want to
know because no matter how hard
I try, it will still be incalculable
and the results will always be inscrutable.

Whatever I become someday, two of
my teachers will surely and always be a
part of it. I am certain of that. Yes, they
are special but in two different ways.
Yes, Ive learned a lot from them but
in two different manners. Yes, they
had a great impact in my side but in
two very different cases. Lets name
them Teacher A and Teacher B and let
me tell you our story.

Alphabetically, we will start
with Teacher A. She is my teacher when
I was in the second grade and yes, she is
a she. She had taught me how to write
in cursive. She had taught me this, that,
these and those. She had taught me
a lot of things but theres something
about her which is remarkable. Teacher
A is Teacher Favorite. She always praises
someone who is one of her favorites
and doesnt mind the rest. Im not one
of those and I dont care. I dont like her
either.

Theres one thing I admired
about her still and that is for being organized. She organizes everything and
makes sure that it is in place. She lets us
file our subject requirements, quizzes,
and others in a box that everyone of us
has our name in front of it, printed. The
class was divided then in four groups. It
was divided by row and in all group activities and program before the classes
start, you and your group mates are always a team. Even in collecting papers,
outputs and distributing books.

One fine and sunny day, I
didnt expect for something different
to happen. She gave a short quiz. Each
row, there was an assigned collector
for the papers. I immediately passed it
to her as soon as I finished answering
all of the questions. We checked and

after checking, I didnt get

my paper back and then I approached my teacher and told her it was
missing. I barely realized that a couple
of seconds later, everyone was looking
for it and everybody was busy. To
my surprise, my teacher told
everybody to sit down
except me. Only then
I realized that she
found what everybody was
looking for.
She asked
me to go
near her.
I obeyed.

Did you pass

your paper Miss
Olavario?,
she
asked me. I said Yes.
To whom did you pass it?,
again, she asked me. To Mariel,
Madam, our collector, I told her. She
told me that she found my paper on her
table. At first, I didnt get the point why
shes interrogating me. I dont have any
idea but then she asked me if I cheated
and copied all he answers on the board
and passed my paper after checking. I
said No, a firm answer. She already
checked my paper. I got the highest mark, actually and thats why she
doubted. I was able to answer an item
in the exam which only I answered correctly. She didnt believe me. Then why
is your paper on my table?, she asked
me with a tone that made my heart beat
wild. I answered that I dont know and I
dont have any idea how. My voice was
already trembling but I took courage. I
knew that I have done nothing wrong.
She called our collector and asked her
if I passed my paper to her. My heart
dropped when she said no. My cheeks
flared while an octopus got wild and
played a drum solo inside my chest. I
didnt know what to say but I swear on
my own grave that I passed it to her. I
had nothing to say because I know that

she wont believe me. She asked me

again and again and again if I cheated. I
said no because I really didnt do something stupid like that. She shouted.

Shes
already angry
at me. Shame was on me. I was standing in front of my classmates and being
scolded by a teacher. My face was already soaking wet that time and I could
vividly remember the scene. I dont
think she has a plan to stop whatever
she was doing. That is for the first time
ever in my life, I felt pathetic, I felt pity
with myself hearing my sobs echo inside
that room with the faint murmurs of my
classmates. What I felt that time made a
great impact in my personality. I swore
after that moment, as I sit on my chair
and ducked my head on the desk feeling
wet, that no one will ever treat me that
way again, especially when I know that I
have done nothing wrong.

Enough of the drama, lets
talk about my Favorite Teacher, Teacher
B. He is my teacher slash adviser slash
father slash big brother slash friend
when I was in the second year. He has
a different way of teaching. A mentor
in mathmy waterloo as I consider it
that. He teaches values in life without

Awakening of a Sunset
Czarina Blessie Cantal
I stared at this blank sheet of paper in my hand, hoping that in a way
it can speak the words that my mouth
couldnt tell. It seems only yesterday,
I was laughing my heart out until I
couldnt breathe. Now, things had
quite a turn on me. When youre shattered like broken glass, no matter how
everyone tries to fix you and make you
whole again, I must say that in the
end, the cracks are still there. It stays
forever.
I remember it all too well: the sunrise that had hit my face as I look out
the window, the morning breeze that
dampened my cheek with its coldness,
and the beep of the machine in the
room that always give me the shivers like no other. How can I forget my

nightmare if it strikes me helpless

whenever I am alone?
How can I retell a story that leaves a
big hole in me? My vision blurred and
the dreadful nightmare starts.
I ran, almost flew the path which
led to the hospitals ICU. I was carrying an ice box containing six bags of
blood and hemoglobin. Leukemia is
an illness that even the richest people
couldnt survive. It makes you weak,
turns you into a pale ghost, and eats
up all the hope in you. I put the ice box
on the floor as soon as I had arrived.
Where is he? I thought his bed was in
the middle? Then it dawned on me. He
was the one surrounded by the doctors.
The one being revived. I held on to my
hope too tight that I didnt even notice
the words of the doctor as he emerged
from the hospitals double doors.

Im sorry but your father is gone.

And with every pain she endures,
comes with every teardrop in my lonely
eyes.
Holding the hand of my mother, cold
and skinny as she silently breathes
the afternoon breeze, will always be
remembered in my heart. How her
pleading eyes convinced me to give
her something to ease her pain. She
only wanted mixed fruits and I couldnt
say no to her especially if its the only
food she likes to eat after days being
in bed, only eating a teaspoon full of
porridge. I kissed my mother goodbye
and assured her I would be back soon.
She just closed her eyes as I stared at
her face, trying to memorize every detail of it.
My hands were shaking as I took the
mixed fruits from the lady in front of

his students knowing that they

are already learning it. You just
go on with the flow, never realizing
what he has done. But after internalizing all of those, youd realize that
theres something that has changed in
you. Theres something that after an
event or two, will be different in
you and Im telling you darling, its for the better.
I value him. He
means so much to me.
Hes been there in
every way that he
can until now. He
is the reason why I
gained self-confidence. One time,
he pushed me on a
competition that
my old self will
unlikely join into.
Im glad he did that
even if at first, I dont
think
hes
d o ing that
for me but
for the benefit
of the second year
curriculum. He motivated
me to
study even harder and do even better.
He made me realize that I should never
be contented on my standing and strive
harder to reach a better place. I dont
know but among all the people that has
been around me, Ive got this feeling
that he is the one who believes in me
the most and that helps a lot because
I am the kind of person who would not
believe in herself unless anyone does. I
dont want him to be mad at me. I even
got depressed when hes disappointed
with me. With that, I am really trying
my best in everything not to disappoint
him. Because of him, I became stronger. I became mindless of the things
that wont bring good to me. I became
a person that I am now, a girl that will
stand up and fight for she has a point,
a girl that will still be there no matter
how hard he rain blows. I became a girl
with principle, a girl that will stand for
whats right, a girl that will not mind
what other people will say for she knows
what she is doing and shes thinking be-

fore she does

something.
I am now a
girl that is
confident with herself and remains the
same girl even when critisicisms are
thrown at me. And I became the same
old girl, sweet, cheerful, loving, persevering, persisting and patient. I became
the same old sweet Jaevany because he
taught me to never forget myself no
matter how much I have learned from
anyone, anything and anywhere.

He is my hero. He might not
be Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Spiderman, or Lastikman, but hes the only
one that has dug whatever he has to dig
in me to bring about whats good. He
might not be Jose Rizal, Juan Luna, Andres Bonifacio or Emilio Jacinto, but he
was a big part of my history and will be
considered as hero. He might not have
his monument built nor his name printed on newspapers, but he will always be
a man with his monument on my mind
and his name printed on my heart.

Now that youve met them,
Teacher A and Teacher B, or should I say,
Teacher Favorite and Favorite Teacher,
can you now invent the meter I want?
Did it at least give you an idea who to
recommend? Let me guess, you didnt,
did you? Well, lets just give up. Lets
just keep it in my short list of The only
things I gave up with because even
the greatest Mathematician, the most
brilliant Historian, the most intelligent
Physicist or the smartest Philosopher
will not be able to invent such thing that
Ive been desperately looking for. Why?
Because God wanted it to be like that.
He wants it to remain immeasurable for
it really is. Because their influence is
infinite and for so many years that the
earth is filled with living things, no one
ever measured infinity and no one will
ever measure it. Their influence is for
eternity, thus, it will remain immeasurable and incalculable through time to
let everyone know that they are really
special.
This essay is about to end and if only
you could see me right now, currently
wiping the tears off my cheeks as I make
the keyboard go tik-tik-tak, I think
you will really see their impact on my
part. Its like hearing a rocket which is
only a hundred meters away from where
you stand take off.

the counter. I stormed out of the store

and stopped as I read the text from my
brother.
Shine! where are you? Mom fainted.
I cant find her pulse
It sounds clich but the world
seemed to slow down around me all
over again. Like the feeling I used to
have whenever I watch the sun hide
its light during sunset. I could hear
my loud breathing. I could feel tears
escape my eyes. I could feel my heart
go numb because of too much pain.
How could something so worst be more
than worst?
My vision blurred as nightmare
stared me in the eyes. I slowly opened
my eyes and watched the sun go down
the horizon. It is beautiful, but sad.
People cry not because theyre weak,
but because they have been strong for
too long. People see me laugh and
smile all the time. They used to tell me
that I am strong and seem unaffected.
They never see me when Im alone. They

cant read my mind to know what emotions lurk behind the happy faade.
They dont know how broken I am.
You never know how strong you are
until being strong is the only option I
have. Everything happens for a reason.
I learned lessons that only I can teach
myself. You can see cracks on broken
glass but still, it stands strong. Im really broken, but I have everyone beside
me. And that is more than enough. My
parents wouldnt be happy if I continue
to hide myself trapped by their deaths.
So I stand and smile at the sunset as
the passage from a book seeps its way
into my memory:
Sunset doesnt mean endings, rather, a pause for new beginnings.
My life goes on. It doesnt end in
sunsets.
(Editors Note: The author is the
daughter of Mrs. Gina Cantal, school
paper adviser of The Highlander,official
publication of Jovellar National HS,
who passed away last August 30,2013.)

http://www.admu.edu.ph/news/team-ph-wins-schneider-electric%E2%80%99s-go-green-city-global-challenge

2013 Winner of Schneider Electrics

Go Green in the City Global Finals
Yves Lawrence Ivan Oarde
cess power may be fed to the
power grid.
Indeed, this concept
could potentially be the future for alternative energy
production in the Phlippines,
if not, the world.
The concept was born
one evening when Lorenz
Payonga, while walking
around campus, saw a taxi
pass over a road bump.
That was the eureka
moment!, he said in an interview in a magazine.
He immediately contacted Alyssa Tricia Vintola and
got to work. They presented
the Oscillohump to their
coach Dr. Reese Macabebe a
few days later with two other
ideas that they had in mind.
The Oscillohump, the most
outrageous of the three, said

Photo Courtesy: https://play.google.com/store/

apps/details?id=ph.gov.dost.noah.android

The Oscillohump is
an alternative energy device
that, when installed in road
bumps, converts the mechanical stress created by vehicles
into useful electrical energy.
The whole system works
in a process called electromagnetic induction. This
principle was discovered in
the 1800s by Michael Faraday.
This process happens when a
conductor is exposed to varying magnetic fields where a
potential difference (voltage)
is produced. Large springs
are contracted which plunges magnets down to the solenoids (an electromagnet).
The system will then
charge a battery that can
power DC loads such as LED
street lamps, traffic lights, or
CCTV cameras and the ex-

Project NOAH
Philippines ark
against deluge

Jaevany Olavario
We want a more accurate, more
integrated, and more responsive
disaster prevention and mitigation system, and well get just
that in Project N.O.A.H.
Project N.O.A.H. (Nationwide
Operational Assessment of Hazards), launched June 6, 2012, has
eight components and will harness various technologies and
management services for disaster risk reduction activities offered by the Department of Science and Technology through
PHIVOLCS, PAGASA, and the
DOST-Advanced Science and
Technology Institute (ASTI)

together with the UP National

Institute of Geological Sciences
and the UP College of Engineering.
The eight components under
the program are as follows;
Hydromet Sensors Development

The plan is to have a total of 600 automated rain gauges (ATR) and 400 water level
monitoring stations (WLMS) installed by the last month of 2013.
The goal is to provide a better
picture of the countrys surface
water in relation to flooding. According to the Priority Program
Accountability Report Card, a

Lorenz
was the
idea that
stood out to Dr.
Macabebe.
They also got to work
with Schneider Electric Philippines Homer Ilagan. Schneider Electric is company
that specializes in green energy management solutions.
They had helped Payonga
and Antivola in subsidizing
the materials that were used
in their project. Ilagan was
confident that the team had
the winning idea.
Payonga and Antivola
had first competed in the
East Asia leg and bested 14
teams. During the world finals, they competed with 50
other teams from all around
the globe and won.
Lorenz Ray Payonga was then
an Engineering and Science
Education Program student
of Marcial O. Raola Memorial School and has consistently been on top of the class. He
graduated as class valedictorian on 2010 and has then
few ATRs and WLMS have already been installed in .
DREAM-LIDAR 3-D Mapping
Project

Disaster Risk Exposure
Assessment for Mitigation
Light Detection and Ranging
(DREAM-LIDAR) Project aims
to produce more accurate flood
abundance and hazard maps
in 3D for the flood prone areas,
major river systems and watersheds. Recent numbers tell that
LIDAR data processing equipment and work station have
been procured and identified,
and LIDAR operation trainings
have been conducted.
Enhancing Geohazards Mapping through LIDAR

The project shall be done
by December 2014 and will use
LIDAR technology and computer assisted analyses to identify
exact areas prone to landslides.
CHASSAM Project

Coastal Hazards and
Storm Surge Assessment and
Mitigation (CHASSAM) Project shall generate wave surge,
wave refraction and coastal circulation models to understand
and recommend solutions for
coastal erosion. December 2014
will mark the beginning of this
project.
FloodNET Project

The Flood Information

pursued
his studies
at
Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).
Payonga and his teammate Alyssa Tricia Vintola
are presently in their 5th Year
in BS Electronics and Communications
Engineering

(ECE)
and
was
mentored by
Dr. Reese Macabebe and Engr. Homer
Ilagan in the Go Green
in the City Challenge.
Go Green in the City is
an international challenge
sponsored by Schneider Electric that challenges business
and engineering students to
design ideas and find solutions for better optimization
of energy and power.
(Sources: admu.edu.ph, Philippine Starweek)

Photo Courtesy: http://www.admu.edu.ph/

With Oscillohumps innovative eco-design, creativity and cost effectiveness, Lorenz Ray Payonga and Alyssa Tricia Vintola are never too far from
changing the world with their project, Oscillohump.
Network Project is a flood center that will provide timely and
accurate information for flood
early warning systems.
LaDDeRS Project

The Local Development
of Doppler Radar Systems (LaDDeRS) Project seeks to develop
local capacity to design, fabricate, and operate sub-systems
of Doppler radars for remotely
sensing the dynamic parameters of sea surface such as wave,
wind field, and surface current
velocity.
Landslide Sensors Development Project

This is an early monitoring and warning system for
landslides, slope failures and debris flow. The project is low cost
and already installed in more
than ten areas throughout the
Philippines.
WHIP
Weather Hazard Information
Project utilizes platforms such
as the television, mainly the
DOSTv and a web portal (http://
noah.dost.gov.ph), to display
real-time satellite, Doppler radar, ARG and WLMS data. The
project aims to prepare Local
government Units and communities against natural hazards.
This also features conducting
IEC (Information, Education,
and Communication) activities;

and b) the processing and packaging of relevant and up-to-date

information for public use.
Surfing the Project NOAHs
official website (noah.dost.gov.
ph) allows people to see weather
conditions in areas throughout
the country by simply entering
a location on the search tab. You
can see the different weather stations and Doppler inputs, plus
you can get real-time weather
outlook.
The use of this project is also
stretching to roads as the Department of public works and
Highways (DPWH) declare partnership with DOST and the University of the Philippines (UP)
Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry in
its infrastructure planning for
roads, bridges, and flood control
projects.
Project NOAH would serve
as the Philippines ark against
deluge. We would put an end to
the ordeal that people have been
accustomed to in rainy weather.
Hindi na puwede ang bahala
na, sawa na tayo sa kaba, the
President said.
With accurate and enough
information, we would gear Filipinos toward sufficient readiness, he added.

(inquirer.net)

Will the Earth soon

become a dead planet?
Cherie Fher Vendiola
Scientists
have
determined that the
temperature
near
the Earths center is
6000 degrees Celsius,
a solid 1000 degrees
Celsius higher than
what was previously
established by Reinhard Boehler in
1993. These measurements confirm that
the temperature difference between the
mantle and the solid
core must be at least
1500 degrees Celsius,
which explains the
existence of Earths
magnetic field.

The Earths core is

mainly consisted of liquid iron and it is only
in the very center that
the iron solidifies due
to extreme temperature
and pressure. Seismic
waves captured after
earthquakes around the
world provide vast information on the thickness and density of the
Earths layers. They,
however, give no indication of temperature,
which happens to have
a crucial influence on
the movement of materials within the core
and mantle.

A team of scientists led by Agns Dewaele from the French national technological research organization, alongside members of the French National Center for
Scientific Research CNRS and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF in
Grenoble, France, used a diamond anvil cell and powerful laser beams to generate
an accurate picture of the temperature profile of the Earths core.
They found the temperature of iron at different temperatures using speck-sized
samples compressed to several
million atmospheres and heated to as high as 5000 degrees
Celsius. They then developed a
technique where intense beam
of X-rays from the synchrotron
probe a sample and deduce, in
seconds, whether a sample is
solid, liquid or partially molten after encountering problems with samples reaching
the extreme temperature of the
Earths core but only for seconds, not enough time to probe
mechanically.
The scientists determined in the experiment the
melting point of iron to 4800 degrees Celsius and 2.2 million atmospheres pressure, and then
used an extrapolation method
to determine that at 3.3 million
atmospheres- the pressure at
the border between liquid and
solid core- the temperature
would be 6000 degrees give or
take.
Why should this matter

then?
Earth has a magnetic field
that extends from the Earths
interior to where it meets the
solar wind, a stream of charged
particles emanating from the
Sun.
The heart of the planet is
responsible for the existence of
the Earths magnetic field, that
is responsible for the daily rotation exercise of the world, that
is responsible for the occurence
of day and night. It has everything to do with the way the
world tilts and spins in its axis
and the shifting, too.
People from the past and
the present suggest that there
are shifts in the positions of
the poles and the axis of rotation of the Earth, creating calamities. This is called the cataclysmic pole shift hypothesis.
This is an entirely different concept from plate tectonics for even at the pole shift, the
crust retains its position. Only
the magnetic field changes and
the tilt of the world.
The rotation of the Earth

and its revolution around the

sun determines our day to day
climate and yearly seasons.
Shifts in the rotation can cause
drastic change in out climate.
The changes in climate are
always being attributed to Global Warming, a phenomenon often thought to be brought about
by humans activities, yet there
is another reason altogether.
The shifting of the poles demands changes in the climate
since the position of the Earth
is highly influential in this aspect.
Humans have a great
role in the recent happenings;
the Global Warming, Climate
Change and all. But our planet
has its own phenomena that
determine how hard our life
would be as we dwell on its surface. The core is hot as hell. The
poles are shifting. Our planet is
not how we made it out to be.
Climate is changing, we
cant stop it. We cant even prevent it now. But is it really our
fault, or is our planet dying?
(Sources: ERMF, Wikipedia)

Photo Courtesy: http://www.armageddononline.org/top-10-ways-to-destroy-earth.html

Photo Courtesy: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/mar/31/trucks-fall-ill-to-x-factor/

Motor
Oil Ink

A proposed research by a
student of IV-Galileo, Earl
Fred Orozco
Used motor oil can be discarded
improperly in our environment
which may harm animal and plant
life. In order to bring that probability down, this study seeks to
recycle used motor oil into a nonpermanent ink.
Methods include filtering the
used motor oil and adding a darkening substance then a liquid to reduce the viscosity of the mixture. The
experiment tested out two darkening substances which are soot and charcoal dust. Then 3 liquids were
added, warm saltwater, and vinegar, both oil miscible. The third, a dishwashing liquid, was immiscible.
Several combinations of these substances were tried in specific ratios. First, filtered motor oil was mixed
with soot in three setups. Then each setup was mixed with each of the following: warm saltwater solution, salt vinegar solution and dishwashing liquid. Then there were another three setups but this time,
charcoal dust was mixed with the liquid motor oil then the same liquids were added. The mixtures will be
mixed thoroughly by stirring to evenly disperse the colloidal particles present in them. All outputs that
were produced will be compared to one another to determine which formulation is the best.
Different ratios were tried in the combination of the three main components and it turned out that
Setup A from experiment V (20 mL motor oil, 5g charcoal dust, 0.75 mL war saltwater solution) proved to
be the best ink compared to the other formulations based on the inks clarity, adhesiveness, and consistency but it did not attain industrial type quality.

2,384 students MMR, Td immunized

Jaevany Olavario

The Department of Health has affirmed an outbreak of measles in more

than half of the National Capital Region
Photo Courtesy: http://
www.medicinenet.com/

A case of Rubella

as doctors confirm more cases of a virus

that killed nearly two dozen people last
year. Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 14 last
year, the health department recorded
a total of 1,724 measles cases with 21
deaths due to complications such as
pneumonia caused by the virus.
The health department declares a measles outbreak if at least one laboratoryconfirmed case of infection is reported
within three of the last four weeks.
The only way of preventing the virus is
through vaccination. Health officials say
the reason for the current outbreak is
because previous vaccination campaigns

did not reach all those in need.

Measles is an infection of the respiratory tract caused by a virus that induces flu-like symptoms, such as runny
nose, coughing and fever. It can spread
through cough or direct contact with
body fluids and can be highly contagious
if treatment is delayed. Children, pregnant mothers and people with weak
immune systems are the most at risk of
catching the virus. The only way of preventing the virus is through vaccination.
A single measles case can spread far
more easily than other viruses. Where
the flu can infect up to three other indi-

An Answer through Chemistry

Princess Jean Orfano

Researchers led by Tom

Meyer at the Energy Frontier
Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill created a new system
that converts the suns energy
into hydrogen fuel and stores
it for later use to address the
problem of solar energy being available only at daytime.
They took the cue from natural
photosynthesis, Meyer said.
The new findings may provide
a last major puzzle piece for a
new way to store the suns energy.
The new system designed
by Meyer and colleagues at
UNC and with Greg Parsons
group at North Carolina State
University does is known as
a dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell, or DSPEC,
and it generates hydrogen fuel
by using the suns energy to
split water into its component
parts. After the split, hydrogen is sequestered and stored,
while the byproduct, oxygen,
viduals, measles can infect up to 18 other people, even before rashes appear.

The Department of Health
in partnership with the Department of
Education had implemented a series of
school-based adolescent immunization
in all secondary schools in the country.
This is based on the DOH Department
Memorandum No. 2013-0168.

Marcial O. Raola Memorial
School had been part of this program
and immunized grade 7 to 4th year students last December 4, 6, and 9, 2013.
Beforehand, parents had been oriented
by the school nurse, Mrs. Sisinia Jimenez
of the essence of the immunization and
its for-life benefits for it is a boosterdose vaccine. She also discussed the dis-

is released into the air.

They faced challenges in
splitting water, the process
being so hard as you need to
take four electrons away from
two water molecules, transfer them somewhere else, and
make hydrogen, and, once you
have done that, keep the hydrogen and oxygen separated.
But in the end, they overcame
it. After years of research and
investigations on DSPECs they
designed a system that finally
allows us to harness energy
from the sun even at nighttime.
When you talk about powering a planet with energy
stored in batteries, its just
not practical, said Meyer. It
turns out that the most energy
dense way to store energy is
in the chemical bonds of molecules. And thats what we did
we found an answer through
chemistry.

(http://scitechdaily.com/
new-system-converts-suns-energy-hydrogen-fuel/)

eases one will be protected from, such

as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and
diphtheria also known as the MMR and
Td Vaccine. After which, permits were
released by the school clinic for the parents approval for the child to be immunized.

A total of 2, 384 students
(1,438 for male and 946 for female)
were immunized which is 59 percent of
the schools population. We can then be
sure that these students are already protected from these diseases through the
MMR and Td Vaccine for life.
(http://blogs.wsj.com/
searealtime/2014/01/06/philippineslaunches-vaccination-drive-to-halt-measles-outbreak/)

SPORTS EDITORIAL

Bye Bye Boxing

Boxing, the beloved sport that every Filipino craves for due
to its intense, exhilarating, heart-stopping action, may see its
end, for athletic meets, that is.
Calls for the sport to be banned grow louder as a 16 year old
male athlete died after a week in a coma after participating in a
boxing match in a regional sports competition.
Jonas Garcia, the said athlete sustained internal bleeding
after the match, was later declared brain dead and ultimately
and unfortunately, passed away. He first reported dizziness on
the second round in a bout against a fighter from Bataan. Garcia was rushed to Zambales Provincial Hospital and was later
transferred to University of Santo Tomas Hospital. However, the
injuries he sustained were far too great to overcome.
After the said incident, DepEd has suspended all boxing
matches at an athletic meet in Central Luzon. They have also expressed their sincere condolences to the Garcia family.
This may very well be the end of not just boxing but all contact sports from being included in future athletic meets. There is
absolutely no way that this type of incident should ever happen
again. Boxing has taken its toll on young developing bodies and
further practice of the sport may lead to long term ailments and
even death.
Manny Pacquiao, arguably the number one pound for pound
fighter in the world said that cancelling boxing isnt the solution
as that is where the country gets its boxers for the Olympics.
Instead, the Pacman suggests that proper precautions must be
taken.
Hasnt the proper precautions been followed before the tragic event? Even if this sport is approached with extreme caution,
the unpredictability of the sport itself makes it very life threatening.
The Bulacan teams suggestion on abolishing all contact
sports for future athletic events should be strongly considered.
We certainly wont wait till the next tragedy strikes to learn our
lesson.

MORMS wins big in MUSDA

The MORMS SPA Vocals and Agustin Integrated School came

Dance champed the 2014 Divi- in 2nd.
sion Music and Dance CompetiMORMS SPA was trained by
tion in the Secondary Category Mr. Samuel B. Pabilonia and
last January 17, 2014 at Marcial Mrs. Nadia B. Villa Flores. (P.O)
O. Raola Memorial
School, Guinobatan,
Albay.
They won first
place in the interpretative dance, ballroom dancing ,vocal solo and Best in
Production. MeanMORMS SPA Dance bested other contenders during the
while, Polangui GenDivision
Music and Dance Competition held last January 17,
eral Comprehensive
2014 at MORMS, Guinobatan, Albay.
High School and San

Lifes a sport
Asti Nasayao
The sting of the wind is
hardly felt. The suns rays
are forgotten as the eyes
squint down the ending line,
leaning subtly forward , all
thoughts vanish in mind.
The drive to win is all thats
left.
Life is a game. I am playing
it. You are playing it. It has
rules but knows no bounds.
Nobody is a master. We lose,
but we always have another
chance to try. It is an endless
series of ups and downs. I
am engrossed. No one isnt.
Life is a game divided
into games that are divided into games. It has
stages and levels and chapters. Infancy, childhood,
adolescence,adulthood and
senility. Every stage is different for each player. I am
me and you are you. Were
not alike. No one is alike.
Life is a game. I want to

win. You want to win. Losing

is never an option. Never. No
one wants to be a loser.
Life is a game and we are
all allies. The goal is to be
the best. It goes farther with
every step.
Life is a game. Some of
us are unaware. But we are
all players. We are all athletes. Some of us trip, some
fall. There are mountains to
climb and cliffs to jump off.
We will never lose unless we
quit.
Life is a game as old as
dirt. Losers and champions
have come and gone. We will
be them sometime, someday.
We will be racing the torch
to Mt. Olympus. We will be
falling to the pits of Tartarus. We can be losers to forget
or champions to remember.
Whatever the case, we are
all athletes.
Life is our sport.

SPORTS
FEATURE

Numbers

The Philippines has won

a total of 9 Olympic medals. 2 of which is silver.
The other 7 is bronze.

47

Host Greece won
the most medals (47) at
the first Olympic Summer
Games in 1896.

202

A record 202 countries participated in the
2004 Olympic Summer
Games in Athens.

Three continents: Africa, South America, and

Antarctica have never
hosted an Olympics

18

Larrisa Latynina, a gymnast from the former Soviet Union, finished her
Summer Olympic Games
career with 18 total medalsthe most in history.
Source: http://www.factmonster.com/

by Asti

Kickers stuns
Trappers,15-12

Nasayao

F launting
his
vaunted
windpower in
powerful cartwheels and
solid bicycle
kicks, Mark
Riofrio boosted the morale of
Team A Kickers
and rode a deciding
set victory, 15-11, 6-15,
15-12, to repulse the
eager Team B Trappers during the
Sepak Takraw exhibition, January 6, 2014 held
at MORMS Gov. Joey Sarte
Salceda Gymnasium.

MARK ANTHONY OLITIN of the Trappers

powerfully kicks the ball to the rival
teams court at a Sepak Takraw Exhibition last January 6, 2014 held at Gov. Joy
Sarte Salceda Gymnasium.

A sneak peek in yesterdays games

Nicole Rillo

We were all kids once. Filipino

kids loved to play beneath the
blazing sun, never minding that
sweat trickled from their heads
and backs non-stop. Filipino kids
ran and screamed and laughed
in pure bliss in the countryside,
never minding the dirt that follows them around. Filipino kids
jumped to the music of birds and
trees, never minding that the continuous flapping of chicken wings
sounds awful. We never minded
falling down trees or getting
bruised from hopping on
huge
rocks. We didnt mind
hugging chickens or
crossing rivers of
mud.
And we never
minded playing outside.
We were kids, after all.
Do you remember these?
We played them yesterday.
Agawan Base
There are two teams with two
bases. How many players on each
team depends on the players.
There are two bases which each
team claims as their own. The
goal is to tag the other teams base
without getting tagged. If youre
tagged, youre
transferred
to the other
team
and must
be rescued.
There are
several
variations in
which the
rules are
changed,
in some,
you can
connect
o t h e r
items on
the

base so you can easily touch the

base.There are usually set points,
such as first team to tag the other
team 5 times wins. You can tag
other people who has touched
their base before you and are
on the opposite team. If theyve
touched their base after youve
touched your base, they can tag
you, and you cant tag them.
Kapitang Bakod
Touch the post, or youre it! or
hold on to the fence - When the it or
tagger is chosen, the other players
run from place to place and save
themselves
from being
tagged
b
y
holding
on
to a

fence, a post, or any object made

of wood or bamboo.
Palosebo
Greased bamboo pole climbing
- This game involves a greased
bamboo pole that players attempt
to climb. This games is usually
played during town fiestas, particularly in the provinces. The
objective of the participants is
to be the first person to reach the
prizea small baglocated at the
top of the bamboo pole. The small
bag usually contains money
or toys.
Sambunot
Sambunot is a Philippine
game which may be played
outdoors by ten or more players, but not to exceed twenty.
The goal in the game is to get the
coconut husk out of the circle.
A circle is drawn on the floor,
big enough to accommodate the
Photo Coutesy:number of players. A coconut
http://jolorus-husk is placed at the center of the
tia.tumblr.com/circle. The players position thempost/132117476/selves inside the circle. At the sigpeepaubaumonday-memo-nal GO, players will rush to
ry-lane-luk-the center to get the coconut husk.
song-tinik
Players may steal the coconut
husk from another player in an
attempt to be the one to take the
husk put of the
circle. A
player
who is
successful in
g e t ting
o u t
of the
circle with
the coconut husk
wins, and
the game
starts
again.
Source:
Wikipedia

Kickers came out firing 4

nifty bicycle kicks that signaled the start of the first
set but Elejohn Bulalaque of
Trappers unleashed robust
heading though he failed to
catch up with their rivals rally, 5-2. Riofrio fired shattering
spikes which enhanced their
solid offense. Teammate Joshua Manceras firm chest traps
strengthened the defense of
the Kickers to push in smooth
tips with 8-2 gap before the
baseline timeout.
Eagle-eyed Mark Anthony
Olitin of trappers fought
back with crackling spikes
and swift heading but failed
to destroy the impenetrable
block of the kickers. Sierra
broke away and grabbed the
advantage with explosive
cartwheels for a triumphant
set, 15-11.
The Trappers shifted their
tactics into an agility and
strength mode with forceful spikes that trounced the
win-thirsty and cunning side-

kicks, then woke up from their

phlegmatic and got away with
an edge of the box, using jangling insteps serves.
Trappers Mark Anthony
Lola tried to stop the the onslaught with vigorous heading as teammate Olitins
mighty bicycle kicks shocked
their adversary with an unexpected advantage, 15-6.
Team B shook off a sluggish start and punctured the
superb defense of Team A
which lost crucial points on
miscommunication and unforced errors for Riofrio to
unleash rattling bicycle kicks
and tricky placings, 7-3.
Kickers stormed Trappers
with series of rally points to
move within stricking distance 9-7 lead. Stunning somersault from Riofrio and Niko
Parcias solid spikes closed
the set with 15-12 victory.
They played a good game,
we learned something today.
coach John Ryan Lista said
after the game.

33 MORMS athletes
qualify for Palarong Bikol
by

Diana Pableo

We will go to Catanduanes! quipped Mr. Roy L.

Nipas, the schools coach
for Badminton, after going
home with the championship trophy in Badminton
during the Provincial Meet
held in Travesia, Guinobatan, Albay last November 2025,2013.
Thirty-three other student
athletes of MORMS will join
the Albay delegation for the
Palarong Bikol set on February 2-7,2014 in Catanduanes.
Remie Rodriguez, Bernadita Oliquino, Danica Rempis,
John Mark Millete, Jaynard
Menor, Gibbon Ramota, Ma.
Weca Renee Berdin, Erika
Mendaza, Gie John Realosa
and Albert Monilla will comprise team Albays spikers.
While Reymark Nogot, Roland Arjay Palabrica, and
Matt Andrew Bronosa were
among those chosen to com-

plete the basketball team.

Moreover, Ivy Olidana,
Jayco Palenzuela, Rayza
Velasco and Christian Paul
Cervantes will play arnis.
Jayson Gnilo, Jobert Muni,
Rae Jensen Jimenez, Antonio Sallan III, Alyssa Mujar,
Fatima Navia and Joan Padua, MORMS racket experts
are also part of the contingent.
Red
Nicerio,
Jibsen
Grageda,John
Michael
Razal; Kim Mamisao and
Maurice Sean Medialdia;
Antonette Miranda and Joseph Pante; Bartolome Sacueza, and Judyth Jimenez
will likewise compete in soccer, table tennis,lawn tennis,
archery and swimming, respectively.
The group is one in its aim
of retrieving the championship trophy which it has lost
to Camarines Sur during last
years Bikol Meet.