Faction: Dauntless

Born with valor, head covered with helmet of salvation, armed with defense, and lived
one-sided foot on the ground, this is what soldiers are made of.
Our brave soldiers have been fighting nonstop against terrorist for about four months in
Marawi City. 129 soldiers and policemen combined have loss their own lives just for our
safety, the whole nation’s safety. The life of a soldier is not easy. They are responsible of
everybody’s safety. Because of their patriotism, they are willing to abandon the life they
had used to, and leave their families behind to protect our country. Being a soldier is living
without assurance. Will they be still alive tomorrow? Or will this day be their last day on
earth?
There is a big contribution of soldiers in our country. Children’s cries and endless
gunshots would all we could hear, dilapidated houses and roads would all we could see,
if these dauntless patriotic people never existed. Appreciating them is the least we could
do to thank all the battles they had won for us. A snappy salute to you our valorous
soldiers!
How to improve your memory

Like typing a document in a computer, memory involves three stages; Encoding,

Storage, and Retrieval. Your brain encodes information when it perceives and registers
it. This information can then be stored for future retrieval. Memory failure happens when
any of these three stages breaks down.

Memory has different kinds including sensory memory, short-term memory, and
long-term memory. Sensory memories receive information from stimuli through senses,
such as sight, smell, hear, touch, and taste. Short-term memories hold small amounts of
information for brief period. That is why we can perform four fundamental operations in
our heads, recall a cellphone number, and remember the first half of a sentence while
reading or listening to the second half. But as we all know, short-term memory has its
limits. If you want to store information indefinitely, it must be stored in your long-term
memory. How can you put it there? The following principles will help.

Interest. Cultivate an interest in the subject and remind yourself of the reasons
learning it. As your own experience in life may tell you, when your emotions are involved,
you enhance your memory.
Understanding. When you do not understand a lesson, likely you will not
remember it at all. Understanding illuminates the relationship between the parts, knitting
them together to form a logical whole. For example, when a student of mechanics
understands how an engine works, he will better remember details about the engine.

Organization. Categorize similar concepts or related ideas. For instance, a

grocery list is easier to remember when we categorize items – meats, vegetables, fruits,
and so on.
Recitation or Verbalization. Repeating aloud what you want to remember will
strengthen the neural connections. Saying the word forces you to pay close attention.
Visualization. Make a mental picture of what you wish to remember. Like verbalization,
visualization makes use of different parts of your brain. The more senses you use, the
deeper the information is embedded.

Association. When learning something new, associate it with something you

already know. For example, to remember a person’s name, link it to some unusual feature
of his appearance or to something else that will call the name to mind. The more
humorous or absurd the association, the better the recall.

Consolidation. Allow time for the information to be processed, to soak in, as it

were. One of the best ways to do this is to review what you have learned, perhaps by
repeating it to someone else. For good reason, repetition has been called the mother of
retention.
 ODD ONE OUT
I can still remember the night when almost everyone congratulated my brother, and our family.
One of our neighbour celebrated his birthday and we were invited to eat dinner with them, together with
their other visitors. After I finished my meal, mother asked me to bring some of the foods back to the
house. I have always been instructed to do that every time we went out for “pakals”, and then I would
not come to the celebrant’s house again.

If before I would go home alone, that time I was walking back to our house with My Kuya who just
got home from Cagayan de Oro taking the Licensure Examination for Social Work. I knew better. He went
home with me to evade everyone’s “How did the exam went?”, “Was the exam easy?”.

Elmer M. Villamucho Jr., the only boy in the family. He was the third child of our parents. He and
I were like cats and dogs, Batman and Joker, and Tom and Jerry. He was my nemesis and so was I to him.
We would always fight over petty things beginning from whose turn to wash the dishes, who would take
mother’s “sugos”, to who would do certain house chores. I would end up losing if it weren’t for my fake
sleeping stunt that later on turn to a real deep sleep.

Kuya was a consistent honor student since Elementary. He was always an honor student but never
a top student. Out of us four siblings, he was the only one who had never experienced standing in front
of his batch, delivering his Valedictory Address. In some ways, he was the second best. He was the odd
one out.

The night became more wonderful when we arrived in house. We killed our time watching TV
shows. Sitting in a wooden chair that was made by my father, I reached my hand to the charged phone,
planning to surf on the net. My supposed plan was intervened by several text messages and calls.

Being the curious girl, I have always been, I opened them. They all talked about two things-My
Kuya and the exam’s result. I told everyone in the house about it, they thought I was kidding. Kuya turned
on his then off phone and just like me he was bombarded by missed calls and unread messages.

It was probably the best news of all news he received in his all 20 years of existence. His eyes were
twinkling like the stars in the night that night. He could not help but to jump because of the unexpected
news, his lips stretch out in a curve, it was plastered there for too long. He kept chanting “I can’t believe
it!” I lost count. He was shaking, I saw goose bumps all over his body.

His euphoria was radiating, it covered all the corners of our house. It really was the best news, not only
for him but also for us. I never felt so proud in my whole life. A member of the family was a topnotcher.
Surigao del Sur has a dialect known as Kamayo. The said dialect varies in different municipalities
of Surigao del Sur. Lingiganons, the people of Lingig, are said to have the oddest way of speaking
Kamayo, that you can easily identify a person is hailed from Lingig through his way of speaking.
Other than that, they have their own expressions only they could understand. Here are some of a
few:

1. Ayay cal. With little shakes of the head, this phrase is uttered when one makes a mistake or
does something wrong. It is frequently heard in computer shops where kids play different video
games.

2. Adoy mon. Locals say this fragment had come from a sitio of barangay Sabang, Obon. When
people see something they believe is unbelievable, surreal, and unreal, “Adoy mon” come out first
in their mouths.

3. Yait. It comes from a foul word. Through their creative minds, local people thought of
interchanging the last two letters of the word to form a new word that would sound less vulgar,
less inappropriate, and less disrespectful.

4. Pabato da kaw sa. Although its origin is unknown as of the moment, this has been the newest
phrase that every possible Lingiganon could say to another Lingiganon. Pabato comes from the
word bato which is stone in English, means hard, stiff, and immovable. Thus, when someone
receives this phrase, it means that that someone does nothing. So, if you are commanded to do
some certain things and you are not doing it right away, surely, Pabato da kaw sa will be thrown
at you.

These are just few of the many interesting and amusing expressions that only people of Lingig can
speak and only they can understand. Next time you hear something weird from them, know that
they are not casting enchantments, charms, and spells on you, they just let go words that’s
expression for them.
5 Must Sea Destination in Lingig
Facing the Pacific Ocean, fishing has been the primary source of income of families in
Lingig. With this, ocean view has been an attraction as well. Other than the Sabang
Maupgop (SM) Beach, there are still many beaches tourists know little about, waiting to
be visited. Here are some spots you should check out when you get to visit Lingig.
Kasaw-anan. Kasaw-anan is a small beach located just near the SM Beach. It can be
reached in two ways, cross the sea riding a boat or walk along the beach. You can walk
through rocks of different sizes, shapes, in Bitoon, or go for a short hike in the hills just
above the unique rock formations. Either way, your travel to reach the destination would
be worth keeping and worth remembering.
Mahang-it. The ride from Sabang to Mahang-it Islands will cover 30 minutes. But the long
period of time will be negligible as you get to feel the fresh breeze blowing your hair, smell
the salty water you cannot experience in urban areas, and see the bluest of all bluest
seas. The island is an ideal place to camp and just have time to appreciate the almost
untouched nature.
Palo-alto. Lined with coconuts, a white beach can be found in Barangay Palo Alto. Before
it became a beach, residents lived along the shore but then the unfortunate typhoon Pablo
washed out the area.
Dahican. On the other side of Lingig, there is another exclusive white beach. Desolated,
Dahican beach is a perfect place to think things through. The fine grains of the white sand
the beach massage your feet, make you relaxed. Tranquility embraces your whole being
as you take a dip in the calm cerulean seawater.
Tagpupuran. Tagpupuran Blue Waters has been inviting tourists for several years now.
Who would resist swimming in the crystal clearest water, or witnessing the aesthetically
beautiful rising and setting of the sun? No wonder people keep coming back to this Resort.
 Blue, White, Gold- the color of the champions
August, the time Lingiganons coming from different barangays all gathered
together in Poblacion. August, the period merchants flocked in the streets of the town
proper. August, the point in time Lingig is fully alive. August, the time the Town Fiesta is
celebrated. As August is the time the annual festival is held, it is also the time different
activities are prepared.
The first DLC competition took place on the week of the Fiesta. The contest was
participated with different secondary schools in the municipality of Lingig namely:
Margarita K. Yusingco National High School, Barcelona National High School, Pagtilaan.
Each gave all their hearts in their performances but the LNHS Drum and Lyre Crps
emerged victorious and was named champion of the said event.. With burnt faces,
synchronized moves, and confident smiles, the winning Drum and Lyre Corp. team shone
with glory after giving everything they had to entertain the crowd of Lingiganons. The
audience disregarded the blistering heat of the as they watched every move the
performers acted. As the sun was up sizzling, so were the twirlers, lyrists, and other
members of the Lingig National High School DLC team. The orchestrated moves they
executed gracefully were overwhelming. Harmonic beats moves filled the senses of every
spectator. The colorful flaglets moving altogether were pleasant to the eyes. The
shimmering silk of the blue, white, and gold gleamed and glistened against the hot rays
of the sun. Sexy but elegant, not only were there a beautiful sight, their uniforms cast
sheep’s eye at as well. The body-hugging uniforms and suits of the participants added
more resolution to the view, as they marched, danced, and played. The make-up of each
female twirlers and lyrist represented individual personalities that summed up more daring
smiles that their tiredness was barely noticeable.
The overall performance was not a disappointment. Uniformed transitions and
positions showed professionalism, but no one can ever hide their childish behavior after
the announcement of winners was unraveled. All the pain every one of them felt in their
rigid training have really paid off. Genuine happiness was evident; they screamed and
jumped all over the place.
 IDOLATRY FOR A MENTOR

Exquisite years full of exceptional memories under the same roof of education. Every year is always a
beginning of a whole new life experience. The winds blow softly and the sun shone brightly against my
face. It was just 6:30 am and the day was extremely sunny already. As I walk quietly through the pathways
of Lingig National High School, passing by one room to another, I see my teacher everywhere. I diverted
my attention to what was walking right in front of me. A walking hope was approaching towards my
direction, smiling all the radiance of what the future has offered me. I stare at those eventful eyes, before
I opened my mouth to say the words that I know would start another school day. “Good Morning
Teacher!” I smiled.

Dear teacher,

I saw you yesterday, and you looked like you were running a marathon the whole night. What’s with the
weary eyes, and slouching back? Are you tired? Yet a smile was still plastered in your blooming face. It’s
a nice look on you. When I went inside my classroom waiting for the class to start, and right on time you
arrived greeting me on your way to your desk. I greeted back in a slow and bored tone. It’s always like
that, isn’t it? I listened to your discussions and noticed you really were passionate about your job. Is
teaching even fun? Remembering the days when I took over your job as a student teacher, I quickly shook
my head in disagreement. “It sure isn’t.” I frowned, as I think about the time I was having a hard time
making myself listen to me. God, I was so noisy and annoying.

Then it made me think, if I was that aggravating and hard-headed, why are you still visiting me inside my
classroom? Was I a nuisance between you and your dreams? Or perhaps, I never realized this, but was I
your dream?

Youth never fairly treated you well. I’m sorry for always making you mad at me. I was the root of your
professionalism, but I cause a lot of trouble. I hardly even appreciated the fact that you work form 6:30
am to 5:00 pm with summers-off. You arrive early, stay late, and you take papers home to grade. Your
summers are always spent preparing for the next year, with only little time for an actual vacation. You’re
really amazing, teacher. How do you manage to do all of this for many years? And I’m not really helping
you ease the work at all. I feel sorry whenever you get frustrated with me when I have tremendous
potential, but do not want to put in the hard work necessary to maximize that potential. I was painfully
stubborn, and rejected the welcoming future you held out for me. I’m sorry for not believing in myself the
way you did. Remembering those days is making me embarrassed and anxious. Why was I too dumb not
to realize you were only looking out for me and my capabilities?

There are days when I make you upset and mad, and I start to regret why I went too far to annoy you. I
became selfish and ignorant. I forget to do my homework, pass my projects late, and do not clean the
classroom. You have kept it all inside of you, while I was busy with useless things. I called you names and
pranked you as if you were a mere friend of mine. I often went too far when I treat you less of a teacher.
You needed respect and I only give you what my childish mind thought was right. I became egoistic, and I
don’t know if you only came to my classroom because it was your job, but I’m glad you still stayed by my
side. You love a student who genuinely wants to learn, yet I couldn’t be of such kind. I know you went
through a lot just to become my mentor. Is this what you wanted, teacher? There may have been bad
times in our good memories, but I still love the fact that I was with you through all those years. For better
or for worse, I know you are a real person. You have your own life outside of school, but I was really stupid
to see you nothing but a teacher. You were more than that though. Year after year, you had different roles
as an individual. You were a parent, a sibling, a friend, and last but not the least my mentor. You are the
most caring, sweetest, parent-like, awesome person I know. You spent your days teaching a stranger you
hardly even know, disciplining a child who’s not even related to yours, and loving a student you just met
at school. You work in that endless cycle every year.

It would be the saddest payment to you if I were to remain a student forever, right? Don’t worry teacher.
I’ll move forward even if it means I’ll be seeing a new mentor, and who knows when I will be standing on
my own without you anymore. Watch me make you proud.

Sincerely, Student.