Nature's Beauty

Nature is an integral part of our lives. But even while we appreciate the blessings she bestows on us, we forget that we are plundering her treasures and thereby denying our children the pleasure of enjoying nature in all her abundance and variety in the future. The beauty of nature has been extolled in the works of poets and artists. When Wordsworth describes the daffodils dancing in the breeze or when our eyes alight on a painting by William Turner, our hearts are filled with an indescribable emotion.

If a mere representation can move us so much, imagine the power of the real thing. If you have seen Massachusetts during fall season when the leaves turn yellow, ochre, and red, you can never forget it in your lifetime.

Nature has myriad facets. It keeps changing from season to season, from minute to minute. If the sea was a bright blue in the morning, by noon it has become an emerald green hue. The colors of the sky keep changing throughout the day, from pale pink at dawn to a dazzling blue at mid morning and a bright orange by sunset and purple by twilight. Nature reflects our moods. When the sun shines, we feel happy and hopeful.

When the skies cloud over and the rain falls in torrents, we feel pensive. A balmy moonlit night can awaken the lover in us. Such is the transformative power of nature’s beauty. In the movie, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, the cannibalistic psychiatrist Hannibal Lector who is in a maximum security prison tells Clarice Starling, the FBI officer, that he wants to be transferred to a facility where he can have a room with a window that looks out on the sky.

Even evil surrenders before the beauty of nature. It has been observed that patients in hospital recover faster if they are in a room with windows that offer a pleasant view. Beyond providing pure pleasure, nature’s beauty can therefore offer therapy for sick minds and bodies. So it is all the more essential that we do our best to preserve it for future generations.

Every time we cut down a tree, every time an oil spill despoils the ocean, let us remember that we are destroying the most precious inheritance we can leave behind for our children.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

ARMM

(Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)             

A. Population

 

Province	Capital	Population (2000)	Area (km²)	Pop. density (per km²)
Basilana	Isabela City	408,520	1,994.1	204.9
Lanao del Sur	Marawi	1,138,544	12,051.9	94.5
Maguindanaoc	Shariff Aguak	1,273,715	7,142.0	178.3
Shariff Kabunsuanc	Datu Odin Sinsuat	103,715	7,142.0	178.3
Sulu	Jolo	849,670	2,135.3	397.9
Tawi-Tawi	Bongao	450,346	3,426.6	131.4

B.  Geographical Location

                             

                              The ARMM spans two geographical areas: The Mindanao mainland, where Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao are situated and the Sulu Archipelago, made uo of the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi –Tawi. The region covers a total of 12288 km2

        

         C. History

                              The people of Mindanao have always looked forward to shaping their destiny through self-determination and self-rule. They have seen the rise of the first Filipino barangays ruled by the early datus. Major socio-political changes, however, happened when Shariff Kabunsuan, an Arab missionary, came and introduced Islam in Mindanao in the 15th century. This led to the formation of Islamic communities and the formation of the Islamic Sultanate, under one Supreme Council and eventually united the Mindanao mainland with its sub-urban islands. The united Muslim Mindanaoans repelled the influence of foreign domination particularly the Spaniards, Americans and Japanese.
It was President Ramon Magsaysay who opened Mindanao to Christian settlers, majority were from the Visayas, to share Mindanao's rich natural resources. The influx of settlers made Mindanao a place of diversified groups whose ethnicity, culture, traditions and beliefs never became a source of misunderstanding among the early Mindanaoans. The situation changed when unscrupulous persons, mostly politicians and businessmen, took advantage of the people's low economic state. Land grabbing and social injustices were committed against the region's peace-loving people which forced them to rise in protest and revolt against the government.

D. Literary Pieces

KATA-KATA

The Origin of Tuber

               One day, a long time ago, some old men were rowing a banca with the “stout stems of growing grass” when one of the stems broke. Drops of the stem’s juice reached one man’s lips and he was surprised to discover that it was sweet. And that was how sugarcane was discovered. A housewife was using the tubers of a certain plant to support her stove while she was cooking. One of the tubers broke and some burning hot pieces of it flew the woman’s hand. She sucked her burnt and tasted the baked tuber and that was  how gabi was discovered.

TUDTUL

LAGYA KUDARAT

                              The “Lagya Kudarat” tells the adventures of the two children of Lagya (rajah) Mampalai of Lum who are blown away after Mampalai laments the lack of viable partners for his children. These two children are Lagya Kudarat and Puteli (princess) Sittie Kumala. Puteli Kumala is blown to a forest where she meets a kabayan (in all Maguindanao stories, this character is associated with an old unmarried woman). The kabayan adopts her, as she earlier did the prince named Sumedsen sa Alungan. After the wedding, Kudarat feels homesick; his wife then suggests that they go back to Lum. There is a happy reunion. A week later, Kudarat and his wife returns to Kabulawanan to live with his in-laws. Although Kumala and Sumedsen live in the same house, they never speak to each other. Later, because of peeping toms, Kumala leaves and Sumedsen goes with her. They find their way to Lum, where a happy reunion takes place. Sumedsen eventually marries Kumala. Meanwhile, Lagya Kudarat is blown to Kabulawanan. There he meets another kabayan who allows him to live with her. One day while hunting, Kudarat hears the game of sipa (rattan ball kicked with the ankle) being played. He proceeds to the direction of the game and is invited to play. Not knowing how to play, he accidentally causes the sipa to fall in front of the princess who is sitting beside the window. She throws him her ring and handkerchief. The marriage between the princess and Kudarat is then arranged.

BIDASARI

               

When a simple merchant, his young son and mute servant are out in the woods, they chance upon a drifting boat, in which there is a baby girl and a bowl containing a live goldfish. The merchant realises that the baby is unusual because her life is bonded to the fish: if the fish leaves the water, she stops breathing. The merchant adopts the baby as her own and names her Bidasari. Years later Bidasari grows up into a beautiful young woman while the merchant has prospered into a wealthy businessman. At the royal palace of this kingdom, the King has just remarried a beautiful woman, the Permaisuri (Queen). The Permaisuri is a proud woman who secretly practises witchcraft. Hidden in her chambers is a magic mirror that can show her anything she asks. She uses it to ask who the most beautiful in all the land is. One day when she asks the mirror this question, the image of Bidasari appears in it. She is enraged by this and carries out a search to find who Bidasari is. Her search leads her to the merchant's house. Under the guise of kindness, the Permaisuri asks the merchant for permission to bring Bidasari to the palace to be her companion. Although the merchant is reluctant to part with his beloved daughter, he lets her go. But once Bidasari arrives at the palace, she is sent to the kitchens as a servant, where she is starved and given the dirtiest jobs. After the Permaisuri is satisfied that Bidasari has been ruined, she once again asks her magic mirror who is the most beautiful in the land. When the mirror shows Bidasari yet again, the Permaisuri flies into a rage and runs to the kitchen where she grabs burning pieces of firewood which she tries to burn Bidasari's face with. She is shocked when the fire goes out and Bidasari's face is left untouched. Bidasari, who has by now realised that the Permaisuri's malice is targeted only at her and will never stop, begs for mercy and explains her life is bonded to that of a fish that is kept in a bowl in her father's garden. The Permaisuri has a servant steal the fish for her from the merchant's garden, and as soon as the fish leaves the water, Bidasari collapses and stops breathing. Satisfied that Bidasari's life is in her hands, the Permaisuri hangs the fish around her neck as a trophy. When she asks the mirror who is the most beautiful in the land, the mirror shows her own image. The merchant realises that the fish is missing, and is told that Bidasari died mysteriously at the palace. Her body is returned to him and he builds a small tomb for her in the woods where her body is laid out in peace. Meanwhile, the Permaisuri's stepson the Prince has been having dreams about Bidasari, although he has never met her. The dreams plague him even in his waking hours, despite his father's advice that such a beautiful woman cannot exist. The Permaisuri sees her stepson acting this way and plants a painting of Bidasari in his room. The Prince finds the painting, which leads him to the merchant who explains the sad tale of Bidasari's death and the mysterious disappearance of the fish. The Prince decides to visit Bidasari's tomb to see her beauty with his own eyes. Coincidentally at this time, back at the palace the Permaisuri is having a bath in the royal bathing pool. The fish manages to break free of its locket and drops into the water where it starts swimming. This causes Bidasari to wake up right before the Prince's eyes. Bidasari tells him of what the Permaisuri did to her, which confirms the Prince's suspicions of his stepmother. When the Permaisuri finishes her bath, she discovers that the fish has gotten free. She manages to catch it just as the Prince is about to help Bidasari leave the tomb, causing her to fall unconscious again. The Prince places Bidasari back in the tomb and promises to make things right. The Prince returns to the palace in a fury, demanding that the Permaisuri give him the fish. The Permaisuri pretends not to know anything, and when the King listens to the Prince's explanation, the King declares that his son has gone insane and calls the royal guards. A fight ensues, during which the Permaisuri is injured and dies. Just before the Prince is about to be captured, the merchant and the Prince's loyal manservants arrive with Bidasari on a stretcher. The merchant explains that the story about the fish being bonded to Bidasari's life is true. The Prince takes the fish from the locket around the Permaisuri's neck and puts it into a bowl of water. As soon as the fish enters the water, Bidasari comes back to life. The King apologises to his son, and the Prince and Bidasari are married.

                                                                                          

The Real Me

               On 7th day of January 1992, a healthy baby girl was born named Ivee Marra Gatchalian. She is the elder daughter of a Minister of Iglesia Ni Cristo and her mom is a housewife. She started to go to school at the age of 5, she loves to read books, play puzzles, draw and sing.  Her Elementary life is a lot different compared with her classmates because her parents not allow her to play different toys such as barbie dolls etc. After school she need to go home and study her lessons that's why she wants to play with her classmates at school hours rather than to study. She hates math, she don't like numbers but as she step to the next level which is the High School life, fortunately she become one of the math wizards of her school. She competes with other school with her classmates. She also like sports like volleyball badminton, bowling and martial arts. She used to be a RAHEI player on Taekwondo. She is a serious person and kinda mysterious because sometimes she is just sitting down and observing the surrounding. She is not jut an ordinary girl because she has a telepathy, other could say that is a super power or whatever.

          And now, she walk step by step to her dream to become a successful CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

HINILAWOD

         There was a goddess of the eastern sky names Alunsina, which is so bored. She has been “online” for about 3 years without nothing useful to do. All she does was posting pictures, posting funny status and uploading photos etc. Then her father noticed her that she’s just wasting her time on that social-networking site. Her father told her that she should get married so she would not be called “The Unmarried One”. She refused at first thinking that her friends might get shock when they see that she change her status, form “single” to “married” but then at all agreed to her father’s decision about her. For all her father knows, she’s been eyeing a mortal named, Datu Paubari, the mighty and handsome ruler of the Halawod. When Alunsina came down from heaven like an angel, she easily caught the heart of the mortal and then they got married. But after their wedding there came a problem. A meeting of council was held, they talked about destroying the newlyweds and Halawod by a flood. But they didn’t notice Suklang Malayon was listening and she got the chance to warn the newlyweds. After the evil plot was held, they returned home. The stubborn newlyweds are not afraid to be repeatedly destroyed by the council who are obviously against to them. They love each other resulting that Alunsina got pregnant. She hastily updated her status in the so called “FB” then it gained many likes from her friends and followers. She also posted some photos of them, Paubari and Alunsina with her pumped belly-button. After 9 months, she delivered a set of triplets and summoned the high priest Bungot-banwa to perform the rites of the gods Madya-as to ensure good health of the children. After the ceremony, the priest opened the windows of the northside of the room cold and northernly wind came and then suddenly the three infants were transformed into strong, handsome young men. 

Labaw Donggon, the eldest of the three, asked his mother to prepare his magic cape, hat, belt and shades because those can be his fashion statement. As soon as she heard the hearsays that there was a beautiful maiden named Angoy Ginbitinan, he went on for a search for her. He got curious about her beauty because nobody else has seen her face except for his father which is a filthy rich king. He had so many struggles because of the search for the maiden. He had to pass a bridge which is guarded by a grumpy old troll, for him to pass he must answer 3 corny riddles of the troll. After that encounter, he already brag his victory at FB with a picture in it, looks like we already know where he got that attitude. He finally got to the maiden’s home but the maiden’s father told him that he should work hard for his daughter; therefore he planted crops, bought cows to be milked not in real world but in FarmVille an app in FB. Angoy Ginbitinan’s father was amazed to Labaw Donggon skills at last he agreed to let the man have his daughter’s hand. Labaw was so excited to see the maiden’s face, as she turned there was a 3 minute silence. Labaw laughed his guts out, only to find out that the maiden has a big nose and ears, the father got mad and insisted that they should be married right now. Labaw can’t refused, as a sign of dignity he accepted her soon to be wife. On their way home, they met a group of young men on their way to Tarambang Burok to win the hand of Abyang Durunuun for her beauty was legendary. They continued their way back home, as soon as they got there Lambang told his mother to take care of his wife for he had another quest and he also find this as an escape from his first wife. On his way to Tarambang Burok, he will again have to pass a bridge guarded by a giant monster with hundred arms, the task was he have to win to a game named “Jack ‘en Poy”. This clever boy, surpassed the test and let him pass through the bridge. As he arrived, he already captured the heart of Abyang Durunuun and he also took it home. He went on another journey, this time he’ll be using a black boat to ask again for the hand of another woman, named Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata. This woman was supposed to be the bride of the lord of the darkness, Saragnayan. Labaw while on his trip passed through the region of clouds and passed the land of stones and sailed across the sea for many months. Along the journey he kept on updating his account, this time on twitter, posting tweets like “Fish at breakfast, lunch and dinner! Yum!” “This what I call sea trip!”

“Do I look good in tan?”. He’s posting at the same time playing Farmville, he don’t want his plants and farm animals to die. At last he found Gadlum, home of the maiden. He was welcomed by Saragnayan who’s playing with his iPad. He asked Labaw where he came from and why is he here without looking at him. As Labang introduces himself and his purpose, Saragnayan look at him with furious eyes and laughing. He claims that he wouldn’t marry the women, because she was his soon to be wife. Labang didn’t agreed and asked for a duel but before that he unfriend Saragnayan, they we’re online friends for so long and he didn’t know that. Saraganayan accepted the challenge. The challenge was the one who comes first at end of the sea will win the hand of Malitong Yawa. The race begun, for all they know that there are many pranks underwater, like there are jellyfish at the shore because of Spongebob doings. They got stung and had been submerged under water and there they continue to fight, Saraganayan played dead so Labang thought that he won, but after he let go of him Saragnayan swim faster. As he was swimming, he died immediately because the Flying Dutchman got his soul. Labang and the Flying Dutchman we’re friends they met each other while Labang is on a trip. With a unanimous decision, no doubt its Labang who have won the hand of the maiden. 

IBALON

A long time ago, there was a rich land called Ibalong, the land is said that there are monsters so no one attempt to plant anything then here comes Baltog, who came from the brave land of Lipod who decided to stay on Ibalong t cultivate the field with gabi. One day, in the middle of the night Tandayag, the monstrous, wild boar saw the field filled of crops and he destroyed it. Batlog know about it so he decided to go in the field and fought the monster Tandayag.

Baltog: “Hey, monstrous, wild boar! Why are you destroying our crops?”

Tandayag: “Who do you think you are? You can’t talk to me in that way, you should respect me!”

Ibalong pin down the monstrous wild boar and break apart its show and Tandayag died  after the fight Batlog decided to displayed the big jaws infront of the house of Batlog and the dead boa became an attraction for everyone.

Person 1: Wow!

Person2: Unbelievable!

Person: His amazing, no one can ever be like him.

Person: He is our hero

The second hero who came to the land of Ibalong was Handyong, a mighty warrior of the neighboring kingdom, happened to pass by Ibalon. Appraised of the plight of the people. Handyong came to their rescue. Only one monster escaped Handyong’s mortal wrath, this was Oryoal, the serpent who could transform itself into a another. Handyong decided to find Oryaol in the forest.

Gapon: We need to kill that monster immediately.

Handyong: Don’t worry, we can kill that monster, we need to make plans first to be ready of what will happen.

            After several minute, they decided to attack the monster

Oryaol: Who are the you? Your not allowed to pass through my territory. I’m going to kill all of you!

Handyong: You don’t know us, think before you speak. I’m going to kill you.

Oryaol: What are saying? I dunno something. But I will give you what you want.

Handyong won the fight and after that he build a city in Isarog, Ibalon and he governed it. As a praised for Handyong the people started to plant only one kind of palay. And the people started to discovered and invent different technology to make their work more easier and faster.

One day, a heavy rain came in the city, the streets were flooded . They experienced earthquakes. The people have nothing to eat because of the different phenomenon that they were experiencing. Then giant Rabot appeared. Half-man and half-beast. So Handyong commanded Bantong to fight the giant Rabot. Bantong found out that Rabot loved to sleep during the day and stayed awake at night.

Bantong: You’re the reason why our city were experiencing different phenomenon. You need to die.

Rabot: Grrr. You cannot kill me. I’m powerful and stronger than you

           Rabot died. Bantong get the giant’s golden teeth to prove that the giant is dead. People in Ibalong were learned that Bantong killed the Giant and make the place peace at once more. They celebrate and Ibalong grow and develop.

I Wanna Let You Know

• 
  WOKE UP IN THIS MORNING
  THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT
  I WONDER YOU WERE HERE
  SO I CAN I HUG YOU TIGHT
  
  
  
  STAR IS SHINING IN THE NIGHT
  BUT YOU’RE THE REASON WHY IT SHINES SO BRIGHT
  I WANNA KISS YOU EVERY SECOND
  I WILL LOVE YOU TILL FOREVER
  
  
  
  I WANNA SAY
  I WANNA TELL YOU
  THAT YOU MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME
  YOU’RE THE REASON WHY I LIVE

DEATH

What is “death”?
To some, it is simply not being alive, but
To others, it’s another form of life
To you, it might be something unimaginable


But death in itself is truly nothing.
Death is like hate, really non existent in itself
It is the key to the realization of passion and love
For you know not how much you truly love someone

Or something
Until you lose them


But there is no hate
You can love someone a lot, or not love at all
This is what we define as “hate”
This what death truly is


But death in itself is truly nothing
Death is like the cold, really non existent in itself
It can be as harsh as the cold
For if you are not strong physically

Or emotionally
You will lose


But there’s no cold
See here, “there’s no such thing as cold”
Cold is not the opposite of heat
But rather the absence of it


But death in itself is truly nothing
Death is like the devil, truly non existent in itself
It is the evil thought that God has left us
For God provides life


And without life
There is death


But Satan doesn’t exist in himself
Rather, the most perfect angel made
Not quite deemed worthy to be the Almighty himself
He became the absence of God


So what is death?
Death is the “nothing” in something
The absence of soul and spirit
It’s simply the absence of life

It was a dream

It feels like i’m in a paradise

That’s what i see with my two eyes

A cotton cloud and a blue sky

Birds are flying high

I sat beside you, I didn’t know what to do

I couldn’t speak, and I felt so fool

I tried to look into your eyes

Didn’t expect you’ll say “hi” 

I tried to hug you tight

But there were something wrong, you disappeared from my sight

I THOUGHT IT WAS REAL

I WOKE UP IT WAS A DREAM