RE9 ARGUMENTATIVE: Looking at the Brighter Side

It is no doubt that most of the households nowadays contain the newest of gadgets such as computers, laptops or tablets. And with their immediate access to such technology, children tend to spend a lot of time using these gadgets either for education of for leisure — which then becomes an issue to most parents. However, parents must not be bothered or worried about this because it is with the use of technology where children benefit, learn and explore, especially in terms of education.

RE1 DESCRIPTION: A Day at the Vargas Museum

1. Fernando Amorsolo
Fishing Scene
1942
Oil on panel

This painting of Amorsolo exhibits a typical fishing scene with characters in fluid and natural motions. This manner of the artist shows expertise in accurately capturing the character of tropical sunset with splashes of a combination of yellow and orange rays which are visible in the vast cloudy sky that truly compliments the blue sea from below. The foreground captures a gentleman who is in his dirty white polo and brown cropped pants wearing a salakot on. The man is helping a lady, in her traditional baro’t saya, carry a large fishing net full of fishes. In the background, a sailboat has set foot on the shore while discharging everything that they have gathered from the sea. A kalesa is also nearby collecting and gathering the fishes from the sailboat.

2. Jose Joya
Aleng may Salakot
1953
Oil on canvass

Beneath a plain dark gray background, this painting of Joya features an ale, which means “aged woman” in Tagalog, who is calmly resting on the floor in her usual white t-shirt paired with a green skirt which flows all the way down to her ankles. Her eyes are all droopy and her frown shows nothing but an exhausted old woman. With her dark brown hair loosely tied to a ponytail, a towel draped around her neck and a salakot resting on her legs, it is obvious that she is worn out from her daily toil. The ale looks as though she is about to give up like a fragile glass that is going to shatter into a million little pieces. Although simple in composition, it is no doubt that this painting is true to form in Philippine character.

RE8 DEFINITION: A Gyst of Development

As a student majoring in Family Life and Child Development, one of the important and essential concepts that I should be familiar with is development, particularly child development, since I am a future teacher in the UP Child Development Center where the ultimate aim is the child’s development.

RE8 DEFINITION: Cheese, Say "Cheese!"

Others might say that love is the universal language, but as a foodie, I must say that food is. You somehow understand a place or a country by having a meal of their cuisine. Aside from having a meal, you also take pictures of the food to document your experience and to not forget how it looks like, because by looking at it, you feel like you’re also tasting it. And recently, a popular trend has started circulating around the internet called the food photography.

RE7 CAUSE AND EFFECT: How my Life Changed After the UPCAT

It has been roughly 9 months since I found out that I passed the UPCAT, and ever since, it was one huge roller coaster ride. At first, I started to believe in myself more. Before the release of the UPCAT results, I wasn’t expecting that I would pass anymore since I didn’t do well on the exam. But because I passed, I realized that I could conquer challenges to reach for my goals. But then, knowing that I passed the UPCAT with only a “Degree Program with Available Slot”, I had doubts with myself. I started to think that I wasn’t good enough for UP since I don’t have a degree to start with. I was considering on going to a different university where I passed my dream course but it didn’t stop there. After passing the UPCAT, I started to not give up easily, that I should consider taking risks to get to my goal, that UP is, indeed, worth the risk. I decided not to enrol to the other university I was thinking of and just wait whether or not I would soon have a degree program. Fortunately, I did and my dream of being a certified Iska came to life. Moreover, after passing the UPCAT, I became more inspired to reach for my dreams and achieve my goals. I realized that since I was in my dream university, soon enough, through pins and needles, I will achieve my dream profession — to become a doctor. I couldn’t help but think of my plans for myself and how to achieve my goals in life. But most importantly, after passing the UPCAT, I know that certainly, I made my parents and my family proud. This was my parents’ dream for me, especially my mom since she is an alumna of UP. But having an older sister who did not pass the UPCAT certainly put a lot of pressure on me. I still couldn’t forget how their faces were full of pride and joy the moment they knew about the results. My hard work and dedication in pursuing my ambitions will all be for my parents so that I could repay and give them back what they deserve in life after all that they’ve done for me and for my older sister.

RE6 COMPARE AND CONTRAST: High School vs College

I never thought that going from high school to college would be a massive transition for me. It wasn’t easy to let go of the things that I have accustomed to. I could say that I have been prepared on what to do during college. My parents, my high school teachers and even the teachers in the review center for UPCAT kept on reminding me that college is a whole lot different compared to high school. I even found this guide on candymag.com on how to survive college. But I have to admit that I wasn’t prepared enough for the reality of this. In my four months of studying in the university, I have realized that there are will never be manuals as to how I will be able to cope up in college. It is up to me to figure out the twists and turns of it and be a victor at the end.

RE6 COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Metro Manila vs My Hometown

Ever since I was a girl wearing pigtails in the morning and pajamas at night, I have lived in the north of Metro Manila — Bulacan. I am proud to be called a “prom-di” (from the province) girl because there’s a certain characteristic attached to that word that makes me unique. Since I have lived almost 16 years of my life in the province, thinking of what feels like living in Metro Manila when college would come always makes me excited and thrilled. Since I am a girl from the province, there’s always this magical thought attached to Metro Manila whenever I think about it. Now that I am a freshman in college and currently living in a townhouse somewhere in Quezon City, I have concluded that Metro Manila has deceived me.

RE5 ILLUSTRATION: Mistresses: How to be Suppressed?

Filipinos are fond of watching blockbuster movies and TV shows, or teleserye, late at night. But what's surprising is that movie or TV show producers encircle their plots about mistresses, which is not a good idea. Three years ago, a movie entitled, "The Mistress" was produced, staring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo. The story stated that JD (John Lloyd Cruz) found out that Sari (Bea Alonzo) was his father's mistress. But eventually, while spending time with her, he fell in love with her. With no intentions, mistresses-themed movies can actually encourage men to have a mistress. Men  who watch this kind of movie might think that having a mistress is now a norm in our society. Meanwhile last year, a telenovela was released by ABS-CBN called, "Two Wives." The plot practically goes around two women fighting and literally strangling to win over a man. Now, with these kinds of plots, do people actually expect to have complete and happy families in the society? Recently, Star Cinema also released a movie entitled, "Etiquette for Mistresses." Based on its title, it shows the proper way of being a mistress when in reality, it was never, and it will never be, proper to become a mistress because, who wants to be a mistress, anyway? Media has been creating movies and TV shows that would lead to an unwholesome family life that's why they should stop producing these kinds of movies. It's becoming frightening that mistresses, who were once thought as negatives, are now cliches on-screen.

RE3 PROCESS ANALYSIS

Do-it-Yourself Iron-Press Shirt

Iron-press shirts can amount to not more than 350 pesos in department stores, which is expensive if you have the materials to make it on your own.

RE2 NARRATIVE

An Experience that Taught Me a Valuable Lesson

A few days before my 7th birthday, my grandparents knocked to our house around mid-afternoon and said, "Sophia! We've got a surprise for you!" I hurriedly ran down the stairs, thrilled of what my grandparents got for me.

RE1 DESCRIPTION

• Visual
• "torpe" - Someone who cannot show his real self, withdraws from social interaction, has worries on what others may think of him, feels uneasy and lacks confidence in expressing himself especially in the midst of unfamiliar people — these are the basic characteristics of a shy or sometimes we call as a torpe guy.