A Festival To Remember

     This year, people from Ilocos Sur celebrate the 13th Kannawidan Ylocos Festival and the 202nd anniversary of the province of Ilocos Sur. The festival started on January 28 and ended on Februray 9. The 13 day festival consists of 48 activities and shows. Most of the shows and activities happened in Vigan City specifically at Tamag Grounds. 

  Aside from imrpoving the tourism of Ilocos Sur, the importance of this Kannawidan Ylocos Festival is to preserve and show the culture of Ilokanos. And because teenagers nowadays don't pay attention about our cultures and traditions. During the festival, visitors and tourists saw our old and new cultures, characteristics, and personalities. We are doing this so that the future generations will be aware of our culture. Antique furniture made by our ancestors and our products were also displayed. Some of the activities were zarzuela, procession, boxing (Kannawidan Boxing Cup), education day and night, fashion show, Saniata ti Agtutubo (pageant), street dancing parade and showdown, fun run, Titong Singson Youth Leadership Congress, longganisa eating contest, LGBT Night, fun bike, Rythm Fest, drag race, and many more. Many artists and singers were also invited during the festival. Some of them were: December Avenue, The Juans and Ben&Ben, which made the people feel heartbroken and sentimental. Andrew E., Erich Gonzales, and Gerald Anderson along with Barbie Imperial and Ronnie Alonte made the audience go wild. Neggi and Chad also came and made the audience laugh so hard. 

     Thi year's Kannawidan Ylocos Festival was very enjoyable and awesome. One thing to describe it is rad. Though, the coronavirus outbreak happened. But it didn't stopped people from coming and enjoying the fest. Happy Kannawidan Ylocos Festival, earthlings!

references:

https://giphy.com/explore/girls-screaming

https://giphy.com/explore/celebration

https://tenor.com/view/music-festival-music-festival-party-concert-gif-12297981

Inside Out

     "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

     The quote written above is a simple yet a very meaningful quote. We, humans always draw our attention to what is wrong in the world. We complain that the world is being destroyed and that we must change it. But, the reason of all the problems that are happening are us. We want to change the world, but how about ourselves?

    We want to change the world. We want it to become a better place and healthier place. But, why do we still throw our garbage everywhere? Why are we still burning plastics? Why are we still cutting trees? We want to help other people. We want to show everyone that we are all equal. But, why do we laugh at people with disabilities? Why don't we want to help the poor? Why are we the first ones who discriminate them? We say that we love animals. We often posts it on social media with a hashtag #AnimalLover. But, why are we killing them and make them our food? Why are we choosing expensive animals when we can choose animals from animal shelters? See, that's how toxic people are. We want to change the world, but we can't even change ourselves. 

   Let us put in our minds that before we change the world, we should first change ourselves. Because, how can we change the world if we cannot change ourselves? How can we solve the problems of the world if one of the problem is us? Change start with us. Then everything follows.We can lead other people. We can solve everything. And we can be happy together. Let us make the world a better place. Will you take my hand?

references:
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Vigan: A City Of Culture And Tradition

    Every 25th day of January, the fiesta of Vigan City is being celebrated. Another celebration during this day is the conversion of St. Paul which is the patron saint of Vigan City. The Vigan's main church, Metropolitan Cathedral and the major Catholic educational institution, the St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur are dedicated to St. Paul. The Vigan City Fiesta lasts for several days. The celebration also includes the cityhood of Vigan celebrated every 27th day of January. 

     During this event, Bigueños all over the world return to Vigan to join their family and friends in the celebration of this big event. Thousands of visitors and tourists also come and see how we celebrate our fiesta. They enjoyed the activities prepared by the government and the people of Vigan which shows our culture, tradition and products. Some of the activities during the fiesta were: cultural shows, parades, street dancing, food fairs, arts and craft exhibits, visiting carnival, various games and other activities. 

     Within the Vigan City Fiesta days, the very famous Longganisa Festival was also celebrated. It is to show our product, the Vigan longganisa, a native version of Mexican salami and has a distinct garlicky taste that became a favorite of the Filipinos. Making of Vigan Longganisa is a centuries old-tradition that's why we let people know about it through activities such as a Longganisa themed parade and a street dancing. 

  This year's fiesta is as beautiful as before. Many tourists still adore our cultures, traditions and products which made the Vigan one of the Seven Wonder Cities of the World. Through this fiesta, we showed how rich Vigan City is. We hope that after many centuries, Vigan will still be Vigan. Happy Fiesta, Vigan City! Viva Vigan! 

references:

https://tenor.com/view/fiesta-gif-5935843

https://www.buzzfeed.com/isabellelaureta/putik-on-my-itlog

https://giphy.com/media/hYt80Cd9r3T1K/200.webp

2020: An Empty Book

365 days completed, 366 days to go, I am writing my New Year's resolution, how about you? The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. 2019's story has ended, now another story will unfold. 

Every year, we make our resolutions and goals for the whole year. We make these things to improve ourselves. I have a long list of my New Year's resolutions and I'll do my best to make all of those things happen. My first resolution is to eat healthier foods and avoid the foods that are bad for my health. Last year, the doctor detected many complications in my body and I am advised to take good care of my health or else it'll get worse. Another resolution of mine this year is to be confident and take some chances. I should be confident to tell my opinion on something. I should take chances and should not be afraid to fail because failing is normal. And when I fail, I learn. This year, I am going to reduce stress and learn to live my life happier. 2019 was stressful and a year with lots of problems. And lastly, I will start saving money. I want to spend my own money when I want to buy something. There are more resolutions on my list but I will not enumerate all of them. Thanking the Lord Almighty for reaching 2020 is the first thing that we should do. And asking for His blessings and guidance for the whole year is also a thing we should do. Although this year, many problems had happened upon welcoming 2020. Forest fires, volcanic eruption, wars and others. But I know that after all of this, blessings will overflow. 

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. Happy New Year, earthlings! God Bless Us All!

references:

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New Year, Stronger Me

I have gained many learning this year. But for me, the greatest learning that I have learned is to trust myself more. Sometimes, even when I know that I can do it, I won't do it. It feels like there is something that's stopping me from doing it. Just like in making my blogs, web page and other requirements. I can do it, but sometimes I am afraid that I might not satisfy my teachers. There's this point when I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that I must trust myself. I must, because in the end, I'll only have myself. And that's when I overcome those challenges that came in my way. 2019 was a challenging year for me. I faced many challenges where I get to know myself more. Moving on I will never forget that I have myself and God whenever I have a problem. I will do everything to reach my goals and will always be humble. I will face 2020 with a wide smile and a strong personality. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, earthlings!

reference:

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HO-HO-HOLIDAYS

              a Child
                 Has been
             boRn for us,
  a son is gIven
           to uS;
     authoriTy rests
    upon hiM; and
       he is nAmed
               JeSus.

So in the place where the animals slept, Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus' bed was the manger that the animals ate their hay from. When Jesus was born, a brand new bright star appeared in the sky. The Three Wise Men knew that a new star would appear when a great king was born. And so they set out to find the true king and bring him gifts. They bowed down and worshiped him. The gifts were gold (kingship on earth), frankincense (deity), and myrrh (death).  And that was the story of Christmas. 

It's the time of year again. December has come with the cold breeze and all the joys of Christmas. But still, some of us aren't aware of the true meaning of this season. Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mails, dinner with family and friends, Christmas lights everywhere, and shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those we know? Is this really Christmas? Some people are sad about Christmas because they don't have enough money to buy gifts for their children or even to cook food for their 'munting salo-salo'. Yet, Christmas is a season of great joy. It is a season of hope, healing, love and renewed strength. In this time, we thank God for all the blessings he gave and will give to us. Christmas also gives us hope that someday somewhat, we will reach our dreams with the help of Jesus. It is the time when we forgive and be forgiven. It is the time when all our wound will be healed. It is the time when we show our love and affection to our loved ones, family, and friends. Materials gifts are not the important ones. The best gift that we can give to someone is our presence, love, and care. 

We can truly be happy on Christmas! No matter what may be happening, we know that God is with us. Heaven will be our home someday. Look at Christmas in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus and accept him in your life. Jesus is the reason for this season. You will then have a Merry Christmas. HO-HO-HO!

references:
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/301319031293889456/?lp=true
https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/christmas-gif

PULL THE PLUG

"They are supposed to be enforcers of this law and yet many policemen are violators themselves."

"In order to appear strong and show force, men inflict violence."

"I'm afraid to go out at night because men are becoming more and more violent."

"No matter what your age is, if they want to harass you, they will."

Those are only some of the statements of victims of violence. Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), and we are no stranger to these four words. It is real. It is happening. It is claiming lives. And it is becoming worse. Men are called leaders and providers, while women are the supporters and nurturers. But as time passes by, men seek for more power to the point that they violate their wives or worst, their children. Many Filipino women and children continue to experience different forms of abuse everyday. Some experience physical violence such as punching, kicking, or hitting. Another form is sexual violence which is the most disturbing form. Rape, sexual harassment, forced engagement in sexual activities, sexually suggestive remarks, and incest are some examples of sexual violence. Intimidation, stalking, harassment, humiliation and verbal abuse are examples of psychological violence. And lastly is the economic abuse or violence which include destroying property, making women financially dependent, banning work opportunities and deprivation of resources. According to the DSWD in the year 2014, 3,168 girls experienced abuse and 131 of them were babies under 12 months. Age is not a problem when a man wants to harass. Even if you're a baby or an old woman, you can be a victim of violence. After harassing and abusing them, 1,149 girls were being abandoned and neglected. And most of the women, especially children are being sexually abused. The painful thing is that, most of the cases of sexually abused children are by incest. Which means, they aren't even safe inside their homes, with their family. And yes, policemen and other politicians are the enforcers of the law against violence. But, they committed most of the cases about violence. Policemen, soldiers, retired personnel, and even priests. Imagine, they should be the one helping us in preventing and stopping violence against women and children but they are the suspects. What is happening to us?

I hope this served as an eye-opening to everybody to stop violence against women and children. And for those who turns a blind eye whenever they witness these things, wake up people! Remember every victim that has died because of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse. Think of every baby, who never got the chance to grow up and see the beauty of the world because of violence. Think of every old woman, who can't fight back and got nothing to do but cried and asked for help. Think of every teenager and kid, who lost their right and dignity at a very young age. Think of every mother and wife, who tried their best to love and stay beside their husbands. When a victim comes to you, help them. If you are a victim, tell it to someone. We should help each other. Are you still gonna let these things happen? How many more lives are we gonna lost just to satisfy these people? Let us pull the plug on the violence against women and children.

references:

https://giphy.com/gifs/mic-rape-sexual-assault-culture-lanXabtiOAAF2

https://giphy.com/gifs/mic-tw-sexual-assault-harassment-8d7Itj5eRd9wQ