Research Paper

One of our requirements to graduate in high school is to submit a research paper. The research paper is the basis for our grades in our Research subject.

Each one of us submitted our project proposals to Prof. Nuñez when we were in third year. Sixteen of which were chosen to be our research studies. We were group into four. And my teammates are Theresa, Lorem and Bryan. Our study is entitled “The Effectiveness of Cow and Horse Manure as Fertilizer: A Comparative Study”.

The main purpose of our study is to compare which manures is the best source of fertilizer. This study is very significant to the farmers and other plant-growers in the rural areas because they can use manure in a beneficial way, knowing the fact that manure can be a good source of fertilizer. This study would likewise help the consumers because they will have a safe and good quality of plants at a lesser cost. The study would also help the Department of Agriculture because they can use manure as a substitute to the very costly commercial fertilizers. Lastly, this project would greatly help the future researchers who would want to study more on the most effective and correct way of growing plants.

The comparison was base on the heights and number of fruits of the okra plants. The study was conducted for nine weeks from July 29, 2006 to September 30, 2006 at the UP High School Home Technology garden plot.

There were four different growth media, three of which were experimental and one was control group. The experimental groups were exposed to the three different manures while the control group was exposed to pure soil. Two okra seedlings per set-up were utilized.

After that, we analyzed all the data that we have gathered and we have come up to two conclusions. First, in terms of increase in heights of the plants, horse manure is the best source of fertilizer because it resulted to grater mean gains in height than the rest. And for the number of fruits, all the four set-ups had comparable results.

When we started the experiment, we had a hard time of adjusting our schedules because our study requires much time. We should visit the plot everyday to water the plants. However, we only felt that at the beginning. I really enjoyed our research project because it is not the type of subject, which requires a lot of memorization. This subject does not need any skills in arithmetic and problem solving. It only needs time, cooperation among the members and diligence.

And now that this project has come to end, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who have helped us in this study.

Dr. Lapa, our first semester teacher, for guiding us in the conduct of our study and in writing Chapter III. Dr. Rodel, our second semester teacher, for checking our papers and for helping us throughout this course. To the panelists, Prof. Baltazar, Prof. Nuñez and Dr. Cravajal, for giving suggestions that greatly helped our study. To Mrs. Pabloo of the Department of Agriculture, for giving us the needed plants. To Mrs. Nuñeza, the laboratory assistant, for letting us use our needed materials. To our batch mates, Christine Nolasco who gave us the needed cow manure and Euvic Ferrer who helped us in watering the plants daily. To our supportive parents, who helped us in all ways. Foremost to Almighty God, for guiding us always and for showering us so much blessings.

Without them, this study might not end successful. Thank you!!

Power of Tears

As days pass by, you meet new challenges. You should be strong enough to face all of these and never give up. But when you really feel tired and stressed because of all the problems that you are facing, what will you do?

Many people say that crying is not a sign of weakness but instead it is a sign of strength. But I really disagree with that. For me when you cry it simply means you give up with all your obstacles. Life is just a game and you should not cry when you loss. Crying implies quitting. And if you quit in the game of life, you will never win and succeed.

When I see other people cry, I say that they are very weak. I do not want to cry because I am afraid that people would also think that I am weak. I was not weak. I am not weak. And I will never be weak.

But all these perceptions change when I started crying almost every night. I feel that all people surrounding me are very bad to me. I easily get hurt with their comments. When somebody feels bad about me, my tears easily drip off from my eyes. I feel that I am so bad when I offended someone. And when somebody cries, I also cry. It seems like crying is very contagious. And when I remember a sad happening of my life, I cry and cry until I sleep.

All those nights that I cried, there were times that I have asked myself why do I cry? Will something change when I cry? Are my problems solved when I cry?

Definitely crying will never solve our problems. It is not the answer to our questions. It will not change our difficult situation. But one thing is for sure; crying relieves the pain you feel inside.

When we cry, we let go of our heart aches. Crying releases our hurts and makes us feel better. It is a defense mechanism called displacement. When we cry, the pains we feel inside are displaced. It is better to cry than to displace all our discomforts in another manner which might affect and hurt other people.

There was this one friend who told me that if I will not cry, all my heart aches will build up. And soon it will occupy my whole heart. Then my heart might burst and may cause nervous breakdown.

I was really thankful for that because it made me realize that there is nothing wrong in crying. It is a good way of keeping our body in the right functioning. God made everything in our bodies unique and functional. The function of our tear ducts is to release tears and at the same time release the pains we feel inside.

So we should not be afraid to cry. Because as we cry, the memories of the bad things in the past are all erased. They will never bother you anymore because you take them away from your system.

Crying also needs too much energy. That is why after crying, we fell asleep. But after that, you will wake up renewed and start the day with a very big smile. You will never be afraid anymore to face life. You start another chapter in your life with a new light.

Know Your School Day

University of the Philippines annually celebrates its KYSD or the Know Your School Day every January. It is a two-day celebration wherein the students replace their teachers and they teach their other classmates. This activity is unique because where can you see students teaching their own classmates.

I had experienced being a teacher for three years. Since second year, I chose to be one of the student teachers because I wanted to feel how a teacher feels. At first, I think that being a teacher is very easy. All I thought is that teachers are very grateful because they have schedules like the students. They will also have their summer break like the students. They are not like other professionals who work during summer. I never thought that it would give so much stress.

This year’s experience of being a student teacher is different from my previous experiences. In the previous years, I taught the subjects that I really like. When I was in second year, I taught Algebra and Biology and in third year, Chemistry. And this year, Economics??!

I never thought that I could handle a subject like economics because I am not that good in this subject. Economics is not my field of expertise and I have my lowest grade in this subject.
However, this reason never became a hindrance of teaching Economics. I really did my best on the day of teaching. I, Olga and Michelle did prepare for a test.

When the three of us were in front of our classmates, there were butterflies in my stomach. I really felt nervous because it takes so much confidence to stand in front of so many people. Nevertheless, I did not quit. Then, we started conducting the test.

At the start of the test, my classmates were already complaining because they did not know that we will have a test and they had not prepared for it. All of them were very noisy and they keep on protesting. But we still continue to give them the test. In each number, they were asking for clues because when Sir Montaño gives us test, he provides us with so many clues. There came a time that almost everyone is talking and the room was already full of carbon dioxide. The room was already like a wet market and we could not control them anymore. Nothing came into my mind how to make their mouths shut. So all I did was to strike the table. They all became silent. I keep on saying that they should not be so loud and they must not keep on complaining because it is not that easy to be a teacher, to stand in front of so many people. After that, they already shut their mouths and we continued the test. I never thought that I could do that.

I was very thankful that we already finished the test. And I have realized that being a teacher is not that easy; it requires so much effort. To be a teacher, you must have patience to your students. You must also be hardworking and diligent in preparing your lessons. And most of all you must have the passion for teaching.

Thank you for all the knowledge that you have imparted us and for the experiences you have shared. Thank you for the guidance and support and for everything. Salute to all the teachers!!!

If Only...

If only I am rich, I will buy all the things that I need. I will satisfy all my wants and desires. I will shop for new clothes, shoes, accessories, and bags. I will also purchase hi-tech gadgets such as laptop, plasma television, i-pod and a cell phone of the latest model. I will also purchase a lot of food especially chocolates.

If only I have wings, I will fly to different places. I will tour around the world and enjoy the picturesque sceneries above the sky. I will go to Australia, the land down under, to see the very famous marsupial, the koala. I would also want to stop at the fantastic Sydney Opera House.

I will also visit Paris and go up to the magnificent Eiffel Tower. I will also go to the Notre Dame Cathedral which is one of the best known Gothic cathedrals in the world. Another country that I would like to visit is Jerusalem. Jerusalem contains sites sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. I would want to enter the Dome of Rock, an Islamic shrine, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest shrines of Christianity, and the Wailing Wall which is a very sacred place for the Jews.

If only I have the talent to be a ballet dancer, I really want to become a prima ballerina and perform different steps in a stage in front of many people.

If only I have the skills, I want to become a drummer. I envy those who know how to play the drums.

If only I have the confidence, I want to become a news reporter, an actress, and a stage performer. Those professions seem to be very interesting for me because the experience of being in front of so many people and all their eyes are on you is very fulfilling.

If only I have the ability to draw, I want to draw a very scenic picture where I can express what I feel inside. Drawing is one of the activities where you can let go of your emotions whether good or bad. With drawing, you can also make your fantasies into realities.

If only I have a very good voice, I want to join in different singing contests. I want to show it and let other people hear my voice. I also want to become a church choir in order to thank God for the gifts that He has given me.

If only I could turn back the time, I will correct all the mistakes that I have done in the past and put all these things in their proper order. I want to make my life right and I do not want to hurt anybody with my words and actions. I also want to express my feelings to those people whom I have not. I want to say sorry to the people whom I have not apologized before because of my pride.

If only I have the power to make all those things true, I would really do…

Gift of Love

Gasa sa Gugma, a home for the dying destitute, was the chosen beneficiary of our outreach program in our CWTS subject. The outreach program held last Friday, February 2, 2007, aimed to let the sick and elderly persons in that institution feel love, care, attention, and emotional security of a family that they have not felt for a long period of time. Before we went in the place, I thought that only them can benefit from that outreach program. But after leaving in that place I have come up to many realizations.

First is that I have also learned to take care, respect, and give time to the elders. They are the ones who take care of us when we are still very young. They are also the co creators of God because without them, we will not be here in this world. We should be thankful to them and give them a little of our time to make them happy and let them feel that they are very important in our lives. We should be there when they need our help and listen to them. We should pay back all the sacrifices that they have done for us.

I also learned that we should treasure all the moments that we have together with our love ones. We cannot turn back the time that are all wasted. This is one realization that I have learned from the story of a lolo in which he was not able to apologize to his mother. He was not able to express what he really feels inside. If you need to say something to your loved ones or to anybody, you should do it now. You might just regret the time that you let pass by without expressing all the things inside your heart. Do what ever you want in you life at this very moment. Every single second in your life should be cherished because it will not come back again and you might regret.

Another experience that I knew was about a lola who already fell several times. I have learned that if you fall, you should not give up; your life does not end there. There is more in this world that you should discover. Like in a television advertisement of the basketball player Dwayne Wade, it says that fall seven times, stand up eight. Life is very beautiful and mysterious. It is for you to find out what is at stake for you. And if you fall in uncovering the mystery of your life, go on because it is part of what God has planned for you. Do not let something or somebody block your way in discovering more about this world. Just thank the times that you fall because in falling, you know how to stand up and you become stronger. Do not be afraid to fall; just trust the Lord because He will be there to help you. In the midst of the darkness you can see light.

Those experiences even though second hand, make me realize all those stuffs. You need not to experience all the things that they had experience in order to learn. Learn from other people’s experiences to be a better person and let other people learn from you to help them become a better person. With this you can share the love that God has given you.

College Course

Now that our high school life is nearing to end, I think that all of us are very busy in taking college admission tests in different prestigious universities. But there are still few of us who have not decided yet on the course that they are going to take up. And in choosing the best course, many things are put into consideration. The first thing that you will consider is your likes. It is very important that you like the course that you will take up. Next are your abilities. Are your abilities fitted for that course? And of course you should also consider your parents’ suggestions. If they agree or not agree with the course you are going to take up.

Our parents pay for our tuition fees for us to study. But nowadays, they are the ones who choose the course that they want us to study. And most of the times they are followed. But is it right that they will decide for our course?

For me, we have the right to follow what we think will be good for us. We are the one who will study the course so we should be the one to choose the course we want. And another thing, this is our life and we should be the pilots of our lives. If other people will decide for us, we might blame them if misfortunes will come in our lives.

But it does not mean that we will just neglect the suggestions of our parents. Our parents are here to guide us with all the things and decisions we will made in our lives. They are giving suggestions for the betterment of our lives. There are no parents who want their sons and daughters to be in the wrong path. All our parents wish all the best in life for us. And because they have more experiences than us, we should pay attention to their advices. We should learn from their experiences.

Listening to them is respecting them. But if we will not follow their recommendations, it does not mean that we are not respecting them. At this age, we should be able to make decisions for ourselves. In choosing a course, it is a decision that we should make. And if something bad will come after making that decision, we should be bold enough to face all its consequences. In this way, we will really learn. Decision making is one step of preparing ourselves to the true world after studying. When we reach the age where we will already work, we have to make many decisions in life. So it is important that at this early stage of our lives we are able to make decisions.

We should stand for our own belief. Pay attention to other people’s advices. Before everything else, think for the advantages and disadvantages. And at the end, you have the final words. Pursue the things you want and do what you think is right and will make your life better!