Parents vs. Peers

Parents or peers? For us teenagers, this is a significant topic of discussion. There are kids who would say, “What a weird thing to discuss, I would rather obey my parents than to go with my friends.” But there are other who‘ll declare, “My parents aren’t going to know anything, of course friends first.” But this is really an important matter. Every kid has a different opinion but in the end, for most of them, who are they going to pick? – Because in this teenager life, you can’t choose both – of course if the parents’ and friends’ opinions are opposite. We have encountered a lot of stories about this topic in different media. But suppose this certain instance come in real life, what we will do?

A group mate of ours, for one, had been in this situation. She came in a moderately strict family – no boyfriends until after college, no drinking alcohol until after 21. She’s used to this kind of reminders, and obeyed it with all her might. Then come college – start of a new era in Baguio City, a new group of friends also, of course. One day, as she had expected, came the inevitable situation in a college student’s life – being asked out by your friends to a bar. At first she didn’t dare to say yes, but what’s a bunch of friends if they can’t persuade you in doing such a thing they loved? She started to doubt her beliefs, started to think about her reminders.

What if her parents are so inconsiderate? Why are the parents of her friends so cool with living their life? She turned to her parents, asked their advice. Her parents said that it’s normal for a teenager to receive invitations like this and eventually doubting parents’ reminders, but think first that the ones you do have a positive effect in her life. That’s when a reminder turns into a quote you have to live by. And never again that she doubted her parents. We don’t say that all friends are bad and they’ll ruin your life. It’s cool if you drink alcohol – go on, live a little, if this is what you believed in - as long as it isn’t opposite of what you believed in. What’s sad is a friend who will push you even if you to do a certain thing you don’t want to. It’s really nice if all the people in your life influenced you positively – it’s a win-win for all of us.

GROUP 6

Domingo, Mark Anthony

Jacobe, Dessa Mae I.

Perez, Jeff

Posilero, Jinky

Rubiano, Geremie

Tajan, Patrisha Willyn Mae

Ang Aking Pamilya

            Pamilya. Sinu-sino nga ba?

Si Ama - Ang ating haligi ng tahanan. Siya ang nagtatanggol sa atin sa anumang bagay na makakasakit sa atin. Siya ang natatanging ama na hindi kailanman matutumbasan ang pagmamahal ng ibang ama. Marahil ay minsan nararamdaman nating malayo ang loob niya sa atin dahil madalas siyang wala sa tahanan. Subalit ang anumang paghihirap na kanyang ginagawa sa labas ng bahay ay kanyang inihahandog ng buo para sa ating na kanyang pamilya.

Si Ina - Ang ilaw ng tahanan. Si nanay ang takbuhan natin sa lahat ng oras. Siya ang nagbibigay ng mga solusyon o payo sa bawat problemang ating pinagdaraanan. Si Ina ang gumagabay sa lahat ng ating mga ginagawa simula pagkabata. Madalas man siyang magalit at sumigaw sa atin, hindi pa rin natin siya kayang palitan sa ating buhay. Siya ay natatangi at nag-iisa lamang. Siya ang may pagmamahal na hindi kayang pantayan ng anumang bagay. Siya lamang ang tanging tao na nakaramdam na tayo ay may buhay dahil sa ating unang pagsipa sa kanyang sinapupunan. Si ina ang tanging nagmamahal sa atin ng buong puso at walang pinipiling dahilan.

Si Kuya at Ate - Madalas man silang magalit sa atin, sila pa rin ang mga taong matatakbuhan natin kung wala si inay at itay. Sila ang mga taong humahawak ng responsibilidad sa atin. Sila ang natatanging katulong ng ating mga magulang sa mga gawaing bahay. Si kuya na taga-igib o taga sibak ng kahoy (mga gawain ni tatay sa bahay) at si ate naman ang katulong ni nanay sa pamamalengke o paglilinis sa bahay.

Si Bunso - Siya ang nagbibigay aliw sa loob ng tahanan. Sa bawat tawa at ngiti niya, lahat ng pagod ay kanyang napapawi. Siya man ang madalas na magkalat o magdumi sa loob ng bahay, hindi pa rin matutumbasan ang saying kanyang binibigay.

Ako bilang isang anak - Resposibilidad kong irespeto at igalang ang aking mga magulang. Alagaan si bunso at pahalagahan ang mga ginagawa ni kuya at ate para sa akin. Responsibilidad ko rin na magaral nang mabuti para sa aking pamilya. Ako na isang anak ang dapat na mag-alaga at gumabay sa aking magulang sa kanilang pagtanda. Ang magiging mata nila sa tuwing nanlalabo ang kanilang paningin at ang kanilang magiging tenga sa tuwing mahina ang kanilang pandinig. Ito ang pamilya ko. Sila ang bumubuo sa isang tahanan na pinagbuklod ng pagmamahal. Ang pamilyang nag-aruga at nagpalaki sa akin. Ang pamilyang humubog sa kung ano ako.

GROUP 6

Domingo, Mark Anthony

Jacobe, Dessa Mae

Perez, Jeff

Posilero, Jinky

Rubiano, Geremie

Tajan, Patricia Willyn Mae

Senior Citizens in the Philippines

What is it like living in the Philippines when you’re above 60 years old? What are the benefits? How will the society, the community, and your family treat you considering that you are now old and you may probably not be a part of the labor force or a contributor to the family’s finances? These are the questions people approaching their 60s may probably ask. Examining R.A 9994 and R.A 10645 will give us a bird’s eye view of the current situation, senior citizens have in the Philippines.
Under R.A 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 and R.A 10645 a Filipino citizen who is 60 years old or above may apply for senior citizen card which will be issued by the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) in the city or municipality where the senior citizen resides (Gov.ph, 2015).  The benefits of having a senior citizen card includes a 20% discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on goods and services from all establishments, mandatory PhilHealth coverage, income tax exemption of minimum wage earners, some free medical services, and express lanes privileges.
The benefits enumerated in R.A 9994 and R.A 10645 indeed cover the basic needs of a citizen, ranging from food, leisure, and health to special lanes. However, most of these benefits are merely beneficial on the physical aspect of a human. Another factory that we also need to examine is the living arrangements of the elderly to better describe the current situation of senior citizens in the Philippines.
According to a study made by Abejo, a large percentage of the senior citizens are not dependent on their children. A possible reason, as cited by Domingo et al. (1993), is the strong attachment to one’s home and the desire to maintain autonomy. Moreover, the study also revealed that only a small proportion of senior citizens are living alone and it does not necessarily mean that they have been deserted by their children. However, he also concluded that if the poverty situation worsen, there will be a substantial number of senior citizens who will be living alone because it can be a burden for a family member to take care an elderly in the midst of poverty.
Considering these information, it is apparent how our society values senior citizens. Probable reasons might be because we have a concept of “utang na loob” and we have high regard for older people. Nonetheless, senior citizens in the Philippines can expect different benefits from the government and a society which will treat them with utmost respect and care. These are the qualities we, Filipinos, must be proud of.


References:
Abejo, Socorro. (2004). “Living Arrangements of the Elderly in the Philippines.” 9th National Convention on Statistics. Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://nscb.gov.ph/ncs/9thncs/papers/population_Livi ngArrangements.pdf
Benefits for senior citizens. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://www.gov.ph/services/senior-citizens/
Domingo, Lita J., M. B. Asis, et al., (1993). “Living Arrangements of the Elderly in the Philippines: Qualitative Evidence.” Comparative Study of the Elderly in Asia, Research Report No. 93-23. Ann Arbor: Population Studies Center, University of Michigan

SocSci10 Z Group 5


Enriquez, Ryan
Flores, Nathaniel Lorenz
Galido, Noel Joseph
Jimenez, Rica
Paican, Maria Luzviminda
Vergara, Bryan

Family

By NOTSO bad

This is from a friend who is more than willing to share her story.

Family? Drama. Functional or dysfunctional. Supportive or otherwise. Complete, broken or discontinued. Those were only the first few words that popped on my head whenever the word family was being talked about.

            Honestly and frankly speaking, I came from a broken family myself but a very functional one. Functional? Erm, functional in terms of communication and financial support, I guess. I have one sister and one half-brother from my dad. I never grew up with my dad. He had always been working overseas.  Traveling from one country to another. The last time I saw my dad was when I was barely six. Now, I am turning twenty this coming October. Just do the math.

            I could never imagine the pain my mom went through the first time my dad committed adultery against her. I was barely two when I had my half-brother. He was a product of an amorous and erotic love created in Rome. My mom believed in ‘karma’ way back. My half-brother’s mother had never got the chance to see nor hold his child. She died right after giving birth to my half-brother. Nonetheless, my mom never taught me to hate nor maltreat my younger brother, instead to show him love and be a good sister to him. Afterwards, my dad was forgiven by my mom and so my sister was born. 2001. Upon after having his Philippine vacation, dad left for States on that the same year my mom was about to give birth to my sister.  My sister never got the chance to meet our dad in person. Despite those years of not seeing him, our dad pampered us materially and financially which I think is his way of filling up his absence for fourteen years. We can tell him anything we want to have or how much money we need to buy stuffs we want and so far he had never failed us on that part. Finances are good and overflowing but of course we need him – we need to see him and be with him also. He never had his vacation since he left for States and we don’t know why, but I suspected him to have another family in States because mom and dad were already divorced on summer 2012.

            Going back to the functionality of my discontinued family, I find our family to be recently functional evidently because after upon the divorce of my parents they are in good terms again, I assume. Not that, my parents were not in good terms before but dad never asked me how mom’s doing or whatsoever two years prior to their divorce. Both of my parents are talking to each other – dad has been checking out on mom again, asking her what she wants and needs which is really ironic for a divorce couple. Nonetheless, it feels so good to see and hear that despite that divorce my parents are friends, if that’s what you call. But, I believe first love never dies. That’s why my sister and I smell something fishy about why dad asked mom how is she or what does mom need or want.

            If you can see I have never talked a lot about my mom on the previous paragraphs. She is really good. She has pure heart. She is super nice, patient, and understanding. In fact, due to her overflowing goodness, sometimes I really confront her by telling her, ”you are too good to be true”, but really she had never been good at faking. Trust me. That’s why I envy her attitude and personality. She never taught us to neither hate our dad, our half-brother, nor our grandparents despite all actions our dad made nor even after all the cover-ups my grandparents did to tolerate what my dad did. What she did was not easy – to shut her mouth up despite all the emotional pain she suffered from to protect the intimate relationship we have with our grandparents on our father side. If that was me on my mom’s situation, I could not afford to do the same thing. Maybe, I would probably go for what my heart desires but my mom always say, “always go for what the brain says. That’s the reason why brain is higher than the heart.” I really salute and respect my mom for a lifetime for it.

            If there is one thing I want you to learn from me is this, despite all the wrong-doings your parents did to you and your siblings, either your mom or dad, you can’t change the fact that they will always be your parents and without either one of them, you will never be here today. So, even how much you hate either your mom or dad, well you should learn how to respect them at the end of the day. J

SocSci 10 Z Group 4
Jaeger Dwayne Tamaray, Mike Gyro Paras, Anthony Teofilo Jr., GiannaCapacia, Faye Mendoza, Jerome Gabriel

PAMANA

Kung sa mundong kinamulatan mo ay ordinaryong tanawin na lamang ang mga musmos na tulad mo na nabibilad sa arawan, batak na ang mga bata ninyong katawan at sumasabak na sa mabibigat na trabaho, hindi ba’t hindi mo naman ito ituturing na pang-aabuso? Pagkat ito ay isang pangkaraniwan nang pangyayari sa inyo. Ito ang reyalidad na kinabibilangan mo. Na ang mga bata ay katulong ng kani-kanilang mga magulang sa bukid o kung saan man may trabaho o mapagkakakitaan ng perang pantustos sa araw-araw. Ito ang inaakala ninyong normal na nangyayari. Ito ang akala ninyong tanging maaring mangyari. Dahil hindi lang ito nagsimula sa inyo, maging ang inyong mga magulang ay ganito na ang kinamulatan at ang mga magulang ng magulang ninyo.

Hindi pera o ari-arian ang siyang pinamamana sa inyo ng inyong mga magulang sa mura ninyong edad kung hindi ay trabaho. Ang kanilang pamana ay maaari mo nang tamasahin,  agad-agad, kahit na nabubuhay pa sila. Hindi tulad ng iba na kailangan pa munang maghintay na tumuntong sila sa legal na edad bago nila makuha ang kanilang mana. At lalong hindi nila kailangan pang hintaying mawala sa kanila ang kanilang magulang bago mapasakanila ang bagay na gustong ibigay sa kanila ng kanilang mga magulang.

Nabuhay man ako sa mundong iyon noon, naranasan ko man ang ganoon noon, tumanggap man ako ng pamana noon, hindi naman ako nanatili roon ng ganoon katagal. Sa kabutihang palad, isang amang may mataas na pangarap at inang gustong umalis sa nakasanayang hirap ang mayroon ako. Hindi nila gustong manatiling pinapasa sa aming pamilya ang pamanang hirap iwasan. Ayaw na nilang hanggang sa aming bunso ay umabot pa ang manang noon pa man ay gusto na nilang tanggihan.

Ibang pamana ang pangarap nilang ibigay sa aming magkakapatid. Pangarap na unti-unti na naming naaabot. Pamana na hindi mawawala sa amin. EDUKASYON.

Laking pasasalamat ko sa aking mga magulang na hindi ko na mararamdaman ang takot na noo’y bumalot sa kanila na baka pati ang aking mga apo ay mapamanahan ko ng trabahong magkakait sa kanila ng pagkakataong maranasan ang kasiyahang dulot ng pagiging bata.

Group 3 SocSci10-Z

Nunez, Vanessa Janine R.

Ojos, Kevin

Red, Ramces Brayalle

Alabin, Glassyl

Moraleta, Raniella

What is Love?

Love for me before was this special feeling of happiness, overjoy and tingly feeling inside. When my heart beats so fast after seeing and talking to a girl I like I know its love. I used to say “I’m so in love!” Oh how I have never been so wrong my entire life. Well not entirely of course.  Love is defined to be a special connection between people. So love is definitely not a feeling but a very special connection. When you say you’re so in love that’s not really love. For you to love you must have trust, believing in them, respect, showing appreciation of them and affection, showing your good intent through action. Lacking in either of those does not make you love them. Even though you have respect and trust towards them, if you don’t show your affection it not love.
It is also said that there are 7 types of love namely Agape, Storge, Pragma, Philautia, Philia, Ludus and Eros. Agape is the type of love for humanity. This loves makes us sympathize with ourselves. We feel like there is a connection to other people even though we don’t know them for the reason that we are humans who share experiences, emotions and ideals. Storge on the other hand is a love for family. This is the type of love that the mother has for the child, father to child, grandfather to child and vice versa. Another type is Pragma. This is lasting love or love that endures. The type of love you see I marriage.  The love that endures through thick and thin. The love that endures even after so many years of not meeting each other. Next is the Philautia. It is the love for oneself. This is not vanity but the joy of being ourselves. The next is Philia, the love of shared experiences. Ludus the  playful kind of love. Finally, Eros, the romantic and erotic love.
From those, we know that love is not only about you but also the other person. Their needs and wants. Love is not selfish, its about how you can sacrifice yourself for the person you love. And that is true love.

SocSci10 Z Group 5


Enriquez, Ryan
Flores, Nathaniel Lorenz
Galido, Noel Joseph
Jimenez, Rica
Paican, Maria Luzviminda
Vergara, Bryan

Techie Generation

Technology has gone a long way making today's kids a bit drawn to it. 3 year old's can play Fruit Ninja and 15 year old's can generate softwares! But the question is, has it gone a little too far?

While different media connect you to a loved one far away, others are detached by it. Things can be destructive depending on the way you handle them. Remember the times when a family sits together in the dining area, talking about how their day was while eating, and bond a little. Compared to families nowadays, families back then have a strong bond and communication.

People today, especially kids, are drawn towards different media - television, internet/website, phones, books - most of them for recreational use. While they can learn easily using these, it alienates them from their families. People, being practical beings, use instruments for our own sake. Because of this, these 'instruments' - in this sense, media -- reduces the physical distance between family members. They have less communication and bonding because other members of the family are gravitated towards technology. Sometimes, they bond more with people virtually than their family who is with them physically.

And what do this mean for the Filipino family? Have the values and the connection died because of technology? - No, not at all but it caused people to drift apart. They have less time to bond with friends, make adventures, and connect with the family. Thus, bring technology to a low consumption. You don't want to miss what's really happening out there, do you?

GROUP 6

Domingo, Mark Anthony

Jacobe, Dessa Mae

Perez, Jeff

Posilero, Jinky

Rubiano, Geremie

Tajan, Patrisha Willyn Mae

Before and After

I grew up in a nuclear family but was also somehow extended. There are only four of us in our family, my father, my mother, my younger brother, and me. It’s just a typical nuclear family setting but it becomes somehow extended because my cousins, uncle and unties are just our neighbors while my grandfather and grandmother’s house is just a few minutes walk away, and we are really close with one another that’s why when I think of home, I just do not think of my own family but I also think of them.

                I grew up with my cousins being my playmates and friends, my grandmother and grandfather were always the one who took care of us, their grandchildren, whenever our parents were not around, when they were in their workplaces. I have experienced a lot with my other two cousins (which are siblings), we were really close with each other. The three of us were the only kids in our family back then, but after a few years, from three to nine, and soon ten. 

                We celebrated every Christmas and New years together. We went to mall, zoo, and parks together. We went to Batangas (our province) together. We helped each other in almost everything. But time passed so fast that I didn’t even recognize how things started to change. As we grew older, our responsibilities increased and our priorities have changed. We used to go out together but it drastically changed. We started to drift apart from each other, although we are still neighbors it is not like the way it has used to be before. The imaginary distance was so unfathomable for me that I cannot even remember when we started to draw apart. We didn’t even celebrate last year’s Christmas together nor this year’s New Year. I only celebrate it with my family (mother, father, brother).

                I miss how things were like before. Yes, we still gather and celebrate together, but we were never complete. There were also times that others have conflict with one another that they no longer talk. Whenever I reminisce these, I felt happy because they were all good and happy memories but the pain always came like an aftershock because we were no longer like that. How I wish that I can do something about it , I wish time can bring back what was lost because it was also time, I guess, who took it away.

---

SocSci 10 Z Group 4

Jaeger Dwayne Tamara, 

Mike Gyro Paras, 

Anthony Teofilo Jr., 

GiannaCapacia, 

Faye Mendoza, 

Jerome Gabriel 

We are Kids with One Foot in Their Parents' Past

What must it feel like to be a father of four kids, each with a different mother? We've read in our history books men with many wives, but these men are usually able to provide for each and every wife. There is no need to worry about financial problems or too big a rivalry among the women. What happens then when it is taken into the context of one poor man with no stable job. How does he work things out? How does he take care of all of his kids? Or does he even?

I know a man that is in such a situation. A natural playboy he is. Women come and go, and maybe it's his goal to plant his seeds in all of them. What comes into fruition? Not so good things. The environment they're in becomes awry.

None of his women is married to him, and he lives with only one of them, meaning all the other kids too are left without a father to take care of them. With the measly pay that he gets, he can't possibly provide for all of them. Some of the women go to him and beg for him to come back, but what can he do? He doesn't wish to do so anymore, and he has another family to take care of. But from time to time, I would even see him flirt with another girl again. As if four isn't enough for a troublesome harem!

Still, he does try his best to provide for his kids, well not all of the kids, just some, especially the one he's currently living with. What I do not understand is why he even made a lot of them. He knows the situation that he is in, but apparently he has turned a blind eye on it. He has already left behind his other women, and consequently their kids. What will happen then to the future of these kids? We already know the importance of the existence of the parents. The children are directly affected by the decision of the parents.

Where is the limit of this boom in baby making? When will he stop? Would leaving these babies be called just another means of survival? A responsibility that has been ran away from is still a responsibility ran away from. No play with words. No excuses. Do not do something that you are not ready to take account for. It won't affect just you, but also the people around you.

Group 2
Feby Andrea Laroco
Isabella Herreria
Dally Delos Santos
Danna Ruiz
Rensea Mae De Vera
Anna Mae Alamag
Jeska Nicole Cabile

He Is My Cousin

He is my cousin.

He is nice, sweet and makes me laugh. Hard!

He is my cousin.

He is responsible, trustworthy and respectful. So much!

He is my cousin.

He is gentle but carefree and childish. Sometimes.

He is my cousin.

Yes, my cousin. But I wish he isn’t. Oh! I wish.

He is my cousin.

He tied me, gagged me and punched me. Hard!

He is my cousin.

He ruined my life, my innocence and it is still painful. So much!

He is my cousin.

He threatened me, dragged me and would do it again. Sometimes.

He is my cousin.

But he raped me, crashed my dreams and ruined me for life.

I wish he regretted what he did.

I wish I could turn back time and fight even more, even fight ‘till death.

I wish I was stronger and tougher.

I wish it never happened.

Oh! I wish. 

Rape is a crime. Doing it to your blood relative is a taboo. And what the rapist left to the victim were not just pain, embarrassment and dirt, he ruined his life. He scarred the victim for life that he couldn't move on easily because every other people's touch is a threat. Everything is a threat. Everything that makes the victim remember the experience it will definitely ruin him. Until now...

Point Clusters and Adolescents

I came across the Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides while searching for old books to read and this book immediately got into my radar once I searched for books that gave off the same feel as Nabokov‘s Lolita. I didn’t get to read the book but I did watch the movie. It’s about how the Lisbon sisters’ lives changed and deteriorated after the suicide of their youngest sister, Cecelia. The sisters, after Cecelia’s death, were isolated in their house by their parents and soon killed themselves, two months after Cecelia’s death. I thought of the Lisbon sisters and wondered about their family and how it came to ruin. Can a family environment influence cluster suicides of adolescents?

Point cluster suicides occur in different intervals in a short amount of time and usually occur geographically close to one another. Once one youth commits suicide in one community, in a short span of time there’s a possibility that another young person from the same community kills his or her self and it might happen to another person as well. The closer the person is to the youth who committed suicide, the more susceptible they are to commit suicide as well or to act out suicidal behaviour.

Now think if the influence is something closer to the people like their families. Wouldn’t it have the same effect? Maybe even worse?

In a family, a person has the possibility of having the same influences, same views in life, and even have the chance of sharing familial psychopathology, meaning they may be suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder together (e.g. depression). Most familial bonds are strong within the family so the impact of a suicide of a family member must seriously affect others within the family, those who are related biologically have a connection that researchers can’t clearly explain just yet.

The Lisbon sisters, after their youngest sister’s suicide, were isolated within their house by their parents in order to prevent bad influences from affecting them as they believed and that it would help them cope from Cecelia’s suicide. They were shut off from social interaction and were left to cope with their sister’s death by themselves. They had each other but all of them were affected by their sister’s suicide. Research shows that young people have a harder time coping with a suicide within the family. The oldest sister became rebellious and started getting behavioural problems while the other sisters were withdrawn and quiet for the two months after their sister’s suicide. They didn’t have the proper social support from their parents and so they fell into depression, resorting to suicide soon after as well.

Studies say that family members are the most negatively affected when there is a suicide within the family. Adolescents’ psychopathology level increases, especially behaviour problems, prior to the death of the family member and anxiety and behavioural symptoms increase as well after the first few months following the suicide. Such symptoms might lead to the suicide of others in a short time span from the time of the initial suicide.

Some studies say that point cluster suicides occur worse within families, some studies say the opposite. Provided that each family member is actively involved in each other’s lives, their social support for each other is shared with each other and intensified when they are in mourning. Increased social support may offset the family’s risk of additional suicides among the remaining family members.

I don’t think that suicide can be caused by contagion, it’s not a “disease” that a person can just catch from others. I think that it can be influenced by people closest to them. It depends on how well the young person can cope with the suicide of a family member and how well his or her social support is. The stronger relationships the young people have with others, the less chances they are to kill themselves following the suicide of a family member. When a family member commits suicide, the family should support each other and help each other recuperate from the impact of the suicide. Postvention is prevention.

Cerel, J., Jordan, J. R., & Duberstein, P. R. (2008). The Impact of Suicide on the Family. Crisis: The Journal
of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 29(1), 38.

Brent, D. A., & Mann, J. J. (2006). Familial Pathways to Suicidal Behavior—Understanding and Preventing      Suicide among Adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine, 355(26), 2719-2721.

Mann, J. J. (2002). A current perspective of suicide and attempted suicide. Annals of Internal Medicine, 136(4), 302-311.

Jr., T. E. (1999, June). The Clustering and Contagion of Suicide. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(3), 89-92. Retrieved May 8, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20182569

Baldessarini, R. J., & Hennen, J. (2004). Genetics of suicide: an overview. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 12(1), 1-13.

Zai CC, de Luca V, Strauss J, et al. Genetic Factors and Suicidal Behavior. In: Dwivedi Y, editor. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2012. Chapter 11. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK107191/

Group 3-- SocSci10-Z

Nunez, Vanessa Janine R.

Red, Ramces Brayalle T.

Ojos, Kevin H.

Alabin, Glassyl R.

Moraleta, Raniella

Prevention is better than cure

            I believe somehow, at least once you have heard about the name Mary Jane Veloso, the most current OFW whose death execution was reprieved.  She was caught with 2 kilos of heroin in the Indonesian airport and was set to demise through firing squad. Mary Jane’s case is still or maybe forever will be sensitive like Flor Contemplacion, an OFW executed by hanging in Singapore year 1995 for being accused of killing her employer's son Nicholas Huang and co-worker Delia Maga . It will always remind us how much cruelty our  countrymen get to experience under those abusive employers in exchange of money to improve the living of those families left behind.

             Mary Jane is a 31 year old mother of two from Nueva Ecija. She just finished first year high school and got married at the age of 17 and eventually got separated from her husband. She was almost raped by her employer upon working in Dubai and did not get to finish this two year contract. She grabbed the offer of Kristin Sergio to work in Kuala Lumpur but sooner became a victim of drug trafficking in Indonesia (Mary Jane’s point of view).

              It’s been decades and a lot of OFWs were judged to be guilty and executed but still many are willing to take the risks of going abroad through these illegal recruiters. Mary Jane is one of them. Every year, International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that there are one million filipino men and women migrate abroad for work opportunities and about 10 million currently live and work abroad (humantrafficking.org).  Mostly are subjected to abuse and terrors, victims of human trafficking by many syndicates, working abroad without any protection and benefits from our country.

             Looking from Mary Jane’s perspective, how did she end up being illegally recruited? Is it that she’s lacking of awareness and gullible? Or maybe she knew or at least an idea but is willing take the risk for the betterment of her family. But is this really how we are supposed to look at the problem? I am not saying that our government does not do anything but maybe what they do is not enough to protect the people of our country. There are not enough jobs offered by parents like Mary Jane, who has two sons and only get to finish first year high school. Education is commercialized which could have helped her to be more aware and developed competency. My point is that maybe we are looking from a wrong point of view. We are alarmed by the death execution of these Filipinos but in the first place our society allowed them or maybe I could say pressured and pushed them to go there. It’s like curing someone with a severe tuberculosis in a contaminated area but do not do anything to prevent it from spreading, causing the same illness for those free from it.

                  It’s not that tuition fee in school is very expensive. There are some considerations especially for those people in need. In fact, education in high school is for free. But it doesn't just end there. Human being is a complicated creature and it’s a fact. We need to eat, we have to take a bath and we have a family whom we are asked to help. The problem to provide becomes the children’s problem too. How are you going study if you have an empty stomach and a guardian with an empty wallet? There is just too much problems to face that education and self- development become last of the priorities. Can the state do something a about it? Maybe yes, since it is one of its major functions, to provide security and development of its citizens.

  

SocSci10 Z Group 5

                                                                                                                                

Enriquez, Ryan

Flores, Nathaniel Lorenz

Galido, Noel Joseph

Jimenez, Rica        

Paican, Maria Luzviminda

Vergara, Bryan

Mga Kasabihan ng Matatanda

"Bawal isukat ang damit pangkasal, baka hindi matuloy ang kasal" Paano nangyari iyon?

"Bawal magwalis tuwing gabi, nawawala ang swerte." Nasa sahig ba ang swerte?

"Malas ang madaanan ng isang pusang itim" Kailan pa nagkaroon ng kasalanan ang pusang may ganoong kulay sa mundo?

Ang mga nasabi ay iilan lang sa mga napakaraming kasabihan ng mga matatanda. Paano nga ba nila nasabi ang mga ganitong mga paniniwala? Saan sila kumuha ng basehan na ito'y totoo? Kung sa panahon nila ay hindi pa ganoon kaunlad ang teknolohiya.

Ilan pa sa mga sikat na pamahiin ay pagsasabi ng tabi-tabi po kapag naglalakad sa hapon upang hindi makaapak ng nuno; malas ang nakangalumbaba sa harap ng pagkainan; mamalasin ng pitong taon kapag nakabasag ng salamin; Kapag may nahulog na na kutsara may bibisitang babae at kung tinidor naman ay lalaki; at iba pa.

Ang mga Pilipino ay naturingan bilang mga mapamahiing tao. Sa bawat pamilya, may kanya-kanya silang mga paniniwala na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin nalilimutan kahit na kung isipin man natin ay nakakatawa at walang katotohanan.

Pero meron din namang mga paniniwala na may mga paliwanag gaya ng malas ang magtayo ng bahay sa gitna ng dalawang daanan. Maaring ang paliwanag nito ay dahil kung may dumaan na sasakyan at nawalan ito ng preno at ito ay nabangga sa bahay, sadyang malas ang aabutin.

May mga bagay na hindi natin mabigyan ng isang kumpleto at detalyadong eksplanasyon, ngunit ito pa rin ay ating tinatanggap at sinusunod. Sabi nga nila walang masama kung hindi natin susundin. Isa na itong bahagi ng ating pagka-Pilipino at naging parte na rin ng ating kultura kaya marapat lamang na ating pahalagahan. Sa kabila ng pagbabago sa ating mundo, lahat ay may nakalaan na paliwanag, lahat ay may siyentipikong eksplanasyon, subalit ang bagay na ito ang tanging sumasalamin sa yaman ng ating kultura.

At isa pang pamahiin, "Huwag maging excited sa mga bagay, baka hindi matuloy." EXCITED NA KAMI SA EXAM NAMIN.

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GROUP 6

Domingo, Mark Anthony

Jacobe, Dessa Mae

Perez, Jeff

Posilero, Jinky

Rubiano, Geremie

Tajan, Patricia Willyn Mae

A PUPPET, I WAS.

"I felt completely worthless – like an object, instead of a human being.” –Ayesha*

Ayesha, not her real name suffered from rape and abuse not from people she does not know, but from people whom she thought would be there to support and protect her.

Ayesha was a girl who had dreams of her own, but at a very young age, it was all taken away from her. She was trapped. She wasn’t able to escape. She never had the chance to speak for herself. It’s like the darkness consumed her. She knew that she no longer owned herself. She was being controlled by her family, her religion, her culture and all she wanted to do was to break free and taste the life that always dreamed of.

Coming from a very traditional family, Ayesha was never allowed to dress up the way she wanted, to be with friends she chose to be with and even go to parties. She was young and so she thought not doing these things made her miss out the world.

It even came to the point where she ran away from home. Her parents lied to her, telling her that her sister has a tumor and that she needed to come home to see her. Her parents threatened even her friends just to make sure that they stay away from her. One of his relatives even strangled her and told that he’d be happy to serve years in prison for killing her for the shame she’s brought to the family for running away.

When her family decided to have a vacation at their hometown, Pakistan, one of her aunts said that she’s coming back to UK a married woman. She felt nervous and afraid hearing those words, but her father had told her that it was going to be a vacation. Nothing more. She was relieved knowing that her parents would never lie to her. She is their daughter, right?

When they arrived, a distant relative of her father went to their house and eventually left after some time. When they were gone, this shocking news came banging on Ayesha’s face saying “you’re going to be a married woman”. It was replaying in hear head and she could not do anything about it. She was afraid. She felt betrayed, worthless.

On the day she married a distant relative, she cleared things out with him. She told her that she wanted to know him first before they do it. The man refused. She was raped. She was robbed. The man thought that it’s his right. He thought that she was his property and that he could do it whenever he wanted to.

She was often hit by her husband and she couldn’t do anything. Whenever she tried to call the cops, something would always pop in her head telling her that what’s happening between them is not the business of the cops. She always kept in mind the shame she would be bringing to the family even though she knew she was no longer happy. There were times when she would go to her parents’ with a bruise on her face, but all she would get was, “What did you say to provoke him?”. The first person she thought would be very much concerned about her was not there. She was alone.

Until one day, it hit her. She decided to be free. She went to her friend, Steve* who was a friend of hers for a very long time and the moment they met each other, they clicked. Their friendship became a secret for many years. She was trapped. She was a puppet for many years and now she’s doing something for herself. She was escaping from hell. She did what she had to do and packed as many things as she could and ran away.

Now, she’s living with Steve. She now has her own family. She’s happily living. She still manages to visit her family once in a while because she thought that whatever they did to her in the past, they’re still family. The one thing she was always afraid to do when she was young, was the one thing that saved her from dying. It was to break the chains.

Forced marriage is now considered a crime but it is culture, tradition, and beliefs that keep this from happening still. It is “bringing honor to the family” that keeps these events from happening. Though every one of us has a choice, that is, to live the life we want to, there will always be factors – cultural, traditional, society, etc. – affecting this decision of ours.  

Ref: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/reports/a27366/raped-on-my-wedding-night/

Group 2

Feby Andrea Laroco

Isabella Herreria

Dally Delos Santos

Danna Ruiz

Rensea Mae De Vera

Anna Mae Alamag

Jeska Nicole Cabiles

Relationship Status: Married|Divorced|Separated|Annulled

By: NOTSO Bad

“Buti ka pa buo pamilya mo”, my girlfriend would jealously blurt out whenever she misses her dad. “Di gaya ko, broken family” she would add. For years I have believed on that lie, a lie that soon would turn my life into a mess I can barely survive.

I was raised having a notion that I have perfect parents. That they love each other and would never separate for the rest of their lives.  And I would boastfully tell my friends at school that I have a complete family and would tease those who don’t.

So gullible of me.

Then one night, I was awakened by a loud noise, a man shouting. It was my dad, shouting over the phone with my mom at the end of the line. I can only make sense of some of their conversation since it was almost about shouting and cussing. At first I didn’t mind that incident because I thought that it was normal for couples to fight. Dismissed by this notion, I immediately went to bed.

A couple of weeks later, the shouting and the cussing over the phone would start again at the middle of the night.

Then weeks becomes days. Then it would became a regular routine for my parents.

My mom is an OFW, and would only spend a one and a half month vacation for every two years. And the sight would be so lovely, complete family, conversations, and outings.  But ever since their fight, it seems that every time would come home, she grew colder and colder towards my dad.

Then fights would start, words at first, then words becomes physical. 

Later, nights would become eerily quiet. Not because the fights are over but because my mom stopped calling. Giving my dad the ultimate silent treatment a man can get. Even if it means not talking to us, her children. There also came to a point where she stopped giving allowance. We would eat only once a day. Rice with salt. Rice with soy sauce, fish sauce and what not. I would turn down extracurricular activities. My younger brother and sister, even though silent on this dilemma, I know are aware of what was happening. I can see on their faces the loneliness, the confusion, the trauma children of their age should not witness.

My dad in turn would drown in the presence of liquor. Although I would like to say that my father is not an alcoholic and have not maltreated us in anyway.

It was painful for me. To see my family in this state. I would hate my mom so much for this. I would then visit the comfort of vices. Cigarettes, alcohol, drugs. My friends and I would skip classes, and would get ourselves drunk in the middle of the day, returning to our classroom with the stench of alcohol and cigarette on our uniform to finish the rest of whatever subjects are left to attend to. At night, were most of my high school life was spent, was devoted to our regular “gala” where we would roam around the town, tripping(stoned),  would seized every opportunity we can to destroy something we feel like to – streetlights, parks, the plants, etc. Rumbles are a normal scene we would actively and happily participate.

But even with all these things, I still could not shake the thought of what was happening to our family. It haunts me day by day. All the more I drink and smoke hoping these would help me forget. Until I could do no more.

That is also the sole reason why I am here today. I planned to escape the place where it makes me remember everything that made me the person I was back then. So the moment the result came up, I grabbed it.

Wanting to start again, I cut off all the communications I have with my (bad) friends in the lowland. But the addiction was still there, I can’t help myself. Ironically, my first roommate was a cop. One who I can confidently say is one of the good cops. So little by little all of my vices were replaced by chats, in short he became my father figure in this new stage of my life I was taking. He made me realize that what I was doing ain’t doing me no good.

At first it was hard to admit I’m wrong. I can’t even call to my mom. But time healed my broken heart. I opened my facebook account and started typing, trying to compose a message to my mom on the chat box.

I pressed enter.

Immediately after, my mom replied, worried sick. We spent hours chatting. Reconciling. But we never talked about their status with dad.

Up to this day, whenever I brought up the topic about dad, she would leave me seenzoned. Then I grew tired of being the mediator between them. My father, is always eager to make amends, it’s my mom who can’t seem to swallow her pride.

It’s been five years now. And not a single call from mom was ever made to dad.

It’s been five years now. And my dad still waits for his phone to ring. Waiting for that call.

It’s been five years now.

It kills me. 

My parents, under the eyes of the law are still married. But are we even complete?

Divorce would have been better. 

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SocSci 10 Z Group 4

Jaeger Dwayne Tamara, 

Mike Gyro Paras, 

Anthony Teofilo Jr., 

GiannaCapacia, 

Faye Mendoza, 

Jerome Gabriel

Why do women fall in love with criminals?

“Love isn't something you find. Love is something that finds you.(Young, Loretta) is a saying or quote that most people advice their companions who search for their the one in life, but what if the person who you have found is what most people consider a criminal?

In Germany, authorities were investigating a murder during a conjugal visit at a prison and the woman who was beaten and stabbed to death knew how violent her boyfriend could be. So what attracted her to him? The suspect has served 19 years of a life sentence for raping and killing a child. So he worked in the library in the prison in the western German town of Remscheid and had been due for a parole hearing the next month.
The chief executive of the prison, Katja Grafner, said his girlfriend had been allowed intimate visits with the prisoner in a secluded apartment inside the jail since 2006. But after unlocking the apartment on Sunday afternoon, wardens found the prisoner's girlfriend stabbed to death with knives and a device used to bind books. The convict had attempted suicide and was found with one of his wrists slashed.
The convicted rapist and murderer of the woman, a single mother, had been a couple for five years.
Women falling in love with convicts are not a rare phenomenon because it is all about control and power, according to German psychologist and media expert Christian Luedke. "Women who fall in love with dangerous criminals are more often than not suffering from depression," Luedke told Deutsche Welle. Christian said that for some women, it was easier to have a relationship with a dangerous criminal than to deal with their own fate. Psychologist Luedke says such relationships are doomed to failure
"It's the fascination with the heinous side of human nature," Luedke said. Often, they are full or anger and aggression themselves. They fall in love with men who symbolize what the women themselves can't act on. To a certain extent, these women believe they can turn the criminal into a better human being, but in the end "it is the women who need the relationship, they are giving the convict what they themselves have lacked most in life: time, affection, love and devotion," according to Luedke.
He also noted that such relationships tend only work for as long as the partner is in jail. "As soon as he is out, the relationship faces the same problems the women had before, making a break-up inevitable." This, of course, is assuming that the relationship makes it that far.
Such conjugal visits in some jails are unsupervised because they are meant to help prisoners preserve intimate bonds with loved ones on the outside. But prisoners are supposed to be searched before entering the secluded apartment.


SocSci10 Z Group 5


Enriquez, Ryan
Flores, Nathaniel Lorenz
Galido, Noel Joseph
Jimenez, Rica
Paican, Maria Luzviminda
Vergara, Bryan