Binatbatan Festival

                The Naturales of Vigan chose “Tres de Mayo” of 1883 in honor of Apo Lakay of the Simbaan a Bassit as an act of thanksgiving for having saved Vigan from a deadly epidemic in 1756. It evolved from this and majestically transformed today as the most colorful and significant festival to Bigueños as it focuses on the remembrance of Apo Lakay’s deliverance as well as promoting the local fabric, Abel Iloco. The term binatbatan refers to the first step of the weaving process, wherein the cotton balls are separated from the seeds by beating them with the use of two bamboo sticks. Later on, binatbatan inspired an Ilocano folk dance. Costumes and props were created with abel iloco and the choreography was inspired by the weaving process.

          
      There are several activities lined up during the festival period, including street dancing, kalesa (horse carriage) parade, fishing competition, abel house decor contest, carabao painting contest, traditional games and a trade and food fair, where handicrafts and local delicacies are sold, such as Vigan longganisa (native sausages) and bagnet (fried pork) at competitive prices. Another event is the quintessential pageantry of the Santacruzan. The historico-religious parade cum beauty pageant commemorates the discovery of Jesus Christ’s cross by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. This Filipino tradition started in the mid-19th century, sometime after the Immaculate Conception of Mary was declared official dogma in 1854.

           

                    Sadly, we were not able to experience or witnessed any of these activities because of COVID-19. Due to the increasing cases of COVID, social gatherings are strictly not allowed. We should not risk our health. For now, staying at home and keeping ourselves healthy must be our priority. Let’s hope and pray that this will come to an end.

Reference/s:

https://eazytraveler.net/2012/05/viva-vigan-binatbatan-festival-of-the-arts-2012/

http://vigancity.gov.ph/binatbatan-festival-of-the-arts-2019-2/

Close to Ending

 

                    Two quarters have been passed, and 3^rd quarter is about to end also. This means we are getting close to the end of our school year. The tasks that I did was not that easy, but I still did my best to answer them. As I was answering the tasks, I was able to learning a lot of things. Learning on your own was tough. Learning anything requires commitment and the ability to push through the uncomfortable feeling of not being very good until reaching competency. While on the path to competency, a little motivation can go a long way.

                     For this quarter’s lesson, it was so unexpected, because it was not about technology stuff. It was focused on research stuffs. In the first weeks of the module of this quarter, I was so confused why do we have to list the tourist attractions, delicacies, cultures and crafts of our community. I was also frustrated because I didn’t know much about our community, because I rarely go out of my house. But with the help of my family, I managed to fill the list. Due to this I did discovered and learned a lot about my community.

                    All in all, this quarter has been awesome for me. I will surely never forget the learnings that I had. This will be cherished forever. As this school year is about to end, I will enjoy the remaining days of being a Grade 10 student. I hope to have an amazing and awesome learning again for the next quarter.

 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”
― B.B. King

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”

― Abigail Adams

Reference/s: 

• https://www.dashe.com/blog/motivation/inspiring-learning-quotes/
  
• https://images.app.goo.gl/fzvyygzeLHaEDQ7r8

The COVID-19 Vaccine

              

      It was January year 2020 when the COVID-19 invaded our country. It is now year 2021, this means, it’s already been a year since we started fighting the virus. COVID-19 became a major health risk of a lot of countries, including ours. Then a lot has changed since this virus came. The lockdowns, quarantines wearing face masks and face shields disinfecting things, physical distancing are a must to continue for a lifetime. But as time pass by, we got used to do these things. Since then, scientists of different countries are developing a vaccine for the virus. This year’s February, the first batch of vaccines arrived here in our country. The problem is, not all of us are willing to get vaccinated. Some people were afraid of the side effects of the vaccine.

                  Like all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines go through a rigorous, multi-stage testing process, including large clinical trials that involve tens of thousands of people. These trials are specifically designed to identify any safety concerns. Vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects.

             
   COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in large, randomized controlled trials that include people of a broad age range, both sexes, different ethnicities, and those with known medical conditions. The vaccines have shown a high level of efficacy across all populations. Vaccines have been found to be safe and effective in people with various underlying medical conditions that are associated with increased risk of severe disease. These include high blood pressure; diabetes; asthma; pulmonary, liver or kidney disease; and chronic infections that are stable and controlled.

                COVID-19 can have serious and life-threatening complications. The vaccine was not 100 percent effective, but it can lower the risk of having the said virus. Considering that, we can reduce the spreading of the virus. In this time, we must trust our health experts.

            Following proven health measures is still the best way to keep everyone, including children, safe from COVID-19. This includes keeping hands clean, practising sneezing and coughing into bent elbows, opening windows, wearing a mask if age-appropriate, and continuing physical distancing.

Reference/s: 

https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/safety-of-covid-19-vaccines

https://images.app.goo.gl/L4Cn2GeG6L6c183XA

https://images.app.goo.gl/y9tNakwZLHB3mBvJ7

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/about-vaccines/index.html

The Day of Valor

 

              

 ‘Araw ng Kagitingan’ in Filipino, this official regular nationwide holiday is celebrated annually on April 9^th. , it was renamed officially as 'Araw Ng Kagitingan' (Day of Valor) to pay tribute to those who defended Bataan, Corregidor and Bessang. From 2007, the holiday was designated to be observed on the Monday nearest April 9th, but since 2009 a yearly presidential decree has meant it is observed on April 9^th. It is a non-working holiday that is a part of a long weekend in the Philippines. World War II veterans parade in different cities in the Philippines. There are small parades in different localities in the Philippines but the Araw ng Kagitingan’s main highlight occurs when the country’s president gives a speech at the Mt. Samat shrine, in the Bataan province.

              
  The Day of Valor, also known as Araw ng Kagitingan, commemorates the heroism of Filipinos and American Soldiers when the Japanese occupied the Philippines during World War II. Major General Edward P. King, of the United States Army, was forced to surrender more than 76,000 Filipinos, Chinese and American soldiers to the Japanese at dawn on April 9, 1942. The soldiers were forced to take a 90-mile hike to Camp O’Donnell in San Fernando. Thousands of prisoners died during the hike due to starvation, dehydration and diseases before they could reach the camp.

                The Day of Valor was a national observance until a letter of Instruction No. 1087, dates on November 26, 1980, made “Araw ng Kagitingan” a national public holiday to honor the people who helped bring democracy and freedom in the Philippines during the World War II era. Executive Order No. 203, dated on June 30, 1987, further proclaimed April 9 as “Araw ng Kagitingan” to pay tribute to the heroes of Bataan, Corregidor and Bessang.

Reference/s: https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/philippines/the-day-of-valor

                     https://www.uso.org/stories/122-surrender-at-bataan-led-to-one-of-the-worst-atrocities-in-modern-warfare

                    https://images.app.goo.gl/eDHHikg4fDC3d59w6

                    https://images.app.goo.gl/bJMNyyZZyZr6Vjre8