Culture and Tradition

Katrisha Encarnacion
16 years old
Makati Science High School
Mrs. Maria Luisa Hernandez Larcena
Philippines

Misleading feelings

I am a 16 year-old girl who has many plans and ambitions in life. I dream to graduate from college, to be a nurse or a doctor, to buy a house for my mother, to travel the world. I also wish to have a family of my own, in the right time.

To some girls my age, it does not matter whether or not they become successful, ideal people in the future. They put little priority to education and engage themselves in activities beyond the range of what teen-aged students should be doing. There comes the bad manifestation of themselves in drugs, premarital sex, and worse, suicide.

But that is not the Filipino culture. It is beyond what is wrong, and nowhere near what is right. They tend to thrash the values that have been kept and protected by Filipinos for generations. They tend to neglect conservativeness, patience, cleanliness in oneself, and respect for family, God, and self.

These women are those who commit abortion. They are the ones who take lives of little children who have the right to live. Along with that, they are putting their own health and lives in peril. These women are those who turn to drugs for comfort. Not knowing that they are slowly taking away their own lives, and that they are disgracing their own souls. These women are those who take their own lives.

Upon the realization that women are putting themselves on the line, the very reason of it all comes to mind.

Is it love? Is love enough to make a girl give all of herself to a man who could not take responsibility? Is love enough to make a girl take the life of an unborn child and her own? Is love enough to make a girl turn her back from all of the plans she has in life? Is love enough to turn a girl into woman whose dignity has been destroyed?

That is not love.

___________________________________________________________________

Inez Montenegro
15 years old
Makati Science High School
Mrs. Maria Luisa Larcena
Philippines

I love the Philippines!

When one hears the noun “America”, one immediately thinks of politics, money, and Hollywood. When one hears the noun “China”, one thinks about population, formaldehyde, red, gold, and Buddha. When one hears the noun “Japan”, two words come to mind: technological advancement. When one hears the noun “Mexico”, one immediately visualizes piñatas and fiestas. Now, what do you visualize when you hear the noun “Philippines”?

Scandals, corruption, traffic, pollution, brain drain. These are the things that come to mind when most people hear about the Philippines, and I can’t really blame them. Take a look at the headlines of the leading newspapers every day and you’d see what I mean. Rarely does a headline scream good news. It’s usually about some newly discovered anomaly, a catastrophe, or a shameless act.

But if you’re not like those pessimists who immediately chuck the newspaper into the bin thinking “There’s no hope for this country!”, you’ll see that there’s still reason to be proud of the Philippines. It’s a well-known fact that the good news is placed in the inside pages of a newspaper, and the same fact applies to Philippine newspapers.

Living in a Catholic country, Filipinos also have a good set of values. I can say that those dishonest politicians are the minority, because Filipinos are honest individuals. In paying for jeepney fare, Filipinos use the honesty system. We hand in the fare without being told to do so.

The tourist spots are something to be proud of too. The beauty of the Philippines shines through despite the curtain of smog. That’s why despite the scary kidnap stories that our country is so infamous for, tourists still visit our country frequently.

There are numerous reasons to be proud of this country, and the best thing about the Philippines I can think of is the people. Everyone says that Filipinos are hospitable, and that’s true! Whenever Filipinos have visitors, they give their own rooms, they let the visitors finish the food on the fridge, they treat their visitors like royalty – we Filipinos do everything for our guests!

People always become pessimists when they think about the Philippines. Try being an optimist for a change. Despite the many negative things about my country, I love the Philippines!