At a UbD Seminar-Workshop

In the Philippines, the buzzwod in the basic education sector now is UbD, Understanding by Design. It is coming like a storm in the education circles as it had been rumored to be the next big thing that the Department of Education (DepED) will be implementing by 2010.

I happened to have attended an orientation workshop sponsored by Rex Bookstore, Inc. for the SPC Education Ministry in Alfonso, Cavite. No less than Mrs. Rita Atienza, the first ever Asian and a Filipino who has undergone an intensive training with one of the proponents of UbD, Dr. Grant Wiggins, conducted the workshop.

It made me rethink of our approaches in instruction. But I will delve deeper into its strengths later on in my coming entries for this blog. Meanwhile, may I share to you some captured moments.

Taking a pose during the conference

Doing a presentation of my UbD output

With colleagues from Surigao

Moments of sharing

With Rex Book Store, Inc. Vice President Don Timothy I. Buhain, my kumpare

People

I've met some famous personalities in the Philippine society at one time or another. I hardly could find some of my pics anymore with some of them. The problem sometimes with having your own camera is that you could hardly find someone to take your pic with them.

Here is the first installment of the pic files I was able to retrieve from my tons of collection in my hard disk.

With Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and wife Rep. Lani Cayetano of Taguig. This pic was taken a night before their garden wedding at the Manor Hotel in Baguio City. I was one of their ninongs. My ex-girlfriend was also one of the ninangs. Lani was in the Singles Ministry which we served as couple counselor for a year. Both of them are truly humble and simple. Alan was yet a congressman then.

With charismatic leader Isabela Governor Grace Padaca who spoke to the Civic Leaders of Bocaue for Progress Movement in May 2009.

With MMDA Chairman and Presidential aspirant Bayani Fernando who visited the St. Martin of Tours Parish during the Krus sa Wawa Festival in July 2009.

With the charismatic leader Bro. Bo Sanchez of Kerygma. With me was Mrs. Luzviminda Estrella, a Religious Education teacher. This was taken during the Kerygma Convention in November 2008 at the ULTRA in Pasig City.

With TV personality and broadcaster Mari Kaimo of both RPN Channel 9 and GMA Channel 7. He is no longer as active as before as a news anchor. We've met him in Antipolo City at the Our Lady of Chartres Convent.

With the child wonder now UP professor Mikaela Irene Fudolig. She graduated summa cum laude in BS Physics from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a general weighted average of 1.099. She entered as a college student at the age of 11. She was our guest during the 2008 SPC Educators' Congress.

With The Philippine Star editorial cartoonist Mr. Dominic Dumaraos. He gave a lecture in cartooning during the 3rd Asian Journalism Seminar in Pasig City.

With Miss Melclaire Delfin, news reporter of GMA 7. She delivered news writing during the 3rd Asian Journalism Seminar in Pasig City.

At the GMA 7

We went to GMA Channel 7 for a Studio Tour.

We were brought around by Lottie Joya, whom I learned later from her that she was a Paulinian of St. Paul University Quezon city. She gave us Kapuso pins for us to wear while inside the GMA premises, and as a souvenir. Lottie played an AVP of the Kapuso network as part of the orientation. She also gave us a copy of the GMA Kapuso Magazine which featured the inauguration of the state-of-the-art studios.

Lottie showed us Studio 3 where the newscasts are usually shot. The studio is small yet very much stuffed with state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment. A teleprompter with a hidden camera behind the see-through screen guides the newsreader, read: newscaster, on the exact words and cues while on the air. A green monochromatic background gives a transparent effect for superimposed images on screen, like the shots for newsflash where the reporter seems to be broadcasting just at the newsroom.

Klieg lights are everywhere. Wide-angled cameras are used to make the studio appear so large on screen. Camera tricks, so to speak.

We also saw the Studio where talk shows are done. Not much to see but merely space. The sets, I learned, are changed and removed regularly. No studio is occupied exclusively by one show. Cameras do the trick of making them appear so beautifully decorated on screen.

The DZBB, the flagship AM radio station of GMA 7 is located in one of the oldest buildings of the company. The station is just small, with the announcer's booth just big enough to accommodate featured visitors.

Barangay LS 97.1 FM is a much better place. Papa Bodgie, one of the DJs, was at the anchor when we were there. We had the opportunity of having a pic with him.

GMA boasts of having the best equipment in the broadcast industry in the Philippines. It has maintained its number one stature in the more prestigious AGB Nielsen surveying firm for patronage, statistics shows.

At the Pinoy Big Brother House

No. We did not enter the house. We just stayed outside. Just for fun. Haha!

We were not starstruck either. No one was there except the guard who refused kindly our promptings of letting us in. So we contended ourselves taking pics right there at the gate.

Manila Ocean Park

My ex-girlfriend and I had the opportunity of going to the Manila Ocean Park yesterday.

The Manila Ocean Park is the first ever oceanarium in the country. I had been to Ocean Adventure in Subic, Zambales which features dolphins, but the M.O.P. offers a different exciting stuff. The fish are segregated into several tanks. The corals are shown live and soft. The collection presents various kinds of fish.

What captured my attention was the tank where the green mussels and barnacles were housed. The water comes unfiltered from the Manila Bay itself. Though not murky in appearance, one could see how dirty the water is. Yet, it is where the green mussel or tahong thrives best. They like the dirt. It must be food for them. It made me rethink my fondness of the tahong.

This was not my first time to have seen the Manila Ocean Park. I was expecting for additional features and improvements. But it seemed to me that only the restaurants and some shopping stalls were the new ones. Same tanks. Same layout. Same features. I haven't noticed any big change after 2 years. The roots of the vines grew longer, though.

Here are a few shots we had.

The Teddy Stallard Story

I stumbled upon this beautiful and touching story of a teacher who made a difference on the life a boy. The story is heart-rending and even brought tears down my eyes the first time I viewed it.

I showed the clip to a group of college deans and basic education corrdinators and principals in a seminar that I had given in Olongapo City last month. It touched us and made us rethink of our profession again as teachers. Watch it and you'll realize why.

The original is found in this site: http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/. Thanks to the makers of this touching film clip.

Teachers, please pay attention...

Series of High Profile Deaths

As if we were not yet relieved from a death of an icon, here came another.

Our very own Francis M, a master Pinoy rapper and advocate of authentically Pinoy passed away on March 6, 2009 at the age of 44. He succumbed to multiple organ failure secondary to severe sepsis and secondary to pneumonia, his doctor confirmed. The rapper was earlier diagnosed to have acute myelogenous leukemia.

On June 25, 2009, pop icon and superstar Michael Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion. Reports about the cause of his death confused many. Some claimed it was due to an overdose of a certain drug. Others blamed failure of the initial interventions given him when found vegetable. The Los Angeles coroner treated it as homicide against his personal physician. No matter what the circumstances were, one thing was definitely saddening: he is gone. Michael was known for his famous strut dance moves and moon walks. He gyrates onstage, often holding his crotch to the screams of fans. I was able to watch a DVD of his HISTORY concerts. Thousands of fans shriek as he conquers the stage. He statues himself to dramatically segue his moves. Even just a single flip of his fingers caught on big screen would send his audience to real frenzy. Strutting his arms and legs could cause spells of fainting and tears flowing down a river on fans' eyes. His moonwalks would blow the fans away! There was magic in his every single concert. I loved his Jackson 5 years. His Give Love on Christmas Day has become immortal. I like the beats of Billie Jean, Thriller, and Beat It. The drama of Heal the World calls on everyone. His help in We Are the World of USA for Africa is unforgettable. More so for his transformation from black to white. He had his share of controversies. But now everything under the bridge. He is gone but to the billion of fans worldwide, me included, he lives.

August 1 made all of us in the Philippines grieved for the loss of the icon of Philippine democracy. Cory Aquino succumed to heart failure as she battled for colon cancer.

Now it is Ka Erdy Manalo, 84, of the Philippine endemic Iglesia ni Cristo. Executive Minister of the INC, he was a king maker. Whoever his choice was during elections would definitely make it big. There is just one INC vote, so to speak. His steadfast stewardship of the flock founded by his father, INC Founder and 'angel' Felix Manalo, was undoubtedly to the full and brimming. He died of heart attack.

Series of high profile deaths. The year 2009 must be unforgettable. I hope no one else follows very soon. Let's have a rest. Let's grieve and breath.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

The Campo Trexo

Venue: Campo Trexo

Place: Alfonso, Cavite

This is a real and authentic forested place. The topography is a challenge. There's a slope of a hill, a ravine, a shallow creek, shaky hanging bridges, wall climbing facilities, rapelling drop, gliding range, camping sites, trekking trails, etc.

Whoa! The place is even slippery when wet!

A good place indeed for group dynamics, bonding, adventure, communing with nature. Just be ready to get tired at the end of the day.

The Forest Club

We were brought to Bai, Laguna one day for an ocular inspection of a possible field trip venue for our students. The place was Forest Club.

I should not wonder. Laguna is known for Mt. Makiling, which is a forest sanctuary. But Bai is not that really forested. When we reached the place, it was as if we were entering Fern Gully. A big green gate welcomed us. When it was opened, all I could say was WOW!

The place reminded me of my former childhood playground. I grew up near a forested place. In fact, our house then was at the foot of a hill. Facing our house was a range of great mountains which were just a few steps away. In 15 to 20 minutes, you are in the thick of the forest.

Along the crevices of the forest ran brooks and creeks. My brother and I would often go to the creek after our dismissal in the afternoon and would bring home basinful of big padaw or udang to the delight of our mother. How did we do it? We would catch them just by our hands by wading into the crevices of boulders and rocks. There were plenty to catch. We could see them swimming or hiding underneath the rocks. It was an enjoyable sight.

The forest gave us beautiful sights of nature. Birds would sing their hearts out. There were big kalaws, agile green bullilising, white-dotted martines, noisy salaksak, and many more exotic birds whose local names I don't remember anymore.

The Forest Club reminded me of those memories. But there's a difference. The Forest Club is a man-made forest. The place used to be ricefield. The owner developed it into a forest in a span of only 9 years. The trees were already big when they were planted in the site. But it was a rapid development because one would not even know it just used to be a rice field.

Here are a few shots of the Forest Club: