Monday, February 21, 2011

Congratulations to the top student writers of the 2nd Sinag Journalism Training Seminars!

As part of the free Sinag Journalism Training Seminar, the 114 students who came to the 1st leg of the Sinag JTS last February 12, 2011 were made to write during their afternoon workshops. The speakers for the event submitted their top entries from the different schools who attended the event. We will publish, in full, the editorial articles in english who topped the said workshop.

The 5 best articles (English Divisionm, HS and Elem) that were chosen are the following:

1. “The K-12 Program” by Marinel Jeil Ladringan (HS), Canlubang Christian School
2. Lorelie Miranda, (HS) 4th Year, Sta. Cecilia Catholic School Foundation, Inc.
3. “What causes pollution, how to prevent it and how it affects us” by Mark Lukas B. Agutaya (ES), Grade 5, Mayapa Elementary School
4. “Who is to be blamed?” by Regine C. dela Cruz, Liceo de Calamba
5. “Mistaken idea” by Ma. Stephanie Nocum (ES), Grade 5, Calamba Elementary School.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Sinag Publishing and Printing Services will be distributing Certificates of Recognition to the writers of the 6 best articles on February 26, 2011 (Saturday) at the LLC, Central 2 School, Calamba City.

Our speakers/experts will also be choosing the best articles submitted on the 2nd leg of the Sinag JTS on February 26 and Sinag will also give out certificates of appreciation for the participants who will be chosen. So good luck to everybody and see you on February 26 at the Sinag Journalism Training Seminar!

Here are the top articles (published in no particular order) written by the best student writers of the 2nd Sinag Journalism Training Seminar (February 12, 2011) editorial writing, english division:

The K-12 Program
Marinel Jeil Ladringan (High School)
Canlubang Christian School

Nowadays, the most prominent issue of the Philippines is the quality of education. And the so-called solution the government come up with is the K-12 program. The K-12 program adds two years to the secondary education. According to the Department of Education this is a very crucial step for the welfare of the Filipino students.

The additional two years will be allotted for mechanical, technical, and agricultural preferences. But is this really what the Philippines need? Everyone is aware of the economical crisis were going through. Can the Filipinos still afford two more years of education? The government says that the K-12 program will serve as a training ground for college. But the question is, can we still afford college?

The percentage of dropouts among the high school students increases every year. And the primary reason is financial problems. Majority of the Filipinos struggle to send their children to four years of high school? What more if it becomes six years?

We strongly believe that the K-12 program is not the best solution for the crisis in the quality of Filipino education. Additional years will cost additional facilities, textbooks and other educational needs. And of course, additional budget. Can the Philippine government still provide for these needs?

Instead of spending much money on the additional two years, why not spend it on a better foundation for our present education? The money can be spent on more textbooks, better facilities and much more important educational materials.

The quality education cannot be measured by the number of years you spent studying. But, by how and what you learned throughout those years. Instead of adding two more years, the government should focus on making the four years the best learning period or experience every Filipino ever had.

_____________________________


Lorelie Miranda
4th Year -HS
Sta. Cecilia Catholic School Foundation, Inc.


Many generations already reigned here in the Philippines since we are given the opportunity to learn and be educated. Within those years, Filipinos are used to study six years in the primary level, spend four years in the secondary level and take the degree courses they want after they take up years of basic knowledge.

At present, there is a new proposal in the field of education, the K-12. In this proposal, it is stated that there will be an additional two years in the secondary level where it will be more on agricultural and mechanical subjects, preparation for the next level, the tertiary level. They propose it because they say that with the use of it, there will be more quality in the education given to the Filipinos in our country.

Is that really the case? Does longer years of staying in school studying improve the quality of education?

Yes, we really need quality education. And we already have it here in the Philippines. The real problem is, we do not have the capability to give it to the majority of the people here in the country. Our lack of budget in education is the main reason why we can't have quality education. If we only have enough budget, there would be enough classrooms and good facilities in public and private schools, our best produced educators won't go to other countries to teach other nationalities and we will be able to produce more Filipinos that our country can be proud of. Adding two years in secondary education will just add up in our expenses, and instead that we are already working and helping our parents to produce a living we are still studying.

Youth, we have the voice to shout our opinions. We can move to change the decision of the government. Eventhough sometimes we are not heard by them, what is important is that we let them we let them know what is our side in their plans. Quality education is still in our hands. It is visible in you. Prove to them that K-12 is not really a necessity.

________________________________

Mark Lukas B. Agutaya - Mayapa Elementary School, grade 5.

What Causes Pollution, How to Prevent it and How it affects us

What causes pollution? How do we prevent it? The smoking of. Throwing garbages anywhere, the dumping of the chemicals of factories. The smoke that the cars blow, cutting of trees, building many factories. The smoke that the building blows. Illegal loggings of people in the forest. Using dynamites for fishing. Oil spills in the sea. Spraying insecticides to kill insects.

What will happen to us if everywhere in the world is polluted? Many people will get sick. The water we will drink will be dirty. Our surroundings will smell bad. Every place will be dirty. It will be hard to breathe We will have nothing to eat. We will suffer for what we did and many will suffer too.

How can we prevent it? We should plant many trees. Stop smoking, stop illegal loggings, stop using dynamites for fishing, do clean and green in your town.

__________________________

Regine C. dela Cruz
Liceo de Calamba

Who is to be blamed?

Far from what we all expected, in August 23-hostage taking turned out into dismaying tragedy. For almost 8 Hong Kong & Chinese nationals were killed by the hostage taker and dismaying for our government especially our policemen.

It would really be the fault of a decorated policeman dismissed as senior inspector for allegedly exonting Php20,000 from a hotel chef. The hostage taker felt injustice was done to him. And in order for everyone and the high ones to know and hear his shout for it, he hostage a bus loaded of 20 persons.

Now after knowing the story, could we blame him?

How about the media? Let's admit it. Media really contributed to the failure of the situation. Media should know their limitations and should not interfere in a serious and confidential thing like this.

How about the Manila police? Yes! We didn't have our best team. So could we blame them now?

Our negotiators have done their best, I guess, they were able to guess what the inside man wants.

The brother, meanwhile, only wants to talk to his older brother but then police aggresively arrested him which had been seen by the hostage taker inside.

But after all, we can't change the past, all we have to do is to move on and be sorry for the Hong Kong and Chinese nationals that were killed.

The hostage crises will be a lesson for everyone most especially to our government and policemen.

Next time, no more lunch breaks, no more failed negotiations. No more untrained policemen and no more killings.

______________________________________

Ma. Stephanie Nocum - Calamba Elementary School, Grade 5

Mistaken Idea

Issues had alarmed us when DepEd see Bro. Armin Luistro had released the new DepEd Memorandum stating the "No Homework Policy".

Teachers, Parents and some students are most affected among others because , first, teachers are the one who knows the capacity of each pupil in dong their weekly assignments. They are also the one who knows how many assignments they have to give.

Some parents also contradicted to what the teachers had replied the government. The parents said that weekends are likely to be their family days so it made every parent to be very sad that their family days will be included as a school day of their children even if they are in their home.

Students also replied they are issued in the public. Some said that weekends are their time to spend good and beautiful moments with their family.

As a journalist, we, in our newspaper think that it seems to flatter us but we must take time to spend with our family even for a short time, we also know that this is also for our happiness. But the parents know that it is also for their kids to learn for their brighter future.

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