An Open Journal of a Teacher

I can't sleep well because it's so hot and my bed is so itchy. Ugh! The battery of my phone had already ran out and I don't know what time is it. We still have a water shortage so we went to Ma'am Lily Camano's (Our Head Teacher) house to fetch water. But Ma'am told us not to fetch water anymore, instead to just take a bath in their house.. hehe.. blessing! :) We also prepare everything before going home like our DTR, and a lot of papers. Some students visited us before we go home to ask some unused things like perfume, bags, foods and etc. The path in going to Las Navas is not hard anymore because it's already dry. But we had one funny experience. As the habal-habal driver was driving us to Navas, we fell down as he was trying to go up the hill. I think the driver is just new that's why he still can't carry us. Good that nothing bad had happened to us and we're grateful that as we fell down, there is no cliff in that area. Zoo... I guess the pat...

Today is the moving-up ceremony of the students in San Miguel High School. I did a lot of things today that made me busy, like helping in preparing for the sandwich later this afternoon, help in organizing ribbons and medals because I was also assigned in preparing the program and I also practiced the students for their choir in "Lupang hinirang" and "Division Hymn."I did a lot of things today and I really enjoyed it.  I don't feel tired. Well, maybe just now. Hehe. Everything happens as expected. Everybody enjoyed the event. Our Guest speaker was Ms. Anjanette Pajantoy, an LLT graduate, who also graduated as Cum Laude. She's super nice and humble :) During the event, we eat bake mac, fruit salad, fried chicken and sandwich. I really enjoyed it. What a very nice event :)

I got menstruation. This is the first day so it's supeeeerrrrr hard. I'm having cramps. :'0 but I shouldn't take a rest nor just stay in my bed because we have lots of paper works to do. I was assign in organizing the honors of every grades. It's already summer. It's just cool that it's easy for us to go home now every weekend because the path is not muddy anymore, but the bad side with this is that we're having water shortage now in San Miguel because everything is already dry. This place is a mountain so it's really hard to find water. We walk a mile just to get water and we usually follow a very long line there and the water drop is just so slow. (deep sigh) :( My experience right now makes me cry deep inside. Grabe, I can see how contented people are here. They're already contented with this life. They neither murmur nor plan in transferring house in the town. Though their life is like this, they're happy and contented with everything. I...

I woke up early so that I can prepare myself in traveling back to San Miguel again. Mama and Papa accompanied me in the highway to find some tricycle in going to Catarman :) I love my parents. I really love them. I'm grateful to have them as my parents :) They are very supportive

I skipped March 16 because there was no electric and the battery of my phone ran out so I don't have flashlight to help me in writing my journal. But it's okay!There's no important thing that had happen also yesterday. Today we have our BCIS (where we enter the grades of the students in the computer). This is such a memorable experience because we stayed in the school for a very very long time. We eat our lunch there, as well as dinner. We finished doing our works at 1:15 in the morning. I'm so tired. Overtime is real! hahaha :D

Today we had our SIP (School Improvement plan) together with some of the Stake holders (parents, students, community officials). We discussed about the things that the school needed for its improvement. It was a whole day activity. We were divided into different groups and I was assigned to be the group mate of the PTA President - Mr. Toni Pedemonte and 2 SSG officers. During that workshop, our group ended with a project "LIGTAS" (Learn In Guidance Through Advance Success) which gives emphasis to having more educational materials in the school that the students really need and an additional building (Student Learning Center) that will help students have the time reading or doing academic recreational activities rather than just going outside and doing things that will not help them excel academically. Our propose project was agreed by other people who were there and we plan to accomplish it by the start of school year 2016. We had our lunch there and we all enjoyed the activi...

Time flies so fast! I just realize what the date is. Being busy "EVERYDAY" makes me forget the day already. It's really good that it's already summer. Though it's so hot and it really makes me sweat every second, it'also good that the way in going to San Miguel is not muddy anymore. Now we only have 1 hour travel from Las Navas to San Miguel, not like before that sometimes it took us 4 hours. I'm grateful for this super hot season because it won't be hard anymore for us to travel.

Yesterday I saw a beautiful with lively color small orange daisy flower. This beautiful daisy caught my attention because it grows in the middle of the wide muddy field in which habal-habal are passing by. The way is really rough, ugly and full of mud but this small daisy is firmly planted. What makes me wondered is that, its leaf has totally no damage and the color of that orange daisy is lively and lovely that it's like planted on a good ground. And it also makes me wondered that for a long time, no one dares to crash that beautiful small daisy at the middle of the way. Or even if unintentionally because of its very rough road, it would possibly be passed by and crashed down already by different vehicles. While remembering that moment of seeing that beautiful daisy flower, it makes me ponder and compare it to our life as a representative of Jesus Christ. Just like the quote that says "Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved." Sometimes, some of us are living in an en...

Our Head Teacher permitted us to go home for now because of what is happening in the baranggay. There are also small number of students who are still going to school. The other are still absent because of what had happen. We will just resume the class on Monday

First day of March. :) Resume of classes. There are a lot of armies who are still coming in this baranggay and people are getting scared because many armies means a better chance for the NPA to get more mad and prepare themselves in attacking. Some of my co-teachers are now crying while some are mad because they wanna go home. What had happen in this far-flung baranggay was already reported in radio. my co-teachers family had heard it already and some texted them to go home now to their different towns. I just texted ate Joy about this and told her not to tell mama and papa. I don't want them to get worried about me. I know that everything that is happening to me is for my own good and I know that in a positive way, I'm going to learn something from this experience. I know without doubt that everything that is happening shall give me experience and the Lord will never leave me with this fight. He will protect us. Whatever His purpose is, I will try my best to understand and acc...

Leap Year! haha. I feel better now after being sick for 3 days so I can already travel in going back to San Miguel, Las Navas. Before I travel I went first to the Division Office for some papers that I need to pass. It took me a long time there and I really feel sorry for my co-teachers who are waiting for me for about 1 hour already. But I just wanna share something today that really makes me into tears :'( God is really good. I'm forever grateful for the Lord's guidance for me. I know that He has a great and a lot of plan for me. So yesterday was Sunday and usually I travel Sunday after the church service so that I can arrive early in my working station because it's a 7 hours trip. But I still feel sick and though I know that traveling Monday means 1 day absent, I didn't hesitate to make a decision and  I stayed. Upon traveling on Monday, I was also late to arrive in Las Navas because of the papers I need to submit. I just said sorry to my co-teachers who were wa...

We have BCIS in the school today and ma'am allowed us to travel home at 1 in the afternoon. There are no Habal-habal so we walk from San Miguel to Santa Fe for 1 hour and 30 minutes. As we were walking, I slipped for how many times that's why my clothes, bag and umbrella were full of mud. I slipped because I don't have strength anymore, it's so hot and there are no trees that we can stay for a minute so we just continue walking. As we arrived in the bridge, we were able to rest there because it has roof where we can rest. As I am resting, I felt that my heartbeat was beating so fast, I felt dizzy and it's like I don't want to continue walking anymore. We only stayed there for 5 minutes, after that kuya phillip said that we need to continue walking. I'm out of energy already, but I don't have any choice so we continue walking. We arrived at Santa Fe and found a Habal-habal going to the main town. But that's not the end. During our travel, we also stop...

I don't feel good today. I'm not feeling well. My body felt heavy and sore today. I don't know for what reason . I'm sad that I can't get along with my students' naughtiness today. I don't want to feel this way, but my body feels like I'm not comfortable with everything. I remember my last subject earlier this afternoon, I nearly pass-out. Good that I hold the table, it helps me to stand still. I don't know why I feel this way. I'm sure I eat the right amount of food. I even eat a lot. I don't know what's happening with my body.

I'm scared because I didn't study that much for our exam today. Now I realized the sacrifice of those working students and it's really hard to be one. During our examination I don't know if my answers were right. haha. Bahala na! As I was walking, my sister Meriam saw me. She ran, hugged me and cried. She said that they failed with their Feasibility study and she's so scared that it might be the reason for her not to graduate this April. Well, good that we saw each other, I told her "Okay, calm down. Let's just go to mall, have some window shopping and eat there." While we're walking, I shared to her my experiences, the struggle I faced and though there are challenges I told her to trust God. "There is always a purpose behind every challenges that we encounter. Maybe the Lord just want to let her realize something or maybe if she will really fail, I know the Lord has a better plan for her." That sister's bonding went great. I'm ...

I woke up at 3:56 in the morning, read scripture, did some exercise, took a bath and I just eat rice and milk. I hoped that my breakfast will give me energy for the morning. I ride at Kuya Abner's single motor again and we arrived in Las Navas at 7:35 in the morning. Our Mancom conference was 7 hours then we finished at 4:30 in the afternoon and arrived in Bobon at 7:00 in the evening. I'm so tired but I keep and give my remaining energy to go to my grandparent's house with my family  for our Family Home Evening. We finished at 10 and I need to sleep immediately because I still have my Masters Class tomorrow and we have midterm exam.

We travel at 7:30 in the morning and arrived in Las Navas at 10:00. I ride at kuya Abner Aclao's single motor so that I can save money because tomorrow we're going back again in Las Navas for our Mancom conference. I'm happy to see my family :)

MADULHOG KAMI BUWAS! :D This is the word I learned here in San Miguel and I love this word because madulhog means that we're going out from San Miguel to the main town. And that also means going home!!! (Yay!) haha.. Every week, staying here in San Miguel makes me miss my family more. I'm so excited to see them again. By the way, earlier this afternoon while I'm teaching my grade 9 class about Indoor activities, one of my topic is about Zumba and there I learned that doing Zumba can lose weight for about 600 calories. Cool!Now I learned that maybe the best way I can do to make myself to be healthy and  fit is by doing Zumba. ZUMBA!!!! I love Zumba! I'm also doing this when I'm still in the mission. I just love dancing even if I'm not a dancer at all. Zumba helps me sweat and enjoy the activity. I also teach my Grade 7 about Arnis and my Grade 8 about Basic steps in Folk Dance. I really love that I was able to share the things that I've learned.

Life is so simple! hehe. Living here in San Miguel makes my life so simple. And I really love and enjoy it. I really love staying here because this place helps me to develop myself more, ponder things that I need to ponder, love everything that I have in the present and enjoy and love the simple living here. :) Simple living helps me also to slow down and appreciate what matters most and realize how I am so blessed. Sometimes we really can't see the blessings because we're too busy waiting for those things that we are expecting. Not knowing that because we're expecting other things, we become so ungrateful for those that are in the present. I feel bless being in this situation right now. I'm just hoping and praying that as long as I can do this, my Sunday service will not be affected especially my renewing of covenant. And I know that with God and my great faith to Him, everything will be possible. I'm really praying for it because I love attending church service an...

It's month of hearts now! Today I received my new load in the school and I'm going to teach 6 sections and I'm going to prepare 12 lesson plans a week. It will be a big preparation but it's okay "Everything shall give [me] experience." This is the verse that comforts me the time that I am traveling from Bobon to San Miguel just this Sunday. Every time I feel sad that I cannot attend the Sunday class anymore, I always remember that verse. The trials I have will help me to become stronger than I was before.

Today we travel in going home through boat and it takes us 6 hours. The rain was so strong that it makes us to get wet while we're in the boat. Then the time I arrived in Catubig, I traveled by myself for another 2 hours. It's really cold because I'm wet and the van has air con.  It's really cold and as I was traveling from Catarman to Bobon through tricycle, I got wet again. I quickly change when I arrived home.