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Our Health Care: Coverage for All

Bontilao, Caramol, Ramos

 Just months ago, the notorious and novel coronavirus which is now known as COVID-19, a highly contagious and dangerous virus that has taken a toll on intertwined health crises, was absolutely unheard of. The cluster was initially reported on December 31, 2019, when the WHO China Country Office was officially notified. The widespread virulent disease has resulted in major disruptions in our lives, and that has included the state of our health. COVID-19 has exposed the majority of health workers and their families to unmatched levels of risk as they are vulnerable on the frontlines.

Health workers are risking day after day to keep us and our families and friends safe so we should return the favor. So now, for our safety and theirs, we should find ways on how to protect ourselves both physically and mentally. According to weforum.org, there are 3 ways we can protect ourselves during the pandemic. First, we all should know that both our brains and immune system are both linked together. So, with that in mind, our moods determine what state our body is in. Being happy and always staying positive are one of the solutions on taking of ourselves. Especially with bad things constantly happening in our world, we should never forget to put smiles on our faces as to not be stressed and might damage your health. Next, stress is normal but too much is unhealthy. During quarantine, people have been stressed out on many things and it is okay as long as you know how to control it. Too much stress built in your system can be dangerous as it can damage you entirely like high blood pressure, unbalanced blood sugar levels and so much more. So, while we are waiting out COVID to be over we should not get it to the best of us and try to have fun like playing games or finding new hobbies or like this last solution. Physical fitness is a must this quarantine. I know it is hard and takes on lots of effort but to maintain a healthy body both physically and mentally, we should treat our body right by maintaining a good fit body. I am not saying that we should get abs or whatnot but we should try and have a body fitting for your BMI.

Health is not valued till sickness comes.To conclude this matter, health care must be recognized as a right, not a privilege. Every man, woman, and child in our country should be able to access the health care they need. “Health is greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship”.

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Poverty due to Unemployment during this Pandemic

By: Oclinaria, Pamaybay, Patalinghug, and Ponce

          As the pandemic began eight months ago, fear crept into the society. The feeling of sadness and hopelessness escalated throughout the world. The pandemic generated countless of challenges and problems, which include paralyzing both small businesses and big industries. Non-regular employees in manufacturing services and 'high-contact-intensive' service jobs such as hotels, restaurants, and retail, as well as self-employed workers including jeepney drivers are greatly affected. Workers who lost their jobs shall be provided with one to have an income amidst the pandemic to be able to meet the essential needs of their families and to alleviate poverty.  

            During this pandemic, a lot of people are experiencing more poverty due to the loss of jobs, and if workers who lost their job can get alternative works, then poverty will not get worst during this pandemic. In an article, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said that "The number of Filipinos slipping into poverty would have been higher if the government "did nothing." For now, the focus is temporary support as well as the reopening of more sectors, which should let even more workers earn a living again. (Lopez, Melissa Luz. 2020, September 10. A pandemic may keep more Filipinos poor, jobless until next year.) The substantial economic contraction in the second quarter of 2020 will lead to historic levels of job losses and high unemployment. Given the widespread and still-unfolding impact of COVID-19, the government has launched an Emergency Subsidy Program to ensure that some 18 million low-income households have enough provisions for two months for April and May 2020 during the community quarantine. (Asian Development Bank. Summary of COVID-19 Economic Growth, Employment, and Poverty Impact Assessment. PDF File.)

             As a student and one of the youths, poverty is a serious problem to deal with.  If you are poor, your future is not secured. You have to pay first to have a security of your future, which is not present to the poor ones. Your education seems to be endangered when you are poor. There are instances that you have to be absent because your money is not enough. And of course, your grades will be affected. When a student is poor, his seems to be miserable. He cannot pay the obliged school fees for his money is only enough for personal necessities, but sometimes, it is not even enough, He cannot avail the required projects, even a single peso is very important. Every single peso is his future. That is what a typical poor student is experiencing, almost all of the Filipinos are considered poor. And it is so hard to accept the fact that the innocent children are the one who are affected too much. At their very young age, they are taught how to earn for a living, just for their own selves and for their family as well.  At their very young age, they are already prone to accidents or diseases which can kill them and their future. No play, no childhood, no education and lastly no progression. As what was mentioned, poverty is the greatest obstacle of ones' education.  But, let us just treat poverty as a challenge.  When you are poor, that does not mean that you don't have the right to dream big.  When you are poor, that does not mean that you will never succeed. When you are poor, and you don't have anything to pay for your education, make an action.  Prove to them that they are wrong, you can escape from poverty because you are striving hard. You can beat the odds because you have enough determination.

            Therefore, I conclude that poverty gives a negative impact to those who have higher chance of experiencing it. Thus, poverty due to unemployment can affect thousands of lives of Filipino families, and also to their children most especially in today’s era at an increasing rate. Families who have family members that are unemployed will have a limited access to their personal needs and will be having a hard time in reaching the basic economic needs such as, paying for daily necessities, clothing’s, food, a place to live in, education for their children, health care, and having a hard time supporting for their child’s education.

            There are other ways to overcome poverty and unemployment, for example, government should implement more job opportunities for the young youth who are willing to work to meet their personal needs and necessities, especially in the rural areas too and a system of giving opportunity of interview, the government should also increase the minimum wage because it helps lessen the poverty, and the workers will have more income enough to feed for their families.

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Inequity of Distance Learning

                                By: Narvasa, Gimenez and Yap

       The current endeavor we are facing today forced us to make necessary adjustments and conformations. We had to adapt to the “new normal” for us to go with our lives. With the government implementing safety and health protocols, the education sector faced a lot of setbacks and hurdles as they courageously opened the academic year; however, as we went along the way, a lot of issues and denouement came along. Unquestionably, the shift from physical classes to an online and modular way of learning is by far a significant change our country has undergone; yet some may consider this change to be ineffective depending on the resources the students and teacher have.

        In the article Addressing Inequities in Remote Learning, Christine Lee (2020) stated that the financial instability resulted in students having to prioritize work over school impacts include chronic absenteeism (page 1). According to The New York Times, "with the vast majority of the (national) school buildings closed and lessons (being) conducted remotely, more students than ever are missing class or not logging on, not checking or not completing assignments." Many students drop out of school entirely because of the unavailability of a phone, email, or other forms of communication. According to Bodenheimer (2020), in Distance Learning Make Education Inequality Worse, Bay Area schools announced that they would begin the fall 2020 school year with distance learning due to the region. Furthermore, parents have been scrambling to figure out how to manage the schooling of their children (page 1). One solution many are considering is pandemic pods, small learning groups by parents who want or need to team up to make distance learning feasible. Janelle Scott added that there certainly are going to be differences before the pandemic. The pandemic has amplified some of those and, in some ways, deeply worsened some of them. We have gone from being in a state of emergency while trying to deliver virtual schooling in a predicament to a summer in which she (Scott) thinks a lot of school districts (and other schooling arrangements) have been trying to regroup. All those stated happening even as we are dealing with a still-fluid crisis.

        Distance learning requires a lot of resources. The authors themselves experience the demand for better equipment. They have experienced connectivity and technical problems in the mysterious distance learning; however, the authors realized that they are fortunate enough to even attend online classes with bearable equipment. After all, that inconvenience does not equal the challenges of the overall unfortunate. One may even think that this new system is designed only to favor the rich and blessed. In reality, even if one thinks of this system in that way, people can develop ways to combat the problem. The authors are aware of the issue, and instead of keeping it to themselves, they establish a holistic point of the topic. The idea is that not all students have access to every available resource to learn and the power to voice themselves. Even if the authors also experience hardships, but not to the extent of the other citizens, the authors are not powerless. Instead, they used this editorial and turned it into a form of power, a power to raise awareness and establish empathy. The authors are not, in any way, forcing the readers to create an instant plan of assistance. Each person has the innate freedom and ability to choose what they want to do in the scope of what they can do; hence, the informative nature of this editorial. Instead, the authors designed the editorial in such a way that the peoples' hearts will move towards the greater good. That way, each person has a chance to contribute their method to assist and aid realize that the future of the country needs help. Fortunately, people have been coming up with ways to help, like government financial assistance (Aquino, 2020, para. 1) and private sector giveaways (Lifestyle, 2020, para. 6). How about the dear reader? What will he or she do to make a change?

       We must create a proactive approach in responding to the needs and demands of people shifting to this kind of education. In terms of efficiency and effectivity, online and modular classes shouldn’t be done everyday. There should always be a time that students could get to self reflect and ponder upon the recent happenings in their life. Students must not feel suffocated with academics because it may lead them to burnouts and prostration. As to the availability of resources of the students at home, the education sector especially those in the public ones, should be proficient to monitor the welfare of each child through their parents if resources like tablets or gadgets for online classes and pens, papers, or pencils for modular classes are available at home. Everyone is definitely still adjusting, we all should just be lenient with each other so that conflict may be resolved immediately. 

Reference:

Aquino, L.A. (2020, November). Manila Bulletin. Teachers receive early Christmas gift from gov’t. Retrieved on November 29, 2020 at https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/18/teachers-receive-early-christmas-gift-from-govt/

Bodenheimer, R. (2020, September). Cal Alumni Association. Will Distance Learning Make Inequality Worse?. Retrieved on December 30, 2020, at https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/just-in/2020-09-16/will-distance-learning-make-education-inequality-worse

Lee, C. (2020, June). Turn-it-in. How to Address Inequities in Remote Learning: A Learning Review. Retrieved on December 30, 2020, at https://www.turnitin.com/blog/how-to-address-inequities-in-remote-learning.

Lifestyle, MB. (2020, September). Manila Bulletin. PLDT ramps up e-learning initiatives for the new normal. Retrieved on November 29, 2020 at https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/24/pldt-ramps-up-e-learning-initiatives-for-the-new-normal/

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LIFE TAKEN

By: Aina Calapardo, Faith Collados and Glennora Mae Van Dyke 

TW: suicide

From the moment we were born until our very last breath, we have a purpose. Life is the greatest gift and blessing we could ever have. During these though and difficult times especially now, we tend to give up, and leave our problems behinds. Sometimes, problems become unbearable so we think that suicide is the solution. Due to the COVID-19, we are having our online learning and modular classes. It said that online learning is only one of the options as schools are not allowed to conduct face-to-face classes due to the pandemic that is happening right now. It added the mode of learning will depend on the resources available to the students. Discussion on mental health and wellbeing became prevalent as students brought up the difficulties of transitioning to remote learning or distance learning in the midst of pandemic which led some into suicide, as stated with the cases in the news and articles. Depression and emotional breakdowns among learners and parents are likely to happen in the middle of this ongoing health crisis in view of the fact that many students in government schools belong to poverty-stricken families.

       According to Dr. Joan Rifareal of the Philippine Psychiatric Association that “It’s a very complex issue or concern. We need to look at it as an interplay of a lot of factors. These factors are biological, psychological, social, and sometimes spiritual”. She also said that stress is “normal part of life. Citing cases of her patients, Rifareal said that while some students see distance learning as a source of stress, it also enables them to be better in studies. Rifareal also acknowledges that some of her student clients talk about feeling burnt out due to their classes’ workload, and struggling with the new system due to lack of resources. The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) said that it was ironic for Education Secretary Leonor Briones to celebrate the opening of school year 2020 to 2021 as a victory against the pandemic or the academic freeze when students have been struggling to cope with inaccessible education needs. Aside from the lack of gadgets and unstable internet connections, groups have called for an academic freeze because of many students’ mental health status. As the COVID-19 pandemic affected normalcy, bodies like the World Health Organization warned about a possible rise in mental illnesses, as the pandemic has taken a huge toll on mental health.

        As the pandemic prevented mass gatherings, the government opted to switch to online classes and modular learning for those without an internet connection.  But the students’ groups lamented that not all students had gadgets and an internet connection to cope with school requirements. We knew that there was insufficient funding, that poor internet connection was outside their control, and that the modules weren’t ready, that quality education could not be ensured under their new modalities, that both teachers and students will be subjected to mental stress and yet they insisted on resuming classes. The state remains oblivious to the fact that the Filipino people need comprehensive reform on mental health, one that also addresses the social determinants of mental health struggle, to prevent unfortunate deaths and the prevalence of mental illness.

      Students commit suicide due to online classes because they are struggling to cope with tons of activities they need to do, coupled with their difficulty in comprehending the lessons. Thus, it leads them to conclusion that suicide is the solution. The mental and physical health of students are immensely affected because of not being able to properly adjust to the new normal of online classes. Online classes require self-discipline and time management skills. This puts more pressure on the student as they are required to put more effort than usual at school. Having online classes is not effective but with the crisis we are facing right now, this is the only way for us to strive and continue the education of students. If we continue to conduct this learning method, the government needs to holistically view the perspective of all the people who are affected by this new learning modality and come up with a concise and clear plan to address this problem.

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The Socially Isolated Life

Empleo, Lauronilla, Manatad

Being socially isolated refers to an individual whose life is about depending on itself, which then is a state of not having someone as a companion and is living with a mere presence of one's self. These people tend to choose to be alone because of consequential circumstances wherein they might not be too comfortable with society or does want to improve understanding by undertaking social isolation. Especially today that social media have been a massive impact on a human's life, wherein most of them who thought that not being able to reach society's standard are the ones who address isolation as an option. Along with that, most of the people who are in this case suffer suicide, depression, anxiety, and a lot more that had increased the risk of somebody who is adjacent to premature death wherein a person's race, gender, age are mostly affected. Positive impacts are still evident, but if not taken into control by a particular person, then the contrary of it is expected to happen, and this is why we need to take into consideration how we can foster reconciliation in times of being socially isolated. People of all ages can be affected, which is why we need to understand uprightly the concept of a socially isolated life. We need to take into consideration various perspectives so that we could also help those people who are in this situation and encourage them towards living life to the fullest. Social isolation is a state in which the individual lacks a sense of belonging socially, lacks engagement with others, has a minimal number of social contacts, and they are deficient in fulfilling quality relationships (Shvedko et al., 2018). Loneliness is somehow correlated in this case wherein an individual undertakes a decision to choose a socially isolated life. According to Lisbeth Nielsen, Ph.D. of NIA Division of Behavioral and Social Research, "NIA is interested in exploring potential interventions to address social isolation and loneliness, which are both risk factors for poor aging outcomes." She added that a scientific key question is whether social isolation and loneliness are two independent processes affecting health differently or whether loneliness provides a pathway for social isolation to affect health. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and even death. Both isolation and loneliness affect each other in diverse ways. The survey conducted by the health insurer of Cigna, which is a provider of health insurance for NPR employees, found a nearly 13% rise in loneliness since 2018 on the first survey conducted. Frequently, the study found that there is a higher feeling of loneliness among people who use social media more. Looking deeper at social media bases, a person tends to compare themselves to others and strives to fit in by the standards, which sometimes results in overtaking measures that harm themselves and put them in a close place of isolation. On the other side, older adults are also increasingly at risk of being socially isolated because of the faced factors such as the loss of family or friends, living alone, and other illnesses that could also foster loneliness on their period. Dr. Clifford Singer, who is a chief of Geriatric Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry, suggests that research around the cause and effect of the health impacts of social isolation should be view with caution. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) points out that more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are acknowledged as socially isolated. Any person is modified and can choose to live an isolated life, which is why we as individuals who have the capability of interacting the society should foster assistance to those people who are suffering from being put into isolation. A family medicine physician named Kimberly Becher once said that when she asks patients who they want to call when they are sick or who to ask with medical test results, most of her patients would say that there is no one. To have no ally, no advocate, no one, is ended an isolated person. As a whole, most of the people prefer living with a companion for they said that it is always fun to be with the crowd and could help on multiple aspects of life. If we would take a look at a life depending on itself, merely viewing an isolated perspective, we see an unsure pathway into a blooming life, but deeply there are simple joys when a person is alone. You get to know yourself more, get to understand your weaknesses and enjoy your strengths. You are free when you are alone and is not depending on anyone else because you have yourself. These are evidential outcomes if a person can control a socially isolated life and does look to the positive effect of it to themselves. In opposition, some people who are socially isolated did not confidently choose to be on it. These are the cause of how sensitive a human being, and we could not partly judge with this because all of us have this state of sensitivity. Individuals are very into a situation that it reaches their mental health and undergoes different detrimental thinking. Social media standards, being left alone, lack of interaction, introversion, and lack of family guidance are some of the conditions that affect the mind of a person, which delivers them into thinking of isolating themselves and not speaking up with their opinion together with their situation. We also have the level of a person undergoing social isolation because of their adulting age. An elderly individual is not an exemption from this, for the most common on this are losing someone as time pass by and the family separation on the right period. These are why we need to take action and reconciliation with these aspects because broader levels are affected. It is a demand that humanity has to widen their viewpoints on how to deal with and balance this kind of situation. Educate the community on how it is exquisitely elegant, dealing with a socially isolated life. As columnists, we need to change the understanding of the people that being on an isolated life is massively harmful to our existence. It is with how we think and sees the situation as a predator for our life. If you choose to enter an isolated life, know the real purpose of why you undertake that case. The definite purpose of it is to know more of who you are and to find your true identity as an individual so that you can confidently show up as who you wanted to become. Both the elders and the young ones should mentally grasp that if they are on a life of isolation, then it is a benefit to them for it improves the focus, concentration, creativity and straightens the interaction with various relationships. Start to believe that it is about celebrating more on discovering yourself and letting go of all the negative baggage. In conclusion, people can reconcile with social isolation, for it is on the enrichment of minds, which has better impacts on one's life. We cannot lie that this could be the downfall of oneself because of the absence of social relations that may lead to being physically separated from others, but dealing with social isolation could also bring such positiveness to oneself that produces something great. As columnists, we are recommending that if you suffer from social isolation, then you shouldn't continue being in line with that and take account in therapy to build back yourself. People who remain to live life in isolation should always remember that it is about improving one's mind and those people who are pressured by society should cut back then try to meditate, build strong relationships along with that appreciate being socially isolated. We are the solution to this issue, and by that means, we could save tons of people by being aware of what is happening, such as sharing kindness to everyone, for each of us has the battle to face.

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“HEALTH AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE MOST ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC”

Agunias, Bacolod, and Quirante

 In this time of the pandemic, people must always be reminded that health should be the first thing we must prioritize in our lives, for it is what we need for individuals to live a life where sickness could not foster within ourselves. This unexpected and unwanted guest has come to a massive amount of cases that caused death among millions of people in our world, with that, our foremost goal for this pandemic is to prevent the virus from spreading towards the community we live in. People all over the world have come to realize that this current situation we have globally is indeed perilous for all of us and that we must ensure that our health is in a strong condition so that we will not be infected by the said virus. Humanity’s health is indeed crucial since it serves as the foundation of our lives for us to continue enjoying every moment we would spend in this magnificent world God has created. Therefore, individuals should continually be reminded that we must do things that would lead us to righteousness so that malfeasance could not garner among people in this world because safety should always be our number one priority most especially in this time of the pandemic where tons of people have suffered just because of this virus that is continuously affecting people’s health. 

According to this article from Healthy Me (Luxita Sharma, 2020), One of the most important factors adding up to the competency of the immune system is the nutritional status. If a person is undernourished, he/she is more susceptible to infections and diseases; since the activities of the immune system get suppressed due to lack of energy and needed nutrients intake. The other reason can be specific nutrients or of more than one nutrient deficiency. Essential nutrients required for the efficient functioning of the immune system include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Essential amino acids, Essential fatty acid, Linoleic acid, Folic acid, Zinc, Copper, Iron, and Selenium. Currently, the Covid-19 pandemic is a leading challenge across the globe. It is mandatory to attain and maintain a good nutritional status to fight against the virus. The nutritional status of an individual is affected by several factors, such as age, sex, health status, lifestyle, and medications. The nutritional status of individuals has been used as resilience towards destabilization during this COVID-19 pandemic. Optimal nutrition and dietary nutrient intake impact the immune system. Therefore the only sustainable way to survive in the current context is to strengthen the immune system. A proper diet can ensure that the body is in the right state to defeat the virus. However, along with the dietary management guidelines, food safety management, and healthy food practices are compulsory. (Aman F, Masood S., 2020) 

Health is a crucial factor that we must take care of, especially in this time of the pandemic, so we must continually be looking out not only for ourselves but also for others. We recommend you to eat healthily and exercise regularly as possible and also to keep in touch with our loved ones to keep us being connected and socialized and lessen the feeling of being isolated during the quarantine. We need to keep not only our body but also our mind and soul in a good condition because as humans, numerous factors can affect our overall health condition so, we must also give attention to these other aspects to achieve the holistic wellness of our being. Therefore, to conclude, our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health should always be in good condition possible to further prevent ourselves from the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 From our perspective, we can tell that most people in this world are too absentminded when it comes to nourishing their health for their well-being. Thus, this issue with regards to the significance of our health in each human being is indeed necessary to be encouraged so that everyone will be able to gain what they deserve as an individual in which is the strength to face the battles we encounter. Encouraging humans to possess good health is indeed crucial for everybody to live a life filled with positivity, most primarily during this dilemma we are facing. Amid this pandemic, it is a must for everyone to make sure that they should manage the things they do and to think wisely so that it should not affect their health negatively. As the WHO defined health, it is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Official Records of WHO, no. 2, p. 100). For me, though it is cardinal to keep and maintain our physical health in a satisfactory condition, I also stand in the awareness of the mental health of the Filipinos, especially young adults, since they have been the most reported suicide cases as of 2020. As poor physical health can lead to an increased risk of developing mental health problems, poor mental health can also negatively impact physical health, leading to an increased risk of some conditions. Therefore, as a young adult Filipino, I would like to be able to reach out to others to also spread awareness and positivity to enlighten those young souls like me, and hopefully inspire them to take good care of their lives because life is too precious to be taken for granted and it is also unfit for our situation today for them to be ending their lives while others affected by the pandemic are struggling to keep theirs or at least live a little longer. Life is a precious gift from God. It is our obligation to take good care of it but, if a time comes where we get tired, there is always an option of resting and taking a break, not permanently ending it, because life is full of up and downs, so if ever you face something unfavorable then for sure something good will also come in return. The need to care for our health, all aspects of it, is of absolute importance because, let’s face it, navigating this new normal is not easy. It’s essential to realize that a quality immune system isn’t necessarily going to keep the virus out of our bodies. However, it can reduce the cruelty. When it comes to taking care of your health and well-being, sleep is pretty much always part of the answer, getting enough good-quality sleep to maintain your immune system working as is best to fight off a virus like the one caused by the new Covid-19.

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Academic Freeze as The Best Option Now

                                     NIERE, MARTEL, YAP WOLVER    

Many students today in this pandemic are experiencing hardships in school. As Classes were forced, to adapt to an online setting, it was hard for both the teachers and the students to adapt since not all students in the Philippines don’t have access to technology that could provide them education during this pandemic. There was also a scarcity of Quality service of the network providers which, was also not perfect and full of flaws. In this Editorial, we will talk about the Cons of Online classes and how an Academic freeze could help students in the middle of the pandemic. Whilst taking the poor students away from the virus, since most of them have to go outside yet some require to work in physical labor to earn money to afford technology and a WIFI connection for them to study, putting them at risk of the virus.

Students who are unable to access technology to cope up with education is evident in the Philippines since many students are already dropping out because they couldn’t afford the required gadgets to continue their classes. According to Lj Flores 2020, Doing the math, a laptop and 9 months of data would cost around P15,600 for an elementary student, and P21,000 for a high school student. If DepEd subsidized this for the estimated 57,000 elementary and 49,000 high school students living in NCR, this would amount to P1.91 billion. By similar calculations, it would cost P1.03 billion to cover students in Cavite. What does this mean? Shelling out billions for multiple provinces will make a dent in DepEd’s budget – but given that the department received P551 billion in the 2020 budget, there is money to move around. This, however, would take from the budget allocated for school repairs, student assistance, feeding programs, and teacher hiring and training – a hefty choice. Secondly, even though one has the required technology to assist them in their online class, there are still some challenges they have to face. One of these challenges of Online Classes is the requirement to have good time-management skills since not everyone has a good mental capability. The CEO at Value research Dhirendra Kumar, wrote that one of the inconveniences is the effectiveness of Assessments. With technology becoming more advance, the harder it is for educators to find a way to Assess students. If their learnings as they can look answers up online, which begs most of the educators the question if the students are really learning or are they just buried with school works that have nothing to do with their current learnings. With all these taking into account the best way for most students to learn better is through face to face. But with the pandemic in mind, the push towards an Academic freeze to avoid the risk of student burnouts and the inequality of some students who don’t have access to technology.

Why is Academic Freeze our best option now? Since the global crisis has begun, there was a prevalent shutdown of schools and universities over our country. Meanwhile, the DepEd secretary, Briones, prompted to push through with online classes rather than no classes at all. Compliance upon facing unrivaled health, economic, and social dilemma is not the best option and risk that we should undertake as of the moment. Pushing through an “off-site and online” way of learning requires double exertion in the means of the digital divide, student’s learning efficiency, and mental health crisis. The online environment implies a different atmosphere, and social interaction is an indispensable constituent to developing learners; yet, it requires one to be an active learner. Education is not admirable only for the privileged students, for we have distinct capabilities, and even the deprived are impose to off-site and online distance learning. Students are amidst at-risk population to mental health issues. Thus, it is not advantageous and sensible for academic loads, including the financial aspects, and it leaves students of most practice behind due to the inability to uphold, adopt, and apply such measures. The students’ endeavor to be part of the conversation “Leave no student behind” has been widely spread in pinning one’s hope for a response through social media platforms. They use their voice to speak up for several students who do not agree to the conclusion of getting academically behind for its results to such pressure. No student should be left behind.  Though we continue to wait and hope for a declaration coming from DepEd, students continue to fulfill their responsibility despite the impediments and strive to sustain quality education.  As far as there are underprivileged students who are victims of a distorted system, an “academic freeze” is the most probable alternative. Until all the conflicts discussed above are addressed, and mass testing will implement, freezing the academic school year might be our best option for now. Thus, we are baffled by the idea of engaging in off-site and online classes rather than no classes at all. But how about the underprivileged? Arguments will always arise during this time of the pandemic. Circumstances like this are possibilities that we didn’t choose in the first place, and it is rightful to listen and notice the voices of people who are greatly affected by this pandemic. Education is a right, but crisis response articulates treasuring one’s existence.

Students and Teachers in the Philippines are having difficulties transitioning from face-to-face teaching to distant online classes that could pose a threat to the overall growth of the learners and lead to detrimental health issues if left on checked. A sizable portion of students can’t afford the necessary equipment needed for online classes which resorted to working to afford the resources needed to attend class, exposing them to risk during these trying times. Internet connection possesses a massive role in determining classes due to unstable internet connectivity leading to subsidiary learning experiences compared to the students with a better quality internet connection. On the other hand, the stated student learning difficulties and mental stress might lead to several mental and health issues if left unattended. Due to the lack of concern, DepEd has implemented on this issue whilst pushing for online classes despite the risk it presents to the learners and the proposal for academic freeze was made to ensure these issues while taking the people with poor financial issues into account.

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GENDER INEQUALITY AND HOW IT AFFECTS EVERYONE

“You will often feel as if you don’t fit, but it has never been your destiny to fit in. You were born to stand out.” — Melene Rossouw

Bejarasco, Catubig, Tomaquin

The debate on gender inequality has been a dominant characteristic in international, national, and local policy debates on the topic of economic growth over the past few decades. This policy issue has arisen as a field of academic study that aims to illustrate that enhancing gender equality contributes to economic growth. Gender equality is a human right, but our world faces a persistent gap in access to opportunities and decision-making power for women and men. 

In a recent article by Manila Times, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that deep-rooted patriarchy and misogyny are one of the root causes of the gender power gap in our societies and economies. The traditional outlook of the Philippine society and culture towards women, in general, deem them as valuable and prestigious people because of their familial roles. However, this very same view of women as mere maternal figures hinders them from advancing in society. According to the Department of Labor and Employment, 30% of working-age women report that household or family duties prevent them from working. In connection with this, a report published in 2017 by the Power of Parity Philippines stated that about 67% of professionals are women, yet they earn 8.7% less on average than men. It shows that despite the efforts of abolishing the gender gap in our country, women are still at a higher disadvantage. It also seems to prove the statement of Guterres that "gender inequality is the overwhelming injustice of our day."

Gender stereotyping is one of the main causes of why women demand gender equality. Stereotypes often set expectations for men and women, such as the fields of study to pursue and the job they are going to take. Women are often subjected to domestic and care responsibilities, with the assumption that they will be economically dependent on men. Moreover, a lot of men perceive women to be inferior and are often underestimated. From workplace discrimination, unequal access to employment and education, catcalling, sexual harassment, and violence—these are some of the oppression that women and girls experience brought by sexism. Thus, most women tend to normalize the situation to the extent of becoming silent about it. That is why it is a must to address this issue since it can establish a barrier from empowering women and promoting equal access to opportunities. Social inequality because of gender is a breach of one’s right to liberty. What women are asking for isn’t too much, it is a human right hence, women should have their voices amplified and be heard. Refusing to see the bigger picture of what women are experiencing only makes a person simple-minded. Wouldn't the world be such a better place if we all have equality, unity, and respect for one another? 

In a world where male domination exists, thousands of young girls and women are still suffering from gender inequality whether at school, workplace, and every society across the globe. All humans are entitled to their rights therefore, the Philippines should change its patriarchal system, pass general laws, and elect women politicians. With gender equality, not only will nondiscrimination be relished by every woman, but equal opportunities await, bridging the gender gap and it would also be a great leap towards a more united society. 

To do this, one should identify how gender equality could be strengthened in different parts:

Gender equality should also be acknowledged in the objective(s) of creating a starting point and promoting the involvement of all parties participating in the implementation of the initiative.

Acts to eliminate disparities and inequality and initiatives to encourage social equity should be found in the various facets of the statute, regulation, or program. These actions may be correlated to:  

Promoting access for women in industries where they are under-represented; 

Promoting women's rights to decision-making;

Promote the co-responsibility of public government, businesses and care work;

Promote the use of gender figures and studies;

The elimination of gender-based violence;

Promoting constructive steps to eliminate gender-based violence;

Elimination of gender expectations and roles

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The Detrimental Effects of Popularized Portrayals of Media

Bagazin, Castro,  Requieron

Popularized people and trends in media before and now are greatly different and have a huge contrast with how people's cultures and mindsets change. Charli D'Amelio, Bella Poarch, and Kylie Jenner are a few of the results of modernization in the mainstream media. As the world becomes modernized, so as the minds of the people. Through modernization, we become bored of how we handle things the old way, that is why people tend to explore and discover more about the world and the main medium for that is the use of social media. We all know that social media makes our life easier and more convenient. Yes, social media allows us to interact with each other. Through this, we can see a big difference between the world before and now.  However, not all of us know that there is a dark side to it. Social media could lead to our downfall especially to the youth, the ones who are mainly exposed to media. Firstly, what does social media portrayal mean? It is when something is portrayed in social media in such a certain way that it creates standards. These depictions and portrayals create a picture in the viewer’s mind and thus, standards are then set for people to assess on how they could achieve this kind of depiction of how people then get to validate something with this type of standard.

Popular portrayals of the media have both positive and negative effects, especially on younger generations. Positive effects include interacting more with people knowing they have the same tastes, helping people grow more and be more accepting, posts on media can be considered as entertainment for some people, and lastly, it gives people more knowledge about the things that are currently happening.

Negative effects of these portrayals include following current popular portrayals whether it is appropriate or not, some can affect the mindsets of younger people in a way that the certain concept being popularized is not appropriate for any kinds of viewers (drugs, violence, and sexual references), trending articles or posts may even defy the rights of other people, and sensitive topics can downgrade other people.

Despite all the positive effects of popularized media portrayals, we focused on their detrimental effects on people especially teenagers. However, we are not saying that anyone who participates in this kind of popularization is bad nor are we saying that different influencers are the epitome of evil. Rather, we do not support the glorification of the different kinds of portrayals that could lower one’s self-esteem, harm proper self-actualization, and possibly change their perceptions and mindset negatively in the long run.

Let’s take a look at how social media depicts beauty. Beauty is having fair clear skin, luscious hair, unique eyes, a slim proportionate body, full facial features, and the like. You see this through people like Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne, Liza Soberano, and other people who are considered beautiful by society. When the viewers, specifically, when young kids see this, they will idolize this influencer. And since they are repeatedly exposed to these types of things, they get to confirm within themselves that being beautiful means having clear skin, a symmetrical face, a slim proportionate body, and the like. As kids grow, they come to terms with their insecurities. This looks like kids despite having acne, a completely normal teenage thing, telling themselves that they are not beautiful because they don’t have clear skin. This looks like kids, being overweight or skinny or even having a normal weight, telling themselves that their body is not ideal because they saw how perfect people’s bodies are in social media and they think that they will only get validation if they look that way.  But most importantly, this looks like kids, thinking that they have to look a certain way, for them to be accepted in society.

According to suicide.org, people of today’s generation tend to be more depressed than older generations. Suicides involving teenagers have continued to rise dramatically in recent years. One of the causes is their exposure to social media in a way that they can’t meet the current standards and lead to depression. Also according to Therese J. Borchard, author of Beyond Blue, “Most experts would agree with me that there is more stress today than in previous generations. Stress triggers depression and mood disorders, so those who are predisposed to it by their creative wiring or genes are pretty much guaranteed some symptoms of depression at the confusing and difficult time of adolescence. I think modern lifestyles -lack of community and family support, less exercise, no casual and unstructured technology-free play, less sunshine, and more computer -factors into the equation.”

Another is how do these portrayals harm self-actualization for individuals? When we see these posts of people having big houses, luxurious cars, branded clothes, we see this as a standard for happiness. Wherein people think that in order for them to feel happy and validated, they also have to have these types of things. This narrative is harmful because you’re letting the media dictate to you the meaning and definition of happiness or validation. This harms self-actualization because you’re constantly thinking of the things you lack This could go on by lamenting over a house that your family couldn’t afford, comparing your normal priced clothes to expensive branded ones, or could even go to specific cases such as you thinking that buying milk tea will give you happiness and validation, simply because everyone is also doing it. Because you are so caught up in chasing those endless standards, this leaves little to no room for better self-actualization or self-development since you are constantly thinking of the things that you lack and don’t have.

A lot of research supports and claims that popularized media portrayals have many detrimental effects. One of these is an article made by NCBI. Television, a medium used for showing any kinds of media portrayals, is said to have negative effects of exposure to violence, inappropriate sexuality, and offensive language are convincing. 

With all these supporting articles and claims, we conclude that popularized media portrayals have a lot of detrimental effects because it leads to lower self-esteem, hinders better self-actualization, and harms the mindset of an individual in the long run. 

There have been a lot of people that use social media to educate, advocate, and empower others for the better. Not only are people slowly breaking societal norms and stereotypes (for example, beauty is not about being skinny or having nice skin but being proud and embracing your perfections and imperfections) but they also empower the minorities and the marginalized (for example, people call out injustices, they educate the people about the minorities and their struggles i.e racial discrimination, the lgbtqia+, etc). We as columnists, would like to highlight a certain recommendation and that is to be mindful of what we post on different social media platforms and to empower ourselves instead of downgrading each other. Our posts might ruin other individuals because we have different levels of sensitivity. Maybe as time goes by, these popularized portrayals will change for the better and will give out better benefits to the wide scope of the general audience. 

We regret the popularized portrayals of the media because of its detrimental effects, but we celebrate how people still use media to empower, advocate, and educate.

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           “A NATION’S STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN HUMAN RIGHTS”

                                       Gonzaga, Berdin, Caballa

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity”. That quote was from Nelson Mandela, one of the most well known leaders in the world. According to an article written by United Nations (n.d), “human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status”. The article by United Nation (n.d) also states that, “human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more”. But according to an article by Amnesty International (n.d), there is an increase in the human rights violation in the Philippines and that many lives were lost due to this. This unjust violation and numerous others shows that despite being valid for human rights, some people are deprived from this. 

The rise of killings started when the bloody war against drugs started and according to Conde (2020), this was worsened during the pandemic wherein it was recorded that there were 103 persons killed even before the crisis. Conde (2020) also mentioned that the police killed 50 percent more people between April and July 2020 than the previous months and that since 2016, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has acknowledged to have killed 5,810 but human rights organizations claimed that the real amount may have been threefold. Another article from Amnesty International (2020) states that these killings may have been linked to red tagging or disapproving of someone’s human rights campaign and that journalists and human rights activists are also victims of this. According to the research done by Pernia (2019), there is a connection between populism which is the divide between people & corrupt elite and human rights and that this has been occurring in various parts of the world. Pernia (2019) also mentioned that in this current administration, human rights violations were allowed due to the disregard of liberal democracy in this country. Human rights activists were also affected by this issue which violates the freedom of speech and according to the research done by Howie (2017), “ free speech is a necessary precondition to the enjoyment of other rights, such as the right to vote, free assembly and freedom of association, and is essential to ensure press freedom.”

It is quite ironic to see how despite the fact that we live in a modern time wherein everyone is educated from what is right from wrong, it is quite awful to read news articles that human rights are violated and that the majority of its victims are those who are not in high position and power in this society. The issue regarding human rights can be related to the philosophical topic about freedom. To start off, freedom is the independence of an individual from oppression, other people, an authority or from society itself. This is divided into two namely: negative freedom wherein we are free from any obstacles and other interferences and positive freedom wherein our freedom is governed. The two terms mentioned earlier, human rights and freedom, are connected since human rights give us freedom on some aspects of our lives as humans such as freedom of expression. Due to the ongoing oppression in some countries, including the Philippines, this is a big issue since people who are evil can use this as an excuse to suppress those who are against their authority or will. They can immediately use their power to manipulate and monopolize an entire nation. With this, they can also control everyone through fear and in the process, threaten human rights. As early as now, everyone should educate themselves about their rights as a citizen of their country and as a human. Everyone should also frequently read news about these types of issues because just because it doesn’t affect you doesn’t mean you should educate yourself about it.

       All human rights are fundamental, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated. The Philippines must treat all human rights in a fair and equitable way, on the same basis, and with the same emphasis. While the importance of national and regional particularities and the different historical, cultural and religious contexts must be borne in mind, it is the responsibility of Governments, irrespective of their political, economic and cultural structures, to promote and protect all human rights and the foundations of human rights. Respect for and enforcement of human rights provides the foundation for peaceful and harmonious coexistence between peoples of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. The diversity of cultures and religions enriches the basic sense of human rights at rational and regional level.

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                                    BREAKING BARRIERS         

                                    GATAL, LIMPIO, MORITO                        

Over the past few months, we have heard a surge of suicide cases in the country. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, and many are struggling with fear and anxiety. It was reported that around 3.6 million Filipinos are suffering from mental disorders amid the pandemic (Department of Health, 2020). People often create this barrier that prevents others from knowing their sufferings, and it is a barrier that we must break.

With so many people experiencing mental illnesses, it is surprising that conversations about it aren’t normal. Suicide prevention is most effective when there is a collaboration among family members, friends, co-workers, educators, religious leaders, healthcare providers, politicians, and governments (International Association for the Study of Pain, 2020). People often think that they shouldn’t seek help for their psychological issues, and they feel that asking for help makes them weak. “It’s OK to not be OK, there is hope, recovery is possible and there should be no shame in getting help” (Francisco Duque II, 2019). The DOH and NHMC estimate that up to 3.5 million Filipinos, or nearly four percent of the population, suffer from mental health conditions, with the suicide rate at 3.2 for every 100,000 people. A recent study also showed that Filipinos are among the most stressed people in the world. This shows the importance of shedding light on this invisible illness.

The pandemic is a challenge for everyone, especially in our mental health. From our perspective, the problems arising during the pandemic cause people to be anxious, and at some point, they question their existence. There is a specific limit to people’s mental and emotional capacity. We should realize that each individual is unique. Everyone has their strengths and weakness, so is their physique and mental capacity. Hence, it is noticeable that some people develop depression and anxiety quickly. If people decide to bottle-up their issues, it might become exhausting or all-consuming. That is why we should open up more. Even if you or some people are not experiencing these problems, try to reach out and comfort them or, if possible, hang out with them. Proper communication with family and friends is very effective in suicide prevention; that is why sharing and opening up is a must. There is no shame in expressing your emotions; sharing is what eases the pain and burden. We believe that caring for others is sowing bonds, and inviting others into our life is enriching it. We believe that behind everything we do, there is the potential to connect, build stronger relationships, and establish a foundation for emotional support. Our constant efforts to raise awareness on this topic help those struggling with their mental illnesses have confidence, feel represented, and be less lonely on their way to recovery.

The events caused by the pandemic posts risks to our mental health, and that is why we, authors, decided to highlight the importance of opening up. We concluded that it is best for us, humans, to speak and open up to someone we trust for us to establish a better community and mentally stable society. We should be holistic, have awareness, and be more mindful about the importance of mental health. When we accept that and help others with their burden, we end the silent suffering of millions of people. That is why we should be breaking barriers.

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                                    TEEN DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE

                                          Buliboli, Tomada,  Desquitado

Throughout adolescence, depression, and suicide has been rampant around the world among teens. Rates among these problems gradually increase triple times a year, according to Cram.com (2020). Rudlin (2020) also stated that depression and suicide are often caused by social difficulties, academic pressures, and teen interactions. She also added that ideations in teens are usually caused by untreated depression or drug misuse and always needs to be taken seriously.           

            Depression is a common mental disorder that is classified as a mood disorder by medical studies. The World Health Organization (2020) stated that more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression, globally. A person living with depression often experience completely different thoughts before and after a depressive episode. Many people who suffer from depression report their feelings as though that they’ve lost the ability to imagine a happy future, or remember a happy past, and to think of positive ideas. Often they would think that their illness is incurable, yet what they only need to do is to seek help from those people who might guide them in overcoming what they are facing. Emotions and even physical pain can become unbearable and this reasons out why they think ending their life would be the only solution to end their pain. This is where suicidal ideation usually is created. 

            Teen suicide is a major cause of death among teens. According to WebMd (2020), suicide is one of the top causes of death in the U.S., with rates rising across the country by nearly 45,000 people. Though many may not recognize suicide as a serious threat to a teenager’s well-being, experts see this as a major problem in every household in different parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15-19-year-olds in which one of every six people is aged 10-19 years old. Furthermore, half of all mental health conditions usually start at 14 years old, but most cases are undetected and untreated. 

            Moreover, teen depression and suicide is not a joke and a trend to be followed by many. Issues like this need to be addressed seriously and treated as early as possible, especially with our current situation right now. There might be no absolute way in preventing depression but there are a lot of strategies that a person could to help ease down depression and suicidal thoughts. 

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Faith Collados

                             MY PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION

 When I was in junior high school, I always hang out with my friends, and every day, I would always come home late. My auntie would always scold me for being so hardheaded. She berates me more than my mom would. I sometimes won’t listen to her and ignore what she’s saying, but I know that my auntie only wants what’s the best for me. She’s the kind of auntie who’s very hardworking, the one who supports us in our studies and treats us as if we are her children. During the year 2018, her disease grew worse. I was the one who nursed her, but sometimes I intentionally go out so that I can skip my duty to accompany her. There was one time I woke up in the middle of the night, and I hear her listening to some worship songs hoping that it would hide all the pain inside her heart. That day I realize how rude I am, only thinking about myself. Gradually I tried to make it up for her, but I was too late. January 28, 2019, was her birthday, and the next day, at 2:00 in the morning, she finally rested.

During that day, I realized that we should appreciate those people who are always there for us because we will never know when they will leave on this earth. Cherish those moments wherein you are with them because you’ll never realize the value of something until it becomes a memory. Always listen to your family because they are only guiding us and leading us to reach the future that’s best for us.

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Lauronilla, Emmanuel Jose

Poverty is a disease that not all people are aware of. We keep neglecting the fact that each day, a person starves, a person thirst, and a person dies. Poverty is indeed a Pandemic.

            What is a pandemic? Well, we all know that a Pandemic is a Global outbreak of a particular disease that takes away lives. With that, poverty alone meets the definition of a Pandemic. It has been reported that in the year 2011, over 874,000 people, children, and babies died due to hunger, diseases, infections, and many other reasons. What must happen for us to make a move, for us to help, for the Government to hear. Muhammad Ali, a professional Boxer, once said, “Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change”. I cannot help myself to imagine the pain that every human being under the poverty line, the hunger, and the urge to survive each day. Sometimes we need to stop being robots to do the things they are programmed and think as a human being that cares and has the urge to help. I, too, do not think that poverty is a big of a deal. However, at some point, I was baffled with thoughts in my head. Society has made a line that divides us from what we own, what we have, our level of education, financially, and many other things. But for what? Does it still have to reach the amount of mortality rate for this to be given importance? During this time of a Pandemic, they are the most vulnerable.

            On a final note, we should do something to end this and to save the lives of the most vulnerable. I see this as an opportunity missed. Poverty can be a driver for change, for growth for development. We must think of the windows of opportunity to use poverty to our advantage.

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Gimenez, Earl Reynan T.

   Margaret Mead once said, “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” Education is an essential aspect of someone’s life and changes how a person thinks and helps them overcome challenges through the knowledge of the world. A method teachers’ devise to test a student’s depth of education is through homework. Homework reinforces skills, concepts, and information learned in class (Atkinson, 2020). However, as the pandemic continues to grow, so does the amount of homework provided by online courses. Sadly, too much homework can affect both students’ physical and mental health (Oxford Learning, 2016). Mental health is already an issue, and the nature of the new normal education could worsen it. Which leads to my negative view of education, that education is nothing but abuse to my rights, that I should just quit because of the stress the new online learning has given to me, and that I am the only one suffering. But recent events say otherwise and that I should just thread on and move forward towards the challenges. What could be the reason I have decided on this?

   Starting from the past where people implement face-to-face learning, I remember that homework was manageable. At most, there were one or two assignments for the day and around five total assignments for the week. For example, the Mathematics learning sector for my previous grade levels is one with the most assignments because a portion of my class has difficulties with it. There were only lesser assignments because we did most of the activities in the classroom, and teachers only gave homework as a mini-challenge for the discussed topic. However, learning changed when the pandemic hit, and everyone moved towards online classes. Online meetings restrict time with only forty minutes per subject following the schedule; therefore, almost every single activity is an assignment by the teachers. Self-learning is hard for someone like me who relies heavily on mentorship learning strategies. Other people think also the same, Sara Hoskin (2020) states that “The work (homework) isn’t hard, but it can be challenging at times when you don’t have a teacher to call over for help (Para. 6).” With the motion of assignments for each subject almost every day and the self-paced learning, the pressure will build up for people who are easily anxious like me as the deadlines stack up for strenuous activities and lessons. I was not ready and did not experience online learning before. I cannot help myself and cried almost every night as I accomplish the tasks assigned to me despite being bombarded by personal chores and responsibilities.

   The chain of events leads to my partial point of view, that education is becoming an abuse and that I am the only one suffering. Well, I thought so because people around me were unfazed by the amount of work. When there was an asynchronous activity, my new classmates talked about goofing around and only became serious later with academic-related stuff. My old classmates are no longer with me, and they have their share of assignments. Yet they laughed together and could accomplish their tasks. Alone and isolated because the department transferred me forcibly to another section with little-to-no one I knew of, together with another student of which I have very little interaction in the past, I found myself in despair and suffering because of the new nature of education. It was only a matter of time for those who were close to me to realize that I became different, someone with no motivation to continue in life. They asked me what was wrong; I did not answer; however, I asked my friends if their studies are fine and that is where a different array of emotions hit me. They too cried and suffered. With one of my dear friends said, “There is too much homework, I even cried at my low grade in Quipper.” My parents even caught wind, and they told me that the students in other schools are also suffering through all the different social media posts of these students’ rants and complaints. So, I thought to myself, were my tears all but an embarrassment? Should I have looked at the bigger view? Education was not the problem then, just the very nature of online classes?

   Then a holistic point of view dawned on me, that education is not the one to blame and that I am not only the one suffering. All those tears and despair resulted from my fallacy, the fallacy of composition. According to Paroginog (2020) Fallacy of Composition happens when we mistakenly assume that what is true for the parts must also be true for the whole. So, I mistakenly acted upon my whims and dumped the nature of online classes, time-bounded and limited, to learning. Education is limitless, just like how Lee (2020) describes the brain, “The human brain has limitless potential. With time and effort, our magnificent brains can learn whatever we choose (para. 1-2).” As a result, I have steeled myself and did whatever I could without worrying about the grade; giving priority to nothing but learning. By then, I could feel a little lighter and be able to focus more on my long-term and personal goals. But, what does this mean for those who also suffered anxiety, insecurity, and hopelessness, did they also commit another fallacy, perhaps the fallacy of the slippery slope? According to Hanks, “In a slippery slope argument, a course of action is rejected because, with little or no evidence, one insists that it will lead to a chain reaction resulting in an undesirable end or ends (para. 1).” We can see this through the 263,091 persons that signed a petition (and counting) and supporters that want to freeze the academic year 2020-2021 in hopes to make learning equal. But the petition is one-sided without the consideration of the education sector that needs their jobs and wants to teach the masses. Well, every individual has their reasons and capabilities, so thinking of negativities only may not be true for the others. Holistic or not, these individuals that have experienced harshness in learning within the new normal also need to reflect. Reflect on other possibilities and choices and ask for help from others so we all can move forward in our little ways, the same way on how I thought quitting would be the best idea when it is not.

  In conclusion, my viewpoint that education is the one to blame for my sufferings is wrong. There are others that feel the same way that I do and have distinct challenges to overcome. With that, I realize that I have to be less selfish and take into consideration all the other aspects that contribute to the difficulty of the new normal education. Taking these in consideration, I hope that people, not only students, will take time to reflect and think of all the possibilities and options while the pandemic continues. This way they would not lose hope as easily as I did and continue on with their long-term goals. As Charles C. Noble says, “You must have long-term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.”

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Gatal, Mark Anthony

Throughout my life, I encountered a lot of things, and it would fill my mind with different questions. Some things are indeed difficult, but the way we see them can make it more problematic. Things are often not what they are but what you think they are. There’s a difference. But there are certain instances when we search for the truth, it would lead us into making assumptions. This pandemic leads me to question so many things about life. Why did this happen? How can a single event turn all our lives upside down, and who do we blame?

Things are much different than they used to be. It’s as if we are in a Sci-fi book, and everything suddenly seems so unrealistic. No one dares to go outside since everyone fears of contracting the virus. Watching the increasing numbers of people getting positive with the virus makes my stress and anxiety levels rise to its peak. It indeed changed my life, and my daily routine has become extremely repetitive. As I have struggled personally to cope with the current global health crisis, I have found myself philosophizing and thinking of our current situation.

Fear became a factor in my daily life, and I feel as though I am going back to my old habits to find comfort. Reading and drawing are the only activities that kept my mind clear and sane in these stressful times. As time passed by, everything, despite being so unrealistic seemed normal. As a student, I never really planned to spend my school year this way. We are all having a difficult time adapting to the new education system, and some students even considered not enrolling at all due to online education being too expensive. A lot of people lost their jobs and are now struggling to sustain their daily needs. Medical workers and front liners are now sacrificing their lives in the hopes of preventing the spread of the virus. People are dying, and economies are falling. I came to a point where I became so futile, and I tried to find someone to blame for all these problems. I directed my aim to the Chinese people, and I assume most of us did. Yes, the pandemic did start in China, but it was wrong for me to blame the whole country. I should have sought the truth instead of jumping to conclusions. Some Chinese people are also heroes in this pandemic. Chinese doctors, researchers, and journalists risked their lives and even died fighting the virus and warning the world. China has assisted in over 130 countries and international organizations to fight the coronavirus pandemic. They provided a lot of help to other countries, yet somehow we did not see the other side of the coin. It’s just sad to think that they are experiencing mistreatment and racism due to our partial point of view.

This experience made me realize the importance of having a holistic judgment. Let us broaden our understanding of reality, seek the truth, and take considerations of other factors before we jump to conclusions. When we are in search of answers, we should not confuse ourselves with misconceptions and assumptions. It’s okay if we make these mistakes just make sure that you have learned your lesson. Just like in our current situation, we should have never blamed and mistreated the Chinese people. We should first look at both sides of the story. Blaming is not the answer to this pandemic, unity is. The virus threatens everyone so let us all stop the blame.

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Empleo, John Paul

Every single one of us hopes for a good life. But does this mean that life will be good to us? or the way that this flows in every single day that influences us to work hard and struggle with the uncertainty and inequality that is being distributed to each and single individual could bring good to us or any better especially now, 2020 during this pandemic?

I suppose that we should be aware of what is happening around us, and apply what we have learned from our past realizations and lessons. This pandemic, for instance. We are trapped and isolated in a way that we can not have physical interaction with our friends. That we could not share our thoughts and feelings, and we can not distract ourselves from the way we overthink our problems. As an overthinker, yes, you read it right. I perceive and approach things differently. It is not easy for me to grasp onto reality. I need such distractions to avoid the negative thoughts run through my head. But things shouldn’t be like that for me forever. I know that I have got to end this bad habit and practice with my coping mechanisms, and on how to stay positive despite these catastrophes that are happening around us. We should be able to acquire and promote the state of mental health awareness and we shouldn’t take it as a joke for this pandemic is giving those people experiencing this a hard and tough battle that drags their demons to slowly recapture their state of mind again. No one wants to be isolated and be dragged down to the void of sadness. Everyone wants a good life. In this current situation with the pandemic, I have realized that we should take these things seriously. We should be able to inspire other people to live freely away from these negative thoughts and emotions. And to be able to keep a smile even though it’s a hard time.

Everyone wants a good life, but is life good to us? You have the answer, and it takes such responsibility and actions because life isn’t just a joke and despite all these inequalities, we should go for inspiring and helping one another. You do you, and you will be alright.