newmille

[newmille]

Entry 8 “Resilience”

Dear Diary,

For you, what is resilience?

I will always admire Filipino resiliency.

(photo from WordPress.com)

Seeing my fellow countrymen rise above disasters and calamities that wreaked havoc on the country makes me proud that I am a Filipino. We have braved the winds of a super typhoon. We faced earthquakes that shattered our roads and crushed infrastructures. Even volcanic eruptions can't take away the determination of our people.

(photo from ABS-CBN)

We lost our loved ones to these unfortunate events but we always find it within ourselves to bounce back stronger. The spirit of "Bayanihan" lives in our hearts and that's what keeps us together during these trying times.  The comfort of each others' hugs bring warmth and one's motivation to survive gives us hope.

Indeed, Filipinos are strong.

Resourceful.

Brave.

We are happy people.

Our resiliency is commendable. 

But this is not an excuse for the government to slack off and depend on it always to the people’s resilience. They must provide help and assistance to the people. It is our right to demand aid and help because it is the money of the people that pay those in power.

You may see these people laugh at their problems and go on with their lives but resilience is not enough for them to get back to their normal lives. Some lost their loved ones. Some lost their livelihood. These people have families to feed and children to send to school. 

A pat on their back for being resilient is comforting but it’s never enough to bring back what they have lost.

Today, we, the Filipino people are facing one of the biggest fight of our lives - the pandemic. We are against a lethal and deadly virus that has already took a lot from us. We’ve been locked up in our houses for more than a year and nothing has really changes. The government poorly handled this virus and the people are suffering because of it.

The opening of community pantries in different parts of the country, the donations from private organizations and the initiatives of LGUs in their localities once again proved that the Filipino resiliency is one of a kind. The Government failed us and it’s all thanks to Filipino resiliency once again.

(photo from Manila Bulletin)

Hang in there my fellow Filipinos.

XOXO,

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 7 “Spiderman”

Dear Diary,

 Have you watched the movie Spiderman?

“Great power comes with great responsibility” – Uncle Ben

This is one of the iconic quotes that the movie left with its viewers. I picked this quote because it reminds me of our lesson in SAS 1 about the relation of the individual to the world he lives in

The individual, which can be you or me or your friends, has rights that must be honored and protected by society, The individual then has obligations and duties to the society which contributes to the welfare of others. This shows the relation of the individual to society and how both affect each other.

Agency is the capability of a person to act and make a difference in his or her own volition. This may also be influenced by their beliefs, social class, gender, ethnicity, and religion. 

When one exercises his rights and discharges his or her duties and obligations to society, he or she is entitled to rights and entitlements that must be honored by the society thus making him or her a citizen. This is where the concept of citizenship comes in.

It sounds easy. Right?

But what if one does not comply? what happens when society neglects the rights of the people? What will happen to the individual if he or she fails to do his or her obligations? Will it cause societal problems? if yes, up to what extent?

Keep asking questions!

XOXO,

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 6 “Mental Health”

Dear Diary,

HI! How are you?

“a state of well-being in which a person understands his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work, productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. – World Health Organization 2001

The increase in mental health conditions and disorders since 2017. The WHO discovered that Depression is the number one cause of disabilities and suicide came second as the leading cause of death for ages 15-29.

Despite being recognized as having an important role to play in achieving global development goals, WHO’s findings reflected that mental health is not being talked about enough hence cases of discrimination, human rights violation, and abuse are high across the globe.

Attached below is an artwork that I made for Mental Health Awareness.

Mental health is as important as our physical health. It affects a person’s behavior, thoughts, emotions, and moods and if not attended it may have implications to the person’s well-being that might lead to Mental illnesses like:

Depression;

anxiety disorders;

Schizophrenia;

eating disorders; and

addictive behaviors

It can be caused by inherited traits, exposure to environmental stressors, and brain chemistry. 

Discussions about Mental health are taboo here in the Philippines. People are afraid of going to the doctor to be checked and of the stigma due to fear of being judged by other people.

This is why it is important to raise awareness and rally more people to support those who are in need of help and provide safe spaces for everyone. Spread information about Mental Health to educate more people of its importance and the consequences of it being neglected. Some of us is facing a battle we know nothing about and sometimes the least we could to is to let them know that we are always there for them.

Living with mental health issues is never easy. Check on your loved ones from time to time. Reach out and don’t be afraid to ask help.

XOXO

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 5 “Love”

Dear Diary,

“There are all types of love in this world but never the same love twice.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Do you have a crush?

Nothing beats the feeling of sitting next to the person you are crushing on the most while trying to act cool and unbothered by their presence. The small moments you share every time you pass by each other at the school corridors during recess time and the glances you throw at them without them knowing is the best thing about having a crush..

Love is everywhere. It is in our art and culture. Our literature is filled with stories and songs of love. It is a feeling that humans crave. It is fascinating, inspiring and sometimes it can drive you crazy.

Love is always a good topic right?

As individuals with different backgrounds and identities, our principles, beliefs, and preferences greatly affect how we see other people. This is the same with choosing a person we want to love. We tend to fall in love with a person who is fitting in our concept of an ideal partner as influenced by our culture, beliefs, and ideologies.

Another thing that I learned from this lesson is that love is experienced by people differently. There are different ways of expressing one’s affection to another and these are called “love languages”.

Types of Love Languages

-Physical Touch

-Words of Affirmation

-Acts of Service

-Quality Time

-Receiving Gifts

I enjoyed our discussion about this topic because I was able to get to know myself more and how I present my love for the people who are dear to me. I also realized how I wanted to be loved and I think that knowing these things will help you understand yourself and your partner that will keep your relationship stronger.

Stay strong lovebirds!

XOXO

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 4 “Brotherhood”

Dear Diary,

  What’s your favorite thing as a freshman in college?

Entering college was one of the most exciting moments of my life. That sense of independence that you feel when you finally have a place of your own away from the noisy household you grew up to makes me feel so giddy and excited. The cool thing is that I get to share the room with my friends, and I can only imagine the adventures we are yet to experience as roommates! ��#CollegeLife #BestROOMMIES!

Of course, I will never forget all the warnings my parents told me about kids who smoke and drink booze all night instead of studying for their classes. They also warned me about fraternities.

Yup. Fraternities.

Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at school that students can choose to be a part of. Initiations come in different forms depending on the fraternity’s laws. These are activities or challenges that one must surpass to be accepted as a member.

In our SAS 1 class, we discussed a topic on rites of passage. These are rituals that mark an important milestone of a child’s transition to adolescence. Different cultures from around the world have their versions of a rite of passage. This may be in a form of a debut, joining fraternities and sororities, or by doing initiation rites.

While some college boys are busy making challenges for their fraternities, in some cultures, rites of passages are means of handing down their cultural beliefs and responsibilities to the next generation.

So what’s the problem about it? 

First, these rituals are subject to pain and sacrifice. They believe that the willingness of an individual to join a fraternity is measured by the pain they are willing to endure. For example: Genital mutilation.

Second, these rites of passage are gendered. The rituals being performed are believed to make boys become men and girls to become better wives and mothers. This reflects the gender roles dictated by the society based on what's between a person's legs.

Rites of passage and initiation rites are not all bad. We must always educate ourselves and know the cultural contexts behind it. But we must also be aware of the harm it may cause to a person. 

It's good that in this time and age societies no longer perform such acts on adolescents and these rites of passage were now more of a celebration. You can still enjoy college without joining a fraternity and you do not need some brotherhood to have that sense of belongingness. 

Enjoy College!

XOXO

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 3 “Dagyang”

Dear Diary,

I used to believe that culture only affects the formation of one's identity and not vice versa. Our lesson on module three made me realize that identity can shape culture. Aside from our encounters with different situations and people, the culture that we grew up in also affects the realization of our identity.

The process of enculturation exposes an individual in attitudes, perceptions, belief systems and way to live of a certain group of people. This results to that individual unconsciously and consciously learning the culture of that certain group.

Take me for an example.

I was born in Palawan. My mom is a Palaweña and my dad was from South Cotabato. My parents met here in Iloilo and decided to settle down here for good because of work purposes. I grew up learning Hiligaynon as my first language. My first festival was the Dinagyang of Iloilo, and it has become our annual tradition as a family to “dagyang” and join the festivities in the city. My relatives in Palawan would call me “Ilonggo” because of my “malambing” accent that is common to Ilonggos.

I am born a Palaweño but after years of staying here in Iloilo, growing up to the sound of Dinagyang beats and the savory bowl of LaPaz batchoy, I learned how to be an Ilonggo.

“HALA BIRA ILOILO!”

XOXO,

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 2: “Interactions”

Dear Diary,

 Have you ever wondered how you became the person that you are today?

For me, yes. But I am proud and content with how I turn out.

This is my baby picture. I look so cute!

Just by looking at this old photo of myself, I realized that my experiences and interactions with different people, it may be good or bad, helped shape who I am today. Some people have a big influence on my character development and situations that taught me a lesson that changed the way I see things.

In one of the lessons, we have discussed in SAS 1, we learned that several factors like biochemical processes, ideas, beliefs, interaction with other people, and events contribute to the formation of oneself. One thing that stuck with me is how our interactions with other people affect our self-formation. Charles Horton Cooley's (1902) theory of the "social self" states that our self-formation emerges from the interactions we have made with different people and situations. This theory suggests that the experiences we have made helps us realize and define our own “self-concept”. A point he also raised is that our social self is our emotional response to situations and not just a product of our thinking.

I believe that there is a lot to know more about myself and things to unlearn. More experiences and places to go and I want to be open to these new experiences to get to know myself more.

XOXO,

Newmille

[newmille]

Entry 1 "The Self"

Dear Diary,

I haven't done this in a while, this "Dear Diary" thing.

I remember my teacher in SAS 1 (Self and Society) asking us to draw a male and a female figure then labeling their parts that signify their role and the expectations that it entails as dictated by society. It was my favorite activity. Well, I do love arts and drawing so participating in this activity was fun for me. Aside from that, the topic of "the self" caught my interest. Sometimes I wonder how other people see me or how they perceive me.

This was my output for that activity.

This is the reality of the world we live in. We are expected to act based on what's between our legs. Men are expected to be masculine, strong, and to be always tough while women should be feminine, submissive, and second to men. People, as dictated by society, are expected to act based on what's between their legs.

Growing up in a very conservative family is hard. I know that I am not like other boys because I prefer reading books over playing soccer or basketball under the piercing heat of the summer sun. I'd rather play “Bahay-bahayan” with my siblings instead of catching spiders at our school's basement and I hate being smelly after a day of running and leaping and rolling over mud piles. EW.

As a child, I was taught that being feminine is not a guy's thing.

"A guy must be strong!"

"A boy doesn't cry!"

"Act tough!"

"Play basketball!"

"Are you gay?"

Those are just some of the phrases that I always hear growing up. I used to cry upon hearing those words because I was denying who I really am even to myself.

Things changed when I reached college. I met a lot of people who enlightened me and helped me discover who I am. I get attracted to boys and girls and that is because they make me happy, they have a great personality, and maybe they can cook. I get to express who I am without being too concerned with other people's comments and opinions. I can be feminine and masculine whenever I want. Things were better off since I started living just as I am, free from the gender norms and expectations set by society.

My takeaway from that lecture is that we must not be bounded to the beliefs of society. Do not let anyone tell you who you are and just be you.

Be masculine. Be feminine. Be a plant!

XOXO

Newmille