NCPO PH+ by Aooengc

31/05/2021

Our newsletter NCPO PH+ by AooEngC Issue 1 | Volume 1 is now available.
https://bit.ly/3yRDoHN

30/05/2021

Do not waste your power.

https://irehistro.comelec.gov.ph/cef1

NOTE: Read and follow the instructions of iRehistro carefully.

30/05/2021

[NEWS]
PH History Advocates in full force for NCPO ’21 confab

“Lahat tayo ay kabahagi sa naratibong ito,” he told the delegates of the journalism event as he addressed the roles being played by every sector of the society in the making of the steps toward achieving prime knowledge in Philippine History and fighting misinformation.

Through pushing for the return of the subject to secondary education sectors, young Filipinos are expected to develop a higher sense and power to ask for accountability from faulty sources of information, create a healthy environment for dialogue and debate, and build culture and identity.

In order to avoid unhealthy discourse, Joey Dela Cruz used the “Lapu Lapu is a Tausug” issue to show how the youth should think and act. One has to determine of the detail is problematic, focus on the truth, and stick with the truth.

“Magsabi kayo ng totoo at magrereverberate iyon sa lipunan.”

Full story: https://bit.ly/3yHTsf7

Photos: NCPO-BDCP Virtual Press Conference and High School Philippines History Movement
Article by Robert De Guzman and Divine Arcel Munar

30/05/2021

[NEWS]
In line with the CoViD-19 Vaccination Program, the Municipality of Agoo rolled out the SINOVAC and AstraZeneca vials and inoculated roughly 500 Agooeños in the priority group A3 (18-59 years old with controlled comorbidities) this week, May 24 and 25, at the Agoo National Vocational High School Building, Consolacion, Agoo, La Union.

Full story: https://bit.ly/3vC4XCW

Report and photo by Gener Orencia

29/05/2021

[FEATURE]
AGKAMMET TAYO KAILIAN:
Aroo, A Taste of Heritage

Warm and woodsy, the ambiance of the golden amber lit museum restaurant alongside G. Tabora Rd. in Agoo, La Union has been attracting local tourists and enthusiasts for one year and a half now. With these splashes of hues that resemble the similarly significant Museo Iloko in the town, the family style grill and diner offers a blast of time capsule experience to customers by tickling their taste buds and visions.
Its owner, Ms. Maricel Cariño explained, “Since Agoo’s nominal origin was derived from the term Aroo, it speaks a lot for our business theme which is to hold and establish a museum-restaurant identity (translated).”
Aroo, as referred by the locals, is an abundant type of tree in the municipality that resembles a pine. Nowadays, most of them are locally known to people as the main attraction of Agoo Ecopark, Sta. Rita, Agoo, La Union.
Aside from the glowing, picturesque throwback sensation, this local icon pumps the tourism industry of the town with the following features that only they offer in the locality, so far.

Full story: https://bit.ly/3fNrZjq

Article by Gener Orencia & Divine Arcel Munar
Photos by Gener Orencia

29/05/2021

[OPINION]
Spit or Swallow

There are two powerhouse seasons that unleash the 52 degree-Celsius heat wave our country is currently having: summer and election. The summer season which made the god-tier water to still hold the crown despite the fame of soda and milk tea. And the election season which seemingly overwhelms the heat and the thirst it brings to the Filipino people. The thirst is getting stronger and alarming that even if one drinks more than eight glasses of water a day, it just does not simply work that way. Pre-election period is on its way to rising action and it is now beating the heat that the summer can hit.

The desperation of every Filipino in finding that one better path for the country continues and joining the team responsible for putting that office-bearer in his rightful throne can be that one-way ticket to the better life we are all longing for.

Full article: https://bit.ly/3c2nnVE

Article by Ailene Flores

29/05/2021

[DEVCOM]
Digital Detectives: How the People of Agoo Spot Real News

Since Agoo is a community that cradles numerous regionally and nationally-recognized academic institutions, Agoenians are now slowly turning the tables in favour of truth in the fight against misinformation.
From theory to practice, here is how they are managing to pull it off:

Facts versus Faults
• Locals extremely value their time and resources. Therefore, they make sure to prioritize receiving substantial community information from mainstream media sources that their LGUs or other fact-checking organizations have either confirmed relevant, partnered with, followed, or recommended. Subscribing to verified sources of news are more worth the locals’ time than having it their way to read everything they receive from the internet and tediously spotting for faults and holes in them.

Full article: https://bit.ly/2SACNcx

Article by Robert De Guzman & Divine Arcel Munar

28/05/2021

[DEVCOM]
App Review featuring ScienceDirect by Elsevier

ScienceDirect provides a broad source of information from a large database of published articles and peer-reviewed journals that enable students, researchers, practitioners, and experts to keep pace with the development in diverse scope of sciences.

This site contains more than 15 million scientific articles, whereby, over 900,000 of which are open access. The interface of this site is easy to navigate. A user can filter the results to be shown with respect to year of publication, article type, publication title, and subject areas.

Full review: https://bit.ly/3vozNif

Review by Menrie Arabos

28/05/2021

[LITERARY]
A Heavyweight Beyond Tenterhooks

When their eyes dilate
A heavy sigh, a desperate strait
When would it be enough?
How can I break these cuffs?

A feast for their sight
A beast on fright
When would it be enough?
When can I be an ally and not a bluff?

Full poem: https://bit.ly/2TdTQBA

Poem by Ailene Flores
Art by Rolando Nadal Jr.

28/05/2021

[OPINION]
HE SAID | Voter "Miss" Education

Maybe, just maybe, we should not only blame ourselves or to point our fingers to those we deem “ignorant” and bobotante. The fact that the system of electoral politics here in the Philippines itself allocates a space for ill-willed election tactics for trapos to secure a seat in the political hall, is a clear indication as to where the garbage of Philippine politics congregates.

Voter education will remain a mere whisper until the electoral system will be reformed. That includes, punishing those who violates in particular the campaign expenses. Policymakers must reconsider the stratagems the perpetrators usually do to get away with it and counter it to the best of laws they could devise. One stratagem is listing of personal expenses as donations or paid by their allies. This move is prevalent and existing in the Rolodex of deception by government officials long before one could imagine. It has been a long-existing tactic to cover up a loophole. Proven and tested so as they say.

However, I do not think some policymakers would love to eradicate that “tradition” that may have catapulted some of them to where they are now. This is a blatant accusation but who knows?

Full article: https://bit.ly/3wDoiUn

28/05/2021

[SCITECH]
The Enemy's Enemy is Here!

All vaccines have side effects and actually, side effects are good signs!

In the medical field, vaccine side effects prove its potency to have the human body get used to the little amount of viral material injected in our bloodstream. In COVID-19 vaccines, the younger the recipient, the more side effects there could possibly be. However, instead of worrying, physicians ensure that this bodily response is only due to the effectiveness of the vaccine. That means the more that person experiences the common side effects such as fever, colds, muscle aches, and nausea, the more one will be able to develop immunity.

Full article: https://bit.ly/3uw3P21

Article by Divine Arcel Munar
Art by Jayson Javier

27/05/2021

[DEVCOM]
App Review featuring PaperPanda

You have probably experienced locating journal articles or academic papers online yet they need your subscription to access them. Maybe there is free access to that article through public online libraries, or they are available for free downloading through an open access portal, and maybe the author uploaded a PDF to a website somewhere – but how are you going to find it?

And how will you lessen the effort and time consumed from jumping from one site to the other, navigating paywalls, search engines, and logging in?

PaperPanda might be the best option for you.

Full review: https://bit.ly/3oN3uac

Review by Robert De Guzman

27/05/2021

[COLUMN/OPINION]

A Core Value for Something

Absence of both understanding and awareness of the past will definitely leave a void on the patriotic heart of Juan. History serves as a handbook to incite awareness of the predicament that has been done in the past, so that we could minimize the mistakes that we might perpetrate in the present, and so the history won’t repeat itself.
In addition, the independence that we have right now as a Filipino citizens were built from the flesh, blood, and bones of those who raised the Philippine flag and its future first, before themselves, bringing back the subject to the curriculum in high school could be the least thing that we could do to appreciate what they have done in the past. We do not want that the flames of patriotism and nationalism that bloomed in the hearts of our ancestors turn to ashes and just disappear into thin air. It should not be neglected but extended even up to this generation and thereafter.
After all, one day, we’ll become part of that history where ‘pagiging makabayan’ is actually a practice and not just a theory.

Full article: https://bit.ly/3hOOwPl

Words by Rolando Nadal Jr.

27/05/2021

[LITERARY]
A Part of Me | excerpt:

A part of me dies when you walk away from the circles on the ground we drew together and I got left within the lines alone. It is the feeling of building a fortress that kissed me goodbye when others came to play and stepped on the sketches of our little art. What do I do with this stick now that I am not able to meet your lines halfway? A part of me died when you chose rather not to stay.

A part of me follows you wherever your waves rush to and my feet dance happy songs knowing you were there and mine for a day or two. It is the feeling of watching you come and go that kissed me goodbye when I discovered you were the sea that could kill me if I dove in to your placating depth. What do I do with this raft now that I am not able to write on water? A part of me still follows you despite all the things we do not share.

A part of me disappears when I lost my voice calling for a name that has never mentioned mine. It is the feeling of having the sun shine just for me that kissed me goodbye when it does not just happen and it never will. What do I do with these wings now that I got burned before I could even fly?

Full prose: https://bit.ly/3hNJ2EF

Words by Divine Arcel Munar
Art by Jayson Javier

26/05/2021

[DEVCOM]
App Review featuring TinEye

This reverse image search engine searches for images using image recognition to identify matches to your search image. When users submit a picture for search, TinEye uses image recognition to produce a unique and compact digital signature or ‘fingerprint’ for it, which it then compares to every other image found on their index to identify matches. It then finds exact matches using the uploaded image which may have been cropped, edited, or resized.

This non-commercial site is efficient in fact-checking images by tracing back the origin of the photo even though it might have been manipulated. This tool is a cinch by just dragging the photo on the site and it will serve you verifications.

Full review: https://bit.ly/2SsosyN

Review by Ailene Flores

26/05/2021

[COLUMN/OPINION]
Threats upon Non-existence

Its non-existence in the course of the Basic Education Curriculum is a threat to achieving a sense of patriotism and national identity supposedly running swiftly in the Filipino blood. Less informed Filipinos can be easily manipulated; misinformed Filipinos can spread twisted versions of truth. An example of the danger of being less informed was evident during the social media hype in the movie, Heneral Luna, whereby an alarming question was set by many students: “Why did Apolinario Mabini not stand even once in the movie?!”

This question has raised several concerns including the insufficient education among those students that Mabini suffered from polio and thus, made him incapable to stand. Similarly, misinformed Filipinos can influence other people to believe with claims that deviate from historical facts. As an example, several Facebook and Twitter users have spread a claim that the Philippines was the second richest country behind Japan during the rule of former tyrant Ferdinand Marcos. Meanwhile, this notion is untrue according to expert studies of economic statistics from the time period which demonstrate that the Philippine economic growth grandly fell behind that of numerous other countries. With these being mentioned, the removal of Philippine History also abated critical thinking.

Full article: https://bit.ly/3yCbfV2

Words | Menrie Arabos

26/05/2021

[LITERARY]
WILDCARD | excerpt:

What are we all on this train but random strangers to another’s seat?
What are we all on this swing but seldom players of our own feet?
And as we push through the walls that paint us red and dead,
We weave through the tapestries that always held us down in dread.

What are we on this page but random players to another’s game?
What are we all on this game but seldom winners to our own fate?

Full poem: https://bit.ly/3yAcELJ

Words | Divine Arcel Munar
Art | Jayson Javier

26/05/2021

[DEVCOM]
App Review featuring Wolfram Alpha

It answers specific questions rather than explaining general topics, objective inquiries, only what are known and public information queries. Ad-less, it gives a wider space for information viewing which may not be essential to everyone but for those who are just like me who would get distracted with blinking hamburger and fries boxes on the right side of Citation 101.

It is like a search engine on high as it will offer you examples to math problems from elementary to college level (which is the main reason why I found it) and statistical charts showing longitudinal data depending on the keyword. Aside from that, it has a wide reach in terms of Science and Technology, Society and Culture, and Everyday Life responses. Again, there is the assurance that you won’t be led to any other site because the responses are given within their site themselves. It also features data input ranging from file uploads and image input.

Full review: https://bit.ly/3vjBnSh

Review by Divine Arcel Munar

25/05/2021

[COMIC STRIP]
hi-story by Rolando Nadal Jr.

More on PH History for HS curriculum: https://bit.ly/3yErpgD

25/05/2021

[EDITORIAL]
Divide and Conquer

As seen on TV, the transformative revolution to address the basic needs of the Filipino people started with a single idea brought about with a simple goal that everyone understood. This mass-friendly step to helping the community withstand the demands of the pandemic then encouraged other communities to replicate the very same action. And as each community adapted and delivered the message across the nation, Maginhawa Community Pantry’s goals and intentions to help the needy grew exponentially.
The best thing about this is that no one joined by force.
This analogy brings us then to finally address the elephant in the room: decentralize relief programs to localize responses on specific community needs.

Full article: https://bit.ly/3vlCp06

25/05/2021

[SPORTS NEWS]
Bhullar ‘veradicates’ Vera, overthrows the champ for the ONE Heavyweight title

After sending Vera lying cold on the ground, Bhullar proved that he could handle “The Truth”

Indian-Canadian juggernaut Arjan Bhullar bludgeoned the washed-up king Brandon Vera with a savage all-out ground-and-pound assault for a second-round TKO finish to be crowned as MMA’s first Indian world champion in the main event of ONE Championship: Dangal, last May 15 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore.

This historical victory hammered the final nail in the coffin of Brandon Vera’s five-year championship reign.

Full story: https://bit.ly/34hsKM9

Report by Gener Orencia
Photos from MMA Ju**ie Staff; Arjan Bhullar's Twitter

23/05/2021

23/05/2021