Francisco Baltazar (Mula sa Florante at Laura)

Sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi
Kaliluha’y siyang nangyayaring hari
Kagalinga’t bait ay nalulugami,
Ininis sa hukay ng dusa’t pighati.

Ang magandang asal ay ipinupukol
Sa laot ng dagat ng dusa’t linggatong
Baling magagaling ay ibinabaon
At inililibing nang walang kabaong.

Nguni ay ang lilo’t masasamang loob
Sa trono ng puri ay iniluluklok
At sa baling sukab na may asal-hayop
Mabangong ins’yenso ang isinisuob.

Kaliluha’t sama ang ulo’y nagtayo
At ang kabaota’y kimi’t nakayuko
Santong katuwira’y lugami at hapo
Ang luha na lamang ang pinatutubo.

At ang baling bibig na binubukalan
Ng sabing magaling at katotohanan
Agad binibiyak at sinisikangan
Ng kalis ng lalong dustang kamatayan.

O taksil na pita sa yama’t mataas!
O hangad sa puring hanging lumilipas!
Ikaw ang dahilan
ng kasamang lahat
Niyaring nasapit
na kahabag-habag.

This August, we will be enjoying two long weekends as there will be two consecutive Mondays in the official holidays list.

President Rodrigo Duterte had signed the Proclamation No. 50.

The regular holidays are:

January 1, 2017, Sunday – New Year’s Day
April 9, 2017, Sunday – Araw ng Kagitingan
April 13, 2017 – Maundy Thursday
April 14, 2017 – Good Friday
May 1, 2017, Monday – Labor Day
June 12, 2017, Monday – Independence Day
June 26, 2017, Monday – Eid’l Fitr
August 28, 2017, last Monday of August – National Heroes’ Day
November 30, 2017, Thursday – Bonifacio Day
December 25, 2017, Monday – Christmas Day

December 30, 2017, Saturday – Rizal Day

Special (non-working) days:

January 2, 2017, Monday – based on Proclamation No. 117
January 28, 2017, Saturday – Chinese New Year
February 25, 2017, Saturday – EDSA Revolution Anniversary
April 15, 2017 – Black Saturday
August 21, 2017, Monday – Ninoy Aquino Day
October 31, 2017, Tuesday – additional special (non-working) day
November 1, 2017, Wednesday – All Saints’ Day
December 31, 2017, Sunday – last day of the year

Filipinos will also have another special holiday for the observance of Eid’l Adha, but the date has yet to be announced.

“People from the mountains” or Igorot are one of the many indigenous tribe in the Philippines. They have inhabited generally the southern part of Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya. They have left so many folklores that contributed to Philippine Literature. One of which tells how the world began.

Melon or Cantaloupe is more than just a cool summer snack! Besides its cooling and soothing effects, melon is a nutritious punch offering a variety of health benefits. Melons might just be the best fruits for the summer season.

1. Anti- Cancer:

Melons are packed with high content of carotenoids which can prevent cancer and lower the risk of lung cancer. Eating melons regularly is effective in preventing and killing the cancer seeds that invade your body. So incorporate melons in your diet to prevent this deadly disease.

2. Promotes Heart Health:

An anticoagulant called adenosine present in melon fruit can stop the clotting of blood cells which causes stroke or heart disease. Melons lower the risk of heart disease by smoothing the blood in the body. Besides, the high content of water in melon provides a soothing effect which helps relieve heartburn. Read the rest of this entry »

The Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices (AILAP) and Kritika Kultura (KK) have selected 15 fellows for the 15th Ateneo National Writers Workshop (ANWW) to be held at the Ateneo de Manila University from May 29 to June 2, 2017.

ANWW is the flagship project of the Creative Writing Desk of AILAP. Annually, 10 to 16 fellowships are given to young writers from around the country who wish to undergo a week of intensive training in their respective genres, namely fiction, poetry, and essay. This year ANWW has also accepted fellows whose works pursue issues surrounding the formation of local history and memory.

Read the rest of this entry »

The UP Institute of Creative Writing (ICW) is now accepting submissions for the eleventh issue of Likhaan: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature.

The Philippines’ leading literary peer-reviewed journal, the Likhaan Journal is published annually with funding from the University of the Philippines. It features the best of new and unpublished Philippine writing in English and Filipino. Submissions to the journal undergo a strict pre-screening and blind refereeing process by both the editors and a panel of referees composed of eminent writers and critics from within and outside UP.

Award-winning writer Luna Sicat Cleto will be the issue editor. Read the rest of this entry »

Ano ang kahulugan ng pananaliksik?

Ang pananaliksik ay ang proseso ng pangangalap ng mga totoong impormasyon na humahantong sa kaalaman. Isinasagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng kung ano ang nalalaman o napag-alaman na. Matatanggap ang karagdagang kaalaman sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatunay ng mga panukala (teoriya) o mga pamamaraan (o sistema), at sa pagsubok sa mas mainam na pagpapaliwanag ng mga napapansin o obserbasyon. Isang prosesong mapagsuri, sistematiko o maparaan, organisado o nakaayos, at walang-kinikilingan (obhetibo). Nararapat na masagot ng prosesong ito ang isang katanungan o hipotesis. Sa ganitong paraan, dapat itong nakapagpapataas o nakapagdaragdag ng kaalaman hinggil sa isang hindi nakikilalang bagay na ibig mapag-alaman pa ng mga mamamayan. Read the rest of this entry »

May anghel na galing sa langit na nagbisita upang tiyakin kung tunay ngang ang lahat ng nilalang sa kagubatan ay nasisiyahan.

“Ginoong Punongkahoy, ikaw ba’y maligaya?” tanong ng anghel.

“Hindi,” ang sagot sa tinig na walang sigla, “sapagkat ako’y walang bulaklak.”

Ang anghel ay nagpunta sa bulaklak upang magsiyasat. “Binibining Bulaklak, ikaw ba’y maligaya sa iyong paligid?”
Read the rest of this entry »

Narinig mo na ba ang pangalang Gat Francisco Dagohoy? Marahil ay hindi pa. Si Gat Francisco Dagohoy ay isa sa mga bayaning hindi lubhang pamilyar sa mga bata. Ang kanyang kagitingan ay kinikilala lalong-lalo na ng mga taga-Bohol. Si Dagohoy ay tubong Boholano.

Ang pinakamahabang pang-aaklas laban sa mga Kastila ay naganap sa Bohol sa ilalim ng pamunuan ni Gat Francisco Dagohoy. Ang dahilan ng paglaban ni Francisco Dagohoy sa kapangyarihan ng mga kastila ay ang kanyang kapatid.

Ang kanyang kapatid ay isang konstable ng pamahalaan ng Kastila. Ang konstable ay tumutupad ng mga tungkulin ng pulis. Ang konstableng ito ay nakipaghamok sa isang lalaki. Sa kasawiang-palad siya ay namatay. Read the rest of this entry »