VP Bids Good Luck (An Open Message For All Graduating Students) /NEWS ARTICLE

This week, we talked to Mr. Alfredo M. Dimaano, as graduation season gets underway the Vice President of Academic Affairs sends his best regards to the College of Teacher Education graduating students in the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina.

"Make your teaching profession worth while and fun-filled so that it will echo resoundingly wherever you may go, because teaching is not meant to hurt but teaching is meant to help" said Sir D.

During the interview, you can barely notice how the he delivers his answers filled with confidence and passion.

"Firstly, ahh to the Education students, I would like to extend my warmest thanks, my gratitude and appreciation for joining the role of teachers in this very noble profession, the teaching. I really am appreciative for your enthusiasm, your dynamism, and your conviction that despite the enormous trends, challenges, and the upheavals we are facing in the educational system, you remained steadfast in order to contribute a legacy not on your generation but to the generations of the students and their generations to come. Secondly, to all the students of Pamantasan, I am happy that despite the odds, despite the turmoils in life, they are striving, they are trying to move at their best, even if financially they are constraint, they are experiencing a lot of family life difficulties that just the same we welcome them, this venue, this University becomes a haven for everybody, that there is still hope, there is still availability of love, care that can afford for everybody no matter how cheap the tuition fee is, it’s not the question of the amount, it’s a question of how much passion, how much motivation, how much enthusiasm and dynamism you put in in order to be successful in life. Just always remember that life is perfectly beautiful, what makes it imperfect is how you perceive, how you believe and how you live it." -Mr. Alfredo M. Dimaano, PLMar Vice President for Academic Affairs. 

             After four years of six hour school days six times a week, and after dealing with all the ridiculous drama-related things that you encountered in college, you're moving into a bigger, better things.

The last few months in college may seem to be a little too underated and everyone is excited to face what the future lies ahead of them, what career should they be having. Getting jobs is probably going to be one of the better days of your life. There's a lot of emotions in the air. You're going to be overjoyed because you're done with college, but you'll probably get a little sad too. Make these couple months count. Breathe it in.

Dr. Alfredo M. Dimaano- At Its Best! (Feature Profile Article)

"What you can do probably is to embrace them whoever those who go against you, so that you will be able to reach out to them and send to them the real message. Well it’s good because philosophically speaking, you wouldn’t be creative, you wouldn’t be ignited, you wouldn’t be challenged unless otherwise there are opposing individuals, opposing proponents and that makes the whole thing beautiful because then you become creative, you have to struggle in order to make them realize that there is much more to celebrate than to regret, there is much more to contribute than to fight for. At the end of the line, let them understand we belong to one family of the same vision, and the same mission and if they cannot match the core values espoused by the institution, the gates are open, are widely open for them so that they can go where they want so you don’t have to be unfair where they can establish joy not in the school, not in this institution wherever they may land." -Sir D brought this thought up upon asking what are his antipations on becoming the Vice President for Academic Affairs of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina.

Dr. Alfredo Dimaano graduated from Ramon V. Del Rosario College of business and took his Doctoral degree in Business Administration. He's now teaching as a part-timer assistant professor lecturer in the department of decision sciences innovation department in De Le Salle University, accreditation consultant of Philipinne Accreditation Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) while he is currently the Vice President of Academics in Services in PLMar.

One could say by look that this man is always impeccably dressed and you can notice in his aura is the charisma of his intelligence, the way he walks, the way he opens his mouth and minced the words he say, how he carries himself is ideally a great and inspiring man. But behind all of it, he is simply a child of his parents who grew up and inspire others.

Add to that, he is simply a model that everyone should look after not by his looks and aura but by his perspectives in life that makes him a complete package of having the position in the administration. He values the institutions core values aside from that he formulate three things one should be engaged in. The three disciplines are- first, the value of time, he make sure of it that his time is spent wisely and very meaningful. He managed not to bend the rules of his precious time because if not, he may be disoriented, disrupted, if not distorted in everything important he is doing. Second is the discipline of quality referring to constancy of purpose, second consistency in action. He manages to put passion in everything he do even without anybody watching. The third one is the discipline of honesty he believes that in order to live in humility, One must value honesty, impressing someone will not offer you anything nor will take you higher.

Dr. D reminds me of Dr. Silvestre who once quoted "There is no substitute for preparation"

For whatever we do in life, One must armor himself with preparation so that he may finish the task smoothly and not be distorted.

We may be different in terms of solving our very problems but Sir D always took the bright side and take everything optimistically. He do not care whatever position he is into or whatever he has because at the end of the line, he believes that only God can judge him regardless of who is he as a professor, vice president or as a person.

During the upclose and personal interview with Dr. D, one couldn't help but be amazed and got stunned by his eloquent and deep words. He is different, one could say that he is full of passion in everything he does and always keeping the fire burning.

The eagerness of the Vice President to bring changes in our university is observable and one could feel it! In this regard, most of the people within the community and the university can observe and digest that PLMar is in good hands.

With regards to the chalenges he has faced, he always took it positively for he believes that life is too short to waste our time minding over the things that mattered the least. Always be persistent in everything you do, put passion into work and mixed it up with positivity and the three disciplines.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (A Book Review)

When I was a child, I'd like to see pictures and create stories regarding the pictures. For instance, I could see an image of a girl in the table eating all alone- I could imagine a story and produce things on my mind. I would state the girl has busy parents, she was craving for the attention and care of her family. This is one of my favorite things to do, I interpret the picture and invent stories behind the photos.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs reminds me of that.

This story, for me, is messy and it seems to me that the vintage photographs Riggs' included to create a story do not match or even make sense in the story. For example, there is this picture of a boat in an island and the character, Jacob, stated "In the next boat, I saw Brownwyn wave and raise Miss Peregrine's camera to her eye. I smiled back. We'd brought none of the old photo albums with us; maybe this would be the first picture in a brand new one. Then Brownwyn lowered the camera and raised her arm, pointing at something beyond us. In the distance, black against the rising sun, a silent procession of battleships punctured in the horizon."

This part to me is very strange because the children in the story lived in a deserted island which nobody who is not peculiar could enter. How did they had a camera to take a photo of the boat sailing? It seems to me that Riggs' just used the photo to make that chapter longer. The story is evidently framed with vintage photographs, but the story is not incorporated with the pictures. It seems that the author is looking at the pictures and imagining how it would come up with the story and sometimes it doesn't fit in at all like the instance mentioned above.

If you are thinking this book is a creepy and a halloween story- it is not. This is all about the children with special powers trying to save their headmistress in the orphanage.

With the main character of the story, Jacob Portman, a spoiled brat who is super bored at his life being the only child and the successor of their pharmaceutical business, he is a rich kid who considered himself as a loner. I did not like him at all. Some unlikable characters are unlikable in a complex and interesting way, but Jacob is just a spoiled, entitled and selfish brat.

Add to that, I think this book may fit into the taste of midschoolers for there is a mystery and I find it really messy and disappointing. Compared to the fantastic books I have read.

Now, there is a movie that has been produced by Tim Burton about this book- same title. It is not showing yet but I hope they would come up with an interesting characters and mind blowing plot twists because the book is plain boring. I would watch the movie when its already available in the cinema to see whether the story changed or improved.

I dream a dream (Narrative Poem)

I dream a dream

I dream a dream
Of what will I be
Alone in this bivouac
Is just the ceiling and me

I was filled by the light
Of the sun flaring my desire
Flashing through my heart
From the firmament above
Are years I ventured
My morrow, Oh bright!

Anon, I stumble
I stand like a strand
For I've smelled the fragrance
Of success beforehand

Woven in the threads of teaching
Bounded by the nylon of faith
Catenated by cobwebs of learning
Is I who dream a dream
Of leading the nation
On the same light I received.

The Pursuit of Rainbows and Silver linings (ShortStory)

It was a hot and dry afternoon when the construction workers decided to take a short break time to eat their meriendas but Caloy stayed in the building and realized that the hospital they've been constructing is about to get finished. He stayed for he wants to stare at this hospital they have been working for a couple of months, he always loved the place, he believes he was part of it and it has a special place in his heart because of this job, he was able to provide the needs of him and his wife, Paz.

Whenever Caloy passed this hospital, he enjoyed the view and reminisce the times he spent with his co-workers building the place, mixing the cement, elevating the walls, filling the walls with metal and cement, and the moments he spent with his friends. He always loved the place, he thinks its one of his wonderful creation... he's proud of it.

Paz is now 8 months pregnant,Caloy is jobless for almost 5 months meaning they have nothing to spare for their baby's delivery, but the two is so courageous and they've been trying to find work to have some money but it was never enough,

"I'm about to give birth to our baby" screamed Paz
Caloy rushed to Manang Tisay's place but the midwife is not around so he decided to go to the hospital they built.

after long rants and begging to the nurses and the doctors, they didn't entertain the couple instead they advised them to transfer to another hospital for they do not have enough money. Unfortunately, Paz already popped her water bag, though the hospital refused at first they still performed the operation. But it took a long time and the baby is already dead inside Paz, the couple was devastated.

The hospital Caloy loved the most suddenly turned out to be the place he hated, he was walking into the cloud of frustration and darkness, he's drunk. He went to the hospital and committed a bomb suicide. The hospital was now nothing but ash along with Caloy's cold and empty heart.

At Its Best (Graduation Song + Lyrical Poem)

At Its Best
By: BSE 401- English

Strings of memories haunt this dame
Circle of friends grow in fain
Threads of destiny we're woven
Bundles are joy by sorrow's striden

Gray room hides curves in our face
Proofs of obstacles embrace
Standards are set for any movement
For pale habits are of no moment

Walls and ceilings witness the bond
Hatreds blown by the winds so fond
Grains of dust can even attest
Bar light of knowledge flaring at its best

Cobwebs along with the times we endure
In screw of sanity decisions unsure
But Masking tape paves its way
Cracked journeys in soon array

Like water making a pipe rust
Friendship can't live without trust
For we are wings of butterflies
Absence of one takes us no high

Education for all; Adobo for all (Adobo + Education)

Education for all; Adobo for all -P.J.Jamasali

Education for all; Adobo for all.
By P.J.Jamasali

Filipinos are known as hard working and loving people. We are bound in our rich culture and we cultivate them by preserving them for the future generation. We grew up in a society where education is valued,I  know every student can no longer say that the phrase "study hard my child, education is the only thing we could give you" or more like "education is the only thing you can inherit from us" are unfamiliar to them. Nevertheless, these phrases are no longer stranger to out ears, because it is true. Since we are talking about the precious treasure we could inherit from our hard working parents, some us of inherit the culture of our ancestors, I believe that all of us have this special recipe of the food we love.

When we are cooking, first we always need fire and that fire enables us to cook food. It should be heating up to burn hot enough for the food to be cooked, it is like the motivation. It serves as fire that keeps heating up so that whatever you do in school and in teaching, if you keep the fire burning then you can never get lost.
In cooking, we should have list of ingredients like in adobo. We need pork/chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onion, oil, water, laurel leaves, and so on and so forth. In education, we need a lot of discipline, dedication, effort, hard work, patience, flexibility etc. we must never ever miss one of these ingredients because adobo will never be adobo without any one of those on the list. It is in lined with education, if you miss one of those things, I guess you'll miss the important quality of being a good teacher for one cannot be called a good teacher if he/she doesn't value those quality.

When we cook adobo, we have to spend some time letting the meat to be tender this is the time where we must realize that not all food are instant. Not all things are instant, we must sacrifice our time. It enables us to grow, and always know that it may be a long period of time and a long narrow way to get to our paths, we'll still get there.

Upon simmering and serving, I bet you can smell the success of the food you had prepared. I know its been a long way down, its never easy but seeing yourself walking in a toga holding your diploma. That's one of the sweetest things you should celebrate because you made it!

Lastly, each and everyone of us have unique taste, not only because we have different tongues but it also the organ that enables us to taste things. 

Our taste buds is unique in a way we can determine different tastes: sourness, bitterness, saltiness and sweetness. When added up altogether, we come up with a perfect combination. Always remember adobo without love is not adobo, education without love is not education. We must share our adobo to all, as well as our knowledge and experiences to everybody to come up with a harmonious society. We must put up our hearts and soar higher to come up with a delicious taste of success.