Beauty of Photography

     "A picture is a poem without words." Those are the words that Horace describe a picture. It doesn't just tell a poem, it tells a story; a memory that wouldn't be forgotten. It shows how much a single piece of paper, or just from the screen of your phone, could express something that anyone would be able to express within themselves.

    There are many, different types of doing photography, but three were chosen.

The Ocean (Sea Photography)

    The Ocean is where everyone feels they are at a loss with their emotions and indicating their desires are getting out of touch with reality hitting them in their lives. This image was taken back in 2019, when me and my family were returning back home from spending a day at the beach. While we're on the road, I decided to take this picture as a way for me to remember the place we went and also showing the beauty of our ocean waters.

Cats (Pet Photography)

    Cats are known as the symbols of rebirth and resurrection, which goes by the saying of a "cat's nine lives". But they are also the symbols of magic and mystery, like with young witches having cats as their companions to provide them protection when the young witches are learning their new powers. But when you think of it like that in the real world, cats are just great companions to have because they are rather calm and always there.

    As an animal lover since I have two dogs of different breeds and a bunch of cats, this photo was taken back in 2019, as well, around the time of December. I took this picture of these cats, the big one with black and white fur is Millie while the one sleeping on top is Gray, and they were both finding a warm place for them in the cold weather. Unfortunately, Millie passed away and this picture reminds me of her, all the time as she was one of the first cats to come around and hang out, outside of my house. You will always be remembered, Millie.

White Mandevilla Flowers (Floral Photography)

    There are many different flowers in the world and they all symbolize with different meanings. This photo contains the White Mandevilla flowers, which were growing at my school and this was taken this year, 2020, before quarantine hit and I wasn't allowed to go out of my house. But seeing this picture again, I looked up the meaning of this flower and says that this flower means "helping us in profoundly at peace with the way things are, without the need to change or wishing for another outcome."

    It is rather similar to what we have currently, this year. We are in the pandemic and we need help in finding ourselves at peace with what's happening. Even if there are a lot of things happening and affecting us negatively, we always need to think on the positive that everything is going to be okay and everything will go back to the way it was before the pandemic came around.

Globalization: A World we need to Unite

 

Source: https://youmatter.world/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/globalization-definition-benefits-effects-examples.jpg

Supporting Reasons Matrix

Globalization is a broad word with different branches but they are all linked with the same meaning. It is the means of interacting among other people from around the world, even if we are all living in different countries. But it is also a way for people to integrate different companies, products, governments, etc. around the world. However, there is an even bigger question within all this: does Globalization unite or divide the world? Look, Globalization accelerated and growing bigger in the 18th Century, thanks to many advancements of technology. However, with the use and help of globalization, everyone can have a better understanding from other countries. Every single person can share what they learn to other people and around the world, and those plans may come into help with globalization. So now, let's start talking about those facts.

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/393150242451071916/

The first thing to discuss about is giving access to new and different cultures in some parts of the world. Now, culture carries a strong part in people's lives because it shows how they view certain things, understanding their values, and how they act around other people. As stated earlier, globalization have different branches to certain connections and one of which is culture globalization. Culture globalization states that it is a phenomenon by everyday life experience with the influence of diffusing different commodities and ideas that reflects the efficiency of expressions of culture, around the world. Another description of culture globalization is exchanging of ideas, values and meanings around the world to improve their connection with social relations within different cultures. Now, culture is very important in remembering how there are certain cultures that have something in common. We don't want to live in a world where everything is divided from each other, especially culture, right? Even if the people see the world differently than others because of their culture, they know what they are doing and understand through their routines in their everyday lives.

Source: https://miro.medium.com/max/11180/1*U6VIU_lFdUPgIuxyaKtYVg.jpeg

Another key factor to know about is giving people higher standards in living in another country. Now, everyone knows that there are many people that want to live in a different country. There are many reasons for those people who want to go or move to another country; they want to have a better life for themselves and their family, finding a better job employment to earn more money, or get a better feeling of what it's like to be living in a different country, but that also means something for globalization to be coming in this part. Stated in a blog, extreme poverty was decreased by 35% during the year of the 1990, according by the World Bank. However, there is a planned target of the first Millennium Development goal to cut down the poverty rate in 1990 by half in 2015, which was a success because it was scheduled five years ahead. Now, in 2010, there are nearly 1.1 billion people, around the world, are living out of extreme poverty, but this has dropped significantly by 9.2 percent in 2017. As we know, the COVID-19 Pandemic is hitting the world in 2020, which was the year that global extreme poverty was expected to rise in that year. However, due to COVID, it compounds to forces of conflict and climate change to hit which already shows the slow progress of poverty reduction in the world.

Source: https://images.propertycasualty360.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/414/2018/10/3-steps-tech-modernization-Feature-1.jpeg

Source: https://nextgen.web.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web-_0009_tech4businessnow.jpg

Source: https://37xgz2ogk9n33zvi841wv6y1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/11/MindMap.jpeg

As globalization improves overtime, through the years, it is safe to say that there would be new, many and different kinds of projects that would sustainable in changing the world. With advancements happening every single day, like the making of the vaccine to fight against COVID-19, but another thing that has been advancing with improving functions and features are the uses of technology in the world. Now, the main era for technology to come through to the world is in the 18th century, which is also the same century that globalization started moving for everyone around the world. This brings in to our third and final key factor, globalization helps in spreading new technology and innovation. Now, this is no big secret or news to begin with. Technology has been improving and advancing itself throughout the years with the help of many ideas, innovations, and projects from around the world. One blog study states that globalization helped in amplifying the spread of technology in the world through the use of two different ways. The first one is gaining better access to foreign knowledge, like different news and projects from one country and another, and the second is increasing the international competition, which is the rising applications of emerging market firms. Why is matters for technology to spread across the globe? Technology is used in the technological process to drive improvements in both incomes and standards of living. Technology is the central process of generating global growth and is being shared across the world. When technology improves with more advancements, then globalization would also increase as well.

Source: https://www.theredwood.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Donate.jpg

With so many advancements happening around the world, whether it'd be small or big, point is that we should all be working together. Sure, that other people would be criticizing that globalization is doing something wrong with the world and would lead to certain problems in our society. But let's understand and face of facts of reality. We should be working together in making a difference for the world. If there's small criticism happening anywhere, it could lead to major bits of damage to people who are making a difference in the world and changing it as time passes. Working together, hand-in-hand, whether near or far, different is equality, we are sharing our ideas to make a change. And those ideas and changes can make a difference, especially in these trying times of the virus pandemic happening.

References:

•Aslam, A., Eugster, J., Ho, G., Jaumotte, F., Osorio-Buitron, C., Roberto, P. (2018, April 09). Globalization Helps Spread Knowledge and Technology Across Borders. IMFBlog. Retrieved from: https://blogs.imf.org/2018/04/09/globalization-helps-spread-knowledge-and-technology-across-borders

•Cultural Globalization. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Cultural_globalization

•Globalization Benefits and Challenges. (2020, March 30). Velocity Global. Retrieved from: https://velocityglobal.com/blog/globalization-benefits-and-challenges/

•Globalization. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Globalization

•Malik, Z. (2017, January 10). What living in different countries has taught me about life (and work). Austin Startups. Retrieved from: https://austinstartups.com/what-living-in-different-countries-has-taught-me-about-life-and-work-71f01010a39b

•Pologeorgis, N.A. (2019, May 09). How Globalization Affects Developed Countries. Investopedia. Retrieved from: https://https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/10/globalization-developed-countries.asp

•Poverty Overview. (2020, October 07). The World Bank. Retrieved from: https://worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview

•Seale, J.D. (2000, October 06). Globalization Uniting the World. The Tech Online Edition. Retrieved from: http://tech.mit.edu/V120/N48/col48seale.48c.html

•Section 1. Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities. (n.d.). Community Tool Box. Retrieved from: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culture-and-diversity

•What are the Benefits of Understanding Different Cultures? (2019, November 04). Les Elfes International. Retrieved from: https://eselfes.com/understanding-different-cultures

Nico Collins: The Deeper Meaning Behind "Alone"

Source: https://cdn.idolbirthdays.net/
imgs/7/7d/nico-collins.jpg

        Nico Collins is a 23-year-old, promising singer and songwriter, who has been growing fame for his official YouTube Channel, NicoCollinsOfficial. His growing fame led him to gain massive amounts of popularity because of his original styles and lyrics for his songs and music, as well as remixes for some of his popular songs. Nico is also a well known YouTube Star. He was born and raised in the United States and has a young sister named Chelsea Collins, who is also a promising singer and songwriter, and they have been collaborating together with making and writing songs. But for most of his life, he has been keeping them private on the internet, especially with family life, education background, etc.

        The gain of exposure for his music started back in 2013, where Nico would begin recording song covers of popular songs, individually or duets with his sister, Chelsea. Aside from doing song covers, Nico would also be recording his own original songs, which would slowly raise him popularity and fame for his original songs. Stated in an article by SongWriterUniverse, Nico and Chelsea won "Best Song of the Month" Contest back in December 2016 with their original song, "I Never Knew I Loved You", which is a heartfelt song with a classical ballad style, but it's still fresh and contemporary to be on pop radio airplay.

    

Source: https://genius.com/
Nico-collins-alone-lyrics

    One of Nico's songs is entitled "Alone", which gained over 3.9, almost to 4, million views on his official YouTube Channel. The official lyric video was published on October 2, 2018 (2 years ago). The song has been written and produced by himself. Throughout the entire lyric video, it was just someone recording a video of walking through the neighborhood. Unlike from other popular songs, which some have the same kind of sound but with different lyrics, this song has a sense of originality and expressing a deep meaning within the lyrics and he has done the same thing with his other original songs; having a sense of originality and a deep meaning behind the lyrics in those songs.

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/
pin/385761524337738695/

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/
pin/385761524337738682/

    The meaning behind this song "Alone" is actually a reflection on Nico's past. Although, there aren't a lot of information on Nico's past, it may have been expressed through the use of song writing and expressed through this song. And many people can relate to what the lyrics means in the song, especially of what they are often going through. Some lyrics have a deeper meaning, like the first verse of the song with the lyric "She's the only one who saw who he was, no one else could read him". That heavily implies to some people, even at a young age, who have a hard, troubling time when it comes to trusting other people and what they are like. Throughout the rest of the song, the boy in the song grows and starts going through problems and wants to take it all away, like drinking or smoking, and that is real life problem with teenagers. They do these kinds of things to take their problems away, but it would only make it worse if they keep on doing it, over and over again. But the boy made a realization that he wouldn't be able to fit in with the people he was hanging out with, especially if conditions are only getting worse for him. This would also lead him to believe that no one would be able to understand, hiding himself emotionally and psychologically to make it seem like everything is okay.

      

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/
pin/385761524337738733/

        In the end, this boy finds his passion, which are writing songs and making music, in order to express himself for who his is and also realizes that he doesn't know anyone else that went through the same kind of situation as he is. But with the use of his song and to anyone who listens to it, they would know that this person (preferably to be Nico himself, narrating his life through the song) have went through those kinds of problems and know that they are not alone.

References:

Nico Collins - Idol Birthdays. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.idolbirthdays.net/nico-collins

Kawashima, D. December 8, 2016. Nico & Chelsea Collins’ “I Never Knew That I Loved You” Named December “Best Song Of The Month”. SongwriterUniverse. Retrieved from: https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/nico-collins-chelsea-collins-161.htm

Nico Collins - Alone Lyrics. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://genius.com/Nico-collins-alone-lyrics

The 3C's | CHOICE, CHANCE & CHANGE

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph
/pin/543809723758895742/

 Ang salitang "Kaibigan" at "Pagkakaibigan". Maraming magkakaibang kahulugan na susuporta sa dalawang salitang ito. Gayunpaman, ang pinakakaraniwang kahulugan ay ang mga Kaibigan ay dapat magpakita ng katapatan, respeto at pagmamahal sa bawat isa, na bumubuo ng isang pangmatagalang pagkakaibigan at ginagawa ang mga bagay na magkasama hanggang sa huli. Ako ang tinawag mo ... isang "introvert", hindi ako nakakakuha ng maraming kaibigan sa totoong buhay ngunit marami sa kanila sa online. Gayunpaman, mayroong isang pares ng mga tao sa aking buhay na nakikita ko bilang aking mga kaibigan at nandiyan kapag kailangan nila ako.

    Ang 3C's: Choice, Chance & Change, talagang ipakita kung paano ang aking relasyon sa tatlong piniling taong ito. Kung ako ay matapat, nahihirapan akong pumili ng tatlong tao para dito dahil hindi ako ganon ka-choosy sa ilang mga tao na magiging kaibigan ko.

1. CHOICE - Krista Lendio

    Pagdating sa pagkakaroon ng mga kaibigan sa akin, nais kong magkaroon sila ng ilang mga katulad na interes, libangan tulad ko. Ang dahilan kung bakit pinili ko si Krista para sa aking pipiliin ay dahil naging matalik kaming magkaibigan noong kami ay nasa elementarya pa lamang kami, partikular sa panahon ng Baitang 2. Maraming pagkakapareho kami, lalo na sa aming pag-ibig sa pagguhit, iba't ibang mga cartoon show at ngayon, paggawa at pagbabahagi ng mga video sa online sa aming paboritong larong mapaglaruan. Kahit na malayo ang distansya namin, gusto kong mapanatili ang mabuti at magiliw na pakikipag-ugnay kay Krista at magsaya kaming magkasama sa pamamagitan ng mga bagay na mahalin at tangkilikin nang magkasama.

2. CHANCE - Kristel Sencio

    Si Kristel at ako ay magkaibigan sandali, bagaman nagbabahagi kami ng ilang mga interes at bagay na pareho naming gusto sa pag-awit ng mga kanta at, kapwa sa Choice, pagguhit. Gayunpaman, ang aming pagkakaibigan ay hindi talaga, tulad ng sinabi mo, isang "matatag" na relasyon. Madalas akong mapunta sa mga mood, madalas siyang mapunta sa mga mood, at may mga oras na hindi kami nag-uusap. Kung makita ko siya ulit, nais kong ibalik ang aming pagkakaibigan at subukang bumalik sa kung saan ito nagsimula.

3. CHANGE - Marc Gabriel Obando

    Okay… paano ko masasabi ang tungkol sa taong ito? Ibig kong sabihin, siya ay isang mabuting tao at madalas akong pinatawa, ngunit may ilang mga bagay lamang na hindi ko makaya tungkol sa kanya. Ang kanyang pag-uugali ay ang tamad na uri at tuwing bibigyan siya ng isang gawain, hindi niya ito magagawa kung minsan, at madalas itong magalit sa akin kapag hindi niya nagawa ang kanyang bahagi sa ilang mga proyekto o hindi nakikipagtulungan sa iba pa. Siya ay para sa aking Pagbabago dahil nais kong magbago ang kanyang tamad na ugali at talagang makipagtulungan sa ilang mga gawain, upang hindi siya maiwan ng ibang mga bagay at matulungan siya sa daan.

    Tulad ng nakasaad sa simula, maraming iba't ibang mga kahulugan para sa dalawang salita: "Mga Kaibigan" at "Pakikipagkaibigan". Ngunit ang pagpapakita sa mga kaibigan ng iyong katapatan, pag-ibig, respeto, at suporta, ito ay gumagawa ng isang mas malakas at mas mahabang bono ng pagkakaibigan. Natutuwa akong makilala ang tatlong ito, ngunit palagi kaming may mga pagkukulang at iyon ang gumagawa sa aming natatangi at naiiba. Ang mga kaibigan ay hindi dapat maging pareho upang maging magkaibigan, ngunit ang mga Kaibigan ay dapat na magkakaiba upang maging magkaibigan at lumikha ng isang mas malakas na pagkakaibigan na magkasama.

True Love is Real: Cupid and Psyche & Orpheus and Eurydice, through Good and Bad

     We all know what love is, right? We all do, but do we know what true love is? That's the question. There are many different meanings to what true love could be, but the true meaning of true love is that it requires commitment and sacrifice to one another, even if they are in the world of the living or in the afterlife. Cupid, Psyche, Orpheus and Eurydice; these are great figures of showing the true meaning of true love in their love stories. Even though, they may have their challenges to come and sacrifices to risk, nothing is stopping them in order to reach their happily ever after in their own story.

Comparison of their love stories:

    Now, there are a few key points that weren't added to diagram above, and some of those key points needed further explanation. With the first key point in the diagram of Cupid and Psyche, Venus instructed her son, Cupid, to pierce Psyche with an arrow that will make him fall in love with the most vile, hideous man alive. This is a sign that Venus grew jealous over Psyche's beauty, despite not being born as a Goddess but born as a mere mortal. In real life, there is jealousy between those who are superior and those who are just below them. The superiors will worry about their well-known trait to be taken away by someone else, making them jealous and wants to get revenge on them by making a change, even if those superiors see them as "weak" or "bad" in their perspective.

    Another key point is Psyche proving her worth to Cupid, in front of Venus, by performing a few trials, even if contains sacrifice to step up to the challenge. Orpheus did the same when it comes to finding Eurydice and bringing her back to the world of the living; his love for her didn't stop him from seeing her, even in the afterlife. So he went down to the Underworld and with his lyre and emotional music, he was able to get through the obstacles that were in his way, including Hades and Persephone. Both of these scenarios show real-life situations with certain couples need to show their worth to the family, especially with males proving their worth their girlfriend's parents. These certain tasks can be tiring, but those opportunities are able to turn the tables around and feel accepted.

    In conclusion, what is the answer to the question? The answer to that is true love between two people that know that they each other very much means there wouldn't be a certain conflict, which makes the perfect love story and showing what true love really means. Even they were given challenges that puts their life on the line, they will never give up and run through every path to love, even if there are obstacles that are blocking their path. 

African Tribal Music

                The continent of Africa is known for their different culture and history. Within their culture and history, they are always contributing their life through playing music. They mainly play their music during special occasions and events, and they frequently rely of every variety of percussion instruments, including xylophones and drums. African music are being passed from generation to generation, which makes it very important to the people in Africa when it comes to religion.

                    As mentioned, African music is used and played during special occasions and different events, but they are also used to educate the young, curing the sick, protesting against rulers or tax collectors, but they are also used for entertainment and passing it down from generation to generation. The video above are music that have been played by the Africans for different occasions. Their music may sound similar, but they are different to the many tribes in the continent and have many distinct musical traditions. Their music have been influenced by their language, the environment, culture, history, politics, and population movement. Although, they use this kind of music for every different tribe, they provide entertainment to keep everything uplifting their spirits.

REFERENCES

Music of Africa. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Africa

DENR & The Implementation of the Consumer Law

 

    The Department of Environment and Natural Resources are responsible for taking care of the country’s natural resources through exploration, development, utilization, and conservation. While this department is in charge of conserving our natural resources, most of these resources are being used to make different kinds of products that would be used by many citizens in the country within their everyday lives. However, those products contains different ingredients and consuming the use of our resources slowly with much production within that same product. If we keeping using that same ingredient, then there would be a low supply of that same ingredient within our environment. Which is why I propose to have the Department of Environment and Natural Resources implement the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394). The Consumer Act can help balance the use of ingredients and chemicals that are being gathered from the country’s natural resources and being manufactured into different products that we all know and consume. But what are the reasons why the Consumer Act is needed to be implemented within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources? Questions are needed to be answered and this Consumer Act implementation is helpful for the environment and the natural resources in our country.

    As stated in the beginning, the Philippines is known for it’s supply of natural resources within their environment and some of those resources are being used to make and manufacture products for people to be using in their everyday lives. However, with most companies that are manufacturing these products, they don’t always manage the uses into their products and would be wasting those components in their products that they think aren’t very useful to combine with their products. This causes to lower the supply within the country and throwing it away into garbage waste and we don’t want the country to slowly cover itself in waste.

    “Safety is the number one priority”, and that is being reminded by everyone that are using such products that can be flammable and damaging to the environment. Everyone must the safety rules behind different components and ingredients in a single product, especially if they can cause a, rather, big accident if it is not being used properly. Know, most companies for different products are not being careful of what they are adding to their products, but having the consumer act is the perfect law in making sure that the products are safe and not hazardous to the consumers, keeping the environmental atmosphere clean and not ruined by chemical fumes from within our products.

    There wouldn’t be a single product without any toxic chemicals and/or substances that many companies are using for these products. If the previous reason is discussing about ensuring the kinds of products are being made for safe and not hazardous for consumption use, this talks about certain things are needed to be inspected before they’re being added and ending with the finished product. Most chemicals or substances are more toxic than others, that would lead to different conditions that can effect the environment. Ensuring the safety of many, having an inspection check of certain chemicals and substances before being added into the products is a must, and this won’t be an effective case for people to have an issue with it, along with the environment as well.

    Everyone is needed to be careful with the products being used by many people in their everyday lives. Even if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is doing a great job of supervising the use of different natural resources in the country’s environment. But there are some parts that the department needs to take care of, like managing the use and waste of our natural resources, most especially with the use of toxic chemicals and substances in our products.

    We all need to take care of ourselves, but the environment needs taking care as well. Being careful with how we use our products means that we are purposely taking care of the environment and NOT wasting the goods of our natural resources that are being put into the products.

~~~~~~~~~~

Department of Environment & Natural Resources
https://www.denr.gov.ph/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Environment_and_Natural_Resources

Consumer Act of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 7394)
https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1992/ra_7394_1992.html
https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/client-protection-in-the-philippines