.jpg) |
Ten ways to have more fun at work? This is No.1 -- walk with friends inside the workplace. Doing so will keep boredom at bay. What do you think Pearlie Gentozala and Liset Afundar?
|
.jpg) |
| Turning a walking routine into social time can make exercise more fun and increase the rewards of the activity. Walking is a great way to get in shape without breaking the bank. True? For us, it is. |
 |
| Friends give us the courage to lift the blinds on our hearts, to open up and show what we generally keep hidden from the rest of the world. |
 |
| I think if I have learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away. Don't be distracted. Don't be too busy or tired. Don't take them for granted |
 |
| With fellow Assumption Iloilo employees Liset Afundar, Susana Silva, Pearlie Gentozala, and Rovilyn Debalucos |
 |
| With Shela Ladrido-Sardua, Rahjni Faith Escare, Chinky Clement, Bena Sumagaysay, Nestor Gicaraya, John Erwin Pedroso, and Cecile Glorette Adrias. |
 |
| The idea that Christmas is just for children is a thing of the past. Well, every child deserves to feel the magic of Christmas. After all, the season is all about the birth of the child Jesus. I praise those individuals and organizations who provide a complete memory for children and families who otherwise would not have a holiday celebration. But my point is, Christmas is not just for them but also for us, adults! |
 |
| For us in Assumption, Christmas is even more meaningful since we deal with kids. My first Christmas in Assumption was in December of 2010. The students had their Christmas Party after the 3rd Quarter Examinations while the High School facilitators had ours day earlier because of the tight schedule. |
 |
| It was Sharon de la Cruz and Mildred Bernadas who prepared the venue - Iloilo Grand Tower Suites along Iznart St. It's actually a mid-range hotel established in 2010 which means that during the event it was really new. For those who don't know yet about this place, it's actually very easy to locate because it's a butt-flick away from the Iloilo Provincial Capitol and the Atrium Mall. |
 |
| All the High School facilitators were present including the adjunct teachers from the Grades 4-5-6 Growth Community. Of course, Sr. Maria Paz Moreta, RA, our High School Growth Community Coordinator, was also present as well as Sr. Ma. Nilda Hechanova, RA, Assumption Iloilo Chairperson. |
 |
| It was actually a dinner party since we had classes on that day. In fact, we just headed straight to the venue after school...in our teacher's uniform! No more fancy clothes. No make-up for the ladies. We just came as we were. Good thing our lack of color was compensated by the hotel set-up -- gold wall decors, red table napkin set, and maroon wall paintwork. Very christmassy, indeed! |
 |
| Ours was not far from the usual Christmas parties out there. We had the regulars - food, conversations, exchange of gifts, and photo ops. They say it takes more than eggnog and cookies to plan a Christmas party but for us it was more of 'it's fun if things come out unexpectedly' kind of thing. And it came out to be just like that. We cried. We laughed. We enjoyed. Just being ourselves, we turned this get-together of ours into the most happening bash of the year! |
 |
| The High School Faculty of Assumption Iloilo, School Year 2010-2011, Iloilo Grand Tower Suites, Iloilo City |
 |
| In Assumption Iloilo, a Christmas Party is not a big thing. It's usually held right after the 3rd Quarter Examinations in mid December. More often than not, it signals the start of the Christmas break for the students. |
 |
| Since I had no advisory class for School Year 2010-2011, the Year III-St. John girls invited me to join them in their class Christmas Party. I accepted the kindness of the girls. Their adviser, Judy Hofilena, is a good friend of mine and a lot of their members were ( well, until now, so ARE ) dear to me. |
 |
| The girls had this secret pal ( SP ) thing. The organizers asked us to pick names of our pal whom we were going to give something on the day of the party. The idea was to give your secret pal something he or she would like and enjoy. To ensure that everybody would go home smiling, they asked us to write what we would like to have for Christmas and they posted the list on the cork board. |
 |
| I felt that the whole process had been rigged, though. My secret pal was Lyka Segura and hers was ME! I didn't know if it's possible but I think she had a hand in this. I just accepted whatever was there lest I would be branded a killjoy. What did I write in the wishlist? Well, just a men's polo from Memo, my favorite apparel brand. |
 |
| True enough, Lyka gave what I asked for - a men's top from Memo. One thing though, it's oversized! I felt a bit guilty because it's price was way beyond the agreed amount for an SP gift which was Php 500. Well, everybody knows that the Memo brand is pricey. After all, the company is up to providing urban wear that is styled to meet today's demand of their target consumers while at work and play. Thanks, Lyka! |
 |
| Overall, the party was tastefully simple. Very Assumption, I should say. I was impressed with the girls' stress-free mood, quick-and-easy dishes, and the room's simple decorations. It was a nicely-planned potluck Christmas luncheon. With not much to think about and the exams done, everybody had so much fun! |
 |
| Pizza overload! Cecile texted me to go to Pizarro across from the University of San Agustin Gymnasium along Jalandoni St. When I arrived, some of my colleagues were already there. There were others who met in Assumption Iloilo because Cribay Simpas was there. They went to Pizarro in Cribay's car. We were actually clueless about what Cecile had planned for us. When the waiter came to bring our food, our eyes widened. It's pizza overload! We had several delectable varieties of healthy pizzas on our table. It was definitely a treat for mouths like me who have a big appetite for pizzas. |
 |
| I love Christmas, not just because of the presents but because of all the decorations and lights and the warmth of the season. Happy holidays, everyone! |
 |
| Lourlen was my student in Assumption Iloilo. One thing about this girl is her height. I mean she's statuesque! If she's dressed up, she could pass for a beauty queen. Seriously. |
 |
| Being in the graduate school is a dream come true for me. Moreso if it's in UP. The second trimester of the Master in Education (English as a Second Language) program was especially memorable because of so many reasons. First, I liked my Language Education subject entitled 'Second Language Acquisition: Theories, Practices, and Researches'.It was a compre subject, so I really had to take it seriously. There, Rod Ellis became my 'friend'. A distinguished professor of the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Ellis holds a Ph.D. from the University of London. His book 'Understanding Second Language Acquisition' published by the Oxford University Press has been my bedside companion since 2010. |
 |
| Prof. Mary Oveta Villareal, the course professor, was equally amazing. A soft-spoken lady, she holds two master's degrees - Master in Education ( English as a Second Language ) from the University of the Philippines Visayas and Master of Arts in Literary Linguistics from the University of Nottingham in England. Interestingly, Prof. Villareal has nieces studying in Assumption Iloilo, the school where I teach ( Hello, Malou and Nicole Salazar! ) |
 |
| We held classes at the Humanities Building of UP Visayas, Iloilo City Campus. It was a morning session ( 8 AM to 12 PM ) every Saturday. People close to me know that I'm not a morning person. For me, mornings are rough and coffee doesn't smell sweet. Hence, this class was a struggle for me. This was aggravated by my hectic schedule on weekdays being a subject teacher having five different preparations, a class adviser of an all-girls section, and a moderator of our school publication. There were times that I went to class super late ( read: 10 AM )but I never heard any complaint from my professor. Well, this is UP. |
 |
| The whole course was a breeze. My undergraduate degree in Secondary Education ( major in English ) was a big help. Mind you, I had classmates who came from totally unrelated fields such as Biology, Social Work, Business, and even Engineering. They, too, passed the course with flying colors. Indeed, graduate school was an intense and challenging experience but eventually it came to be very rewarding. |
 |
| Our professor didn't know we were having fun!With M.Ed.-ESL classmates Albe Ocang, Marie Cris Ponsaran, and Vanessa Gempeson |
 |
| Explaining 'linguistic input' to my classmates. I don't like reporting as a teaching strategy but this one is a course requirement, so I yielded. |
 |
| Well, Katrina is a sweet girl. She was my student for three straight years - Journalism II, III, and IV. She is now studying in Assumption College-San Lorenzo, Makati City. |
 |
| The name Donne Jonne Sodusta has always been associated with the verb 'achieve' and all the words that come from it - 'achiever', 'achievement'. I have known the guy since our college days at West Visayas State University-College of Education. His major was Social Science, mine was English Language and Literature. |
 |
| I got to know him better when he entered SILAK, the official student publication of the College of Education, West Visayas State University. When Prof. Gladys Baban-Cordero, the publication adviser, appointed me as editor-in-chief, she likewise made Donne the managing editor. Ours was a good tandem. I never had any problem working with him. |
 |
| As my managing editor, Donne played a key role in the operation of the college publication. Yes, it's a highly coveted post but it brought with it heaps of responsibilities -- managing the staff, setting and enforcing policies, determining coverage, as well as serving as the primary liaison. He did all these things so well that he was made the editor-in-chief the following year. I, on the other hand, assumed the post of 'news editor' of FORUM-DIMENSIONS, the official university publications of West Visayas State University. |
 |
| When Donne's term in SILAK ended, his star never waned. In fact, it grew brighter even more. He joined activities and student groups where his talents found expression. He participated in the Ayala Young Leaders Congress, a student leadership summit designed to build the delegates' confidence and hone their leadership skills, to nurture commitment to integrity and principled leadership, to foster nationalism and idealism, and to encourage faithful stewardship of their communities and the country's future. |
 |
| With a heart for leadership, Donne tried his luck in student politics. He ran and eventually won the chairmanship post of the Education Student Council ( ESC ), West Visayas State University. In any college or university, for a single student to have served as the top guy of the college publication and the student council is a rare thing. But Donne just did it. For many of us who know him, he's a wonder boy. |
 |
| Armed with superb credentials and just an amazing personality, Donne joined the regional TOSP ( Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines ) search. Inspired by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, the TOSP is an annual search of 10 of the best college students throughout the country. It was founded by Mr. Jose Concepcion of the RFM Foundation in order to honor students who are exemplars and leaders in their own academic fields and in their contributions to society. Donne ranked first in Western Visayas making him one of the finalists nationwide. It was no less than Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who awarded him in Malacanang in 2004. |
 |
| Donne was one of the most bemedalled graduates of Class 2004 of West Visayas State University. One of his awards was the IWAG Award for his outstanding performance in campus journalism given by the Philippine Information Agency ( PIA )-Regional Office VI. I received the same award from the PIA in the previous year. For his meritorious academic standing, he finished his degree 'Magna cum Laude'. |
 |
| When I left West Visayas State University, I didn't hear much about Donne. What I just knew was that he was absorbed by the College of Education to teach in the Secondary Laboratory School ( SLS ) which he is also an alumnus. He became the adviser of the 'Blue Quill', the school paper of the SLS. He also taught Professional Education as well as Pedagogy subjects in the College of Education. Eventually, Donne became the adviser of SILAK, the publication he headed during his college days. |
 |
| With such brilliance as his, Donne was invited to teach at the Graduate Education Program of the University of the Philippines Visayas, the same school where he finished his Master in Education major in Social Science. There, I met him once more - this time as my teacher. I personally chose to be in his 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education' class because I knew that I could learn a lot from him. It felt awkward at first, but as Saturdays went by, I learned to accept the fact that he's my professor, not my colleague. The once Donne to me became my Sir Donne. |
 |
| Sir Donne's class was intense yet fun. The first thing that I remember about his class was our discussion on Paolo Freire's 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed'. Freire is perhaps the most influential thinker about education in the 21st century. In his book 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed', Freire proposes a pedagogy with a new relationship among teacher, student, and society. Here, he calls traditional pedagogy the 'banking model' because it treats the student as an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge, like a piggy bank. He exhorts that teachers should treat learners as co-creator of knowledge. |
 |
| For most of us who know him, Sir Donne is a model teacher. He approaches nearly most of the qualities of a good Social Studies teacher - a skillful facilitator of learning, a student leader, a worthy colleague, a good citizen, a participant in community affairs, and a scholar who keeps abreast of education. Way to go, Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta! |
 |
| The 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education' class of Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta, 2nd Trimester, Academic Year 2010-2011, GCEB Building, UP Visayas, Iloilo City Campus |
 |
| For posterity's sake. - At Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta's class in 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education', GCEB Building, UP Visayas, Iloilo City Campus |
 |
| The City and Province of Iloilo are blessed by the presence of Assumption Iloilo, one of the biggest Assumption schools in the Philippine-Thailand Province of the Religious of the Assumption. Since its foundation in 1910, Assumption Iloilo has seen the best and the worst. Today, Assumption Iloilo has every right to claim that it's one of the best basic education institutions in this part of the country. |
 |
| The Iloilo Community of the Religious of the Assumption ( RA ) is housed in a beautiful edifice inside the Assumption Iloilo campus along the scenic Iloilo River. It is aptly called the 'Casa Santa'. During school days, one can see Assumption nuns strolling around the area, either on foot or on the stretcher. |
 |
| My favorite place in the Casa Santa is the Adoration Chapel which I have visited three times in my four years as an Assumption Iloilo facilitator. I remember Cecile Glorette Adrias, my department coordinator, bringing me to Casa Santa one Friday afternoon because I was stressed working with a colleague I coudn't connect to in the workplace. I stayed there for half an hour trying to see Jesus visibly present under the appearance of a small white host. There I felt my need to foster a greater community spirit, with Jesus' presence in the Blessed Sacrament as its center. |
 |
True to its name, Assumption Iloilo's Casa Santa is indeed a 'holy house'!
|
 |
| With Camille Perez, my Journalism III student, School Year 2010-2011, Assumption-Iloilo. Camille is such a sweet girl who always smiles and greets people she sees. Her friends dearly call her 'Angki'. |
 |
| The statue of St. Peter representing the Church at the Garden of Three Loves, the Assumption Iloilo Park, the Milleret Building which houses the Primary Grades classroom and administration offices, and the Centennial Marker |
 |
| Assumption Iloilo takes pride not only in its beautiful campus but also in its 'care for creation' program. The earth-friendly school takes its commitment to the planet seriously. |
 |
| Assumption Iloilo's carefully planned buildings, wide hallways, good swimming pool and sports complex, and a lot more are a sweet deal. Now you have a beautiful spot to invest the next four years of study. |
 |
| In Iloilo City and the rest of the island of Panay and the Western Visayas region, Assumption Iloilo offers these, and more. Despite of its high profile status in the community and its high academic reputation, extravagance and wanton display of wealth is considered the opposite of cool. Pretty as it is, what makes it beautiful is its love of simplicity. |
