Ang Dalagang Pilipina

Ang dalagang Pilipina
Parang tala sa umaga
Kung tanawin ay nakaliligaya
May ningning na tangi at dakilang ganda

Bulaklak na tanging marilag
Ang bango ay humahalimuyak
Sa mundo'y dakilang panghiyas
Pang-aliw sa pusong may hirapBatis ng ligaya at galak
Hantungan ng madlang pangarap
Ganyan ang dalagang Pilipina
Karapat-dapat sa isang tunay na pagsinta

(Maging sa ugali, maging kumilos, mayumi,
mahinhin, mabini ang lahat ng ayos
Malinis ang puso maging sa pag-irog
may tibay at tining ng loob.) 

O Maliwanag Na Buwan ni Levi Celerio

O maliwanag na buwan
Nakikiusap ako
Ang aking minamahal
Sana ay hanapin mo

Tadhana ma'y magbiro
Araw man ay magdaan
Ang pag-ibig ko sa kanya
Ay hindi maglalaho
Hanggang sa kamatayan

O, buwan sa liwanag mo
Kami'y nagsumpaan ng irog ko
"Giliw ko," ang sabi n'ya
"Ang puso ko'y iyong-iyo."

O, buwan pakiusap ko
Saan man naroon ang irog ko
Sya'y aking hinihintay
Sabihin mo.

Leron, Leron Sinta

Leron leron sinta, Buko ng papaya,
Dala-dalay buslo, Sisidlan ang bunga,
Pagdating sa dulo, Nabali ang sanga,
Kapos ka paralan, Humanap ng iba.

Halika na Neneng, tayo'y manampalok
Dalhin mo ang buslo, sisidlan ng hinog
Pagdating sa dulo'y uunda-undayog
Kumapit ka Neneng, baka ka mahulog.

Halika na Neneng at tayo'y magsimba
At iyong isuot ang baro mo't saya
Ang baro mo't sayang pagkaganda-ganda
Kay ganda ng kulay -- berde, puti, pula.

Ako'y ibigin mo, lalaking matapang
Ang baril ko'y pito, ang sundang ko'y siyam
Ang lalakarin ko'y parte ng dinulang
Isang pinggang pansit ang aking kalaban. 

Karinyosa

Kung ganda ang pag-uusapan
Ay higit na ang Pilipina
Sa lungkot man o sa ligaya
Karinyosa rin at masaya
Sa gitna man ng kahirapan
May sigla pa rin kung kumilos
Pilipina ay karinyosa sa pag-irog

Chorus
Ay hirang, sinta kitang tunay
Puso mo ay ginto
Pangarap ng bawat nagmamahal
Ay mutya, yaman ka sa buhay
Binata ay dukha
Pag di ka nakamtan

Repeat I

Repeat Chorus

Repeat I

Repeat Chorus except last word

Atin Cu Pung Singsing

Atin cu pung singsing,
Metung yang timpucan,
Amana que iti,
Qng indung ibatan;
Sancanqueng sininup,
Qng metung a caban,
Mewala ya iti,
Ecu camalayan.
Ing su cal ning lub cu,
Susucdul qng banua,
Picuruz cung gamat,
Babo ning lamesa;
Nino mang manaquit
Qng singsing cung mana,
Calulung puso cu,
Manginuya queca.

Can't Speak English?

It was my first day in school. I just signed up as an ESL teacher in an international school in Phnom Penh to augment my income in the university in Battambang where I've been teaching for three years now.

 I was assigned to teach Level 10 ( Intermediate) class.

I asked one of the students for her opinion regarding the topic. She replied, "Can't speak English. Don't know English."

I encouraged her by saying with a smile, "Teacher Pablo believes in you. Don't worry. I will definitely understand you."

On my way home I can't help but compare my school with another school in Battambang. My school has a reputation for hiring only native speakers. In fact, I am the first Asian ESL teacher in that school.

 In spite of that I've heard several students say that they can't speak English.

COERR Language Skills Center in Battambang only hires locals. They don't have any foreign teachers. They don't even have Filipino teachers.

The big difference is that I've met a lot of students at COERR who are in level 7 and they are really conversant in English.

This proves that the need to hire native teachers of English  is a must is wrong.It is just a myth.

What schools need to do  is to hire competent teachers.

Let's take the case of the Philippines for example. I never had native English teacher since the first time I entered school. I learned English in a public school and with Filipino teachers.

In fact, the Philippines never hired foreign teachers. The only time that the Philippines had American English teachers was in 1901 when the U.S. government sent 500 trained teachers to the Philippines. That's just it. After that we were practically on our own.

The differrence? The American English teachers who went to the Philippines in 1901 and the teachers at COERR know pedagogy. They were and are trained teachers.

While most of the native American teachers here plumbers, electricians, gardeners or waiters whom I guess are having difficulty finding jobs in the U.S. probably because of lack of qualifications.

Those who are really trained and qualified American English teachers would rather go to China, Japan or Korea where they can earn 3,000 to 4,000usd.

American ESL teachers here in Cambodia earn 800usd to 1200usd. 

I am not giving up. This is the reason why I really enjoy my teaching job at UME (University of Management and Economics) in Battambang. I am sure that my students will sooner or later become school administrators. I hope that they will not look at the color of the skin when they hire ESL teachers. They can hire whites, blacks or Asians. It doesn't matter. What is important is that they should look at the qualifications. I am sure though that they will hire teachers based on competencies.

Two Davids

A Roller Coaster Ride

by: Jun Gravoso

David is a typical 30-something Christian guy who grew up in Sunday schools. He was raised in a Christian home. He is blessed with a stable teaching job. He’s married to a kind and understanding woman.  He now rarely attends worship services though. The reason? He feels that God is so far away. For him it seems that God is a distant God. The root cause of his feeling? He had an extra-marital affair which gave him a son.

No, this is not the story of the biblical David.

David is one of my colleagues in school.

“Let’s go to church”, I said.

“I really don’t know. I no longer have the desire to attend worship services,” David replied.

I just looked at him with compassion and understanding. I wanted to  tell him that I am a friend who will always understand.

“I miss those good old days when I was so active in the church. I remember that I always had my daily devotion with my wife.”

“Then the more that we should go to church now.”, I said.

“How can I go to  church? You know, I really feel guilty. How can I praise God when I failed Him?”

My friend’s story is the same as that of biblical David.

David grew up in the fear of the Lord. He was really favored by God.

But he committed one grave mistake.  

He had an affair with Bathsheba. This affair affected David so much. He felt that God departed from him. In Psalm 22:1 David lamented, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thouso far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (KJV)

I can empathize with David.

I guess my co-teacher David can also feel with King David.

I bet my bottom dollar that so many of us can relate with King David’s feeling.

So many of us are pleading to God what King David is asking God in Psalm 22:11 “Be not far from me.” (KJV)

I guess so many of us had sleepless nights crying to God and we felt that God wasn’t listening to us. This is what David felt when he wrote, “O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:2, KJV)

Duringthese times of crises it really is very important for us to go back to the Bible and see what Christ has done for us.

When we are tormented because of sins we have to remind ourselves that Christ died for our sins. (Romans 5:8)

I strongly believe that when The Father sees us He is going to look at what Christ has done on the cross and not to our transgressions. The blood of Jesus will cover all of our sins.

This is what the Bible promises us.

That we will be white as snow.

We also have to remind ourselves that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38) We are eternally secure in God’s love.

There is one catch though.

We have to admit that we committed a sin and confess that sin to God.

We can hold on to his promise in 1 John 1:9. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ‘all’ unrighteousness.” (emphasis mine)

Do you feel that God is so far away?

The Bible says that we are secured in God’s love. (Romans 8:38)

Do you feel that God is so far away  because of life’s blunder?

Claim Romans 5:8.

But never, never forget 1 John 1:9. J