Job opening: early childhood education teacher

The National Early Childhood Care and Development Coordinating Council is hiring a teacher to handle early childhood education in a center we will be building at the Aguinaldo Elem School. If you are an elem education grad, has been ranked by DepEd, bring you personal data sheet and come to the municipality 6 AM this Wednesday. There's a free jeep you can take going to Legaspi for the job interview.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

In celebration of November, which was declared by the Department of Education as the National Reading Month, we are going to screen the film Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress on Saturday, November 26, 7 PM, at the Encinas Pavilion.




Set during the Cultural Revolution in China, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a coming-of-age story of two teenagers from bourgeois families who were sent by the Communist government to the countryside to be re-educated by the rural villagers. Staying in the mountain village, they fell in love with one girl and, along the way, discovered the illicit pleasure of reading Western literature forbidden by the government.

Balzac had me at its first scene where to escape the destruction of a prized violin and hide their attachment to Western bourgeois music, the two teenagers misrepresented Mozart's Divertimento, K 334 as being entitled Mozart Thinking of Chairman Mao. After which, the village chief, knowing no better, pompously proclaimed that indeed Mozart is always thinking of Chairman Mao. Hilariously funny.

This is one of my all-time favorite films.It has gorgeous landscape, a wonderful story, a political subplot and a heartbreaking ending. I think anybody who loves reading literature will fall in love with this film.

Clash of the Titans

When I was a Grade six pupil (or perhaps It was during the fifth grade, I don't exactly remember now), we had lessons about the different parts of the universe: the planets (named after the Roman Gods), the galaxies and, of course, the many constellations with strange names like Hercules, Pegasus, Andromeda and Perseus. It was also by this time that I came across Edith Hamiton's Mythology, although I do not remember how I got hold of that book. Books were so scarce then when I was growing up and no teacher encouraged reading, so I think it must be a copy a classmate must have lent me.

I remember I really loved that book. It had so many wonderful, magical stories about heroes conquering powerful enemies, gods scheming against each other and, of course, love unrequited. When I was a boy, I had a taste for fantasy stories. My favorite komiks were Kuwento and Pinoy Komiks, and every week starting from Grade 2, I would go to the Enaje komiks joint in Balud to read all the komiks there for only ten centavos each. Whenever I walked home from school, I would always pass by the big tree in front of the church and take a peek at the hole on its trunk. And I believed if I religiously look hard enough, a duwende might judge me worthy of friendship, and show himself to me and give me untold riches which I could bring to my parents (I guess I was materialistic as a kid, probably the reason why no duwende bothered with me).

Anyway, for a year or so sometime around grade six, I was mythology-crazy. One day, I would imagine myself Zeus hurling thunderbolts against my classmates. The next day, I would be daydreaming of travelling away riding Pegasus. Sometimes I would like to be just bad and conquer Olympus and take all the gods as my prisoners. It was also during this time that I, together with some friends, began hunting for betamax tapes on mythology. And it was at Chia's video store that I got The Clash of the Titans, about Perseus, his love Andromeda, the flying Pegasus and the deadly Medusa.

I will be watching The Clash of the Titans again at Encinas Pavilion, 7 PM, this Saturday November 19. It is a classic fantasy film I am sure every kid will enjoy, and yes, it is much, much better than its recent remake, which you probably might have seen recently on HBO. You can read more about the film here on Wikipedia.

Photo contest

DUN & BRADSTREET PHOTO CHALLENGE

Manila, 25 October 2011 – Dun & Bradstreet Philippines (D&B) is inviting all amateur and professional photographers residing in the Philippines to showcase their talent by submitting entries to the Dun & Bradstreet Photo Challenge. Entries may be entered under any of the following categories: Philippine Skyline, Famous Landmarks and Places in the Philippines, The Global Filipino Businessperson in Action, SMEs: The Backbone of the Philippine Economy, The Power of Information, BPOs as a major driving force in economy growth. Multiple entries per contestant are allowed.

Those interested to join may view the complete mechanics and submit their entries by visiting the Dun & Bradstreet Photo Challenge website at dnb.com.ph/photochallenge. The contest runs from October 20 to November 20, 2011. Contest winners will become proud new owners of Canon digital cameras.

Upcoming TESDA training at the municipality

Below are the upcoming trainings to be undertaken by the municipality. If you are interested or have some inquiries, please see PESO Manager Rowena Fajardo at Civil Registrar's Office (tel 311-1061)

TVET Schedule for the last quarter of CY 2011

1. Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II (SMAW)
2. Electrical Installation & Maintenance NC II (EIM)
3. Carpentry NC II

Community-Based Training for Enterprise Development (CBTED) & AHMP Program

1. Hydroponic Gardening
2. Gulayan sa Paaralan & Barangay
3. Pili Shellcraft & Fashion Accessories Production
4. Paper Recycling

Bagong gawang spillway sa Anibong, Barangay Bulacao

Ito ang bagong gawang spillway sa Anibong sa Barangay Bulacao na pinondohan ng PDAF ni Congressman Ramos. Maaari nang dumaan ang mga taga Barangay Sangat sa Barangay Bulacao kung patungo sa poblacion. Kung inyong matatandaan, ang bahaging ito ay wasak sa loob ng mahabang panahon.

Call for applications: American Studies Ph.D. program

The University of Heidelberg seeks applications for its Ph.D. program in American Studies at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies(HCA). This structured, three-year English-language program is open to German and international applicants who wish to earn a research-oriented academic degree. The program aids students in acquiring the skills to independently conduct major scholarly research in the fields of American history, politics, geography, literature, and cultural studies. It not only offers a modern multidisciplinary curriculum but is particularly committed to building a true community of scholars by fostering academic debate and continual exchange among its participants.

Unlike Ph.D. programs in the United States, this program does not include a preliminary phase ending with a preliminary or comprehensive exam. This means that no automatic master's degree will be awarded and that students will not have time to develop their dissertation topics while enrolled in the program. Instead, acceptance to the Heidelberg Ph.D. program in American Studies requires a well developed advanced concept of a research project.

To apply successfully, a candidate needs to fulfill not only the general entrance requirements but she or he also needs to write a meaningful proposal. The proposal should outline the guiding questions of the dissertation project while embedding them in current academic debates and show that the dissertation will make an original and
important contribution to a particular field of research. The proposal should also list the source materials that will be used and provide a realistic timetable for the completion of the project.

Applicants also need a letter of intent from a professor at the University of Heidelberg that she or he is willing to be their advisor for the envisaged project. Candidates need two letters of recommendation that not only assess the applicant?s academic qualifications but also evaluate the proposed dissertation project.

Once accepted, students are expected to take one class on method and theory, one class on academic writing as well as a presentation and media skills class. For the entire duration of their enrollment, students are expected to attend the Ph.D. colloquium. Regular progress reports and orientation talks with advisors are also an integral part of our Ph.D. program. There are no tuition fees.

Upon completing the program, the graduates are awarded either a Doktor der Philosophie (Dr. phil.) or a ?Doctor of Philosophy(Ph.D.) according to their choice.

The deadline for submitting applications for the next term (winter semester 2012, October) is February 15, 2012.

Marathon reading of the Noli Me Tangere

We are holding a marathon reading of the Noli Me Tangere on Dec 29-30 at the Monreal Ruins, BU Gubat. We are looking for volunteers who can read aloud two pages from the novel. Readers can either read their pages at the Monreal Ruins or, if you are abroad and can't attend the event, you can join us via online video call or by a pre-recorded video. Join us in celebrating the life of Jose Rizal and his great novel. Sign up here.

Save the date: December 10

Burugkos Inc is organizing an acoustic night at My Bro's Mustache on Scout Tuazon, Timog on the night of December 10. Proceeds from the event shall be used, I was told, to fund a waste management seminar for Barangay Rizal. If you are meeting your friends come Christmas season (or having a Christmas party), you can have your celebration during the acoustic night event. That way, you also get the chance to meet other Gubatnons in Manila.

Barangay Carriedo Bridge Project

Earlier this morning, I was in Carriedo for the formal turnover of this bridge project which will help control the flooding during heavy rains and make for a safer way going to Barangay Manapao. The project was funded by the PDAF of Congressman Ramos.

The Dr. Juan Escandor Search for Best Human Rights Teaching in the Municipality of Gubat

First Prize: Samsung N100-MA02 Netbook

Second Prize: Canon Powershot A800 Digital Camera

Third Prize: Nokia C3 Phone


Mechanics

1. The contest is open to all public elementary school teachers regularly employed by the DepEd in the Municipality of Gubat.

2. Entries should be lesson plans designed to be taught within 40 minutes and prepared for any grade level or subject area, except Makabayan and Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga. You may choose whatever specific human right you want to feature in your lesson plan. Please refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

3. The lesson plans will be judged by how well they are able to seamlessly integrate human rights concepts into regular lessons. Please make the lesson plan as detailed as possible (including descriptions of teaching materials you want to use in your execution of the plan).

4. The lesson plans are preferably to be submitted digitally by e-mail to both fauscon@yahoo.com and ronnel@gmail.com, but hard copies may also be submitted to the Mayor’s Office. Please include your name, name of school where you are regularly employed, and contact number.

5. The lesson plans will be collectively vetted by a committee. The committee will choose the best seven lesson plans among those submitted. The teachers who submitted the best lesson plans will each be observed to determine how well they execute their respective lesson plans. From the seven finalists, the top three to win the major prizes will be chosen.

6. A teacher is allowed to submit only one entry.

7. Deadline for the submission of entries is November 14, 2011. Teaching demo of the best seven lesson plans is to be scheduled on November 18, 2011. Awarding of prizes will immediately follow at the Monreal Ruins inside the BU Gubat Campus at 3 pm.

Human Rights Seminar-Workshop for Teachers

The weekend of October 22-23, we held a Human Rights and Peace Seminar Workshop for Teachers at the LIKAS Ridge Training Center in Irosin (very nice place, clean and comfortable dorm beds). The over-all goal is to inject human rights concepts into elementary school curriculum. We invited the teachers whose pupils' average marks in the fourth periodical exam last year were the highest in the municipality.

The project was conceptualized by the municipality and was financially supported by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). Mr Florencio Bermundo, Values Education supervisor for the Division Office gave the welcome remarks. Director Ana Elzy Ofreneo of the Commission on Human Rights's Education and Research Office and Dr. Aurora Parong of Amnesty International Philippines gave lectures on human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We were also generously granted a personal sharing and reflection by Mrs. Zenaida Enaje, former principal of Gubat National High School and sister of martial law martyr Dr. Juan Escandor. Later in the program, we were also joined by Karapatan-Bicol and Father Bong Imperial of the Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary (OLPS) for a conversation on human rights concerns and issues in the Philippines today.

Nothing is better for us as citizens than to get a human rights education. The Philippine Constitution deems it very important that it tells us to have one. I myself have very fond memories of a human rights class I had under Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, now a member of the GRP peace panel talking with the NDF.

There are some people though who believe that a human rights education makes us selfish, but it was because people were not even aware of a self with inalienable rights the state cannot encroach upon that in times past whole populations were decimated. When we become better aware of our rights, we become better aware of our political obligations as citizens because whether we like it or not, yes paradoxically, it is the existence of the state, our sometimes very oppressor, that also guarantees the protection of our rights.

Tong Hua (Fairy Tale)

Check this great song by Malaysian Chinese Michael Wong. The song is six years old or so and was a huge hit across the Chinese-speaking world when it was released. I can't shake off this song for the last few days, makes me regret terribly the fact that I don't speak Mandarin.

Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations

It was I think during my second year at the university that I saw this small film called Total Eclipse about the tumultuous relationship between the poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, two people gone drunk with poetry. The film was almost unremarkable except for the fact that it starred the young Leonardo DiCaprio who later on will become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

A few months ago, there was this New Yorker piece on Rimbaud which again piqued my curiosity. Apparently, Rimbaud started writing poems at the age of sixteen, ran away from home, took the literary world in Paris by storm and then, after a violent fight with Verlaine wherein he shot the latter's ear, quit writing at around the age of twenty. The New Yorker piece points out that Rimbaud went back home home, later lived in Africa to become a merchant of, among others, coffee, and at the age of 37 died of cancer.

And so I took up my copy of Rimbaud's Illuminations I got many years ago from a bargain bin at Book Sale and finished reading it during one of the nights I was in Manila attending a conference. Was the book good? Ahhh, I think I missed the proper time of reading the book, and I regret it. I should not have tarried, should have read it when I was seventeen. Now, all the book's teenage angst and dreaminess is lost on me.

On hindsight though I now better understand one classmate I had in a class in Spanish, who was an aspiring poet then. He was probably under the spell of Arthur Rimbaud. But everybody grows up. Even Rimbaud did.

Job Opening

Senator Pangilinan tweets tha he needs a political communications person, preferably with TV news experience. Contact Renan Dalisay at 5526732.

International Criminal Justice Forum

Advancing Philippine Contributions
to International Criminal Justice

with a keynote address from

PROF. DR. MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO
Judicial Candidate to the International Criminal Court
Senator of the Republic of the Philippines

Discussants: Prof H. Harry L. Roque. Jr. of IILS
& the chair of the Commission on Human Rights chair,
Loretta Ann Pargas Rosales

9:30 am-12 noon, Friday, 21 October 2011
Malcolm Theater, Malcolm Hall, College of Law, UP


Sponsored by
The Institute of International Legal Studies
of the UP Law Center and the
Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court

Marathon reading of the Noli Me Tangere

Every December 30, local government units are enjoined to honor our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. This is why we see wreath laying ceremonies in front of Rizal monuments in every town (come to think of it,which town has no monument?).

2011 is the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of Rizal's birth, so I figure we must do something really special this year. And then I got to thinking: What could be more commemorative of the greatness of a man than to honor the work for which he was pilloried?

Rizal was meted the death penalty for writing two subversive novels, the Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo, two novels which, according to the noted scholar Benedict Anderson, made us imagine our country for the first time as a community, as one comprised of Filipinos, not merely indios who were subjects of a distant empire. It was in the Noli and the Fili that we first read about ourselves. Those two novels, according to Anderson, invented in our minds the concept of our nation.

And what greater way to honor a literary work than to read it? So on December 29, 7 AM, we are going to begin a marathon reading of the Noli Me Tangere. We are seeking volunteer readers who will each read aloud two pre-assigned pages from the Noli and, as much as possible, deliver his reading dressed as a character from the novel. Everyone will also be encouraged to bring food and beverage mentioned in the novel.

We want to make the event global (Rizal, after all, was hopelessly itinerant) and thus we welcome readers from abroad who can deliver their reading pre-recorded or live via Skype or Yahoo video chat.

Venue is tentatively set at the Monreal Ruins (inside Bicol University Gubat) on Rizal Street.

If you want to join, send me a quick message at ronnelATgmailDOTcom or message me through facebook. I will email you your assigned pages. We plan to serve tinola and tsokolate of uniform viscosity for everyone, no ah no eh.

Call for Proposals: IPC Merit Research Awards. Deadline on Nov. 21

The Institute of Philippine Culture, School of Social Science welcomes proposals for the IPC Merit Research Awards. With funds provided by the Ford Foundation, the awards seek to advance research in the social sciences. Proponents are asked to present a written proposal with clearly stated research objectives, the proposed study's theoretical significance, and the research methods required.


Priority Research Areas

The program puts priority on five substantive thematic clusters:

1. Social justice, poverty, and well-being;

2. Civil society, social change, cultural- and spiritual- based values;

3. Asset building and social capital formation in community-based health, education, shelter, and natural resource management;

4. Cultures of work, conflict, and peace; and

5. The impact of globalization on people's everyday lives.



Within these thematic clusters, specific substantive areas would include:

a. Religious change and transformation;
b. Families, childhood, youth, and aging;
c. Culture, political leadership, and state power;
d. Critical analysis of citizenship and civil society;
e. Forms of governance;
f. Corporations and private authority;
g. Social dynamics of agriculture and the environment;
h. Articulations of the global-local nexus; and
i. The coexistence of "modernity" and "tradition".


Proposal guidelines

Research proposals should not exceed 2,500 words. The proposed project must be completed within 12 months. The maximum research award is P500,000.00.

The IPC Merit Research Awards are granted on a competitive basis.

The deadline for submission of research proposals this year is November 21, 2011.

To download the MRA Guidelines and Application form please visit the IPC website:

http://www.ipc-ateneo.org/node/19

For inquiries and more information, please e-mail Dr. Ma. Elizabeth J.

Macapagal, IPC Associate Director for Research (mmacapagal@ateneo.edu).

Job opening: Pol Sci Teacher

The Department of Political Science is now accepting applications for full-time teaching positions for academic year, 2012-2013. Applicants for full-time positions should have a master's degree in political science or a related field (e.g. public administration, international studies/relations), preferably with teaching experience and Ph.D. units. Interested applicants may contact Prof. Ruth Lusterio-Rico, Chair of the Department of Political Science, through polisci@up.edu.ph or upolisci@yahoo.com.

Anne Curtis and Nora Aunor smoking

First of all, let me say that Anne Curtis looks wonderful on this month's Rogue cover and Yes Magazine probably caught the real Nora Aunor on its cover photo, as editor Joanne Maglipon emphasized in an interview. But I think it was wrong to show them with cigarettes on magazine covers everybody, including children with impressionable minds, could see in the newsstands. Because this is one major path how people end up with a smoking habit: When they were young they saw adults smoking and as teenagers, in a hurry to grow up, they copy the vestiges of adulthood, the most visible of which is smoking. And when they grow older and begin to know better, they are already hooked with a habit and could not get out of smoking, even if their lives depended on it.

The magazine covers peddle the idea that smoking is sophistication. This is so trite and 1970's where the easiest thing for a stylist to do to make a woman appear sophisticated and modern is to let her light up. The magazine covers may or may not have violated the law, but celebrities should be more responsible with the images they project on children. We could pull down perfectly healthy bodies (albeit in underpants) in Guadalupe, surely we could all do better than pose with life-destroying accessories on magazine covers.

By the way, if you feel offended by Rogue, you can switch to reading Esquire Philippines (Lovi Poe can be found at the link), which had its debut issue this month with Manny Pacquiao on the cover.