Balitaan Newsletter 48, Spring 2009 www.rpcvphilippines.org PO Box 100114, Arlington, VA 22210 New scholars From RPCV to CD Views from scholars Remembering Julia Our generous donors Former scholar’s book Eight new scholars are One student persuades A listing of donors to Ariestelo named by the PCAFPD her family that Manila the Foundation since Asilos.is in a range of fields: is safe; another finds our last newsletter. And author of speech pathology, that her scholarship please see our website “Anak ng tourism, engineering, lets her move to a new (listed above) for Jueteng,” social work and campus; and a third special scholarships a book psychology. finds it hard to cope Sonia Derenoncourt and other ways to offer about a small-town with the costs of study. Page 4 (right, with PCV support. lottery system. Page 5 Pages 1, 2, 4, 5 Kuang-Ning “Annie” Slain PCV is honored Pages 8-9 Huang) has had some by new scholarships. challenging jobs. Page 7 Page 3 my room studying. I did not chit-chat ers. I am competing against the UP stan- Winning the bet: with them like I used to. We grew apart. dard and not against my friends. She makes it I learned that the people you meet first Here’s a look at my first year: will not necessarily end up being your Marine Science 1: There were only four through the first year best buddies. You have to explore some freshmen in the class. Even though the more in order to meet your bosom “freshies” were outnumbered, we were Krisna R. Ocong is an engineering ma- friends. Well, I found my very own col- not outshined. Yes, they were more expe- terials major at University of the Philip- lection just next to rienced but the younger ones also have pines, Diliman. She is from Negros Occ- my bed and in front ideas to share. cidental. of my door. Our MS1 group called ourselves College empha- “Fortes V” to please Dr. Fortes, our pro- My family was against me leaving home sizes the fact that fessor. The members became very close for college. They thought that it would be there are so many but before the end of the semester, we had dangerous since it is Manila. To finally people better than a dispute. It was about the division of la- agree to my plans, I made a deal with me in different as- bor. The eldest member complained that mother: If I would have a failing grade pects, or should I she did most of the work from the begin- during the first semester, my trial semes- say, “In almost eve- ning. The rest of us disagreed because we ter, I would go back and study near home. rything.” I am just fulfilled our part, too. We talked it over a tiny existence in a but never really compromised. The first few days in the dormitory were vast universe. I learned that someone can do more so exciting. I met so many kids from Lu- Having different classmates in all my than what I can but it does not mean that zon, Mindanao and, of course, Visayas. classes was very interesting. They come person gave more effort than I did. What I The lobby in Kalayaan Dorm was where in all shapes and sizes. What I love about can do is based on my abilities and the my new friends and I hung out. As days these oh-so-perfect-creatures is the chal- heart that I put in it. went by, I spent most of my time inside lenge is not to compare myself with oth- (Continued on Page 2) 1 B A L I T A A N author of The Germinal (the French book) assignments that need to be researched in Winning the bet between heaven and hell. Yes, I was a he the library. I sometimes spent an hour or (Continued from Page 1) because we lacked man power in the more researching but to no avail. School Trips: Two of my classes have class. Here was I, a non-musical oriented Even my classmates are having a hard educational trips in our syllabi. I did not performer, who boldly held the micro- time researching because the library lacks miss any of them. phone and rapped / sang a song in front of social work books and most of the books The first trip was to Puerto Galera for my the audience (high school students). My are not updated and are obsolete. Most of MS1 Class. One of the activities was to intro was perfect but I messed up the our take-home work or assignments are observe the marine animals in their habi- middle part. I stammered. Fortunately, my done electronically or computerized. Our tats. We snorkeled in the beach and saw friend came into my rescue and we fin- instructors give us the formats to follow fishes, sea urchins, starfish, sea cucumber ished with a blast. For the entire semester, in encoding, like font size and style. In and so much more. And we also tasted it was the time that I begged Mother my seven major subjects, I have two sub- sea grass seeds – they were crunchy; I’d Earth to swallow me whole but she never jects under one instructor. She has re- never thought they were edible. did. quired us to post term papers or a compi- During the semester break, I was await- lation of all the topics that we have dis- Geography: Four sections went to ing the judgment of my math professor. cussed. So we have to put up all the mate- Mango Camp at Zambales. From the be- To pass or to fail was the most critical rial that we have discussed for the whole ginning. our class, the Green Mangoes, point; I was getting impatient and scared. semester and pass it before the final ex- was the most quiet and inactive team. After opening and digesting his e-mail, I amination. The term paper is usually 100- Through out the camp we bonded to- slapped my face a few times and reread 200 pages. If the school computers are gether. We told riddles, mind games and the result. I let a sigh of relief escape me. not available I am forced to go outside. stories. The activities prepared by the I nailed it! I passed Math 17! My grade Computer shops charge 20 to 25 pesos camp staff were super-duper cool. It was was higher that I expected. per hour. like the Amazing Race (of course, relat- Betting is not really one of my strong In my anthropology class, we were ing to geography). My favorite one, unre- points but working hard is. Those sleep- asked by our instructor to have a project, lated to geography, was paint ball. Our less nights spent solving problems were an outreach program. We were to choose team got on the offensive and literally not in vain. Yes, I won!!! UP Diliman, our own locale, the respondents and the took out our opponents. We “killed” all of here I come again! topic to be discussed with the respon- them, captured their flag and became the dents. My group chose to conduct our victor. I was the only female in the team outreach to a school located in a far-flung but I shot three people. I love paint ball. When you pay by the area in Dalupirip, Itogon Benguet. We This time I did not die but turned into a were to talk about sex education with the predator. hour, schoolwork can third- and fourth-year students of Fianza On-hand experiences can teach you Memorial High School. more. What you learned from the class- run up your costs We were so excited because of all the room can easily be forgotten but what you groups we were the only one that chose to experienced will be etched in your mem- Prue Earl Bayungan, from Ifugao, is ma- conduct an outreach program off the ory for a long time. joring in social work at St. Louis Univer- school campus. I was excited and at the sity, Baguio City. same time nervous because it was my English Literature and Society: My first time to talk with students. But they professor was extraordinary. She wanted This past semester was a fruitful one for were so friendly and accommodating that us to show “rage against the dying of the me. I learned a lot we forgot our nervousness. The outreach light” in getting the highest grade. In- of things, earned went well and we were so happy to im- stead of long exams and a midterm, we new friends and part our knowledge. performed speech choirs, conducted in- gained exciting I was given the opportunity to visit the terviews and watched plays. For her, lit- experiences. detained CICLs (Children in Conflict erature is not just about reading books As a student all With the Law) in Baguio City Jail be- and writing papers about them. We went kinds of emotions cause of my research class and was able out of the classroom and searched the surfaced – stress, to talk to them and ask some questions. meaning of literature for ourselves. anxiety, anger and Our research is entitled, “Situational Talents are unfairly distributed. I never many more. I ex- Analysis of Children in Conflict With the got a big piece out of the cake – just perienced stress- Law.” The research is to continue in the crumbs, but I am not complaining.