𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕲𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖉

𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣'?

[the-gifted-ones]

You’re the best

I was shaking tremendously as I saw how a killer killed my neighbor through my window. He drastically gouge her eyes and pull her organs out of her body. I was stunned for a moment when I saw the killer looking at me. After a while, I clapped my hands and put my thumbs up,"Ang galing mo kuya!” I shouted happily. He blushed and looked away.

-Additional, AZ

[the-gifted-ones]

FOUR CORNERS

Good Morning class!

A greeting that we hear from teachers everyday.

You need to stand up.

This is not obligatory but because you are within the four corners, you need to.

It is a shame isn't it?

Okay class, one seat apart, keep all your notes. Are you ready?

An order that you need to follow.

This is not obligatory, but because you are within the four corners, you have to deal with it.

It is a shame isn't it?

This is the effect of the four corners to us. They make us blind, dumb, deaf, and ignorant. We are turned into the palms of the past.

Going to school for 8 hours. My notebook will be full of notes that I do not even understand. Test questions will be answered that the teacher never taught.

It will be in multiple choice and the choices are… I don't know.

A. Ferrari, wow! It was just a horse drawn vehicle before.

B. Android Phones, it was just a telephone that weighed a kilo.

C. A mansion, it was just a simple house made out of bamboos that were called huts.

D. Television, it was as big as a cabinet that when you carry, you'll definitely give up.

E. School, it was just… It was just…

School

It was just… It was just…

School!

None, nothing changed.

Because the education system now is the system of education of the grandfather of the grandfather of your dad before.

This is a system of education not only in our country but also in the advanced and neighboring countries.

It is just sad to think that the agricultural, economical, and technological systems are constantly evolving as education is left behind.

This is the effect of the four corners to us. They make us blind, dumb, deaf, and ignorant. We are turned into the palms of the past.

Going to school for 8 hours. My notebook will be full of notes that I do not even understand.

It will be in multiple choice and the choices are… I don't know.

Let's stop this nonsense!

High grades won't define my future.

It is not the professor's deadline that will dictate the end because as each day passes, it brings light.

E: Low grades doesn't reflect my knowledge as I am more knowledgeable than others!

Let's stop this nonsense!

These are the things that reflect the wrong education system.

Let's put energy into the four corners, stop killing everyone's creativity.

Discard the competition and focus on collaboration. Throw away the old teaching methods and start modern teaching.

Even though there are only a small amount of youth today, 100% of them will handle the next generation.

Okay class, do you have any questions?

This is always the ending statement of teachers. You need to settle down-

No! We do not need to settle anymore. Let us remove those barriers in our current view.

The system will always be wrong, but always remember, there will always be a Rizal that will believe in us.

-AZian

[the-gifted-ones]

Are you decent enough?

     Before the well-known teleserye Mara Clara and the movie “Four Sisters and a Wedding'', there was Urbana at Feliza. It influenced generations of Filipinos on the refinement of social behavior. Written by Modesto De Castro in 1864, Urbana at Felisa is a story about siblings sending letters which consists of advice and stories about their lives while separated from each other. The story talks about etiquette, proper gestures, and ways in different situations. As a priest, De Castro wrote Urbana at Feliza to set a moral standard and for people to be prim and proper. A hundred years after its first publication, is Urbana at Feliza still relevant in today’s society as some of what was written to be good “moral standards” are now considered to be toxic?

     Urbana's letters to Feliza are advice on how to behave properly, how to get along with people, and to have good manners, but in today’s society, some things are not applicable anymore. An example is that people can now love freely whoever they want regardless of their age, beauty, and fortune. Before, there are certain guidelines when it comes to marriage such as the woman should not be richer than the man, their age should be almost the same, and the beauty of the woman should just be exact for her husband which does not make sense anymore in the present time. If you would still be thinking in that way, then you may be considered a toxic person in society. Sad to say, today’s society is not yet fully open to LGBT couples especially here in the Philippines due to different stereotypes and religion Christianity.

     Despite some stereotypes that are linked to the morals of people, which are no longer applicable in the modern world, there are still some that we as humans practice. Some examples are the values that were taught to us when we are still young that is still applicable until we grow up such as proper eating etiquette, respecting elders and proper conduct. These are practices that we should maintain in order to have a good relation with other people.

     There are some misconceptions in the story, such as that those from the city are smarter, and more socially aware, compared to those from the province. We can say that the two siblings, although they have different worlds and cultures, are able to exchange comments and knowledge to each other. Urbana knows things that Feliza does not know, but sometimes Feliza says things that are new to Urbana. Even though Feliza is in the province, her mind is still open to the new concepts given to her by Urbana.

     One of the good features of this work that make it different from other works is the way Urbana was portrayed. Urbana was a good sister, an older sister who knows how to lead and teach. She has the image of a wise sister that Feliza will believe and follow. Urbana also did not forget their younger brother Honesto who was always reminded about drinking alcohol and gambling. Urbana is smart and has a lot of experience. She is far from the usual “soft” character of women in other works like Maria Clara.

     Urbana at Feliza is a book which is like a handbook that Modesto De Castro wrote to set moral standards during that time and became the basis of proper etiquettes as time passed. Since its publication in 1867, the environment changed and with this, the attitudes and actions of the youth also changed. Everything may continue to change but there is only one thing that would not, which is dealing with others and displaying good manners.

-Zuela, Angelo C.

[the-gifted-ones]

𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

“Hey Little Tricia, do you want to play with me?”

“Sure, my dear cousin!”

...

“N-NO! MAMA SAID NOBODY CAN TOUCH ME THERE—!”

“Shh…—don’t tell anyone, okay? That’ll be our little secret.”

“Y-you said we were going to play—please stop touching my cookie!”

My eyesight started to get blurry as I felt little drops of liquid sliding through my cheeks, it hurts. 

My cookie hurts.

“If you tell your mama and papa, they’ll get mad at you. You will be the cause of your family’s downfall. Now Little Tricia wouldn’t want that, would she?” - Go, Camille Patricia

[the-gifted-ones]

Disillusioned Dead Star

     “So all these years–since when?–he had seen the light of dead stars, long extinguished, yet seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens.”-- Alfredo Salazar

     People always ask, what is love, and why is it so complicated? Love can lead people to wrong decisions, and it may impact our lives with the people that are around us. A well-known quote from Les Brown states that “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” Making mistakes is common, but we need to learn from it as we are the ones creating our destiny by making choices in life. Alfredo was engaged to Esperanza. They were in a relationship, hence falling for Julia was an action he should not have done and should have immediately stopped. His life was like a puzzle with a missing piece. He was confused and did not know which path to take. In making life decisions, we should always be wise and think about it first, as this is what we will be facing in the future. Dead Stars symbolize things present but unseen. Alfredo and Julia's friendship was genuine, but the affection they had was wasted and fades as time passes. It all no longer exists, like a disillusioned dead star.

     Alfredo who was fooling himself into thinking that he was in love with a person, only to discover he wasn’t even in love at all. He failed to find happiness in his relationship with Esperanza. However, he may want to simply avoid the problems and seek another means of comfort; hence, visiting Julia frequently to talk to, but instead, he fell in love with her. Sometimes people come into our lives, and we know right away that they are meant to be there, to serve a purpose, or to teach a lesson, and in relationships, there may be horrible, painful, and unfair times, but without overcoming those obstacles, a person would have never realized it by their heart. Alfredo falls drastically in love with Julia even as he is engaged to Esperanza. He kept on holding on to the thought of possibilities he could have had with Julia throughout the years of his marriage to Esperanza. However, upon meeting Julia again, he realizes that what he thought was there had disappeared.

     A man engaged in a four-year relationship while being confused with his feelings, the love between Alfredo and Julia seemed to be real, but it had been lost and fading like a dead star as time goes by. It was nothing but a dying star.

- Medida, Kimberly

[the-gifted-ones]

Happy Death Day

Sticky. Viscous. Fresh.

My face is full of red liquid as I continue to pull and bury the knife in their chests.

Left and right. I'm very happy. 

This is how it feels to take revenge on the people who considered me a slave.

I’m like a toy that they would throw away if they don’t want me anymore, but I have a heart and emotions as well.

So, they should be my last gift today. It is now time to light my candles to celebrate the day I was born.

"Happy Birthday to me, my dear parents."

-Zuela, Angelo C.