excuji mi

hi, pls excuse my deteriorating state of writing

[thri-sha]

My hope, my angel

Jung Hoseok or better known as J-hope is my role model or inspiration, as some people may call it. He is part of a 7-member Korean boy group called Bangtan Sonyeondan or BTS and he is the group’s main rapper and dancer. He also composes his own raps and helps in the choreography of their dances. I discovered their group by their music video in YouTube and I’ve been a fan ever since. J-hope didn’t catch my eye at first, because there were more good-looking people in the group than him, but as I got to know what he was like thanks to the Internet, I knew it was worth my time being his fan.

Hobi (one of his many nicknames) was born on February 18, 1994. Whenever he would introduce himself, he would always say, “I’m your hope, I’m your angel, J-hope!” He lived in Gwangju, Korea and moved to Seoul to pursue being a K-pop idol. He was once an underground dancer before he was accepted into his current company which is Big Hit Entertainment. He has one older sister that looks very much like him. His favourite colour is green and his blood type is A. He has a skinny but muscular build, and he stands 177cm tall. His hair is black and previously he dyed his hair to chestnut brown and fiery red. He usually wears it with his bangs down but I love it when he gels it up, it makes him more mature and it subtly hides the fact that his face is 24cm long. His eyes are mesmerizing at every point and they look like little crescent moons every time he smiles. He also has a tiny mole at the upper part of his lips. The way he dresses up also impresses me, he usually pulls of anything he wears. Be it shorts, denim jackets, or tacky sleeveless tops, trust me, he’ll make it look good.

If you see that one member in Bangtan Sonyeondan who’s always laughing and acting crazy for no reason at all, then that’s probably J-hope. This boy is a happy vitamin. He’s always dancing to random songs and even to girl group dances. He tells lame jokes and makes fun of his other members. He is one of the older members of the group but he constantly hangs out with the younger ones so they can play together. He isn’t afraid to embarrass himself just to make other people laugh. He sneaks up on his other members’ screen time and makes funny faces to the camera. He always expresses his emotions, usually happiness, not with his words but with his body.

You won’t even guess that he’s turning 22 years old next year. He’s scared even of normal things like huge but cute mascots like Kumamon, rollercoaster rides, and bugs. He also got scared of riding a banana boat during their mini vacation trip in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. He told his members to let him hold onto them when they fall on the water, which really happened. One time, they let each member watch a video alone and they didn’t know that at the end, a ghostly girl would pop up. J-hope was the only one who screamed like a girl and was scared so much. He does a lot of screaming, honestly. He’d scream while dancing, while filming, while sitting. Aside from being such a scaredy-cat, he also loves to make fun of his members. Whenever his members are sleeping or resting backstage, he would poke at them while filming. He would tickle their armpits and below their mouths while calling their name and making “goo goo” sounds. This hobby of his is quite dangerous when Suga, one of his fellow members, is around because he turns into a monster when he’s woken up. He once cursed on film when J-hope was just passing by him. As mentioned earlier, he also likes to hang out with the younger members. They would play hide and seek, or tag, or just random games which would include physical punishment on the loser. These examples agrees with my hypothesis that J-hope is secretly a kid trapped in a man’s body.

Despite being playful, J-hope takes care of his members well. In a magazine interview, his members were asked what J-hope’s hidden charms were. Rapmonster said that “Sometimes, he takes over the role of being the leader.” who is the actual leader of BTS. Rapmonster is very clumsy and forgetful, and J-hope would always remind him about his wallet and other belongings that he always loses. Jin also said that, “He openly takes care of the members. You don’t really notice it at first, but as time goes by, he openly takes care of you.” J-hope, just as his name suggests, also gives off the hope to the group. He is said to be in charge of hope. Even with their crazy schedules, with music show and TV appearances, photo shoots, and concerts abroad in between, he still manages to be positive and hopeful. He lifts their spirits up by his crazy antics and bright personality when the members are feeling low. Suga even said that he gains strength just by looking at J-hope. This infers that these boys care about each other and treat themselves as family. J-hope also takes care of his fans. He sends out cute messages at fan meetings and even in concerts. He also loves doing aegyo or acting cutely towards them. He says that he never liked doing aegyo before, but for his fans, he would do anything. He also wears the fan gifts like accessories and shirts he receives during concerts and meets. Also, he posts his selfies and tweets inspiring and thank-you messages on their official Twitter account. He always thinks of them, because he gets his energy and motivation to do more from the fans.

However, J-hope also has another side other than his bright and happy one. He cried when he watched a video message of his father during his birthday. He was sobbing so much that the members were getting worried at him. He said so himself that he is an emotional person and he likes watching melodramas. As an idol, they face a lot of difficulties and struggles while trying to reach their dreams. Their fame brings them a lot of fans, but also haters and bashers as well. Most of hate goes to J-hope, saying that he’s ugly and has no talent, and I’m sure this breaks his heart to a million pieces. During their high-five session in their concert here in the Philippines, something happened that broke my heart. All of the members line up so the fans can go through each member and have a chance to high-five them and talk to them for a few seconds. J-hope was the last in line. One fan skipped and didn’t high-five him, which led to his confusion and I suppose, sadness. That act was very disrespectful to J-hope, because no matter who your favourite is in BTS, you have to high-five everyone. Rapmonster said that he never saw J-hope getting angry or insecure, and he replied saying that “it’s all accumulated in my heart.” According to his members, J-hope has deep thoughts at times. He worries about himself because he feels that he is falling behind his fellow members.

J-hope’s roles in the group are being the main dancer and main rapper. He participates in making his own raps to a number of their songs and contributing ideas for their choreography. He also helps the members who face difficulty when learning their hard dances. He might not say it directly, but he practices a lot especially in his dance and rap because he feels he is inferior to his members. As stated above, he was an underground dancer therefore when he entered the group, he wanted to improve his dancing. Along the way, he was influenced by his fellow rappers, Rapmonster and Suga, to try rapping. At first, his raps in their early albums were weak and a little short compared to the other two but as time passed, he got better at rapping and composing that he was given more parts in their songs. His raps almost always start with him singing a bit and then bursting with emotion as he swiftly goes through every lyric of the song. His soft voice will capture you right at the first note. It’s such a shame, because I know he isn’t confident of his singing for he knows he isn’t a singer to start with, but really, he has the potential to become better if he practiced hard enough. His world comprises of music and he endured hard-core training, skimpy diets, and being away from home for years so he can debut as an artist and fulfil his dreams.

There are so many wonderful things about J-hope that will inspire you. He may be easy to scare and a cry-baby at times, but this doesn’t overshadow the fact that he is hardworking and thoughtful. Deep in my heart I know he is sincere with his words and actions and he will always exceed my expectations of him. Someday, we will meet and I’ll be able to say these words in his presence.

[thri-sha]

Cebu City’s Increasing Theft Rate

Photograph from: http://lowcards.com

Last October 29, 2015, I was strolling around Elizabeth Mall when I noticed that the front pocket of my bag was open. I shrugged it off and looked for my phone because I wanted to use it. I tried finding it but I couldn’t. I searched my whole bag and even went up, down, and around the establishment but no sign of my cell phone. In the end, I lost hope because even the customer service and housekeeping crew couldn’t help me. A friend of mine, Claire Ayuban, also experienced the same thing while we were walking around Colon. A woman randomly bumped her. After some time, she noticed that the little change of money that she had inside the front pocket of her bag was gone. She deduced that it was the lady’s doing. Luckily, her cell phone and wallet were safely tucked in a compartment.

“Mango Avenue” Photograph from: http://ryugakuonline.com/

Theft is becoming an everyday occurrence in Cebu City. It happens almost everywhere; malls, markets, schools, and even jeepneys. According to numbeo.com, the level of crime in Cebu is 55.21% and the crime increase in the past 3 years is at 60.20% which is considered high. A report from the Cebu Provincial Police Office last March 6, 2015 also says that there is a 13% increase in the crime volume during the first two months of 2015. The most common cases happen in Mango square. Mango is a street avenue in Cebu that is popular for its many restaurants, bars, clubs, and other places of entertainment especially at night time. Foreigners usually flock around this area and that’s where the thefts usually happen. The thieves trick its victims, using various techniques to distract them. An anonymous police officer said that the most common suspects are minors. These minors devise different strategies to distract foreigners around Mango and steal from them. Other places where thieves usually lurk are Brgy. Kamputhaw and Colon. Usually, they take cell phones, wallets, and money. But other times, they take whatever they can get like a company ID worth 2,300 pesos stolen in Sambag 2 and a demolition hammer worth 27,000 pesos taken in Sta. Cruz. These incidents usually happen at night, where the area is crowded and people will not easily notice because it’s dark. What is alarming about these cases is that most of the suspects are unknown. The only thing the victims can do is send a blotter report to the police.

As stated in Article 308-311, Chapter Three of the Revised Penal Code, “Theft is committed by any person who, with intent to gain but without violence against or intimidation of persons nor force upon things, shall take personal property of another without the latter’s consent.” Theft can be committed by 1) failing to return a lost item to its original owner, 2) gaining something after damaging the property of another, and lastly, 3) by entering a closed site where trespassing is prohibited. Penalty is from 6 months to 4 years if the stolen property is more than 200 pesos and not exceeding 6,000 pesos. The penalty will be higher if the thief is a domestic helper. More so, if the property stolen exceeds 6,000 pesos, the penalty may reach up to 19 years and 11 months (but not exceeding 20 years).

That being said, theft is becoming a widespread problem in Cebu. There are three possible causes of theft. First is poverty. The lack of food and supplies push these people to steal so they can eat or provide their families with food. Some of them might’ve given up of begging for alms on the street so they resort to stealing from other people. A man with a growling stomach would do anything to satisfy their hunger, even if it means resorting to illegal measures. On November 26, 2015, Karla Mendoza was about to cross the street when a man suddenly grabbed the plastic cellophane she was holding which contained her breakfast. “I was about to let go of the plastic bag thinking that this man needs this food much more than I do when he suddenly fled the scene because the drivers along JY Square Mall was starting to notice and were shouting at him,” says Mendoza. Some thieves not only steal food, but also valuable gadgets and items. Most of them sell these things so they can gain money. This is a violation of the Anti-Fencing Law, which prohibits the buying and selling of stolen property.

“Barangay Ermita” Photograph from: http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/

Second, most of the people who steal are pressured by their peers or influenced by their environment. An example of this would be the people from Ermita which is a barangay in Carbon that is known to be dangerous because theft is often. I have visited this place during our NSTP immersion sessions and the place really shocked me. It was your typical squatters’ area, with a narrow road, houses too close to each other, the stench of garbage, and brimming with people indicating that it was overcrowded. We were told by the residents to keep our bags in front of us so as to avoid being stolen from. During the immersion, we discovered that drug addiction was a serious problem in the barangay. This, along with the unsustainable environment of the place must’ve lead to the rise of thefts especially when immersion sessions are held in the barangay. Look at Tarzan. He was a human being by default but because he lived with gorillas he thought that he was also one of them therefore he acted like one. The same thing also applies here. If your friends are using drugs and stealing from other people and you are not, most likely, with an environment like Barangay Ermita, you will also do the same. If not, you will be forced to do it because of peer and societal pressure. Most of these are minors because they are easily fooled because of their lack of knowledge and guidance. As they grow up, they will think that what they’re doing is correct even if it’s not because it is what they grew up with and they grew accustomed to it.

Third, for some people, stealing is their means of living. On September 19, 2015, a pickpocketing incident was reported. Eight minors were accused of stealing a cell phone from a man in Colon. The four kids were captured by Chief Inspector Jose Gesto of the Waterfront Police Station. Later, they found out that the minors were instructed by Marcelo Amahan to steal cellular phones from strangers and buying them after. Amahan violated the Anti-Fencing Law. (Secuya, 2015) Trisha Gubaton also lost her bag containing her cash and iPhone in a restaurant located in Leon Kilat Street. A four or five year old girl was seen taking the bag while a man guided her. A woman was also with them, acting as the lookout. (Jabil, 2015) This infers that there are criminal syndicates in Cebu. This is also a much bigger case because these people use underage children to do their dirty work. These kids, if not properly guided, will think that what they’re doing is right because it is what they grew up with.

With the alarming rate of theft in the city, steps must be taken to deter it. Firstly, is to prevent the crime from happening. This can occur by heightening the police visibility in the streets where criminals can think twice before doing something that can lead them to imprisonment. “Pag may police dun sa kalsada, wala pa siyang ginagawa, nakatindig pa lang, obviously crime will not happen, paano pa kaya kung meron pa siyang gagawin at nakikipag-usap sa mga tawo (If the police are on the streets, though he is just standing there, obviously crime will not happen, how much more if we do something and engage people in a conversation),” said Director General Ricardo Marquez, PNP chief, last July 17, 2015 during the planning of contingency management in APEC meetings in Cebu. Marquez also says that by patrolling the streets, the police will be able to establish a connection with the people, making them feel more secured and building their trust. (Ta-as, 2015) The effectiveness of this is seen in the APEC meetings that happened in Cebu last August. “Total crime volume in Central Visayas went down three percent since July, with theft and rape cases decreasing by 14 percent,” said Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief of staff Col. Rey Lyndon Lawas. (Cabahug, Semilla, & Silva, 2015) Secondly, the police conducts Libot-Suroy programs to round up the minors along Mango Square but because they are under aged, the police cannot detain them therefore they let the DSWS (Department of Social Welfare Services) take charge. But the DSWS also cannot accommodate all of the minors because they do not have the enough places to house them. What happens is these kids go back to the streets and into their delinquent living. Thirdly, the NSTP programs can greatly help those in the communities like Ermita. Our project proposal is to provide the youth with productive seminars like soap-making, basic computer education and the like so they can improve their state of living and be productive.

One must understand the root of the problem first before solving it. It is important that we must analyze the causes of the problem such as individuals who lacked guidance during their childhood years and the factors that influenced them to commit such crimes. We must also reflect on the effects of these events because the repeated actions of some can cause extreme nuisances to the whole city. There is a solution to every problem and theft is not an exception. If we work together to apply the aforementioned steps, then we can live freely without worrying about strolling around the Queen City of the South.

References:

2010, March C3: Theft Art. 308-311. Retrieved from https://criminallawphilippines.wordpress.com

Braga, M.V. (2015, March 7) CPPO: Crime rate higher. The Freeman. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/Cabahug, M. et. Al. (2015, August 29) Crimes dip in Metro Cebu due to APEC police force. Cebu Daily News. Retrieved from http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net

Jabil, D. (2015, November 6) Man guides 4-year-old girl to steal bag in Cebu. Sunstar Cebu. Retrieved from http://sunstar.com.ph

Secuya, M.F. (2015, September 19) “Pickpocket” minors along Colon arrested. The Freeman. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com

Ta-as, A. (2015, July 19) New PNP chief wants more beat patrols in streets. Cebu Daily News. Retrieved from http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net

[thri-sha]

Expository Essay: Sentence Outline

Subject: Theft in Cebu

Focused Topic: Causes of Increased Theft Rate in Cebu

Thesis statement: Causes and possible solutions to Cebu City’s increased theft rate.

First Body Paragraph – Major Point 1

Topic Sentence: Poverty can push a man to steal.

Supporting Detail 1a: Personal experience of Karla Mendoza

Supporting Detail 1b: People steal so they can sell it to gain money.

Second Body Paragraph – Major Point 2

Topic Sentence: There are factors in the environment that causes a person to steal.

Supporting Detail 2a: The thief is pressured by his peers.

Expanded Detail: If your friends are thieves, then most likely you will also become one.

Supporting Detail 2b: The thief is influenced by his environment.

Expanded Detail: Unsustainable environments like Brgy. Ermita can influence a person to steal.

Third Body Paragraph – Major Point 3

Topic Sentence: There are criminal syndicates in Cebu.

Supporting Detail 3a: They use children to steal from other people.

Expanded Detail: Reports from Secuya and Jabil

Concluding Paragraph: Solutions to Cebu’s increasing theft rate and analysis on the topic

Summary Statement: There are causes of theft that can help us understand the problem thus can lead us to take the necessary steps and solutions to stop it.

[thri-sha]

Expository Essay Notes

Theft is happening around in Cebu City. Be it in malls, market places, schools, and even jeepneys. According to numbeo.com, the city's level of crime is at 55.21% which is almost at par with Manila's 76.02%. If this continues, many will become wary of living their every day lives because of the risk of being a victim.

On September 19, 2015, a pickpocketing incident was reported. Eight minors were accused of stealing a cell phone from a man in Colon. The four kids were captured by Chief Inspector Jose Gesto of the Waterfront Police Station. Later, they found out that the minors were instructed by Marcelo Amahan to steal cellular phones from strangers and buying them after. Amahan violated the Anti-Fencing Law. (Secuya, 2015)

Trisha Gubaton also lost her bag containing her cash and iPhone in a restaurant located in Leon Kilat Street. A four or five year old girl was seen taking the bag while a man guided her. A woman was also with them, acting as the lookout. (Jabil, 2015)