UNDAS 2017

UNDAS 2017

A Filipino Tradition

  

I am not being insensitive here, I just want to put into writing something that's been happening for a very long time. Ok! We, Filipinos believed that by celebrating 'All Saints Day' and 'All Souls Day' we are commemorating our departed loved ones. I would agree 100%  to that tradition. Once a year we do these - going to cemeteries, buying flowers and traveling where they were buried, light some candles, others offer prayers while some people are awake till dawn partying and gossiping at the cemetery. If there is something I missed please tell me.

On this same day, we also acknowledge Halloween. At the time that we remember our dead, there is this eerie day of aswang, tiyanak, kapre, manananggal, and etc... Local department stores put some decors as a start-up to this occasion, some houses designed their front gates with skeletons and dementor-like images (I borrowed a word from Harry Potter) while in our subdivision, kids will wear costumes and will knock every homes within our community to ask for some treats. What is the relationship of showing our love to our dearly departed and then horrify ourselves on the same day? What should be the proper 'mood' for this day .....festive?

Maybe that is the reason why cinemas show a lot of fright night movies come November 1.  Last time on cable television they made a movie-thon of selected horror movies to celebrate Halloween. Our traditions sometime contradicts with logic, we do things just because it is our tradition. 

In order not to take the essence of these traditions ...seriously, I conform in what the Bible states: 

(1) But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Matthew 8:22 (NIV)

(2) Jesus replied, "Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?" Matthew 15:3 (NIV)

(3) See to it that no one takes captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NIV) 

Copyright 2017

Johnie Cuison, PhD

drjohniecuison.blogspot.com

cuisonjohnie@gmail.com  Writings 2017 #13

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Prayer for World Peace and HAT Festival!

Celebrating the United Nations Founding Anniversary 2017

Today (October 20, 2017) at Wisdom Grade School, we celebrated in advance the founding anniversary of the United Nations by encouraging students to wear home-made international hats. We called it 'Hat Festival.'

United Nations is a name coined by U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, represented then initially by 26 nations that pledged their governments to continue fighting together against the Axis power (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo), a result of WWII. Today, the UN goals are different - alleviating poverty, upholding equality and issues of climate change - the true essence of the UN that young children are not aware of.

The role of the school is to educate the children what our own 'Hat Festival' is all about. Representing each countries around the world. They learned that nations work together for common good, and governments do talk to one another.

The whole day event was filled with various activities, including time to PRAY for World Peace. We taught the children that it is only in unity that we can achieve much. We also took time to include in prayers all Christian Missionaries around the globe as we continue to celebrate the Missions Month. 

Johnie DR Cuison, PhD

drjohniecuison.blogspot.com

Copyright 2017.

#UN #world #peace #prayer #countries #globe #aroundtheworld #love #pray #missionary #missionaries #christians #flag #hat #festival #president #roosevelt #franklin #nations #school #anniversary

May Pasok na!

Ang bagyo at baha ay hindi natin maiiwasan ngunit ang transport strike na paulit-ulit na lamang nating problema ay matagal nang dapat natugunan ng gobyerno upang hindi nito maisaalang-alang ang importansiya ng pag-aaral ng mga batang Filipino. 

Hindi pa tapos ang taong 2017, ngunit maraming nang araw ang naging bakasyon ng mga mag-aaral na sana'y iginugol nila sa kanilang pag-aaral. Sadyang

Johnie Cuison, PhD
drjohniecuison.blogspot.com
Karapatang Intelektwal 2017 (Copyright 2017).

IS TELEVISION VIEWING SAFE FOR A GROWING FILIPINO CHILD?

Copyright 2017

Johnie Cuison, PhD 

drjohniecuison.blogspot.com

We are on  the 17th year of the third millennium. It is our era of 24/7 cabled TV viewing of local and international shows, movies and animation. A development in home-entertainment where various studies have been made proving that TV viewing is not all beneficial, most specially to those young children at home watching non-stop cartoons, noontime shows and primetime tv. Research have reported that too much TV viewing affects children's well-being, values and learning. 

When I was a kid, I am also an avid fan of cartoons, but in those days I have to wait for the scheduled day and time to watch it. It taught me discipline, it taught me patience.  I am not saying that those days were better than what we have now, but I can affirm that most children today are hyperactive in an unlikable way. Cable television offers an array of different networks of cartoons for a child to choose. After watching some, I cannot help it but to compare. Cartoons being shown nowadays look different, if not presented as a dishwashing sponge, it would be some kind of a cockroach running, jumping and hitting one another or 3 unproportioned flying dolls with wide-open eyes that seem to be hypnotizing children. There are dozens of these types on cable television and the list goes on.

Noontime show is another issue. The antics and jokes are getting more malicious and double-meaning presented by men in dress. Some of the noontime contest encourages contestants to show their transformations from being a girl to becoming a boy and a contest about boys pride on his gender preference. Half a day a child could probably be hooked on these noontime programs.

At 6 PM primetime show follows. A viewer will find that local telenovelas are getting predictable and recycled. The dramatics of 'sampalan' seemed so vital to put an excitement in telenovela. The story of rich people versus the poor people, the rich always ends up as the contrabidas of the story, really? Palaging ganun? Lahat ng maykaya sa buhay mapang-alipin? I am not being insensitive here, pero nasaan na ba ang tunay na pag-asa sa buhay nating mga Filipino, kung panonood ng mga lokal na telenovela sa telebisyon ang ating pag-uusapan? Sapat na bang ipakita ang pagmamahal ng isang Filipino sa ospital, kung saan nakaratay ang isang mahal sa buhay na maysakit at walang maipambili ng gamot, kung kaya't ang bida ay natutong magnakaw o maghiganti? I have seen the same scene when I was 7 years old in an old classic Filipino film. Is the Filipino life hopeless?

One of my deep concern is this. At home, children who watched the most learned the most. Based on my 10-month research (December 2016 to September 2017), a Filipino child could possibly see an average of 1,000 acts of violence, 1,500 sexual preferences and gender issues and 3,000 product endorsements (commercials) in a months time watching television. Imagine the scenario about what influences your child's mind right inside your home. In Philosophy the Empiricists believe that, a child's mind is a 'tabula rasa" (a blank slate). In its original pristine state, a child's mind absorbs the information he sees and keeps it in his repertory grid. Children can easily learn by impression and that is a very sensitive way of their learning. Television stations, programs and artists have a social responsibility in bringing-up 'the next generation of thinking Filipinos.' I know commercialism has a big part in getting things done in show-business. How hard it is to solve the mystery of profit versus educating a child at home?

Copyright 2017

drjohniecuison.blogspot.com Writings 2017 #10

cuisonjohnie@gmail.com

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