The Fall of Zach

     The road was dark and foggy. No one even noticed he descended. The feeling was new to him. It was overwhelming and awkward for a former angel to be in a human body.

“How can I live like this? This body is too vulnerable”, he thought to himself. As an angel he was ordered to protect a human named Millie.

“It will take me quite time to get use to this body”, he surmised.

     It was a sunny Monday and first day of school. Every student has made their way to their classes. Zach and Millie were classmates in senior high. They were even seated near to each other and got along during lunch.

“Hey! What’s your food?” asked Zach.

“Its chicken sandwich and I also have my favorite leche flan for dessert”, she answered confused that Zach didn’t even know her food.

“Okay, what’s a leche flan by the way?” Zach asked really didn’t know what’s really that thing.

“It’s a dessert, made from egg yolks with milk and sugar. Really you don’t know this? You should try it! Come on just a taste” said Millie.

     Zach tasted the leche flan and he liked it. It was like their food up in the heaven. Its sweetness reminded him of his place. The creaminess he couldn’t forget had lusciously slid down through his throat. Ah heaven!

    Days, weeks, months have passed; Zach and Millie became good friends. Zach felt something he never felt before. Whenever he saw Millie, he became nervous and happy.         
This feeling was new to him and he was confused.

“Is this what the human called love?” Zach thought to himself. Confused and guilty he wanted to not to feel that kind thing, he avoided Millie.

     One week has passed and Millie had never felt alone in her life. She asked herself why Zach always tried to avoid her. He didn’t go with her every lunch and even going home anymore. She decided to ask Zach about this so she talked to him.

“What’s wrong Zach? Are you mad at me? Have I done something wrong?” she asked him really not knowing why he needed to avoid her.

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I need to do this. I need to control myself. I’m confused Mills, I don’t know what to do” said Zach.

“Why? What’s going on? Tell me please. Don’t leave me hanging” pleaded Millie.

“I’m confused. I think… I think I'm in love with you… but it’s wrong! I didn’t know that this might happen. Millie, I’m not human, I don’t belong here. I’m Zachariel,  I’m an angel. And I don’t know when I’m going to go back” said Zach.

     Millie was crying. She didn’t understand why Zach said that to her. She thought that he was just making excuses. Couldn’t take of it anymore, she ran and ran. She ran until she couldn’t anymore. She ran until she couldn’t breathe.

She didn’t notice that somebody’s following her. While she was still crying, a strong man cupped her mouth and tried get on top of her. She screamed to the top of her lungs but no one could hear her. She wanted to fight but the man was so strong. Suddenly, she felt that she was gagged and a punched hit at her stomach. She couldn’t move anymore. She was crying.

    Suddenly, she felt the man get off her. She heard fighting. When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Zach beating the man. But Zach seemed different. He was glowing and he had wings! Millie was shocked. She couldn't believe that all of the things had Zach said were true.

    Zach stopped beating the hell out of the man. He walked towards her and checked her body as if he couldn’t forgive himself for not following her quickly.

“I’m sorry Mills. I’m so sorry. I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I don’t want to keep myself from you anymore. I love you. I choose to be in here. I want to be here” crying, he told Millie.

“Oh Zach… I love you too” she answered.

Suddenly, a light beamed upon him. And Zach was ascending…

“No! No! Please don’t leave me Zach. Please!” cried Millie.

 And Zach was gone. Millie was suddenly alone in the dark.

After 4 weeks…

    Millie was looking outside their window. Suddenly a meteor fell near their street. She quickly ran for it. When she saw the meteor, she stopped when she saw instead of a stone or metal, it’s a man. He’s a man, he was Zachariel.

     “Zachariel? Is it really you? “ asked Millie.

      Smiling he said, “Call me Zach! By the way, I brought your favorite leche flan”.

adopted attribution: image from www.pinterest.com and playingwithuniverse.com

Con. Template

“No one said finding Paris would be easy; they only said it would be worth it.”

-Con. Template, Welcome to the Underworld

     Con Template is my latest fave author this year. She is very private. I don’t even know her real name and other stuff. I just know that she lives in California and maybe she’s Asian or not.  When she was interviewed in the Soompi, she said that she started writing on the Soompi Fanfix Forums seven years ago and her first and well-known work was the series of “Welcome to the Underworld”.  I’ve read all of the four books in that series and I love them. It has 4.56/5 star review on the Goodreads.

     “Con.Template is a professional daydreamer who found her passion in life one day when wrote a story, posted it online, and found herself falling in love with a craft that started out as a simple hobby” she said in her interview.  Now, she has published four books and this year another series is coming out.

Please watch the WTTU fanfic trailer...

On her book series “Welcome to the Underworld”… 

The first story she wrote on Soompi was “Welcome to the Underworld.” It is a story about a secret underworld crime society who refers to themselves as Kings and Queens. The most infamous “Queen”–An Soo Jin who everyone thought had died–mysteriously got amnesia and unknowingly made her return to this secret underground society. The story follows her as she returns to power, falls for a King who is a rival to her Underworld throne, and uncovers the secrets of her past. (Source: Soompi.com)

         The time that I read the first chapter, I really got hooked into it. I’ve even finished the first book in two days. I remember I finished the whole series in just one week. I really love the characters. I laughed with them, giggled with them, got annoyed, got angry, and I really cried a lot and I mean it. Sorry for being a spoiler here but If I’ve given a chance to change the ending; I would make Tae Hyun alive. *Sigh! And I really felt sorry for Yoori. I’m really moved by the story. And I even recommended it to my fellow bookworm classmates.

          Because of these books, I was motivated to go to Paris. And I will someday, with my once-in-a-lifetime-love, I promise.

adopted video from: youtube.com; ideas: soompi.com

Ode to My Family

I always smile every morning, seeing you sleeping,

My husband’s snoring, my son’s kicking;

You’re the ones I longed to have,

a family that I promised to love.

I’m happy to have you both with me,

I’m contented, we should be;

I promise we will be complete,

Forever, not even death can part we.

Growing up I’m broken,

my parents left me,

They told me, they loved me;

But realized they’re lying.

I told myself, I’ll never be

Like them, like they did to me;

Now I can have my family,

A family I love with me.

Family is not an important thing. It's everything.

                                                                 Michael J. Fox 

attributions: brainyquote.com

City of Love

When I’m reading the Welcome to the Underworld series by Con. Template, Paris has been an important symbolism to the story. It’s like Paris was metaphorically compared to love. And the lead characters even said that “No one said finding Paris would be easy; they only said it would be worth it”. It means that finding love is never easy and once you found it, it would be worth it. They also said that “you cannot go to Paris if you’re not in love, you could only go there if you have your once-in-a-lifetime-love”. And even though they didn’t have the chance to go there because of some unfortunate things that have happened, still they have each other, they have found their love, and they have found their Paris!

From then on, I promised to myself that someday I will go there with my love. Someday I will also experience what it’s like visiting there, visiting the City of Love. Wait for us Paris! 

adopted attribution: images from amazingthings.blogspot.com

Steps on How to be a Good Teacher

understood.org

         If you’re a novice teacher, you should find ways to be a good teacher to your students. This article will help you to become a teacher that you’ve always wanted that will result to students’ learning and smooth relationship.

1. Be a Keen Observer

         Jot down every behavior problem you encounter today. As you recognized them, think of the ways you can handle them as soon as possible. And find ways to lessen your students’ negative behavior.

2. Find a Mentor

        Find a mentor that has a great rapport with people, been teaching longer than you have, patient, a good listener, respected and especially willing to help. Listen to them and take their advice as long as you feel comfortable. The important part is, still have your own way or technique in teaching.

3. Communicate with the Parents

       It’s also important that their parents know their child’s progress, problems and needs in school. As their teacher, you should tell their parents all of these especially to those children you noticed to have difficulties catching up on the lessons, socializing with others etc.

4. Motivate

      Imagine the ideal environment in your classroom. Now try to figure out how you’re going to make those things happen. Do positive reinforcements as possible to motivate your students. Plan to avoid using fear tactics or yelling or any of those sorts of things; but do so without giving up control of the classroom.

5. Be Prepared

        Planning is the key. Prepare your lesson plan regularly and make at least one or two in advance. Who knows when you’ll need them at least if your lesson for that day has finished and you have a lot of time remaining, you could have your next lesson and you’re still prepared.

6. Be Consistent

       Never falter from your teaching strategies and classroom management. Be firm yet considerate and fair to your students.

7. Be Respectful

        Respect also your students as they respect you. Don’t joke too much to the point that they get hurt and insulted. Be polite to them and use their real names when calling them.

8. Be Respectable

       A teacher should be competent, maintains his/her poise all the time, and has passion in teaching and especially he/she cares to his students unconditionally. Don’t be cranky and raise your voice when you’re angry.

It’s never difficult to be a good teacher, just be passionate and focused. When you have followed these steps, you could be the good teacher you always wanted to be.

buzzquotes.com

                              Adopted ideas from: Joel’s Total Teacher Transformation; teaching.monster.com

Why We Need Duterte for President?

    Personally, I think our country needs a president like Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Our country has been in a downfall situation since like forever. I grew up experiencing such a lacking government with full of undisciplined politicians who just mindlessly corrupting while abusing their powers and refusing their alleged crimes all the time. I think this is the time that we needed change, a change that only a strict leader could give. 

  We all know how Mayor Duterte works in his beloved Davao City. How he punishes criminals there and makes the city a beautiful and safe place to live in. So, why we needed a leader like him? Let’s have a gist of it: 
Ø Firstly, we, Filipinos lack discipline. No country can be progressive unless its citizens are law-abiding and disciplined. Moreover, I believe he can oblige us to be disciplined individuals that no previous and even present president could.

Ø Secondly, the drug problem has become a national problem. I believe on this point ever since. And for me, Mayor Duterte absolutely can handle this kind of problem.  

Ø Thirdly, corruption is endemic in all levels of government, including in the barangays. This is very obvious, no doubt! Being a disciplined leader, Mayor Duterte will abolish corruption once he becomes a president.

Ø Finally, criminality is rampant nationwide. I think it’s getting worse every minute. And more and more citizens become victims while criminals become younger and dangerous this time.

What the country needs that Duterte has? 

Ø  He has been in politics for many years but he is not a “trapo” or traditional politician. He believes that discipline is needed to have a good government.

Ø  He is a problem solver. He has successfully addressed the problems of illegal drugs, traffic, criminality and the firecracker menace in Davao City and many more.

Ø  He has balls and is not afraid of anyone. He could protect us on anyone that will belittle and abuse us.

Ø  He has a track record of good governance. He’s not corrupt!

Ø  He is very cruel to the criminals and punishes them on what they deserve.  

  

      He is known for his harsh words for the misfits: 

    Definitely, we don’t need a very intelligent president or even a very flowery speaker president that most of the masses loves. We need is someone who has the guts that could make us a responsible citizen, who will never fail us, who we could trust in this times.

   I believe no one can compare to Duterte, not even the candidates this coming 2016 presidential election because he is an achiever and a transformational leader. “He changed the behavior of Davaoeños and made Davao the ninth safest city in the world!” (Source: BRIG. GEN. LEONARDO LOPEZ, AFP, RET.; Inquirer.net)

   Honestly speaking, I hope he would not miss the chance this coming election and considering running for the said position.

Adopted images attribution from: google.com; ideas from  lopez, leonardo (inquirer.net)

Kepler-452b: The Newly Discovered Earth’s Cousin

Is it really true? Earth has a cousin? And living things can reside there?

           Yes it’s definitely true!  On July 23, 2015, a new discovered planet has believed to be orbiting a sun identically to our own. Captured on the lens of Kepler Space telescope, Kepler-452b may be Earth's close cousin, but living on the new found world would still be an alien experience. (Source: Space.com) But, isn't it amazing? Because this means that there also inhabitants living there. There are aliens in there!

       Kepler-452 is a newly discovered rocky exoplanet which simply means that it’s located outside our galaxy—the Milky Way. It is also said that it’s 60 percent wider than Earth and probably about five times more massive, so its surface gravity is considerably stronger than the pull people are used to here in Earth. This means that it’s heavier out there in Kepler. And it’s also older than Earth and even to sun because it is said to be 6 million years old, and its also experiencing greenhouse effect that is currently creating more damage than ours, which means it’s hotter there. Oh my! 

      However, this amazing facts really going to mark our space exploration. Better if they don't cease to discover habitable planets like Kepler 452b. And it's really good to know that we're trying to understand more the things like this, about other planets, about the universe etc. 

     Maybe next month or year, they will be able to discover another planet like Kepler 452b. It's going to be exciting! Good job NASA! 

Earth and Kepler 452b

Pictures were from http://techu4ria.com/

Happiness

Oh your vast existence, your bluish consistence;

                                                       They calm me.

Your angels above, your knights of love;

They protect me.

Your gray clouds, your lightning so loud
They frighten me.

Your winds swirling, your waves spilling;

They drown me. 

Your light shining, your colors beaming;

Hope within me.

Your heat spreading, birds are chirping;

Happiness overwhelms me. 

Nelle Harper Lee

 “The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.”

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee is an award winning author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” - the only book that she had published yet for a long time and still well-known until today. Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama; youngest of the four children.

     In February 2015, aged 88, after a lifetime of maintaining that she would never publish another novel, Lee's lawyer released a statement confirming publication of a second novel, Go Set a Watchman, a novel written in the mid 1950s and which served as the first draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. The book was released in July 2015. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

On her book To Kill a Mockingbird…

     She’s one of my favorite authors in the modern classic genre.  I think that she’s really amazing when she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. The story was narrated by Scout (Jean Louise Finch), the 6 year-old daughter of Atticus Finch. The setting was in Alabama, year 1950, when Negros were treated as slaves in the South.

      It has lessons that are necessarily important in real life. That book taught me to be courageous. And its message really stilled in me that if you believe that you’re right, stand up for it and do what you have to - as the protagonist Atticus Finch did in the story. Atticus was a lawyer , defended a negro (those times, a Negro was considered an inferior in the society- nothing but a slave and that shouldn’t have given an equal treatment in terms of justice and race) even his society condemned him for doing  so. TKAM really inspired me to fight for what is right even if it’s against all the odds’ against the society, against the irrational rules of the culture. It conveys important messages that we needed here in our country.

Mockingbird? Why kill a mockingbird?

    The story revealed that a mockingbird symbolized innocence. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” –TKAMB. Thus, it’s a sin to judge or kill an innocent person just because of his race or culture.

     I really love the book because it tells a lot of things about reality. Many people are being judged, couldn’t have a fair justice and or even killed. Therefore this book is an eye-opener to all of us. TKAMB is a very good book for all of us who are blinded by the society.

Whats new for Lee?

   

          Harper Lee has published her second book this year. A sequel of TKAMB, the title is Go Set a Watchman. The title comes from Isaiah 21:6: "For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." It alludes to Jean Louise Finch's view of her father, Atticus Finch, as the moral compass ("watchman") of Maycomb, and has a theme of disillusionment, as she realizes the extent of the bigotry in her home community. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

I promise to myself that I will read this book too. I’m excited because I think it’s as good as TKAMB.

Poverty cannot stop me, I can stop it!

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." - Confucius

         Mark Joseph S, Fajardo is one of our library aides in the PLMar. He is 28 years old and the fifth of the eleven siblings. He started to work in the university library as a volunteer for four years (2008-2011) and from a volunteer he became a library aide, a casual worker from 2012 until now. 
       I’m amazed because whenever I go to the library, I noticed that he always accommodates students patiently, attentively and with smile on his face. He never got angry to the students even they were noisy instead he just talked to them with serenity and respect.
       I asked him what is his dream, he told me that he really wanted to be an engineer but because of poverty and having a big family, his father couldn’t send him to college. However, he was still thankful that his father did anything for him to finish high school and also his siblings as well.  And because he really wanted to go to college he enrolled in PLMar taking up BA Public Administration.

      What keeps him going? “Inspirasyon ko ang aking tatay, dahil sa kabila ng kanyang karamdaman na polio ay pinilit nyang makatapos ako ng kahit high school lamang”, he said. He also told me that all of his siblings also graduated high school because of his father’s determination to give them education. And because of this, he wanted to finish his college for his family especially for his father.

        I also asked him about his work as a library aide, he told me that it’s never been easy as others thought it could be. He always make sure that’s the books are arranged in order. Although our library is just small, it is still difficult to organize especially with just two library aides every day. Despite of this, he still works hard while studying to have a better future.

 Poverty cannot stop him, but he can stop it. I salute you Mark! Keep it up!

Share a Little, Earn a Lot

     I didn’t realize that I can still give an ample time of my life to help others. It’s just that I have a hectic schedule as a student and a housewife at the same time. But I wonder how I can still help others who are in need. So when our Hon. Congressman Miro Quimbo has this feeding program project, I decided to at least help my fellow neighbors to prepare nutritious food for the children who are malnourished in our compound.

    It started last April 2015, with a purpose of alleviating malnutrition in all of the area of District 2 in Marikina. The office of the Congressman allotted a fund of eight thousand pesos per month in every homeowner’s association in District 2. And every week the coordinator in our compound will get the supply of five kilos of pork and 5 kilos of chicken and a variety of vegetables in the barangay Marikina Heights. Then, selected mothers were assigned every day to prepare the food and serve to the children. The underweight children were selected to receive the program until they have gain the ideal body weight. 

      Every Sunday, together with the mothers, we prepare nutritious food. Last Sunday, we prepared fried squash balls (grated squash, with ground pork and flour). We made it to a point that the food we would serve was enticing to the kids so that they would have an appetite to eat a lot at the same time enjoy the food. Although I could only help in preparing and cooking the food, it means a lot to me because in that small way of helping others I could say to myself that I’m also helping these little ones to get healthy. I wish that this project of Cong. Quimbo will last to the extent that there’s no malnourished child anymore. Because I believe that if a child is malnourished or he/she doesn’t eat the right food, this will affect his school, behavior and even his entire life.

      I also realized that I learned so much in this feeding program. It opened my eyes to the needs of the society nowadays. And what do they need? They need assistance especially the children who are one of the vulnerable citizens in the society. The government should double, triple even quadruple their efforts to support the young ones. They’re too innocent and too young to experience hardships like these, like food deprivation and undernourishment. And they don’t deserve it. However, at least there is project like this that somehow will help them regain their health and alleviate their hunger. 

Aim High and Lead!

       At last, the long awaited dream of the English Major students has finally arrived. After the n^th attempts to establish a legit organization, Legion of English Advocates or simply LEAD has been officially recognized on 8^th of January, 2015. This was successfully made possible through the support of the following: the OSAS Coordinator Pastor Luis San Juan, the English Adviser Prof. Roberto, the former Dept. Head of English Prof. Carlota Panganiban, our former Dean of Education Prof. Jeannette De Jesus and of course through the enormous effort from the current elected LEAD officials.

    The newly elected Lead officers for AY 2015-2016 are: Flordeliz N. Quitalez (President), Clarenze Allyana Cultura (VP Internal), Margen Pajo (VP External), Noreen Gallardo (Executive Secretary), John Alain Eliazar Diaz (Asst. Secretary), Anne Mary del Rosario (Treasurer), Ephraim Larazo (Auditor), Franciarina Baronand Sherwin Samar (PIO), Renz Daniel Demaisip and Alfred Perez (POO), Monica Pempena (Production Manager), Kevin Abergas (Second Year Rep. A) and Gabriel Sarmiento and Melann Santos (Second Year Rep. B).

      The question is what is LEAD? “LEAD is an organization with an ultimate purpose which is to encourage each member to be an active English speaker”, according to the LEAD president Ms. Flordeliz Quitalez.

And how is this going to happen? Flordeliz also said that “…through productive projects and regular assemblies, we will make it to the point that everyone is benefiting and at the same time, learning”. So all in all, LEAD will help its members to converse in English whenever possible. This will help a lot especially for us studying the target language to assuage the anxiousness and hesitations when communicating.

       As a newly sub-org under EDUCADA, LEAD had already achieved a number of projects, namely: AAE or the Ambassador and Ambassadress of Education (January 31), in partnership with the EDUCADA, the event was organized for the college to have representatives for the coming Mr. and Ms. PLMar. Next was the film showing of NOAH (February 18), as a part of the 12^th Founding Anniversary of our alma mater. It was actually a film showing with a cause and the proceeds (notebooks and pencils) will go to the unfortunate children in Marikina. And just recently was the team building (March 31), with the theme of: “Success Through Unity and Teamwork” held in the La Mesa Eco Park in QC. Everybody enjoyed and socialized. So we expect that there are more projects like these to come. Right LEAD?

    So English majors, let us also do our part, always support and cooperate on the projects, don’t complain,  and try to contribute whatever each and every one of us  could for the betterment of our dear LEAD.

      And Last, SPEAK THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WHENEVER POSSIBLE! 

The Longest 9 Months of my Life

           I really didn’t know what to do during those times. Those times that I thought I couldn’t face anyone anymore. Because I knew the way how people think, how people could easily throw words on someone, how they judge others. So it happened, just after I told them that I disappointed them, just like that, no hesitations, they said the most humiliating, degrading, that’s-all-your-fault-and-don’t-tell-me-we-didn’t-warn-you words in my face.

Yes, I knew it was my fault, I didn’t listen. I didn’t think of anything that might happen. But why they couldn’t understand me a little. They knew that’s what I needed. I didn’t need their rants. They’re just made me feel more miserable. But they still didn’t care and didn’t listen. I just then knew that I needed to be strong. Actually I think I’m already strong. Because I knew my motivation was unselfish. Until it came to the time that I was already numb from their frequent insinuating that I am a dimwit that I deserved to be in that situation. I didn’t care anymore, I love my little angel now and I didn’t think of others going to say to me.

And my nine months of suffering from their unloving words suddenly lifted. As my little one came out, I’m so happy. Finally I have someone that would love me too unconditionally. He changed my life in better ways I couldn’t imagine. He made me a better person because right now I understand more that life is not an easy journey, that it will really test you. And for that, I thank God for giving me the longest nine months of my life because I learned a lot from it. Thank God also for giving me a loving family I longed to have since I was still a kid.

Life’s a journey. It has a lot of struggles. Sometimes you’re down for a while yet after you’ve overcome them, you’ll feel stronger. But the most important part is the learning process – how you overcome your problems, what did you do to  face and win over them.

Course Shifter

This is the story of how I really wanted to pursue my dream, to finish college.

      Five years ago, before I shifted my course to education, I used to be a nursing student. That time I really wanted to be a nurse, maybe because I wanted to work abroad. I wanted to have a nice job with a cool salary. Because during those times, nursing was very in demand and so it offered a very good salary.  And I also wanted to take care of my family whenever they got sick. So I really studied hard to be a nurse.

        However, unexpected things happened that took me a while to recover. I gave birth and stopped schooling. I was confused then if I’m ready to go back to school because I have a baby to take care of. So I decided maybe after a year, I hope I could get back and finish my beloved course.

       Apparently, nursing is an expensive course. And I know that having your own family, you have this feeling that you should put their needs or your child needs first before yours. I also know that we’re not rich and I really wanted to finish my studies, I needed to give up my nursing. Then, it came to my mind why not be a teacher? Being a teacher is also a great job. Having realized this, I shifted to education right away without any hesitations and proper self-evaluation.

      As a shifted from nursing to education, I was culture shocked! I really was because the orientation and approach were very different. And I didn't know then if I could grasp the lessons and skills in education. So I decided that maybe I just needed a few months to cope up, to adjust to the new environment and teachings. And as time went, I realized that I already love what I’m doing. I finally adjusted myself without having a hard time anymore. I could also understand to be in the shoes of a student and a teacher at the same time. And this experience taught me one thing that in life you don’t just do what you love but also love what you do. 

The Book Museum Cum Ethnology Center

Be amazed in the Beauty and Uniqueness that await you inside…

The Facade, Totem Pole and Monument of Mr. and Mrs. Juanito Fontelera

      Located at 127 Dao St. Marikina Heights, Marikina City, The Book Museum Cum Ethnology Center is owned by Atty. Dominador Buhain (also co-owner of Rex Publications). It is composed of three buildings that contain his unique collections of indigenous items as he visited different places in the Philippines and books from all over the seven continents. It was established on March 13, 2013. Amazing! Right? 
        In the first level is his collections of Cordillera artifacts like tools, jewelries, native dresses, even their coffins and sorceries stuff. Cordillera has a rich culture and you would realize that they have maintained their own culture for a very long time. I felt very naïve and amazed when I saw that everything has carvings of “BULOL”--their gods. Yes, they are pagan so they believe that there are different kinds of gods like sun god, rice god, goddess of infant, harvest etc. I also learned that every design on their things indicates the social status of the owner. And I even saw the picture and replica of the infamous “headhunter” of Cordillera. He collected heads of people and these heads signify the authority and pride of the headhunter.
       The second building is for his collections of artifacts from Mindanao. Their culture is more elegant and sophisticated. I can say that they are rich because their place has a lot of gold. They have also caste system but it’s different from that of Cordillera. Their ruler is called Datu, his daughter is princess and son is prince. Most of them are Muslims, thus their god is Allah. Their things were not carved yet have elegant designs of shapes and colors.
      You can cite the differences between the Cordillera and Mindanao cultures right away because of their designs and what usually their things made of. Cordillera preferred stuffs made of wood and stones with exquisite carvings of their gods and guardians on them while everything in Mindanao coated with gold and they preferred more vibrant, more colorful things like their dresses, their jewelries, etc. with a touch of oriental designs, maybe because they were influenced much by the oriental countries like Korea, Japan and China.
     Let’s go to the third building which is the book museum. Inside, you can see the different kinds of books, magazines, even comics; brochure, calendar etc. came from 217 countries from all of the continents he visited. The museum also contains rare items of smallest book (purchased at the Gutenberg Museum, 2012), very first edition books, smallest tablet with Chinese poem, smallest wood carving of crucifix, smallest carved last supper and smallest prayer book. Most of these items came from Germany. And you need to see right to a magnifying glass to view the writings and details on them. It’s amazing that I got a chance to see them, to see how great of what Atty. Buhain possess stuff like these. I even saw his collection of miniature books. 

Miniatures Books

     Atty. Buhain also has a collection of Rizal’s books. He even got his compilation of La Solidaridad, and even his stories that I don’t even knew they existed. But he has a few copies of them and I hope next time I can read them. He also collected books about Marcos; how to become rich like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill; and Children’s Story Books.

    It’s a wonderful feeling that I visited this museum because it also inspired me to travel and especially to collect books. I recommend you guys to try to visit here because it’s worth it. I even got a picture of me beside the replica of the giant right foot of Atty. Buhain. In fact, you can see a lot of feet inside of the museum because as a traveller, he believes that a foot (feet) is a representation of mobility and progress.

    A minimum entry amount is one hundred pesos per individual and not lower than eighty pesos if you come in groups. The reading materials may be viewed only inside the museum and should not be taken outside the premises. 



Come and visit the Book Museum Cum Ethnology!