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Short Video Reflection about Contemporary Issues and Importance of Awareness of the current events and issues of our country today.

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Third Trimestral Examination

Extrajudicial killings have lamentably gotten widespread in the Philippines particularly during the initial first few months of President Rodrigo Duterte's organization. For those initial first few months, his first plan was his scandalous War on Drugs that caught the attention of the Filipinos, and other nations' attention also. It has likewise been seen by the United Nations' top human rights body and they casted a ballot in July 2019 to inspect a huge number of supposed extrajudicial police killings connected to President Rodrigo Duterte's conflict on drugs in the Philippines, a mission that rights bunches all throughout the planet have censured as a rebellious monstrosity. The United Nations and worldwide networks have depicted Mr. Duterte's conflict on drugs as “nothing but a large-scale murdering enterprise” for the most part focusing on poor people. The United Nations was not allowed to enter the Philippines to conduct its investigation. Therefore, its report is based on information gathered from hundreds of documents, civil society and government sources, as well as interviews with victims and witnesses. Stated by Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southeast Asia. “It is not safe to be poor in President Duterte’s Philippines. All it takes to be murdered is an unproven accusation that someone uses, buys or sells drugs,” “It is time for the United Nations, starting with its Human Rights Council, to act decisively to hold President Duterte and his government accountable.” 

As a citizen of the Philippines and a representative of the Filipino people, I request from you to help us all and persuade our chiefs to stop these extrajudicial killings. As everyday passes by, we're not simply terrified of the pandemic COVID-19 alone, but at the same time we're frightened for our lives that any time could be taken from us. May I furthermore apologize for Mr. Duterte's exercises as he has shot put-downs at United Nations human rights experts and for different affronts our leader has emitted to others. According to Section 11 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines declares that the State values the dignity of every human, person and guarantees full respect for human rights. All good patriots and Filipinos want a drug-free country but to be done correctly and in due process. I will be stating some cases that were reported and were given attention by the Philippines. On August 16, 2017 a 17-year-old Kian delos Santos was found dead with bullets and two sachets of drugs by his body. According to police, he was killed in an encounter but CCTV footage and witnesses revealed that he was dragged to a dark alley and shot. Delos Santos' passing set off enormous judgment of President Rodrigo Duterte's fierce conflict on drugs which has so far yielded around 5,000 passings in police activities. Delos Santos is one of the numerous minors murdered in drug-related conditions since 2016. In another instance in 2019, Myca Ulpina, a 3-year-old child, died after being shot during a police raid targeting her father, Renato Dolofrina, after being used as a “shield” reported by the police. 

Human rights are the basic rights inherent to all human beings from birth until death. These rights include the right to life and liberty, personal security, freedom from torture, freedom from discrimination and freedom from arbitrary arrest, among others. Unfortunately, As of January 2018, Philippine Human Rights Watch guarantees that more than 12,000 medication suspects have been slaughtered since the War on Drugs initiated on July 1, 2016. To no surprise, these numbers will definitely increase if we don’t take proper action towards this social issue. With every one of these cases happening, we can presume that our country's leaders are treating its kin ridiculously and with imbalance as indicated by any way they need to. It is significant for our leaders and its kin to notice everyone's privileges personally and as a resident of the country. We should all not fail to remember that basic liberties are fundamental rights that have a place with us all basically in light of the fact that we are human. Our basic liberties should shield us all from misuse in any case, for what reason would we say we are as yet persecuted and mishandled? Common freedoms permit individuals to confront cultural defilement, however, rather we are hushed in light of the fact that we, the residents, realize we aren't anything contrasted with the public authority and the authority. Regardless of whether it says that basic freedoms give a widespread standard that considers governments responsible, this isn't what happens precisely. Allow us all to call their consideration and let everybody gain from their activities, choices, and mix-ups. Allow us all to improve in improving the world as a better place for every human to live in.

SOURCES: 

U.N. Rights Council to Investigate Killings in Philippine Drug War (Published 2019)

UN Slams Extrajudicial Killings in Philippines’ So-Called War on Drugs

UN rights experts urge Philippines to end wave of extrajudicial killings amid major drug crackdown

TIMELINE: Seeking justice for Kian delos Santos

Human Rights Careers 10 Reasons Why Human Rights Are Important

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Newsletter about Disbursement Acceleration Program

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Written Work Bill of Rights

General Register No. 81561

1. Summarize the facts of the case.

On August 14, 1987 the appellant and his common-law wife, Shirley Reyes, went to the booth of the "Manila Packing and Export Forwarders" in Ermita, Manila, carrying with them four (4) gift wrapped packages. Anita Reyes attended to them. The appellant informed Anita Reyes that he was sending the packages to a friend in Zurich, Switzerland. Appellant filled up the contract necessary for the transaction.

Anita Reyes then asked the appellant if she could examine and inspect the packages. Appellant, however, refused, assuring her that the packages simply contained books, cigars, and gloves and were gifts to his friend in Zurich. In view of appellant's representation, Anita Reyes no longer insisted on inspecting the packages. The four (4) packages were then placed inside a brown corrugated box. Styro-foam was placed at the bottom and on top of the packages then sealed with masking tape, thus making the box ready for shipment.

Before delivery of the appellant's box to the Bureau of Customs and/or Bureau of Posts, Mr. Job Reyes (proprietor) and husband of Anita (Reyes), following standard operating procedure, opened the boxes for final inspection. When he opened appellant's box, a peculiar odor emitted therefrom. His curiosity aroused, he squeezed one of the bundles allegedly containing gloves and felt dried leaves inside. Opening one of the bundles, he pulled out a cellophane wrapper protruding from the opening of one of the gloves. He made an opening on one of the cellophane wrappers and took several grams of the contents thereof. Job Reyes forthwith prepared a letter reporting the shipment to the NBI and requesting a laboratory examination of the samples he extracted from the cellophane wrapper.

He brought the letter and a sample of appellant's shipment to the Narcotics Section of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the afternoon of that date. He was interviewed by the Chief of Narcotics Section.

Job Reyes brought out the box in which appellant's packages were placed and, in the presence of the NBI agents, opened the top flaps, removed the styro-foam and took out the cellophane wrappers from inside the gloves. Dried marijuana leaves were found to have been contained inside the cellophane wrappers.

The package which allegedly contained books was likewise opened by Job Reyes. He discovered that the package contained bricks or cake-like dried marijuana leaves. The package which allegedly contained tabacalera cigars was also opened. It turned out that dried marijuana leaves were neatly stacked underneath the cigars.

Thereupon, the NBI agents tried to locate appellant but to no avail. Appellant's stated address in his passport being the Manila Central Post Office, the agents requested assistance from the latter's Chief Security. On August 27, 1987, appellant, while claiming his mail at the Central Post Office, was invited by the NBI to shed light on the attempted shipment of the seized dried leaves.

2. What is/are the issue/s of the case.

Thereafter, an Information was filed against appellant for violation of RA 6425, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act.

On the other hand, the case at bar assumes a peculiar character since the evidence sought to be excluded was primarily discovered and obtained by a private person, acting in a private capacity and without the intervention and participation of State authorities. Under the circumstances, can the accused/appellant validly claim that his constitutional right against unreasonable searches and seizure has been violated? Stated otherwise, may an act of a private individual, allegedly in violation of appellant's constitutional rights, be invoked against the State?

3. What is the ruling of the Supreme Court?

Rather than give the appearance of veracity, we find appellant's disclaimer as incredulous, self-serving and contrary to human experience. It can easily be fabricated. An acquaintance with a complete stranger struck in half an hour could not have pushed a man to entrust the shipment of four (4) parcels and shell out P2,000.00 for the purpose and for appellant to readily accede to comply with the undertaking without first ascertaining its contents. As stated by the trial court, "(a) person would not simply entrust contraband and of considerable value at that as the marijuana flowering tops, and the cash amount of P2,000.00 to a complete stranger like the Accused. The Accused, on the other hand, would not simply accept such undertaking to take custody of the packages and ship the same from a complete stranger on his mere say-so". As to why he readily agreed to do the errand, appellant failed to explain. Denials, if unsubstantiated by clear and convincing evidence, are negative self-serving evidence which deserve no weight in law and cannot be given greater evidentiary weight than the testimony of credible witnesses who testify on affirmative matters.

Appellant's bare denial is even made more suspect considering that, as per records of the Interpol, he was previously convicted of possession of hashish by the Kleve Court in the Federal Republic of Germany on January 1, 1982 and that the consignee of the frustrated shipment, Walter Fierz, also a Swiss national, was likewise convicted for drug abuse and is just about an hour's drive from appellant's residence in Zurich, Switzerland.

Evidence to be believed, must not only proceed from the mouth of a credible witness, but it must be credible in itself such as the common experience and observation of mankind can approve as probable under the circumstances. As records further show, appellant did not even bother to ask Michael's full name, his complete address or passport number. Furthermore, if indeed, the German national was the owner of the merchandise, appellant should have so indicated in the contract of shipment. On the contrary, appellant signed the contract as the owner and shipper thereof giving more weight to the presumption that things which a person possesses, or exercises acts of ownership over, are owned by him. At this point, the appellant is therefore estopped to claim otherwise.

WHEREFORE, the judgment of conviction finding appellant guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime charged is hereby AFFIRMED. Appellant is guilty for the violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act but will not compensate or pay fines but will be facing punishment of indefinite jail time.

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Written Work Bill of Rights

General Register No. 145566

1. Summarize the facts of the case. 

Appellant Dindo Mojello, alias "Bebot" was charged with the crime of rape with homicide on dated May 22, 1997. the accused, Dindo Mojello, moved by lewd design and by means of force did then and there willfully succeed in having carnal knowledge with Lenlen Rayco under twelve years of age and with mental deficiency, against her will and consent, the accused, did then feloniously with intent to kill, employing personal violence, attack, assault the victim Lenlen Rayco, thereby inflicting upon the victim wounds on the different parts of her body which caused her death. Facts of the case come from Rogelio Rayco’s, uncle of Lenlen Rayco, perspective from encountering the appellant and his niece on December 15, 1996.

On Rogelio Rayco’s way home, he saw his niece, Lenlen Rayco, with appellant Dindo Mojello, a nephew of Roger Capacito, walking together towards the direction of Sitio Kota. He did not find anything strange about this and then proceeded to his house. The next day, the Rayco family was informed that the body of Lenlen was found at the seashore of Sitio Kota. Rogelio Rayco immediately proceeded to the site and saw the lifeless, naked and bruised body of his niece. 

On an investigation conducted by SPO2 Wilfredo Giducos, he admitted that he was the perpetrator of the dastardly deed. Appellant was assisted by Atty. Isaias Giduquio during his custodial interrogation. Batobalanos testified that after it was executed, the contents of the document were read to the appellant who later on voluntarily signed it. On December 21, 1996, an autopsy was conducted on the victim's cadaver by Dr. Nestor Sator. Dr. Sator testified that the swelling of the labia majora and hymenal lacerations positively indicate that the victim was raped. He observed that froth in the lungs of the victim and contusions on her neck show that she was strangled and died of asphyxia. He indicated the cause of death as cardio-respiratory arrest due to asphyxia by strangulation and physical injuries to the head and the trunk.

2. What is/are the issue/s of the case. 

The appellant raised two issues: whether the extrajudicial confession executed by appellant is admissible in evidence; and whether appellant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of rape with homicide.

3. What is the ruling of the Supreme Court?

In any case, the records don't sufficiently show that litigant confessed to executing the person in question. Nor is the conditional proof adequate to set up that by reason or on the event of the assault a murder was submitted by the litigant. The absence of actual proof further blocks us from interfacing the killing of the casualty to her rape, given the quantum of evidence legally necessary for conviction. No assessed season of death was given, which is fundamental in making an association with the appealing party's story that he returned home following an evening of drinking. At the point when he and the casualty were going towards the beach at or about 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. of December 15, 1996 until when the casualty's dormant body was found at or about 4:00 a.m. of December 16, 1996 had a period fluctuation of between six to seven hours. Albeit the conditions may highlight the litigant as the most probable culprit of the murder, the equivalent don't comprise a whole chain of occasions which would lead us to a sensible end that appealing party was blameworthy of executing the person in question. All in all, there are holes in the remaking of realities and deductions encompassing the passing of Lenlen. Appealing party possibly confessed to boxing the casualty when she yelled, at that point speedily fled. The reason for Lenlen's death was cardio-respiratory assault because of suffocation and actual wounds; she was choked to death and left on the beach as shown by the foaming in her lungs. No physical, logical or DNA proof was introduced to pinpoint the appealing party as the individual who slaughtered the person in question. Fingerprints, if accessible, would have figured out who submitted the murder. In this way, appealing party can't be sentenced for assault with murder considering the inadequacy of proof which subsequently made a sensible uncertainty concerning his blame for the said extraordinary complex wrongdoing.

Appellant Dindo Mojello is found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of only statutory rape and sentenced to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua or lifetime imprisonment. He must also pay the heirs of the victim P50,000.00 as civil indemnity or compensation and P50,000.00 as moral damages.

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The Cayetano Political Dynasty

It all started with Rene Cayetano, who worked as a television host, a lawyer, and a senator who was the Cayetano family's late patriarch. He studied at public schools like UP Diliman and the University of Michigan. He served for Batasang Pambansa as a lawyer. One of his children, Alan Cayetano, the most well-known among the Cayetanos, studied Political Science in UP Diliman law and Ateneo. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Congress from 2019  to October 2020 with a net worth of 23 million pesos. Pia Cayetano, the eldest among the siblings, also studied at UP Diliman with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and pursued a Bachelor of Law. She was part of the UP maroon women's volleyball team. Pia is the founder of the Gabriel Symphony Foundation, which is in memory of her son Gabriel in 2001 from a rare chromosomal disorder known as trisomy 13. She is also an advocate for health and women's rights with a 76.9 million pesos net worth. Lani Cayetano is the wife of Alan Cayetano, serving as the Representative of the legislative district of Taguig since 2019. She has a net worth of 48+ million pesos and established the Progressive Ladies' League of the Philippines, which is an organization that promotes women's rights and welfare. Lani Cayetano is also a tv director for several shows on ABS-CBN. Most Cayetano's have studied at the University of the Philippines. Most were and are active politicians. Renato "Rene" Luna Cayetano is the first of the Cayetanos to enter politics (May 1998), Cayetano was elected senator under the Ramos administration. Advocated for: Justice for criminal cases against corruption/graft and Opening of the 2nd envelope, triggering People Power II. Alan Cayetano is the youngest to ever participate in politics in Taguig at the age of 22. He was Duterte's running mate in the 2016 elections, where he ran as vice president alongside Duterte but was unsuccessful. He is an advocate for Freedom of Information, anti-corruption, and people empowerment. Pia Cayetano was a senator from 2004-2016 and was named the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives under the 17th congress. She also became the Congresswoman of Taguig, where she pushed the Magna Carta of Women and Expanded Breastfeeding Act which encourages nursing mothers to continue breastfeeding, even at work. Lino Cayetano is the Mayor of Taguig and a tv director. He started as a Brgy. Captain of Fort Bonifacio. He filed the "Iskolar ng Bayan Bill," where the top 10 high-school graduates are given scholarships in state-owned universities. One of the controversies of the Cayetano family was Alan's involvement in the ABS-CBN shutdown. He describes the owners as oligarchs and tax-evaders. He justified the shutdown as a way to redistribute money to Filipinos. He also described private media companies as similar to a government controlling the media. He has also said, quote and quote, "We put an end to the privilege of one family in using a public resource to protect and promote their private interests”. Another issue the family is involved in was the money issues where Rene Cayetano was accused of stock manipulation. At the height of the scam, the elder Cayetano gained 7.9 million pesos from the scale of one million BW stocks and earned some 50 million pesos more for the subsequent sale of two million stocks. A chair of the Senate ethics committee wanted Alan C. scrutinized for cash gifts. The same committee investigated Rene C. for something involving financial gifts in the past. The word war between Alan Cayetano and Juan Ponce Enrile stemmed from money. Another issue that involved them is the "No Reenacted Budget." Reenacted budget is the failure in applying the budget for the next fiscal year, thus a reenacted budget. Senator Pia Cayetano dismissed concerns that the government would be forced to operate on a reenacted budget in 2021. "There is no reenacted budget that will happen," said Pia. Lastly, Alan Cayetano's Pray Over. The House of Representatives formally elected Cayetano as the 22nd Speaker of the House after garnering 266 votes. Minutes after he was named Speaker of the House of Representatives, Taguig City Representative Alan Peter Cayetano, was prayed over by the lawmakers. Some of the public has seen this act to be pretentious and unusual.

CONCLUSION:

Political dynasties, such as the Cayetanos, have been established through the years and are very evident, especially in the political context. Despite having laws against political dynasties such as one stated in the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines Article II Section 26: "The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law", political dynasties still exist and play a significant role in our government amid these distinct laws to observe equal opportunities. This research project has made me realize and understand how dangerous power is and that power should not be granted to those who cannot responsibly handle it. I hope that such dynasties know their limits and also give equal treatment to co-public servants and give others a chance to run for said positions as well, and most importantly, without being mentioned, they must also serve the country and its citizens well. We can't say who the most worthy individuals in their positions are, but I still have expectations for the Philippines to change for the better.

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Contractualization: Reasons and Effects to the Filipino Citizens and the Philippines

In the Philippines, a lot of Filipinos are still unemployed and a possible factor of this is Contractualization. Endo or Contractualization, based on the labor code definition is a short-term employment in the Philippines. It gives only a temporary period of employment that lasts less than 6 months. Most of the time it is the private companies that implement contractualization since in public companies there is what you call the Security of Tenure, this Security of Tenure secures the worker’s position except under certain conditions such as the worker committing a grave mistake or etc. In short, not all employees are granted Security of Tenure depending on their company or agency. Sadly, employees just embrace contractualization just because it is the only available job opening they could take. As a country, it is required to have laws, rules and regulations for everything that will benefit all of the citizens. This issue of contractualization has a corresponding law or code, and this is the Labor Code of the Philippines which determines all employment practices, labor relations related to employment to protect employees and employers. The Labor Code states what an employee and employer deserves and what their rights as an employee and employer are. Contractualization is actually not supposed to happen since it is stated under the Labor Code that if a worker exceeds more than 6 months under an employer they shall be granted permanent employment. In July 2019, President Duterte chose to veto a Security of Tenure bill and told DOLE to draft a new one and this has spread around the country and of course a lot of Filipino people are dismayed by this. According to a Filipino, Duterte’s priority to secure more jobs and employment is what got the support of the Filipino people. Duterte has said to legalize the Security of Tenure but not to the expense of the employer. A lot of people want this issue to be prioritized first rather than to prioritize anything else. 

A major reason why contractualization continues to bother employees is because of the “High standards” or companies, some companies ask too much from employees and look for employees they don’t need to train anymore since it would be easier on their end. And this is also the reason why a lot of employees lack work experience since most industries require more than minimum qualification. Second, brain drain and discrimination, yes this is another topic but these three topics are actually connected and  related to another. Brain drain is the migration of citizens to go elsewhere to seek better opportunities and from there we lose good potential workers. Also discrimination, wherein some companies becomes “choosy” or selective with who they hire. Another reason is because of the lack of industries. In 2019, around 10 million Filipinos are said to be unemployed and findings say this is because we lack industries to employ people and cater to the qualifications of some employees. Last but not the least of all reasons, employers choose not to renew contracts of employees because of their certain qualifications and wants for their own benefit. Contractualization heavily affects our society and economy, as the research I’ve read states that around 10 million Filipinos are unemployed this lowers our economy and makes it hard for the Filipinos to survive on a day-to-day basis. As a disadvantage for employees, they do not get paid in full salary since they’re just contractual and will be hard for them to survive. More Filipinos could continue to be jobless if contractualization continues to become an issue and as learned in economics will be bad for our economy and will also be troublesome for public and private companies since they’ll be short of employees as well and will be forced to hire short-term employees which will not be beneficial for them either. 

In our country, the Department of Labor and Employment or DOLE which is under the Executive Branch of government is in charge of issues regarding employment and such. They also cover or manage issues related to contractualization. In January 2020, the Labor department drafts a new version of the Security of Tenure according to the terms of the President such as balancing the rights of the employer and employee. One big change in the new version is addressing the LOC or Labor Only Contracting but not touching Legitimate Job Contracting that refers to workers that are legal seasonal workers only. LOC is about employers who cannot handle what they supply for employees, LOC is more focused on employers than employees. The draft bill helps to secure more jobs now and to cover more breaches in contracts. Other than this latest bill on further securing the Security of Tenure, DOLE also has other bills and laws to protect employees and employers that we can check and see on their official site to see the latest updates and their progress to solve this said issue. But as of now, contractualization has not been fully addressed and solved up to now and continues to be a problem for most Filipinos especially those under private companies. Hopefully, issues of contractualization and employment will eventually soon end. 

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endo_contractualization

https://www.globalpeoplestrategist.com/labor-code-of-the-philippines/#

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1076743

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/07/30/19/labor-groups-nagprotesta-sa-pag-veto-ni-duterte-sa-anti-endo-bill

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/09/20/labor-dept-drafts-new-security-of-tenure-bill-to-stop-endo

https://www.philstar.com/business/2017/03/22/1681026/contractualization-and-larger-issue-employment-and-poverty-reduction#

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/contractualization-lack-of-industries-are-causes-of-job-losses-in-ph-kmu/

https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/contractualization-workers-rights

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Duterte’s Administration: Injustice and Extrajudicial Killings for War on Drugs

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, 16th and current president of the Philippines. Before becoming our country’s president, he was known for his good leadership as mayor of Davao. Duterte was known for his actions in Davao to get rid of the illegal drug trade, everything else illegal, and corruption, because of this he gained reputation and publicity and tried running for president in which he succeeded in gaining the trust of the Filipinos. In the Philippines, we have a law for cases related to drugs which is the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 & 2002. This law tackles all issues regarding drugs, what are prohibited regarding drugs, punishments and penalties for not following rules and laws. Bills and laws are created supposedly for the betterment and welfare of the citizens of the country, but sometimes are not strictly enforced or observed sometimes which makes other people think that those bills and laws are useless where they are actually not. 

In 2016, President Duterte has emphasized on his campaign, War on Drugs, and it seemed as if it was his number one goal during the early months of his presidency. He has once stated during a speech in front of the Filipino people, “If I make it to the presidential palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get out because I'll kill you”. And according to what I’ve read on Wikipedia, “Duterte has claimed that he is "not a killer," and that he "[has] yet to kill one human being. When I say, 'I will kill you,' that's a statement coming from the mouth.” He also said there was "nothing wrong" with him threatening to kill anybody who "destroys the Philippines," and claimed that there is no law that prohibits him from "threatening criminals." And because of this, a lot of lives have been taken away due to the wrong implementation and execution of the strong emphasis on Duterte’s campaign. And, “On August 18, 2017, Duterte admitted his mistake in trying to end drugs in six months, and it would take him his entire term to end it. Duterte stated that he had no idea when he took office that the Philippines had become a failed state, having been degenerated into a narco-state”. It was good that he had finally realized that taking out corruption or anything evil would take so much time, it could take up more than 10 years just to say that everything’s in great shape again. But then again, a lot of Filipinos were fazed with his words and found it very un-statesman like and was uncalled for, it did not fit for a person such as the head of state. It even seems like he resorts to violence to solve such problems which should not be the case. As the head of state, he or she must set a good example and image in front of his or her country’s citizens. 

After the president’s speeches there has been an enormous amount of killings and deaths due to “drugs''. According to Section 11 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines declares that the State values the dignity of every human, person and guarantees full respect for human rights. All good patriots and Filipinos want a drug-free country but to be done correctly and in due process. August 16, 2017 a 17-year-old Kian delos Santos was found dead with bullets and two sachets of drugs by his body. In 2019, a 3-year-old girl was used as a “shield” by her father during a police drug-raid. We may not know the full story of these situations but simply killing a child unintentionally or intentionally for no apparent reason should be punished, but did the police get punished for it? We all don’t know, most of the time they just get away with it and act as if nothing happened. Yes, the deaths of some Filipinos have been caused and done by some policemen but Duterte has a fault in this. He has appointed people whom he trusts but as we see, some are not doing well and are even getting away with their wrongdoings. All this happened under Duterte’s administration, he wants to get rid of all drug users and his words have been used to justify the killings of some people. I pray that the Filipino’s who have been claimed as collateral damage or who have been wrongly accused of doing something they did not get their justice one day. Let us not think that just because Duterte has stepped into the picture there will be no more corruption and getting away with wrongdoings, no matter who leads and if he or she tolerates and does not really care and love the country and its people there will always be corruption. Never forget what these people have done, learn and know who to vote wisely and do not be silenced. 

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46381697

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52917560

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/dangers-dangerous-drugs-act-implementation

https://www.hrw.org/tag/philippines-war-drugs

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/philippines-president-duterte-war-on-drugs-thousands-killed

https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2002/ra_9165_2002.html

https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/01/three-year-old-girl-latest-philippines-drug-war-victim

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jun/30/war-on-drugs-blamed-for-deaths-of-at-least-122-children-in-philippines

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COVID-19 pandemic impact, Philippines’ economic growth drops.

COVID-19 started from a man that had contact with a bat which rarely happens so a virus developed in the man’s system, until now there is no guaranteed vaccine to 100% cure the said illness. On January 9, 2020 — WHO Announces Mysterious Coronavirus-Related Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. January 2, 2020 — Chinese Scientist Confirms COVID-19 Human Transmission. January 27, 2020 - 14 UNDER PROBE FOR SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS IN PH. January 28, 2020 - DOH CONVENES THE FIRST INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE (IATF) FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES. January 30, 2020 - DOH REPORTS FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 IN THE COUNTRY. January 31, 2020 — WHO Issues Global Health Emergency. February 2, 2020 — Global Air Travel Is Restricted. February 25, 2020 — CDC Says COVID-19 Is Heading Toward Pandemic Status. March 11 — WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. February 10, 2020 - DOH ANNOUNCES THE FIRST RECOVERY FROM COVID-19. March 7, 2020 - CLASS SUSPENSIONS, WORK-FROM-HOME SOUGHT AMID LOCAL CORONAVIRUS CASES. MARCH 8, 2020 - DUTERTE DECLARES A STATE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. MARCH 11, 2020 - WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCES COVID-19 AS A PANDEMIC.

COVID-19 has caused the Philippines’ economic growth to decrease over time because of the lockdown on going to protect and prevent more people from catching COVID-19. In an article it says, “Between March and April 2020, the country’s Luzon Island went into a complete lockdown that restricted population movement with only a few exceptions. This resulted in a drastic decline in employment levels, with projections suggesting a maximum of one million people losing their jobs due to the lockdown. In addition, the imposed community quarantine would, at the very least, cause cumulative losses in gross value added of three billion Philippine pesos in every select key sector in the country”. Because of the lockdown, plenty of people lost their jobs and were left with no money to get through the pandemic, and because of this the Philippines’ economic growth dropped. The Filipinos are trying to get a job after losing their jobs and are having a hard time providing for their families. The government has actually distributed goods or “ayuda” to the less fortunate people, but sadly it’s not going to be enough for the amount of Filipinos that need help. Right now in the Philippines, there are around 433k people positive with COVID-19, around 409k people have recovered from the illness, and there are more than 8,000 deaths caused by COVID. In the beginning of COVID, people followed the proper health protocols and stayed at home but eventually they have stopped following the protocols and just go out whenever they want without considering the pandemic going on. Because of this, the people positive with the said illness, COVID-19, keep increasing on a day-to-day basis. 

According to Wikipedia: On March 16, the president signed Proclamation No. 929 declaring a state of calamity throughout the country for six months, bringing into effect the following:

price control of basic needs and commodities,

granting interest-free loans, 

distribution of calamity funds,

authorization of importation and receipt of donations, and

hazard allowance for public health workers and government personnel in the fields of science and technology.

Like I said in the first paragraph, the government has been making an effort to give out goods especially to those who lost their jobs and cannot provide for their own. Though the government makes an effort to do so, a lot of people still do not receive enough “ayuda” or don’t even receive at all. On March 23, 2020, President Duterte called for a session to ask for emergency assistance and powers to provide for what else is needed. Wikipedia says: A budget of almost ₱275 billion ($5.37 billion) from the estimated ₱438 billion ($8.55 billion) national budget approved for 2020. The health workers are doing their best to help out and help the Filipinos for the country to go back to normal, but then again sadly there are people who are not aware of the situation and do not follow the said protocols and still do as they please. For our country’s on-going developments right now, the government is doing what they can to put the country and its people back to normal. Our health care workers are doing their best to help the people, and I hope that the people, the Filipinos, cooperate with the officials and the whole country. 

Cite the sources of information at the end of your essay:

https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-timeline-of-covid19-developments-in-2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_Philippines#

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/21/interactive-timeline-PH-handling-COVID-19.html?fbclid=IwAR3oH2HZ138-xHJc3W4dcOwGhfD8gcDnQGxLti-Nqb2-Ka2-e2g_LACqDvk

https://www.adb.org/news/philippine-economy-decline-further-2020-amid-covid-19-recovery-2021#:~:text=MANILA%2C%20PHILIPPINES%20

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103540/philippines-economic-impact-coronavirus-covid-19/

https://www.google.com/search?q=total+number+of+covid+cases+in+the+philippines&rlz=1C1SQJL_enPH908PH908&oq=total+number+of+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i457j0l6.6762j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_government_response_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/09/889307982/the-philippine-governments-covid-19-response-has-devastated-its-economy

https://www.who.int/philippines/internal-publications-detail/covid-19-in-the-philippines-situation-report-50

file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/who-phl-sitrep-50-covid-19-25august2020.pdf

https://www.who.int/philippines/internal-publications-detail/covid-19-in-the-philippines-situation-report-63

file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/who-phl-sitrep-63-covid-19-25november2020.pdf

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Family Disaster Plan Video

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Large-scale mining will boost economic growth and development however the harmful and long term effects to the environment must be considered.

The Philippines is rich in natural resources including minerals we mine, but then again our country is very vulnerable to changes in climate and because of this, people find it hard to mine and extract minerals. Issues such as typhoons and heavy rainfall are discussed in the article since it is one obstacle large-scale mining faces. Large-scale mining in the Philippines is actually being promoted by the government because of its benefits to our country’s economy. It allows more Filipinos to become employed and at the same time our government earns funds that can be used for other uses for our country, despite its benefits there are people who do not agree with large-scale mining. In the article it was mentioned that a survey was conducted of 1607 Samarnons on their opinions on mining, and around 53% opposed it because of its harmful effects to the environment. The cons to large-scale mining is that it negatively affects the environment since mining almost destroys it. According to Father Cesar Aculan, large-scale mining “will not help the poor and can make the poor even poorer by disrupting the environment upon which they depend on”. This is because there are a lot of Filipinos whose livelihood relies heavily on agriculture which gets affected by large-scale mining.

Our country is more vulnerable to typhoons than other countries due to its location on Earth, it is located near the equator and along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Another factor that large-scale mining has to consider are the dangers posed by typhoons will increase with anthropogenic climate change since there are signs that climate change is generating more powerful typhoons. Considering the logic of Greenhouse gas emissions, the heat from it is sent to the atmosphere and gives more energy to the formation of typhoons and heavy rainfalls. Stated in the article is that anomalies and uncertainties will always exist, “the case for a warming climate is about as solid as any scientific case will ever be”. Sea levels also continue to rise which could possibly cause a typhoon’s storm surge to become more intense and dangerous.

As the article states, “the essence of disaster is the impact of a hazard upon vulnerable people”. Naturally mining has harmful effects to the environment since mining extract and take minerals from the ground until there’s none. Mining has harmful effects to the environment such as possible spilling of mine wastes due to the possible failure of tailings dams, rich land turning and becoming into wastelands due to the lack of minerals in the ground as people mine, deforestation due to the lack of area for trees to grow since minerals are extracted from the ground, natural resource degradation, and others. In our country, there are people who are against large-scale mining activities, groups such as environmentalists, local government units, barangays, cities, provinces, and others. This is because the negative effects of mining actually weigh more than the benefits, and as we think long-term the negative effects will continue to weigh more. We must consider the long-term effects of large-scale mining because if our future could possibly be doomed in just a few years.

Mining boosts our economy in ways such as having less people unemployed and the government earns money due to the fees paid by the companies running mining activities, and we cannot completely get rid of mining as a source of income. There are ways for us to balance mining with its effects on the environment such as not allowing other countries to exploit our natural resources but we should use it for our own countries’ growth. Isn’t it unfair thinking that other countries benefit from our resources but we suffer the outcome of its harmful effects., in the article it was mentioned that other countries are trying to invest and operate mining activities in our country which I think should not be done and observed. It was also mentioned that countries that have operated mining activities here did not “take their wastes home with them” which is unfair. We only benefit with the income our country receives from other countries as they mine in our country, but other than that we face the negative effects and consequences of their mining activities which hinder people who rely on a day-to-day basis on environmental resources to benefit from our own resources. Another way is to implement stricter and heavier penalties for not following the rules and regulations our country has set since some companies take some penalties lightly. Also, our country needs to constantly monitor mining activities and operations, this is already existing and the government already does this but we should be more strict in monitoring mining activities. In this way companies who are responsible for any extreme harmful effects will be penalized and cannot get away with their doings. 

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Reflection Paper About “Legacy of the past, promise of the future: Land reform, land grabbing, and land conversion in the Calabarzon”

This issue matters to help boost the agricultural industry in the country and at the same time alleviating farmers from being poor. To whom does this issue matter? The poor farmers. The farmers and consumers of agricultural products are greatly affected by this issue. What is affected by this issue? The prices of products since prices started rising due to the decreasing number of farmlands and for labor as well. Basically the Philippines is known as an agricultural country, in the past 5 decades Philippines tried focusing on its agricultural products until such time that we can no longer produce a safe amount for the people to consume, thus the importations. 

The issues’ relevance and importance has greatly changed through the years. The government and the politicians have also changed through the years, thus their interests and vision for the country has changed as well. If these concerns or these issues become unresolved then the country and its people will continue to suffer the consequences of failed government policies, therefore this issue will continue to become a concern of our country. There are a lot of issues under this issue as well and these issues are directly interconnected with one another. A change in one aspect has a direct impact on the other aspects. That is why whatever happens in one of these aspects has a cascading effect. In terms of environmental concerns, there has been further erosion because of the lack in balance between humanity and the environment. There are political concerns as well since they directly affect these issues because they are the ones in charge in drafting and making these public policies and decisions. Social concerns such as social dislocation is also evident in this issue, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos will be forced to move to urban squatter populations. Economic concerns are also connected since only big groups and farmers get incentives while the other farmers do not get any. There is evident poverty in our country because of this issue which affects our country's economy. This issue is part of a bigger problem, if the government will not take precautionary measures and take a firm stand on these issues vis-a-vis what direction it wants for the country. I think this problem continues to be a problem because of the lack of political will and efficient public policies. Politics are torn between personal interests and the welfare of the public in general. 

I honestly feel a bit disappointed because I expected more from politicians as well as the government. Growing up, we were taught in school that the welfare of the public is always the paramount consideration of the government. But it seems the government has a misplaced concept of promoting and protecting public welfare at all times. Based on what I have read, all past presidents tried resolving these issues in the best possible manner they can. However their suggested solutions were only band-aid solutions and it has not actually stopped the problems. Their suggested solutions could’ve actually worked if it were thought of more and planned out very well, they should’ve thought of the possible loopholes of their suggested solutions. Just like Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) and the program under it (CARP), it is actually a brilliant and good idea but there were loopholes such as farmers not having a budget to start their farming even if they have their own lands. Eventually, farmers gave up their lands back to their old owners making the program useless since farmers could not make use of their land. It was late when the government allowed farmers to loan money to buy materials they need for farming. Maybe if this was thought of very well and planned extensively, the program would’ve done well for the people and the farmers.

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First Entry for Blog

As I can see our society is lost, people have no idea what to do or how to cope with this pandemic. Our society is clueless since no one is prepared for this kind of situation, no one expected this to happen, but they say expect the unexpected. We are still groping in the dark, finding ways for survival. Filipino’s are known to be resilient but at these times we really do not know how to adjust to our the current situation of our society. 

Amid the alarming situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is ravaging the country right now, we also face a pressing issue which is online learning. As you can see DepEd has been delaying the start of classes in the public schools. Why is this so? Is it because they lack equipment to proceed with online classes? Is it because teachers are not properly trained yet to handle online classes? In this presentation, I will attempt to find out where the actual problem lies. 

 One problem I see is the lack of funds to procure the necessary computer equipment. Due to the pandemic, a lot of establishments and offices have temporarily closed causing people to become jobless now. The effects of the pandemic have made it hard for people to comply or provide for students’ needs and requirements for online classes.

 Another problem is the soaring prices of computer paraphernalia due to high demand. From regular face-to-face learning we have shifted to online learning, not all students have the required materials causing a lot of students to buy and avail the needed materials. Of course, the law of buy and demand comes in, some people abuse the demand of these products and sell them for a higher price. Connected to the first problem, not all families can provide for the materials needed.

 Last is provision or access for internet of students. Students are having a hard time with the integrity of the internet it causes them to miss some works during synchronous classes. The whole country is having trouble because of this issue, our country really lacks in this area. Many social issues trouble our country right now, but these are issues I see that really affect us students in these times.

 In conclusion, we must raise awareness of these issues, maybe somehow people will realize what is really going on in our country and hopefully help one another more often. I believe that it is not enough that we are only familiar with the issues going on in our country, we should be knowledgeable about these issues. As students we are limited to do actions, but we can raise awareness of the said issues through social media. Social media is a big platform, a lot of people use this nowadays to update themselves. Even this blog is already a way to raise awareness, people should be creative to be able to catch people’s attention. 

Sources I’ve read:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293874/student-group-warns-of-more-drop-outs-due-to-inadequate-distance-learning-devices/amp

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About Me

Hello, I am Zia Alexandria Toren, but you can just call me Zia. I am a 15-year-old student from The Seed Montessori School. This account will be used for my e-portfolio in one of my subjects, Social Studies. 

Here are some of my photos, I enjoy dressing up and taking photos (I don’t want to sound narcissistic) while my friends like to take photos of me. 

I consider myself as an ambivert, my friends say I’m social and approachable but I do get shy at times too.

I am a person who enjoys listening to music, I listen to OPM, K-pop, and a few English International songs as well, I admire artists such as Ben&Ben, Twice, Seventeen, Clairo, IV of Spades and many more. Music helps me a lot, when I’m feeling down, I would listen to change my mood or make me feel better.

Some of my hobbies are playing volleyball and doing some art. I haven’t been able to finish an artwork yet though due to my short attention span. The photo is a vector drawing I haven’t finished yet since I wasn’t sure on how to go about it yet.

And that’s all I have to say about myself, I hope this helped somehow? Thank you!