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Inside this issue: 11 Tech Trend Ma. Donna Diamante
Ma. Cristina Magsino
MP3 or MP4? Roderick Mon
3 A Teacher’s Portrait Ferdie Ortega
Why Teaching? 12 Let’s Get Literary Rocky Manianglung

PSITE Region IV A Teacher’s life

Congratulations, You’re a Teacher! Evolve or Die
6 Smart up Lunar Spasm
An Email Group Netiquette Guide Miss Marple’s Magic & Myth

7 Event Scanner 13 Film Recap

PCPS 3 Training Program A Beautiful mind
The Faculty Stimuli is published every semester
The Art of Giving
14 Book Buzz by the Faculty Services Department, Academic
8 On the Cover Services Group, STI Headquarters, 6/F PhilFirst
Changing Perspectives Building, 6764 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Two of a Kind
STI Summer Faculty Training 2007 15 Health Talk
For comments, suggestions and/or contributions
10 Teaching Tip Diabetes Mellitus please call (02) 887-8447 loc. 5860 or send
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks email at facultystimuli@stihq.net. You may also
16 On the Road join the publication’s group at Multiply-http://
Team STI Conquers facultystimuli.multiply.com
 B
5FBDIFST
1PSUS BJU
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By Edgar Eslit
STI Iligan
O
f all the questions that my
parents and colleagues asked
me, the “Why teaching?”
question lingers in my mind
until today. My persuasive
arguments did not succeed in gaining their
empathy. But I guess my being a teacher now
does otherwise. How I wish they can see this
paper.
As an Instructor of STI Iligan, I’m motivated
by the desire to help my students find the
same thread of joy in discovering and
understanding new techniques and ideas. It
is a worthwhile experience to work one-on-
one with my students as I witness the moment
when they finally comprehend the essence
of what I’ve taught them; the moment that
surprises and delights my students, knowing
how difficult the subject is. It always boosts
my enthusiasm to provide motivation to my
students.
I’m motivated by the desire to
help my students find the same
thread of joy in discovering and
understanding new techniques
and ideas.
I joined STI Iligan in 2002 as a part-time
instructor. In the subsequent years, I was also
a Career Adviser. I taught the graduating
students the right way of writing their résumés
and application letters. It is also rewarding
to see students who are just starting to
learn simple business correspondence to
finally understand a concept that seemed
impossible to comprehend at first but turned
out to be attainable and exciting.
The students are required to learn the tenets
of composing effective application letters
and battle-ready résumés prior to their OJT
proper. During lectures, I try to post a series
of examples that will gradually develop
their understanding and teach them some
techniques. I ask them to stretch a bit to reach
the goals of the subject and to believe that
the goals are within their reach that is why it
is necessary to make a careful and gradual
development on the exercises. Our Operation
Spoken English Environment Program or
OSEEP and Job Placement Training in Cebu
proved to be useful to this end, thanks to Ms.
Fe Aquino and Ms. Babes Bonoan.
In the past, I simply want to enjoy the class
hours, although I don’t compromise the level
of teaching. I admit that I love the challenge
of a more difficult task like conducting Career
Orientation Seminars (COS). Now, I learn to
cherish both. I make sure that my lectures
are interesting, challenging, lively and
interactive with the hopes that my students
will be motivated and will do their best. I also
hope to capture the interest of my students
by showing that I’m interested too. I have a
great deal of empathy towards their struggles
to learn. It is one of the reasons why teaching
should be complemented with research and
personal touch, to keep the sense of humor
and humility alive in the face of an ever
expanding quest for knowledge.
Edgar Eslit
Nevertheless, one of the challenges in my
job is the use of technology in teaching. I
have already experimented with various
technologies available. I have tried using
overhead projectors, computers and at times,
LCD projectors. It is easy to be hooked with
the promise of technology that learning will
be easier. On my end, the challenge is to use
it appropriately and to make certain that it
I have a great deal of empathy
towards their struggles to learn. It
is one of the reasons why teaching
should be complemented with
research and personal touch,
to keep the sense of humor and
humility alive in the face of an ever
expanding quest for knowledge.
will contribute to students’ positive learning.
Some of my most successful classes have
used the traditional way rather than the use
of modern technologies. In small classes, I
often have goups of students working on the
board. Extra whiteboard markers and visual
aids are tried-and-tested technologies; these
can visually support a broader discussion
thread for the class. This leads to a more
cooperative setting rather than having just
one student deliver a report to the entire
class. Team effort is important but individual
effort is equally important too. I also believe
that most learning occurs through individual
effort. The moment of understanding can be
an intensely intimate one. Because learning
greatly depends on individual effort, it is
rare to see that an entire class is ready for a
unison quantum leap.
Our contribution to our students
is a reflection of what we believe
about human nature, and the
relevance of the topic that we are
sharing to them. It also reflects
who we are and what we think,
which serves as the backbone of
our way of being a teacher.
In the process, I have observed that mutual
respect and support for the students play a
major role to one’s success as a teacher. This
is one of the areas in which I have seen a
great deal of development during the past
semesters. I respect my students as individuals
and treat them fairly. It is important to have
this basis for learning since respect for others
seems to be taken for granted in our society
today.
The bottom line is, teaching requires
dedication. It’s tough, right? Our
contribution to our students is a reflection of
what we believe about human nature, and
the relevance of the topic that we are sharing
to them. It also reflects who we are and what
we think, which serves as the backbone of
our way of being a teacher.
Guided by the same principles, I choose
teaching to be of service to others. We
all know that no rewards or sufficient
compensation can be found in this career but
I will never regret my decision.
So when somebody asks me, “Why
teaching?”, my answer is: It’s the joy of doing
it that keeps me going, that’s why!
14*5&
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By Eli dela Noche
STI College-Calamba

L
ong before the revitalization of
Philippine Society of Information
Technology Educators or PSITE
Region IV, the STI Deans in Southern
Tagalog have been very supportive
and cooperative with the said
professional organization with a concerted
aim to represent their schools and promote
STI’s Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) Programs.
It was during the Regional Convention held
at the Lyceum of the Philippines Batangas
Campus where I was voted as the Regional
Vice-President which made me deeply involved
in PSITE activities and events including the
various National Conventions of PSITE.
One unforgettable experience I had was
when I represented STI in the National
convention held at Cagayan De Oro City. I
was on my own since my colleagues (Dean
Vanie of STI College - Lucena, former Dean
Rolly of STI College - San Pablo, and Dean
Vic of STI College - Sta. Cruz) had very busy
schedules. However, the most noteworthy
experience I have encountered was during the
PSITE’s National Convention in Iloilo, where
I decided to run for a national position in the
organization. Perhaps, I did not sound so
convincing at that time and as a result, I did
not make it. Funny though, during the recently
concluded PSITE National Convention held in
Baguio, majority of the delegates asked me
to run again for the next election but such
was not realized. One of my colleagues in
Region IV requested me to give way for his
candidacy.
The question now is, why should we join
professional organization? In the academe, it
is a must for an educator to be a member of any
existing legitimate professional organization.
Being a member of a professional organization
is already an advantage because you are
updated of any related issues pertaining to
your profession. Your inter-personal skills will
also be enhanced, not to mention the contacts
or circle of friends that you can establish and
maintain. You will also have the opportunity to
go places and learn various cultures, making
you a flexible and well-rounded educator.
You will discover new pedagogical ways of
executing your profession as an educator or
As an educator, we must perform the following
Being a member of a professional innate duties: to educate, to research, and to
involve ourselves in the community.
organization is already an How would you enrich your skills to efficiently
advantage because you are carry out those duties? It’s simple. Pursue
updated of any related issues post-graduate studies and join professional as
well as civic organizations. Through these, we
pertaining to your profession. can proudly say that we are indeed educators
providing quality education.
academician. And the most important reason
is, it becomes one of the highlights in your
curriculum vitae.
Now, as the Vice-President of PSITE Region IV,
I was able to initiate trainings with the help of
fellow officers for Information Technology (I.T.)
educators in Region IV to give emphasis on I.T.
research in support to the thrust of Commission
on Higher Education or CHEd. We were able
to promote camaraderie among I.T. students
in Region IV by providing them a venue to
showcase their theoretical and programming
skills. It is just unfortunate though, we did not
make it when PSITE Region IV had its tour in
Hong Kong for an extensive I.T. school visit. PSITE in Iloilo
Here in STI College - Calamba, there are
already five active members of the PSITE
namely Prof. Ryan E. Maneja, Prof. Khristian
G. Kikuchi, Mr. Leo De Mesa, Mr. Romy
Gangay, and Ms. Ella Fabros. And I really
would like to thank them for making some
personal financial sacrifices to join and be
a part of PSITE Region IV. And to our new
CEO, Ms. Mel C. Bravo for the support and
encouragement she has extended to us and to
the roster of STI College - Calamba Faculty in
the pursuit of keeping them abreast of issues
and trends in I.T. PSITE officers during a CHED visit
To my fellow educators and academicians, let
us bear in mind that we are here to profess
and not simply instruct nor teach.
As an educator, we must perform
the following innate duties: to
educate, to research, and to involve
ourselves in the community.
PSITE in Lyceum Batangas

ow
Before the year 1000, the word “she” did not exist in the

o u k n English language. The singular female reference was

Did y that...
the word “heo”, which also was the plural of all genders.
The word “she” appeared only in the 12th century, about
400 years after English began to take form. “She” is
probably derived from the Old
English feminine
“seo”, the
Viking word
for feminine
The first Oxford English Dictionary was published in April
reference.
1928, 50 years after it was started. It consisted of 400,000
words and phrases in 10 volumes. The latest edition fills
22,000 pages, includes 33,000 Shakespeare quotations,
and is bound in 20 volumes. All of which is available on
a single CD.
Source: www.didyouknow.com
$POHSBUVMBUJPOT

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By Prof. Sally Sestina, MA
STI College-General Santos

O
ne afternoon, I was checking
the papers of my students when
my attention was caught with
the one million peso question
thrown by Kris Aquino at the
contestants in the game show
“Game Ka Na Ba?” The question goes, “What
is the name of the planet which is named after
a Filipino teacher?”
I knew the answer because I have read an item
featured in the newspapers and have heard
about it in almost all television networks. It was
so disappointing because the contestant was
not able to get the correct answer. (Sayang!)
The correct answer? Planet “Biyo”-- it is a
small planet located between Mars & Jupiter,
rotating around the sun. It was named after a
Filipino teacher – Dr. Josette Talamera-Biyo.
Dr. Josette Talamera-Biyo is a science teacher
from Philippine Science High School in Western
Visayas who bagged the INTEL Excellence in
Teaching Science and Engineering Fair held in
May 2002 at Louisville, Kentucky, USA. She is
the first Asian teacher to win the award since
its existence in 1997. INTEL received 4000
applicants worldwide which was trimmed
down to 90 finalists. Would you believe,
she bested 89 other finalists from all over the
world?
Because of this great achievement, the
Massachusets Institute of Technology Lincoln
Laboratory in Boston named a planet in
her honor. Dr. Biyo was quoted as saying, “
I dreamt of stars; I got a planet!”
In one of her interviews, she was asked by
the panel why she was teaching high school
when she had a doctorate degree in biology,
she answered “Who else will teach these
children?”. The panel got even shocked when
she told them that she’s getting a net pay
of only $300 or roughly Php13,000.00 per
month.
Which brings me to one important point that
indeed there are two groups of teachers; those
who TEACH TO LIVE (TL) and those who LIVE
TO TEACH (LT).
On one hand, teachers who TEACH TO
LIVE regard teaching as an easy way to make
a living. They believe that teaching is the
easiest job opportunity available.
On the other hand, teachers who LIVE TO
TEACH are those who make teaching an
integral part of their lifestyle, which means
they are passionately committed to teaching.
They absolutely love what they do. They have
high motivation to continue learning and
ensure their growth as individuals. Dr. Biyo
greatly inspires me
Dr. Biyo is one great example of teachers who to continue the dedication for
live to teach. She prefers to stay committed my profession and further enhance
and dedicated to the teaching profession my knowledge by enrolling in the doctoral
despite the low pay. There are still teachers out program. I want to make a difference in the
there, who work silently and give their hearts lives of my students—a difference that they
out to teaching without thinking so much of would not have experienced if not for me. It
the benefits and rewards. They are the unsung would be a privilege to feel that I can be part
heroes of this country. of their growth and maturity as I influence
them in some positive ways.
I want to make a difference All students have had a good number of
in the lives of my students—a teachers in their lifetime, but only a few are
remembered as being exceptionally good. It
difference that they would not really feels good when your previous students
have experienced if not for me. It express their gratitude for all the things they
have learned from you. We teachers are some
would be a privilege to feel that I of the most influential persons in a child’s
can be part of their growth and life. Inculcating such a worthwhile attitude
is the best investment that they will have in
maturity as I influence them in their lifetime. If each one of us has 30 to 40
some positive ways. students in each class, then, think of how
many lives we can affect.
So, teachers, let’s congratulate ourselves for
having the “noblest profession”. I hope there
will be more Dr. Biyos out there who LIVES
TO TEACH.
We teachers are some of the most
influential persons in a child’s
life. Inculcating such worthwhile
attitude is the best investment that
they will have in their lifetime.

Meeting the Challenge of Meetings

Many companies are seeing a need to keep business meetings short and even to do away with unnecessary meetings, reports
The New York Times. So to curb waste of time at meetings, some executives have resorted to the use of such desperate measures
such as stopwatches, whistles, and uncomfortable chairs, as well as having attendees stand rather than sit. Apparently, the
executives are not alone in their view. In a survey of over 600 workers, “meetings that last too long” topped the list of time
wasters. Patti Hathaway, author of a book that gives advice on handling situations at work, recommends that executives
first look at the agenda to decide whether a meeting is really necessary. If the purpose of a proposed meeting is simply to
disseminate information, then consider whether the information can be sent by e-mail.
Workplace Rudeness
“Rudeness in the workplace can cost an organization time, effort and talent.” says The Wall Street Journal. A survey of
nearly 3,000 people found that more than 90 percent “experienced incivility at work.” Half of these said they “lost work time
worrying about the incident,” “25 percent cut their efforts on the job,” and 1 in 8 quit. According to the University of Southern
California, holding back on work efforts, absenteeism, and even stealing can all be signs of an organization that is struggling
with rudeness.
Source: Awake Magazine 2007 Collection
O
ne of the most popular and widely used resources in the
Internet is the electronic-mail or email. It is one of the first
Internet applications developed. As most people would
say it’s a “must-have” to fully use the communications
features of the Internet.
Email enables a user of one computer to send message to another
or multiple users of computers anywhere in the world within a few
minutes. If the recipient is not online, the mail is then stored in an
electronic equivalent of a mailbox and can be read any time.
However, with the numerous activity involved through email, the
risk of a virus attack is very high. At the same time, it may clog the
available space on the user’s account. As an email user, one must take
a precautionary measure in using it properly.
An article entitled “An Email Group Netiquette Guide of Randy Ryan”
provides a comprehensive guide and other pertinent topics about
email lists.
Some mailing lists have low rates of traffic, others can flood your
mailbox with several hundred mail messages per day. Numerous
incoming messages from various mailing lists by multiple users require
extensive system processing which can tie up valuable resources.
Subscription to Interest Groups or Discussion Lists should be kept to
a minimum and should not exceed what your disk quota or you can
handle for that matter.
The primary problem with excessive clutter is that it takes away time
and energy of the people reading the lists. This tends to cause people
to drop out and create a lack of response to meaningful topics from
numerous people due to the amount of time wading through the
clutter.
Randy Ryan suggests some tips on how to make the participation easier
and more enjoyable without cluttering mailboxes and wasting precious
time of the participants of these lists.
1. POSTING
• Keep your questions and comments relevant to the topic being
discussed.
• Do not send or forward personal emails to a list or another person
without permission. This is a copyright violation and a serious breach
of privacy and you may be removed from a list for doing so.
• Capitalize words only to highlight an important point or to distinguish
a title or a heading. *Asterisks* surrounding a word can also be used
to make a stronger point. Capitalizing the whole word that is not a
title is generally termed as SHOUTING!
• Be careful when using sarcasm and humor. Without face-to-face
communications your joke may be viewed as criticism.
• A one-line response can go in the subject. Enclose it in square
brackets [like this] to denote that there is no text to follow. (This is
useful for answering requests for www addresses, “800” numbers,
and the like.)
• Acronyms can be used to abbreviate when possible, though over-
using it can be confusing and annoying to the reader.
• If your post is really only of value to one or two individuals on the
net, use private email and don’t send it to the entire list.
2. SUBJECT LINE
• Be sure that the subject line reflects the topic. In other words, don’t
auto-reply and start a new thread leaving the old subject line in the
header. Unless your software will allow you to change the subject.
• Don’t begin your message with a few words on the subject line and
continue in the body of the message. This leads to discontinuity of the
message and defeats the purpose of the subject line.
3. TRIM DOWN YOUR QUOTES
• When quoting another person, edit whatever isn’t directly applicable
to your reply. Don’t let your mailing or Usenet software automatically
quote the entire body of messages that you are replying to unless it’s
necessary.
• Take the time to edit any quotations down to the minimum necessary
to provide context for your reply. Nobody likes reading a long
message in quotes for the third or fourth time, only to be followed
by a one-line response: “Good Idea!” This saves reading time, disk
space, network bandwidth, and makes things faster and easier for
everybody.
4. ME TOO and THANK YOU
• Don’t send “Me Too!”, “Thank You”, and similar messages to the
group! Send those out to the individuals email address directly. A
private “Thank You” is nicer too!
5. WELCOMES
• When people join an email group, it is great that members want to
welcome these people into the group. Doing this on low volume lists
helps to stimulate conversation. On high volume lists though, it is
suggested that these people be welcomed using their private email
address than to have several welcome messages cluttering up group
related discussions.
6. MANNERS
• Resist the temptation to “flame” others on the list. Remember that
these discussions are “public” and meant for constructive exchanges.
Treat the others on the list as you would want them to treat you.
People disagree, sometimes strongly. State your opinion, clearly and
freely in an objective manner and understand that others are also
free to express their opinions.
7. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
• When signing up for a group, it is important to save your subscription
confirmation letter for reference. That way if you go on vacation you
will have the subscription address for suspending mail.
8. ATTACHING FILES
• DON’T attach files. Instead, get it encoded and imbedded as part
of the email. You must convert your file to a standard ASCII text file
and include it in the mail that you are composing via copying and
pasting, or using built-in file include commands.
9. COMMERCIALS/ADVERTISING
• DON’T! Sending out unsolicited commercial email or posting
inappropriate commercials is called ‘Spamming’. Unsolicited means
sent to an email or Usenet group not designed specifically for the
purpose of advertising. Reprisals for doing so can range from
getting a few nasty letters reminding you that spamming isn’t nice,
to several thousands of letters stating the same, crashing your site,
the administrator being forced to remove your account and usually
tacking on some administrative fees due to having to scramble to
keep deleting enough mail to keep their site from crashing.
10. VIRUS WARNINGS - CHAIN LETTERS
• DON’T! Check with the administrator of any list first. Most likely it is a
hoax, particularly the warning “Delete and Do Not Read!” warnings
since it is absolutely impossible to get a virus by reading email.
Even if it is a legitimate program virus, it is up to individual users to
know how to scan for viruses before running any program. There
are thousands of programs with hundreds of viruses. It is not the
function of an email list to serve as a clearing house of virus warning
information (unless it is a virus warning list server) or to distribute
chain letters. The same applies for the twice a year “Modem Tax”
warnings.
11. MAILER CONFIGURATION
• Mail to an email list should only be sent in PLAIN ASCII text format.
Turn off HTML, MIME Encoding and “quoted-printable” formatting
options. Do not attach or send business cards or signature data files.
Used only on private, corresponding with people you know that have
the ability to decode these properly. They will not work in lists for a
huge number of users nor for the readers of a digested version of an
email list.
Source: www.our-kids.org

By Hazel de Guzman
STI College-Lucena
T
o revitalize the teaching and learning process in the Philippine public high
school system, the Personal Computer for Public Schools (PCPS) training
program was held at STI College-Lucena last October 19-27, 2006.
Sponsored by the Government of Japan through the efforts of the Department of
Trade and Industry, the training was attended by public school teachers from the
different towns of Quezon– Pagbilao, Atimonan,
Mulanay, Lopez, Buenavista, Heneral Nakar,
Infanta, Tiaong, Tagkawayan, Mauban, Lucena,
and Marinduque.
The participants were provided with a training
module on Linux and its applications such as Open
Office, Mozilla and Encyclopedia Britannica.
As part of the program, the participants were
motivated by orienting them with the Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) training’s
objective that is to explore more of their potential
and innate skills when it comes to tapping various
teaching resources such as computers and other technological devices.
During the training, the participants were tasked to work on individual and collaborative
presentations to ensure that they do not only acquire the knowledge of the program,
but also its application or technical know-how.
“The 64-hour training session was indeed a challenging task for us,” says Ronnie
Padolina, one of the training participants. For him, the activity helped him in improving
his qualifications as a teacher. Others stressed that this training was successful in
making them realize that the industry needs dynamic teachers who are capable of
bringing out the flexibility of the students by means of technology in order to cope in
this fast changing world.
Every meeting becomes fruitful for everybody since the trainers evidently maximize
their effort in equipping the trainees with the information and skills that they have to
obtain. “STI trainers are one-of-a-kind. Aside from being friendly and approachable,
they also displayed competency and mastery of each lesson being delivered to us,“
says Jayson Devantes, one of the trainees.
The training was facilitated by Prof. Alina Baldeo, assisted by Ms. Rhoda Rivares (both
IT faculty members) and Mr. Vic Diaz, the school’s Laboratory Facilitator, while Mr.
Giovanni Juntereal, Dean of Computer Studies, supervised the entire event.
By Marcos Ochoa
STI College-Southwoods
A
t times people don’t realize that genuine
happiness comes from the simplest gestures.
Gestures like a simple “hi” and “hello” from
the people you know, a sincere smile from
a stranger or just three hours spent with the
children who need our utmost attention.
The holiday season is fast approaching and so is the long
awaited Christmas break. As a tradition, students are busy
decorating the hallway for the season, planning for their
Christmas class get-together and even buying gifts for their
kris kringle. These may be the typical holiday scenarios,
but the College of Nursing of STI College-Southwoods has
thought of a different way to celebrate the holidays, with
selfless giving and sharing of happiness.
Last December 12, 2006, this has become a reality through
the “Maagang Paskong Handog” held at the Carmona
Elementary School Session Hall in Carmona, Laguna.
Inspired by the spirit of giving, the students celebrated
their Christmas party with the special children of “Persons
with Disability of Carmona Elem. School”. The school was
a project of Mayor Dahlia Loyola and the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This serves as
the children’s second home, where they are educated,
loved and cared for.
A program was prepared by the nursing students showcasing
their different talents. A song and dance Christmas number
was presented to the children. In return, a representative
from the children serenaded their “Ates” and “Kuyas.”
Games were participated in and enjoyed by the children
despite their disabilities. You can see in the eyes of these
children the joy and warmth they felt from our students.
You could see the wide smiles and hear the resounding
laughter of the children as our students participated in the
activities.
The entire experience of our College of Nursing was
incomprehensible in words. These children opened up the
eyes of our students on the realities of life and the genuine
happiness you could find from simple things. It may be
just a half-day event and yet the memories are infinitely
embedded in their hearts.
ERRATUM :
In the last issue of the Faculty Stimuli (November
2006, Volume 10), a story entitled “Computerized
voting system of STI Munoz-Edsa” was erroneously
credited to STI Malolos. It should be STI Munoz-Edsa
instead of STI Malolos.
 ve r
e Co
O n th Two of a Kind
“Two thesis advisers share the trials and the rewards of being named the best.”
By Pacita Nicole Bontia with accounts from
Clarissa Mabitasan and Ramon Almazan
(MOTA 2007 winning Advisers)
T
he thesis program is one of the most
challenging pursuits an STI student
partakes, and successfully passing
the program makes them walk dur-
ing the graduation march with pride.
STI commends the hard work, de-
termination, creativity, and technical
know-how of all its students and recognizes the
outstanding output they have produced.
The Best Thesis Award is a national-level com-
mendation for outstanding thesis projects
across the network. This award is conferred
upon thesis works that exhibit the highest stan-
dard of scholarly accomplishment. Among the
best thesis works, the most exceptional will be
awarded as the Most Outstanding Thesis and
will be provided scholastic incentives. Since
school year 2001-2002, the Most Outstanding
Thesis Award or MOTA comes with a cash prize
and a medal. The thesis adviser of the MOTA
winner receives a plaque of recognition for his/
her invaluable support to the group.
STI COLLEGE-BAGUIO
School year 2005-2006’s winner of MOTA for
the Engineering track comes from STI College-
Baguio, with their ingenious way of rational-
izing water distribution to households through
a digitized water meter system. Recel
Ambacan and Junio German are the
students who have undertaken the
study, with Ms. Clarissa Mabitazan
supervising their work and prog-
ress.
A centralized system
Ambacan and German’s project
is composed of two parts: the
digital water meter and the host
application. Both are designed
to integrate the g a t h e r i n g
and processing of informa-
tion which suppliers
can study to
gauge water
usage in a
certain area.
More than
that, the system
is capable of op-
erating as one unit:
it can control water
flow and monitor
the status of meters
that comprise its
network. The system
runs on electricity,
and they have figured
out a way to make
sure it contin-
ues run-
ning even
w h e n
power
inter-
r uption
occurs
in the area it operates. In fact, the meters can
still capture raw data until everything is back
in production.
Ambacan and German’s project could eventu-
ally be a tool that will be useful in improving
the technology currently in use. More impor-
tantly, the accuracy it provides is indispensable
to suppliers who aim to cut their losses due to
system errors, while improving efficiency when
it comes to water delivery.
Beginning the greatest challenge
Ms. Clarissa Mabitazan, Ambacan and Ger-
man’s adviser has been with STI College-Ba-
guio for almost ten years, but she has only
started being a thesis adviser three years ago.
In that short span of time she has proven to be
quite popular in the school – she has guided
three thesis groups that have been nominated
as representatives of STI College-Baguio to the
MOTA. Graduating students have requested
her to be their adviser so often that she has to
say no sometimes to give herself an occasional
break and to be able to spend time with her
family. In fact, this year’s winner started out
with no thesis adviser.
“I initially refused…still carrying out my plans to
rest for this school year as [the] thesis adviser.
But the unexpected resignation of their adviser
opened the door,” But with only two weeks left,
Ambacan and German had to finish at least
eighty percent of their system implementation
which is part of their preliminary defense- a
part their adviser knows is the most crucial
part of the thesis process. She eventually had a
brainstorm: she asked Ambacan and German
to conduct and implement the system in the
subdivision where she lives. She then helped
them conduct interviews with her neighbors in
order to gather raw data, and she has gone
with them to ask the subdivision administrator
for permission to carry out the system.
Going beyond teaching
Ambacan and German successfully defended
their thesis during the preliminaries, but there
was still work to be done. Producing a thesis is
already a daunting task, and with the sched-
ules that the students and the teachers keep,
it is quite difficult to establish a reliable rou-
tine that enables the exchange of ideas and
constructive criticism between the adviser and
her advisees. She has gotten around this ob-
stacle by willingly housing the students at her
home and making sure that they all worked
on the project. “We felt that we still couldn’t
relax…even over the semestral and Christmas
break, we were working everyday except on
Sundays and holidays,” Ms. Mabitazan says.
Eventually, though, Ms. Mabitazan suggested
that her students find a home near the school
to better accommodate their schedules. She
visits them from seven to nine in the evening,
then she goes home to be with her husband
and children.
More than anything, Ms. Mabitazan is a sup-
porter of her students. Aside from inviting stu-
dents to her home, she would also visit her stu-
dents’ parents; even if it required her to go to
far-flung provinces. She firmly believes that her
students have sacrificed a lot to complete their
project. “My lectures do not end with theories.
I converse with my students about the signifi-
cance and value of what they’re doing”, Ms.
Mabitazan said. So to her students, she’s more
than just a teacher–she is a friend.
STI COLLEGE-STA. ROSA
The group of Marlito Dungog, Jeffrey Manza-
no, May Ann Semana and Tristan Taytay from
STI College-Sta. Rosa was nominated and
bested other STI thesis students in winning the
coveted Most Outstanding Thesis Award for
the CS/IT last school year. Their thesis entitled
Best Job Placement and Recuitment Agency is
an online system targeted for job applicants in
the CALABARZON area and provides a faster
and more efficient means of communication
between the employer and the prospective
employee.
A world of difference
Applying for jobs online is not a new phenom-
enon. However, STI College-Sta. Rosa’s win-
ning group has developed a system that will
aid not only the job-seeker but the employer
as well. Apart from it being locally-based, the
system utilizes a scripting language called the
PHP, or hypertext preprocessor, which can be
tailored to a user’s specific needs. It can pro-
vide a more dynamic and user-friendly inter-
face for both the applicant and the employer.
The road to victory
The students’ thesis adviser, Mr. Ramon Alma-
zan, credits the success of these students not
only on their perseverance and dedication but
also on the combined efforts of the college
dean, the thesis coordinator and the faculty.
The support and encouragement of the people
behind them has allowed the group to attain
the MOTA.
Mr. Almazan firmly believes that he didn’t do
anything astonishing or extraordinary, “I just
performed the role of an ordinary thesis ad-
viser,” Mr. Almazan said, “I’m lucky that I was
chosen as the adviser of these very dedicated
and hardworking students.”
Mr. Almazan further adds that every thesis
adviser is challenged to bring out the best in
every student and reinforce the idea that they
can pass the subject. Positivism, and a constant
reminder to think of their respective strengths,
will make each member see his or her im-
portance to the group. However, the adviser
should serve not only as the group’s unofficial
cheerleader but also as the critic against whom
the students can work out their ideas. This real-
ization will help them focus on what each can
achieve and, therefore, contribute to the work.
The winning groups and all students who have
gone through the thesis program will not be
able to survive the process without the guid-
ance and care of their beloved parents/guard-
ian, advisers, school administration, other
members of the faculty, and the non-teaching
personnel.
STI
Summer Faculty
Training 2007
A
nother summer went by,
school begins and the life of
every student and teacher has
gone back to normal… long
hours in school, sleepless
nights and paper works…
Life in school is somewhat stressful, most
of us would say…
For students, spending summer vacation
in the provinces, beach getaways with
friends and relatives seem enough to
unwind, regain strength and again be
prepared for another year of mind-
and-body-crunching school works and
activities. But for the teachers, these
getaways and other forms of relaxation
aren’t enough. They don’t just need to
unwind and regain mental and physical
strength to be considered prepared for
another year at school. As mentors,
they must also be equipped with new
knowledge, skills and fresh ideas on
how to make classroom teaching more
exciting for them and the students. So
it is not all fun for the teachers during
vacation after all.
In STI, we are all aware that faculty
members undergo a series of trainings
every summer and semestral break.
This is the institution’s way of ensuring
that faculty members are provided with
a venue for learning new knowledge,
acquiring skills and fresh ideas regarding
the content and the delivery of the
courses that they teach.
STI provides three types of training for
its faculty members; courseware-based
training, development training and
the Faculty Accreditation of Skills on
Teaching Technology (FASTT) training.
Faculty members are encouraged to
attend these types of training depending
on the particular area they aim to be
developed in.
Courseware-based trainings aid faculty
members on how to deliver contents/
topics of a specific course using the
developed courseware. Yes, STI faculty
members are being provided with
courseware materials. Courseware
materials are used to facilitate teaching
and also as form of quality
assurance. However, providing
courseware materials should not
mean that the faculty members
would simply echo its contents. They
need to understand and be able to
deliver it effectively and efficiently to
the students, thus courseware-based
trainings are conducted for courses
which teachers may encounter some
difficulty in its delivery. This is based on
the surveys & informal inquiries among
schools and courseware developers.
Faculty members, experienced or
newbies, are all encouraged to attend
these trainings. For new faculty members,
it’s a totally fresh learning experience.
For the experienced ones, it’s a means of
confirming, sharing, and advancing the
knowledge that they already possess.
“forced” to attend just to “comply” with
STI believes that faculty members the certification requirement. However,
should not be left in the confines of the STI has a different goal of providing these
classrooms. The institution recognizes trainings; FASTT trainings are offered to
that faculty members may perform build support structures that would allow
diverse functions in and outside their faculty members to engage effectively
respective schools and they must be with instructional technologies and learn
prepared for these possibilities. As best practices in teaching and learning
a focal representative of STI, faculty with technology. STI acknowledges the
members must be attuned to new fact that not all faculty members are
technologies and updates and this is “born teachers”. Many have the technical
what development trainings are all about expertise and competency but they are not
– development trainings are provided to “teachers” in its purest sense; they were
promote faculty members‘ professional trained to be programmers, engineers,
and career development goals and businessmen, etc. STI understands
needs. Admittedly, most faculty the need to re-orient them and instill
members raised their eyebrows when teaching competencies to make them
asked to attend development trainings, more effective and efficient educators,
who needs it anyway? Topics are not thus, the incorporation of FASTT trainings
even close to what they teach…anyone in the long list of trainings lined-up for
who have experienced being asked by
each and every STI faculty member.
students about the difference between a
“core duo” and a “dual core” processor
or a faculty member who was asked by a Admit it, it always feels good to share and
student to debug his/her “ruby” program learn. One only needs an open mind, a
and was totally unknowledgeable of willing soul and a humble heart to do it.
these concepts might appreciate being So for all STI faculty members out there,
present in one of these development next time you receive an invitation to
trainings. Ever experienced advising a attend one of the trainings, be sure that
thesis group whose topic is totally out of you are counted. Your colleagues who
your league? are as knowledge-thirsty as you are will
be there and ready to listen to what you
have to say.
STI also provides Faculty Accreditation
of Skills on Teaching Technology
(FASTT) trainings. Many view this set of See you on the next series of faculty
trainings merely as a component STI’s trainings!
Faculty Proficiency Certification, and are

F
or the past ten years, I’ve been
involved with faculty training and
the teaching profession. I graduated
with an Engineering degree and it
took me almost eight years to finish
it (it’s really a long story to tell). I
always tell my students, “quality education
takes time!” followed by a simple advise --
“never forget to finish your studies, no matter
what happens.”
I can never imagine myself teaching new
tricks to students older than me. Just the same
that I can’t see myself teaching young kids or
toddlers the old tricks. But I always make it a
point to teach them in different ways and go
beyond what is conventional.
It was in the year 2001 when I got the
chance to meet the public school teachers in
a community project called Y2K or Yamang
Kabataan at Komunidad (http://pnvsca.neda.
gov.ph/Templates/Y2K.htm). During that
time, the revised basic education curriculum
is the focal program of the Department of
Education (DepEd). Public school teachers are
bombarded with concepts on learning styles,
multiple intelligence, and the integration of
subjects. Most of them are saying, “Naku
dagdag trabaho na naman yan! Uunahin
ko pa ba yan eh 50 estudyante ko!” But
nonetheless, they had no choice. DepEd is
like a military institution with the principle,
“Obey first before you complain!”
I’m glad to say that we have the Y2K project and
that the Canadian government is generous to
fund it. So there it goes, teaching new tricks to
old dogs is a big challenge for us. It is really a
paradigm shift to compel these teachers who
have been teaching for more than 20 years.
The great Confucian quote is still effective in
a learning environment: “I hear and I forget. I
see and I remember. I do and I understand.” It
is really a painstaking process for us -- weekly
discussions, curriculum workshops, trainings
and the actual teaching demonstrations. I am
amazed that given the proper resources and
motivation, these teachers are more creative
than I expected. They can really find innovative
means to better teach their students. Though
in the end, the final output can only be seen
in the eyes and works of the students. There
is no more explanation and persuasion in the
end. But the real challenge is sustaining the
effort and that is more of a political question
for the public education system.
By Erwin Escubio
STI Headquarters
The next part of teaching old dogs new They can’t copy answers from each other since
tricks is my experience in Bulacan. I was there are three sets of exams. At the end of the
asked by my fraternity brother to teach in the day, all of them have to explain their decisions
Night College of their Center for Innovative about the problems they solved.
Education. It is not the same with the regular
or full-time students who are supported by In one of my assessment tests, I did
their parents. I learned that my students are something unusual. Instead of simply giving
already working. Most of them stopped going the questions, I included the solutions to the
to school because they have to prioritize the problems. The challenge: there is only one
needs of their family. solution that is correct and the rest are wrong.
They have to determine where it went wrong
Now in their late 30s and even 50s, a part and how to solve it. Complicated enough
of their salary will be deducted for their but that is reality. Life isn’t getting the right
education. Their dream is to finish college answer to the problems. There are 1001 ways
and hopefully, get a career promotion after to solve it. But to identify what went wrong to
graduation. a situation and how to solve it efficiently is
the best learning experience I could give to
It is very difficult to do both. After work at 6pm, them. These things happen to us everyday.
they still have to attend my three-hour class After those grueling learning experiences, my
in Mathematics of Investment and Financial students saw the value of the patience and
Management, though I know most of them the endurance tests (since we didn’t stop until
hate numbers. If you teach them the usual they were able to explain
way, they will easily get bored considering their solution).
that they will be sitting there for three long
hours. They are a bunch of “ates” and And now, I am
“kuyas” for me as I try my best to give them proud to say, “you
a meaningful learning experience. I always can teach an old
tell them, “I’m not here to teach you but we dog new tricks!”
are here to learn from each other.” I did short Just go beyond the
lectures and tried to change my methods by conventional. Have
having them form teams, to work on problem no fear to innovate
exercises. And those problems are real-life and try new tricks
scenarios that put value to numbers as points for yourself. And
of decision-making. They work in an open- always get in touch
book and free flow discussion environment. with reality.
The reality at work is: successful people
don’t have to know all the answers, like the
great philanthropist Henry Ford. The key is
to ask the right question and find the right
answer from the right person or from the
right resource. To ask questions is to learn
for free.
An inquiring mind
is a learning mind.
So I encourage
students to work as
teams in problem-
solving, creating
an environment
for flowing
discussions and
open learning.
Even during
examinations,
it’s open-book
& open-notes.
F
or those new to the digital music world, the MP3 and MP4 formats are compressed technologies for converting
standard analog audio tracks (like those on a commercial music CD) to smaller digital computer files.

The primary reason digital music formats have become so popular is that they deliver high quality sound at
roughly one-tenth the size of the uncompressed original. As a point of reference, a standard Audio CD can hold
roughly 20 songs while a CD encoded with MP3 files can hold as many as 200 songs.

Normally when sound is compressed, the quality is dramatically diminished, but many empires were launched
because of the MP3 format and its ability to deliver high compression rates with a minimum loss of sound
quality.

The MP3 format became an official standard in 1992 and began the chain of events that eventually created many
popular music encoding programs and playback devices.

Today, the sheer quantity of small handheld devices that can hold thousands of songs is mind-boggling, but the
undisputed leader (by a wide margin) is Apple’s iPod, despite the fact that it was a latecomer to the MP3 player
party.

A big reason for the huge success of Apple’s music device was the launch of the iTunes online music store. It was
the first commercially successful attempt at selling music at 99 cents per song but required an iPod if you wanted
to take your purchased music mobile.

At the time, Apple was successful (when others weren’t) in convincing the music industry to allow it to sell
copyrighted music in a digital format because of something known as FairPlay digital rights management (DRM).
Remembering that this all came on the tails of the massive music piracy problem created by the original Napster
file sharing system (Napster is now a legitimate online music company), Apple had to demonstrate that it could
control how these digital files were used.

This is where the AAC format (Advanced Audio Coding, commonly referred to as MP4) came into the picture.
Because Apple used a proprietary file format, it was able to limit how each file purchased on its system was used,
which meant a single user could not purchase a song and share it with others.

Along with this digital rights management system, Apple also made claims that the sound compression technology
was superior to the old MP3 format. While the technical data may support this claim, the reality is that most
listeners don’t have the playback equipment (speakers) or the ears to tell any difference.

What is relevant about music purchased on the iTunes system in AAC or MP4 format is that it can only be played
back in the iTunes software or on an iPod, while the MP3 format is supported by all music devices (including the
iPod).

Your choice of playback system will be the primary driver of which format is best for you, so be sure to check your
players’ supported format before you begin buying or encoding your music.
Source: www.lockergnome.com
 -FUT
HFU _|àxÜtÜç
Group Accounts By
Glenda Busas, STI College-Parañaque
Rowena Versoza, STI College-Caloocan
Rodrigo Vibar, STI College-Southwoods
Renato dela Cruz, STI College-Balayan
People have said teaching is a noble profession.
In the past, parents encouraged their children
to pursue careers in teaching because they
considered teaching a highly respectable
profession, next to being a doctor or lawyer.
This notion has drastically changed. The
enthusiasm of individuals to pursue teaching
as a career has lessened. Is it because more
people now know what a teacher’s life is?
The main task of teachers is to mold the minds
and hearts of students. Their role is vital as
well as crucial because they can either make or
break the nation’s future: the youth.
Teachers should be role models since the
students normally adopt whatever their
teachers say or do. In addition, teachers impart
values and skills that guide and help students
establish careers. Indeed, teachers must inspire
students to prepare for a good future. Only by
continuously developing their competencies
can teachers be ready to share the best of their
knowledge with their students.
Teachers also face a lot of challenges. They
should exercise patience, especially when
students are stubborn and unruly. They should
be resourceful, even when schools are not
always sufficiently equipped with teaching aids.
They must be creative. They must do away with
traditional methods of imparting knowledge.
They must exercise objectivity in evaluating
students. They must avoid inflicting verbal or
physical harm on their students while avoiding
emotional attachment to students. To top it all,
they must upgrade their technical knowledge
in using computers and interactive programs
which might enhance their teaching method.
These struggles and frustrations are a reality.
Teachers do experience difficult times. Unlike
most of us, they must forget their personal
problems whenever they face a class. What
they cannot forget though are the mountains
of paper work: quizzes, test booklets, research
works and projects, not to mention the reports
that have to be submitted to their supervisors.
Everyone knows that teaching is not financially
rewarding. People repeatedly say that if
you want to be rich, then teaching is not for
you. However, if you want to do something
worthwhile, change your country and maybe
change the whole world, but before that you
can start in the classroom. Live a teacher’s
life, because you will then know what it’s all
about.

Group Accounts By:

Nora Teologo, STI College-Global City By Romeo Arnedo, Jr.
Apple Marie Cruz, STI College-Angeles STI Legazpi
Manuel Tisang, STI College-Recto
Mari Gizelle Idmilao, STI College-Meycauayan
Charmaine Joy dela Cruz, STI College-Calamba From the winds that blow and push this vessel
To mild-mannered oceans of clearer depths
To a whirlpool of dust that blurs a vision resolute
Teachers today face a dilemma: either they evolve or die in the profession. For a thought delayed for sometime
Change is inevitable just as it is with the weather, fashion, gadgets and instruction. For earthen calls that guide sublime
Enhancements and make-overs have proven to be indispensable in the world we
live in. As a result, teachers have to adapt to the modern demands of teaching. Sometime, somehow now so prolonged and thinned
How then have STI teachers transformed through times? This lunar spasm awakens forty winks to offer a solemn
smile
In the past, teachers were labeled “Maestro,” evoking the image of a middle–aged, Of a lesser guise that came to be present and refined
highly authoritative, and well-respected practitioner. Maestros were traditional Sometime, somehow, it has been a thousand mile
directors of learning who dominated class discussions believing that a child’s mind So this is how I came to know of this unchosen precipice
is like a tabula rasa. They provided all the inputs through board work and negative
reinforcement. They adhered to the principle, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” A panacea for the one that refuses to walk through
The product? Tame and subdued students. leveled grounds
In this regard, teachers today are more idealistic and want to be progressive. But among more disheveled fields that tirelessly abound
They want to break away from the conventional method of teaching. Unlike their Just tell me will this ever suffice?
This universe of such endless empathy
predecessors, the new batch of teachers are more student-centered. They believe Seemingly passing through bounds beyond human
that learners should be at the core of the teaching-learning process. They are
more eclectic in their approach. They empower their students to be independent Only to give a gift of unplayful vanity
through collaborative learning and the task-based approach. They use advanced Everyone presumes it is all but a hurried plan.
instructional materials and promote positive reinforcement. Consequently, they Surely one thinks that nothing comes impossible
generate a feeling of security among the students, who are more relaxed and To a lunar spasm, with a might so agreeable and
comfortable in the classroom. Thus, learning is more effective. achieving
Many movies project technological advancements to be almost impossible and at Surely one day when all things become improbable
times too fantastic to actually come true. Yet, time has proven that scientific and
technological progress are limitless. Thus, the teachers will be armed with the latest For this lunar spasm, fright disemboweled happens so
computer gadgets as their most important tools in reaching their online scholars in unwavering
different locations around the world. The continued introduction of new technology Rouse me then from this inspiring slumber of mercurial
and enhancements will make electronic education the trend in the 25th century. construct
In spiteful infrequency or phenomenal rarity
Change might be intimidating. It might be risky, but it is necessary. If STI teachers Of the one frenzied by all things casual and miserly
are willing to take part in the continuous process of learning then they must take
the necessary steps to stay in the cycle or be left out. They must follow the basic I articulate this lunar spasm…
example of nature itself, evolve or die. As I straddle through a genuine chasm.
 By Ederlyn Dizon
STI College-Taft

A BEAUTIFUL MIND
By Bang Lawag
STI Headquarters

Shown in 2001, A Beautiful

Puff...and presto! The grades are finished, the students passed (or Mind, based on Sylvia Nasar’s
failed as the case maybe), the reports are submitted, and once more biography of Nobel Prize winner
the semester is over. Sigh! The role of the teacher varies to being John Nash, illustrates the power
the magician of grades, the conjurer of sweet or sour feelings, the of one man’s mind. Beyond being a
soothsayer of bright or dim future, and other “arcane” matter about love story, the film also points out to the
school life – the saga of schoolmarm continues. The story below gives viewers the importance of reaching out
you a glimpse on how she began her trade as the “fairy godmother” of in times of need and how you can be
all the aspiring craftsmen assigned to her care. saved from it. This is the central theme
Once upon a time, in the days of yore, in a guild not far from the that resonates throughout the film
castle of Governance, Miss Marple, on completing her apprenticeship giving the viewers an insight into
at the guild decided to try her luck as one of the craftsmen of minds. the
Thereupon, she started her trade armed with knowledge, skills and of life
course the inseparable magic wand bequeathed to her by Lord Merlin, of a
her grandfather, the Wizard of Wisdom in the Land of Learning. brilliant
Things were well at first for Miss Marple. The students were imbued man and the
with curiosity, eagerness, and active minds. Soon enough, she found burden he carries
herself receiving warm greetings, upturned faces, shy smiles, and because of it.
raised hands. The novice teacher got deeply involved in pedagogy and
methodology. She noticed that only few students are completing their John Nash, a math genius, is
assignments. However, the examinations were highly satisfactory until in a quest to find one original
the mid-semester. Slowly her students interests had started to wane and idea that will change the world.
led them to skip classes every now and then. She then found herself In Princeton, he managed to
in quandary. She tried her best to be the ideal craftsman of the trade. catch the attention of several
Worried that the castle authorities might learn about the situation and important people and was
the guild itself would be in question, she talked to other craftsmen and recruited to be part of the goverment think-tank. He then
sought their sage advice. She was advised to change her tactics to on becomes involved in a conspiracy which he believes is
maintain the interests of the students. part of the reality that lives in. Despite his brilliance, he
finds difficulty interacting with people. However, he meets
The troubled schoolmarm pored over her manuals and tried to be
updated on the latest techniques. She then resolved to put her magic and marries Alicia, a student whom he meets in one of his
wand to work. Halfway through the semester, she put on her charm, classes. Afflicted with schizophrenia, he is confronted and
changed her attitude and approach, and improved her delivery conflicted by the world that his troubled mind has created
of antics. If she had to recite ballads like a palace minstrel for the and it is through Alicia’s help that he transformed and finally
explanations, then recite she did. If she had to juggle crystal balls and lives with it.
swallow knives like a court jester or joked her way around the lessons
and activities so that she could get the undivided attention of every It would have been easy to have the film degenerate into a
student, then juggle she did. If she had to sing and dance, bend and melodramatic movie. However, solid good actors and a well-
twist or swing and tumble, then she did. Each time she enters the guild written screenplay gives the viewer a reason to empathize and
she waves her magic wand and weaves a spell of enthusiasm and believe in the characters. Russell Crowe, an actor who can
the will to learn on all her aspirants. Glory and behold! By the end of always be relied upon to portray
her first term, she had regained her students desire to learn the craft. his character effectively, shows
Moreover, these students have discovered that learning could be fun John Nash unflinchingly – it is
with Miss Marple. difficult to remain unmoved
when John tries to re-integrate
Thus, she was known as the “Sorceress of Students”- an apt accolade himself back into society even
to the enchantress of the classroom. However not all was happy with when his mind throws at him
the achievement of Miss Marple. One of the younger teachers stealthily the people that only he can see.
hid Miss Marple’s magic wand in the hope of discrediting her before
her class. She tried to use it in her own classes. But to the teacher’s Alicia Nash is played by Jennifer
dismay, she threw the magic wand away and it wasn’t seen anymore. Connelly, an underrated actress
who was vindicated when she
What do you think happened to Miss Marple? Did she rant and won the Oscar Best Supporting
rave about the loss? Did she scream her heart out at the malicious Actress for this role, providing
provocateur of mischief? Did she lose the magic touch that turned the prop against whom Crowe’s
apprentices into masters of trade? character can depend on. Add Paul Bettany and Ed Harris
The latter years would prove that contrary to common beliefs, Miss to the group, the people from John’s imaginary world, and
Marple had even surpassed the enchantment she cast over her you come up with a powerful ensemble performance that
students. She became the teacher par excellence and was sought by resonates after seeing the film.
apprentices all over the guild. Did she find the magic wand and just
kept it to herself? Although the film is already six years old, its relevance cannot
be denied. Brilliance may give you honor and recognition but
No Sire. Madame. Thou art mistaken. Miss Marple had found her own it is ultimately unreliable to see a person through life. It is
self. She had gained CONFIDENCE in her abilities and no magic was through the simplest act of reaching out to a person that we
in play! can actually define how life can become beautiful for us.
 gin g
an
chBy Mayette Bontia
STI Headquarters
H
ave you ever wondered how
Philippine society can best
be described beyond what is
immediately obvious? Do you
often find yourself contriving to
explain culture without resorting
to what can be immediately seen? Have you
been nursing this belief that your personal
history is somehow connected to the story
that is Philippine culture?
Ian Craib, author of Classical Social Theory,
might be able to help you out. On the outset,
you might be intimidated by the mere fact that
words, classical and theoretical are part of the
book’s title, but you don’t have to worry about
a thing. If you consider yourself a serious
student of the study of human interaction in
society, then this book is for you.
Sociology is broadly defined as the scientific
study of how people interact with various social
institutions – education and government,
among others – that make up society as
a whole, and vice versa. There are three
theorists who are considered to be pioneers
in Sociology: Emile Durkheim, a French
philosopher; Karl Marx, an economist; and
Max Weber, a man whose diverse disciplines
include everything from economics to
jurisprudence. These three people form
the bulk of classical social theory and their
ideas have influenced contemporary social
scientists when it comes to forming their own
theories about the world.
Classic
al Soci
al Theo
ry
Ian Cra
ib
In his book, Ian Craib presupposes that the
reader has had basic knowledge of sociology
and of Durkheirm, Marx and Weber. However,
and in order to make the text more accessible
to non-sociology students, Craib utilizes plain
language philosophy wherein he doesn’t
confuse the reader by making one long and
tedious sentence into a five-line paragraph.
Rather, he uses English in layman’s terms so
that even a person who only has an inkling
of sociology might be able to relate what
he or she has learned from the book. Craib
also includes George Simmel, a German
sociologist whose knowledge across a vast
field of interests brings an insight into the
poor which will sound very familiar to Filipino
readers.
What is good about this book is the fact that
Craib presents abstract theory and lets the
reader explore the implications of it in his or
her society. For instance, Craib discusses how
Durkheim sees society as an organism with
each social institution doing its part in order
for the whole to function. In the Philippine
context, this can be seen as government
interacting with the private sector in order to
keep the economy afloat, or in how schools
act as conduits of learning from a family’s
generation to another.
On the other hand, Marx is more
confrontational: he believes that society is
eternally defined by the people who own
money and by the people who have to work
in order to earn money. A reader sees how
Marx’s foremost thesis is on labor and how
it has been commodified in order to achieve
projected monetary goals at the expense of
losing one’s creativity. This can be clearly seen
in the assembly-line process of manufacturing
products; everything is so mass-produced
that there is no way a laborer can express his
or her identity through a process that should
be seen as ultimately creative.
Moreover, in Craib’s book the reader will read
one of the more famous quotes attributed to
Marx: Religion is the opium of the masses,
and Craib explains why Marx thinks so. On
the contrary the third sociologist, Weber,
believes that religion played an important
part in the development of capitalism in the
West. He writes that because of the Protestant
ethic, many people in the West adapted an
attitude toward work and profit that made
conditions very conducive toward building
a capitalist economy. Meanwhile, Simmel
argues that poverty is relative, and that the
poor, as a group, is a social construct. It will
always be defined in reference to another
economic group.
A student serious about learning his or her
society by way of sociology shall enjoy this
book immensely. There are good points
raised by Craib when it comes to Durkheim,
Mark, Weber and Simmel. More than that,
the mere fact that Craib allows the reader his
or her own assumptions about society should
be impetus enough to at least peruse this
book. Besides learning about society the way
Western social researchers have seen it, the
book also gives the reader a chance to apply
what he or she has learned to Philippine
culture. This is especially tricky considering
the fact that even the term Filipino and what
it constitutes is a hot topic among nationalists
and globalists.
Anyone who seriously thinks about studying
Philippine culture beneath the surface of
immediate social interaction should pick this
book up and start brushing up on sociology
and society.
 with their insulin shots. The 3 part system which is diet activity
and insulin complex. If the system goes out of balance diabetic

%JBCFUFT
emergency such as insulin shock or Ketoacidosis may occur. This

usually occurs as early as 3 months or any age, regardless of sex.
There’s also a rapid loss of weight. It affects 15% to 20% of total
diabetic population.

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B) Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes (TYPE II)

This is more common than Type 1 or IDDM. More than 90% of all
diabetic is Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) In
By Ma. Asuncion Gonzaga this kind, the pancreas produce some insulin, sometimes normal
STI Headquarters or even above normal amount. Often, the insulin is there but it
doesn’t work right. It doesn’t help the glucose to get into the body
cell as efficiently as it should.

D
iabetes Mellitus (DM) according to the International
Diabetes Federation (IDF) affects an estimated 230
million people worldwide. A figure estimated to blast
to 250 million by 2025. Each year approximately 6
million people across the globe develop the disease
while 3 million succumb to the complication making
diabetes the 4th leading cause of death globally.
In the Philippines, the prevalence of DM has risen from 4% in
1998 to 4.6 based in 2003 National Nutrition Health survey,
which translate to increase diabetic related morbidity and mor-
tality. It has also tremendous economics impact in terms of lost
work hours and productivity.
Diabetes has been known to man since 2000 – 300 B.C. The
Greeks and Romans gave its name diabetes from:
Diabetes = Siphon (frequent urination)
Mellitus = Honey (Sugar in urine)
Diabetes is not a contagious disease. However, heredity and life-
style plays a very important part. It is believed that diabetes is
passed through generations in your genes.Therefore, Diabetes
Mellitus is a metablolic disease, which our body breaks down the
food we eat to reduce the energy we need to function. In Diabe-
tes, the human body does not properly convert GLOCUSE from a
simple sugar into energy.
Types of Diabetes
Because of the different types, Diabetes has different causes
and underlying problems. There are also different treatment ap-
proach and different aspect of learning to live with the disease.
A) Insulin Dependent Diabetes or TYPE 1
In this type the pancreas usually produce very little or no insulin.
People with Type 1 diabetes therefore, DEPEND on daily injec-
tion of insulin to maintain life. They are called INSULIN DEPEN-
DENT. They must carefully balance their daily food and activities
NIDDM or Type 2 Diabetes is also called maturity onset. Women
and overweight people are most likely to have it. Diabetes has a
strong heredity connection, however, it develops slowly. It often
occurs after 33 years old or earlier. Diabetes affects 80-85% of
total diabetic population. One way to avoid complication is to
have a diet exercise education and when necessary include oral
medications and insulin.
Early warning signs
The 3 classic symptoms of diabetes are 3 P’s
1.) increased thirst (polydypsia)
2.) increased hunger (polyphagia)
3.) increased urination (polyuria)
Frequent urination and great thirst
When the excess sugar in bloodstream overflows through the
kidney much water is release then you have to urinate more often
thus your body loses a lot of water, this makes you thirsty
Weight loss & Volume changes
Weight loss can occur before the disease is diagnosed and
brought under control. There may be rapid weight loss due to
body’s inability to properly mobilize sugar. When much sugar
is lost through the urine, the body then gets its energy from its
fats and protein tissue & this causes weight loss and increase
hunger.
Other common symptoms are body weakness, where glucose is
not properly used as energy; skin problems like itchiness espe-
cially on the genital areas, skin infections, blurred vision, oc-
casionally stomach pain and vomiting, pain and numbness or
tingling sensation in their toes and finger.
More than anything else, prevention is still the best thing to avoid
the risk of diabetes. One better way to do it is to have a healthy
lifestyle. Eat food with right nutrition and exercise regularly. Keep
in mind that everything should be in moderation whether it’s food
or exercise. Too much of anything is not good for your body.

Introduce Your Children to Reading

“It has been noted that the children of good readers follow their parents’ example,” states neurolinguistics specialist Beatriz
Gonzalez Ortuno, as reported in the Mexican newspaper, Reforma. Since children have a great capacity to learning, it is good
to encourage their interest in reading even before they can identify vowels. Examples, stories can be read to them that will help
them to develop their imagination. The study gives suggestions for introducing children to reading: “Sit down together, allow
them to turn the pages, let them interrupt and ask question when they wish.. Ask them to talk about the objects and characters
that appear in the story. Answer all their questions. Relate the book to the life of the children.

Panic Disorder
“Panic disorder can cause attacks at anytime, even waking victims at night with symptoms including chest pains, shortness of
breath, intense fear, choking, sweating and an urge to flee,” says the Vancouver Sun newspaper. A recent report compiled more
women reported of having experienced panic attacks than men. Those who suffer from the disorder “are almost twice as likely
to use drinking as a coping mechanism and nearly three times as likely to smoke more than individuals without the condition,”
says the paper. On the positive side, nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed seek professional medical help. The report states
that Dr. Jacques Bradjn, chairman of the University of Ottawa, believes that although genetic and biological factors may
produce the disorder, attacks “can be triggered by stressful life events.”
Source: Awake Magazine 2007 Collection
 Team STI Conquers...
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By Peter Paul Tero
STI Kidapawan

D
o you have any idea on how to spend your much needed While we were having lunch during our rafting escapade, the thought
break? Try whitewater rafting, or better yet explore the of trekking Mt. Apo as our next adventure came to the picture. So we
country’s highest mountain. And you might just have the time planned and prepared for this much difficult endeavor. On October 25,
of your life. As for me, I just did! during the semestral break, the same group from STI Kidapawan who
September 24, 2006 – It was an did the water rafting, started our journey to scale Mt. Apo, the country’s
ordinary day for everyone, but highest mountain and here’s the daily account of our success.
for me it was one of the most Day 1.Feeling excited about what’s ahead of the climb, we started
exciting days of my life. I headed hiking at around 9:30 am, via the Agko, Kidapawan City trail. For
towards the Davao Crocodile Park hours, we crossed the Marble River several times, passed through thick
that morning to meet my college forests, ascending through mountains and the so called 87-degree
companions, Jepot, Rafsan, Adrian wall prior to Lake Venado. By 4 pm, we arrived at the lake, near our
and Elmer, students from STI camping site where we can settle down for the night.
Kidapawan. Jepot, a wall climber During summer, Lake Venado was an ideal site for camping because
and extreme sports enthusiast, of its wide dry land space for setting tents. However, it was a rainy
invited us to experience whitewater season in October and the lake was overflowing. No dry land can
rafting - a relatively new extreme be seen even at the farthest side of the lake. Fortunately, there was a
sport in Davao. Moments later, we near alternative camp site - a bunkhouse set up by PNOC. But going
were called to go at the office-shop of the Davao Wild Water Adventure through thick and wet vegetations cost us another two hours to reach
for a brief orientation - proper wearing of safety gear, proper paddling, the place. It was already dark when we arrived at the bunkhouse. We
staying afloat in case the raft will flip; is needed before going in the quickly set up our camp, prepared our meals and slept through the cold
water. dark night. Can you imagine all five of us crowding in a tent intended
We traveled to Lower Tamugan, Calinan, for three people?
Davao City to start the much-awaited Day 2. After breakfast, all
adventure. We used five rafts, three tri- was set to climb the peak.
yaks and one kayak as we coursed through It was a cloudless sky and
the river. Each of us had our own paddle the peak was beautiful from
and safety gears. It has been raining for where we stood. However,
the past few days, that made the water halfway to the peak, clouds
brown, we were virtually paddling along began to cover the mountain
the murky water of the Davao River. and soon the rain fell,
The first phase of our trip was easy, drenching us. By noon, we
practicing the basic stroke of paddling. No difficult arrived at the peak, set up
rapids yet. But hey, do not think it was no fun. Just using your paddle the tent and ate our lunch.
is fun enough. Ely, our guide, would tell us to back paddle or paddle There were occasional rain
forward, and our paddles would hit each other like Jedi swords in Star showers and there’s not much to
Wars. Sometimes, we would scream because our raft would bump into do but to stay in the tent.
the rocks along the river. Day 3. We were standing at one of the peaks of Mt. Apo taking pictures
It was already lunch time when of ourselves and the beautiful scenery of sunrise. Anywhere we looked,
we reached the river bank where it was a sight to behold. We proudly raised the Team STI banner. In
we ate and took some pictures. the afternoon we explored the other side of the mountain near the
After a short rest, we resumed crater, where we picked wild berries. We almost got lost though when
our adventure. If the first phase the clouds started to cover the mountain, greatly
was a breeze, the next one was reducing the visibility of the
a near disaster experience. place.
We would encounter a difficult Day 4. It’s time for us to
rapid which they call the descend, so we packed our
“Washing Machine”. Our things. We walked down the
guide told us that it was in this mountain and passed through
place where many rafts would the forest and the river again.
overturn and rafters would end up In the afternoon, we arrived in
swimming through the rapids. True enough, tri-yaks that drifted ahead Agko, our starting point, and
of us overturned. And believe it or not, our own raft almost flipped. stayed for the night in the Lake
It did not really overturn but it just turned slightly to one side and Agko resort, where we took a
went back. All my companions were thrown out because of the strong relaxing dip in its hot spa.
rapids that hit our raft. I was fortunate that my right foot was strapped
securely to it. But then I was envious of them because I was not able to Day 5. It’s time to go home. After days of grueling adventure, we can
experience the plunge. It just happened so fast. One moment we were now relax, albeit shortly, since we cannot wait to tell our friends and
singing “Boom Tarat Tarat”, seconds later it happened, and soon all of loved ones what a wonderful experience we had.
us were back in the raft. Whhoooo! It was awesome!
Extreme adventures are a lot of fun. It will bring you closer to nature
Another rapid that we encountered was called the “Drop and Suck”. and will make you appreciate the wonders of the world. There is also
It was also a strong rapid, but unlike the previous one, we passed a feeling of self-fulfillment when you’ve done something you never
through it unscratched. We were then able to do the “high five”, where thought you are capable of.
we raised our paddles to signify a successful pass through the obstacle. vFor my part, it was such a memorable, thrilling, and humbling
From start to finish, we coursed through 13 kilometers of the Davao experience. I was able to know myself better and discovered a strength
River, filled with rapids of excitement, screams and hard effort. And at that I didn’t know existed within me. Like how the clichés goes, “we only
the end of the day, we went home with ached and tired bodies. live once, so why not make the most out of it?”