Yvonne Rose B.

Polis Tutorial: READ 1

BSE- ENG Activity

Original text
CENTENNIAL YEAR LAUNCED

Fireworks and a champagne toast ushered in the centennial Year celebration at the Rizal Park
Grandstand on New Year’s Eve. President Ramos, who graced the occasion, exhorted "political leaders,
including presidential candidates, to take a united stand for the Centennial, "which he said, is of higher
significance than the forthcoming elections."
Filipinos too, should use the centennial year as an occasion to display the Philippine flag in schools,
offices, and in their homes, "to signify nationhood," Ramos told the crowd of about 100,000 who came to view
the 10-minute fireworks display at the stroke of midnight. A fireworks’ replica of the centennial logo was
lighted up to the delight of the crowd.
Joining the President onstage for the champagne toast for "peace and democracy" were First Lady Ming
Ramos, daughters Jo Samartino, Chula Sembrano and Cristy Jalasco, two sons-in-law, six Ramos
grandchildren, and national centennial commission chair Salvador P. Laurel, Mrs. Celia Diaz-Laurel, NCC
Executive Director Luis J. Morales, and Sec. Alexander Aguirre of the President Management Staff.
In the launching of the Centennial Year, President Ramos also paid tribute to the "many common
people" who played an important part in building up the nation but who have remained unrecognized. "Their
names will not be found in history books but are written in the book of life, for they too have given life to our
nation.
The Centennial is a rare opportunity for us to take a more positive look to our rich cultural heritage, the
President said, adding that Filipinos too have look back into the country’s past for lessons that the nation can
use in charting its future.
"A hundred years in the life of a nation is a momentous occasion which compels us to take stock of
ourselves as a people, and to take a serious and realistic look at who we really are, where we have come from,
and we are going." Ramos cited.
For this part, Laurel spoke on the importance of the Centennial to the continued growth of the nation and
called on the Filipino families to join the year-long celebration in various ways.
The fireworks show coincide with the Expo-Filipino Mega-Bingo Bonanza, a sidelight of the Centennial
kick-off, which drew in a sizeable crowd because of its P50-million pot.
The New Year's Eve launch of the Centennial Year will be followed by a "100-day Countdown
Cascading the Centennial Starting on March 5. Cultural, Sports and other tourism-oriented activities will be a
part of the countdown, to culminate on June 12, 1998, which marks the 100th year celebration of Philippine
Independence.

Generalization (40-50 words)

CENTENNIAL YEAR LAUNCED

The launching of the Centennial Year was fun. The momentous occasion delighted many Filipinos.
Aside from the 10-minute fireworks display which gathered 10,000 crowds, the Expo-Filipino Mega-
Bingo Bonanza drew a sizeable crowd because of its P50-million pot. Overall, the one-hundred day
celebration which started on March 5 and culminated on June 12, 1998 was a success.