Ejay D.

Villaver 02/17/2020
STEM-MED Bl. Gonzalo of Lagos Ms. Jhanina Albert A. Arceo

Adlaw sa Hudyaka

On January 30, 2020, the Adlaw sa Hudyaka was celebrated by grade 11 students at USJ-
R Basak Campus Coliseum. This activity introduced foreign countries to Josenians by highlighting
its history, geography, culture, politics, and religion. The students prepared interactive activities,
foods, and trivia that are related to their respective countries. Furthermore, our section—Blessed
Gonzalo of Lagos—was tasked to represent the Social Republic of Vietnam.
My classmates were designated to create the necessary props and others were assigned to
be the tour guides of our booth. I, on the other hand, was given the responsibility of documenting
the event. During the comparative analysis, I was tasked to compare the similarities and differences
between the Philippines and Vietnam history. After countless hours of research and reading their
respective rich history, I can say that both of them are really alike. From origin down to religion.
These piqued my interest and drove me to research more information regarding the subject. These
prepared me for the upcoming oral defense. To be honest, I was quite nervous about the whole
thing but Ms. Jhanina saved us for creating a safe place where mistakes are okay and welcomed—
for me, this is the best space for learning.
Afterward, we planned for the expo. And this time we are doing it as a section. The
discussion was tough, there were a lot of ideas, but some of them were omitted due to the lack of
knowledge about the size and the allotted time of the expo. Nevertheless, we still came up with
some astounding ideas for our booth: We printed pictures of breathtaking views from the famous
tourists spots from Vietnam, we prepared a scrapbook—showcasing its history by highlighting the
different invaders and the influence it had on them, we prepared Trà xanh (Green tea), and we also
prepared stickers and Vietnam’s iconic hat called nón lá (leaf hat) for audiences to take a picture,
wearing it. All of these in such a small amount of time.
The booths opened at 8:30 in the morning. I got there earlier so I can take a picture of the
preparation. The tour guides were learning and reviewing their lines. I contributed by asking them
possible questions that will be asked by the audiences, thus helping them prepare themselves.
Countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, Singapore and many more are present at the
Hudyaka. Despite the crowd, the tour guides were able to deliver effectively the things they were
supposed to know about the country. For example, I learned that Singaporean people are also a
Malay descent. Meaning, long ago it may have been a possibility that Filipinos and Singaporean
people possess the Austronesian language. However, due to its interaction with other languages, it
evolved. This is why History is far from being a ‘dead subject’ for me. It connects things through
time and encourages its students to take a long view of such connections: communities speak
languages that are inherited from the past as well as living in societies with complex cultures,
traditions, and religions that have not been created on the spur of the moment. All people are living
histories. Therefore, understanding the linkages between past and present is absolutely basic for a
good understanding of the condition of being human.
This kind of activity promotes globalization. Gazing all of the aforementioned nations
under one roof shows how linked we are from one another. We live in a world where we are
connected with other people–socially, politically, economically and environmentally. As I scanned
the images taken by the lens of my camera, looking carefully at the smiles and how much we
Filipinos adapt and love culture from all around the world. Welcoming it without discrimination
and loving it as if our own. When you look at the big picture: events throughout history, scientific
findings like DNA, the molecules we’re made from, the universe—are a few of the arguments that
we are. This is why history matters. It is not just useful, it is essential.
All in all, It was really fun. I learned a lot and took a lot of pictures. These pictures will not
only help us complete our Performance Task, but also reminds us of this amazing day. This time
where we worked together, and this time, where we swept four awards and were held as
champions—this is the reason why this memory is for keeps.