SAPLOT, RODELYN C.

BSA – 4th year FINAL EXAM

I. In this pandemic, is there a necessity to celebrate festivals? Why or why not.

Festivals are an expressive way to celebrate wonderful heritage, culture and traditions. 
They are meant to rejoice beautiful moments and emotions in our lives with our loved ones. 
They play an important role to add structure to our social lives, and connect us with our families
and backgrounds. They give us a
distraction from our day to day,
exhausting routine of life, and
give us some inspiration to
remember the important things
and moments in life.  Festivals
were started to pass the legends,
knowledge and traditions onto
the next generation. Therefore, I
believe that it is still a necessity
to celebrate festivals even during
this pandemic aside from its heritage, culture and traditions but also especially because during
this pandemic, when we are locked up and prevented from doing the things we usually do, to
celebrate something will help us keep grounded and sane. To celebrate doesn’t always mean to
be with a huge crowd of people witnessing the joyous and festive nature of what you are
celebrating; to celebrate is to be merry and thankful with those people who actually matter to
you. 

This pandemic is a challenge for everyone to be resilient and creative when it comes to
connecting and celebrating important festivities with our loved ones, it help us to realize who
really matters to us and how we matter to others especially to those we love.
 II. What culture in the Philippines you are proud of? And if you could change one
thing in your culture, what would it be?

Filipinos are very resilient, family oriented,

religious, respectful, and industrious. These are few
of the Filipinos culture that I am most proud of. But
if I would choose one among these cultures, I would
choose resiliency. In times of calamities and
catastrophes, Filipinos always manage to rise above
the challenge. Instead of wallowing, they manage
to pick themselves up and smile. This culture is
unique and very hard to be achieved by others.

In this generation when almost everything are just passing by, when devastation can
happen anytime, when everyone are very vulnerable with the growing bullying cases, when
money means power, it is easier to give up living than try harder to hold on. Other countries
have growing suicides cases, Russia, Japan, and South Korea that’s because it’s easier to end life
than pick yourself up and smile. Filipinos resiliency is quiet admirable.

But also, Filipinos, possesses some

common annoying culture and if I could change
one thing, I would change the “crab mentality”
aspects. It seems that seeing a fellow Filipino
working harder and is succeeding in life and
getting ahead of others is a pain to a lot of
Filipinos eyes and this usually happen to those
who are relatives. For example if you are selling
something, most of your relatives and friends
won’t buy your products, it’s funny that they
are afraid that you’ll earn a profit. Maybe that’s
one of the reason why, foreign products are
more saleable than Filipino products. We just don’t want to see fellow Filipinos growing their
business and succeeding in life. It’s time to stop that crab mentality, make a detour and support
the locals.
 III. Using everything you have learned in my subject (if there were any), impress me.

In a new world of Social Distancing where education has become completely virtual, it
has been a great struggle to connect with classmates and teacher. But what I appreciate most
in your subject is that, it feels like I am on vacation with different countries every time, it feels
like I am in an hour away with books, studies, and passing compliance. This subject tour keeps
me grounded. I never mind staying awake late discovering the country I was assigned to.
Discovering cultures, different religions and what makes one country unique from the other is
somewhat very entertaining and relaxing.

What is the meaning of life?

How did the world begin? Where
do you go after you die? The lesson
about the religion we had teaches
me a set of practices to live by,
such as being kind to others, telling
the truth, or praying and the most
basic of understanding different
religion is respect. Many religions
have different origination and
traditions, like attending church or
temple, celebrating religious
holidays, or wearing specific clothes.

Something that all religions have in common is that they are based on faith, which is
being confidently sure about something even if you cannot see it. There is no concrete proof
that one particular religion is correct, so people have to turn to faith in order to practice their
religion.

Also I quietly enjoy the discoveries we had share in a lessons about the different
countries and continents. The wonders and pride of every country are all unique and distinct.
Those least visited but rich countries are very splendid. And the festivals other countries have,
the sports and discoveries that originated in one country are very amusing to have known and
learned. My own assigned research in India, made me feel like one day, I should book a ticket
and travel to such magnificence, to be in that country personally and see how it feels to be
living in such wonder.

I just sit on my room fronting the desktop and have experienced an unlimited travel in
the world during your subject’s lessons. And the key thing I have learned all in all is that, every
country might be diverse, every culture might celebrate differently, every religion beliefs might
be unlike from the other but the most important thing in life is “living”. When you learn to
appreciate what you have, where you live and who you are in your culture, living is easier.
Don’t die while you are alive but rather live your life. Everything in this world is diverse;
embrace your gift of life.