The Montessori School Administrators Association (MSAA) will conduct the Season 4

National Scholastic, Civic and Creative Challenge with the theme: “Appreciating, Protecting and
Enhancing our Environment and Natural Resources” on January 28 to 30, 2015 at the Hotel
Dominique, Tagaytay City.

The activity aims to showcase the scholastic aptitude, exceptional talents, civic-mindedness
and creativity of Basic Education students.

Participants to this undertaking are registered Basic Education students from public and
private schools.

Specific activities, schedule, and guidelines for each scout level and the Confirmation Slip Form
are contained in the attached sheets.

A registration fee of Three Hundred Fifty Pesos only (php 350) shall be charged each
participant to defray expenses such as accommodation, honoraria of judges, contest materials, lunch
and other operating expenses relative to the conduct of the said activity.

Prizes, Certificates of Merit, medals, trophies and other incentives shall be borne by the
Association.

Payments maybe done through bank account of MSAA at RCBC Mangubat Branch,
Dasmariñas City under SA# 1-374-00010-8 or treasurer Ms. Nonithe Mae Figuerras, CEO Maria Mae
Academy, Cavite Tel. no. 0917-5512103.

For more inquiries, you may contact any of the following:

MSAA Project Coordinator - MA. CHRISTINA MERCADO-CECILLANO, Ed. D.

CEO, Frames of Mind School of Rodriguez
Tel No. 02 948 44 24 Mobile Phone No. 0928 4693364
E-mail Address: fmstina@yahoo.com

Or

Amor A. Parra, Ed. D.

MSAA Vice President and CEO, AU-PARR Montessori, Alabang Tel. No. (02) 800-7187 /
09055715699

Or

Marietta L. Opulencia, Ed. D.

MSAA President and CEO, St. Martha Montessori School-Barcelona , Imus City Tel no. (046) 515
1419 / 09167839560 email address: mlopulencia@yahoo.com

Page 1 of 28
I. PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES

January 28, 2016 - PRESCHOOL

January 29, 2016 - PRIMARY
January 30, 2016 – INTERMEDIATE AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Day 1- Thursday (January 28, 2016)

6am to 9:30 – Registration

10:00 -12:00 - CHALLENGES by CATEGORY (simultaneous)
12:00 - 1:00 – LUNCH BREAK c/o Hotel Dominique
1:30 - 3:30 - Continuation of Unfinished Challenges
3:30 - 4:30 - Awarding and Closing Ceremonies

Day 2 – Friday (January 29, 2016)

6am to 9:30 – Registration

10:00 -12:00 - CHALLENGES by CATEGORY (simultaneous)
12:00 - 1:00 – LUNCH BREAK c/o Hotel Dominique
1:30 - 3:30 - Continuation of Unfinished Challenges
3:30 - 4:30 - Awarding and Closing Ceremonies

Day 3 – Saturday (January 30, 2016)

6am to 9:30 – Registration

10:00 -12:00 - CHALLENGES by CATEGORY (simultaneous)
12:00 - 1:00 – LUNCH BREAK c/o Hotel Dominique
1:30 - 3:30 - Continuation of Unfinished Challenges
3:30 - 4:30 - Awarding and Closing Ceremonies

II. CONTEST CATEGORIES

Preschool Category (By level, gender, school identification required)

1. Nursery Rhymes
2. Vocal Solo
3. Story Telling
4. Story Reading
5. Creative Dance

Grades 1 to 3 Category (By level, gender, school identification required)

1. Story Reading
2. Story Telling
3. Vocal Solo
4. Creative Dance
5. Chamber Theater
6. Declamation

Grades 4 to 6 Category (By level, school identification required)

1. Vocal Solo
2. Poster Making
3. On-the-spot Drawing
4. Oration
5. Cheering

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 6. Creative Dance
7. Robotics
8. Jingle
9. Essay Writing
10. Declamation

Grades 7 to 10 Category (By level, school identification required)

1. Vocal Solo
2. Poster Making
3. On-the-spot Drawing
4. Oration
5. Cheering
6. Robotics
7. Creative Dance
8. Jingle
9. Essay Writing
10. Declamation

III. GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. The Challenges are open to all Basic Education students. For Preschool and grades 1 – 3
Category, 3 participants per gender per level can be accommodated. For grades 4 – 6 Category 3
participants per level regardless of gender will be accommodated.

2. Participants from the public schools will compete against other public schools while those from the
private schools will compete against other private schools.

3. Participation of public schools should be by division for city schools and by unit for provincial
schools divisions while private schools should represent their respective institutions.

4. There will be a common piece for Story Reading which is to be distributed 30 minutes before the
actual oral reading for familiarization of the piece.

5. There will also be a common piece for Nursery Rhyme Recitation, Story Telling, Declamation,
and Oration (see attached file).

6. For Vocal Solo and Creative Dance the pieces and music must be appropriate to the age level of
the participants.

7. Poster Making, On-the-Spot Drawing, Essay Writing, Chamber Theater, Jingle, Robotics and
Cheer Dance should be relevant to the theme “Appreciating, Protecting and Enhancing our
Environment and Natural Resources”.

8. Only one (1) official coach per category will be honored to take part in the contest who will have a
voice on behalf of the participant/s.

9. Confirmation of participation is required for the management to make the necessary arrangement
with the hotel manager and for the preparation of the needed materials and other paraphernalia.

10. Daily arrival of participants should not be later that 9am. For those who would like to have
accommodation a day before or after the activity, please contact the Secretariat so that rooms
maybe requested from the hotel or nearby public schools.

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11. A registration fee of Three Hundred Fifty Pesos only (php 350) shall be charged each participant
per contest category to defray expenses such as accommodation, honoraria of judges, contest
materials, lunch and other operating expenses relative to the conduct of the said activity.

12. Medals, trophies, prizes, honoraria of judges and other incentives shall be borne by the
Association.

13. Payments maybe done through bank account of the MSAA at RCBC Mangubat Branch,
Dasmariňas City under SA# 1-374-00010-8.

14. Deadline for the confirmation of participants with its corresponding payment is on November 14,
2016.

IV. CONTEST MECHANICS AND CRITERIA:

Preschool
*1. Nursery Rhyme Recitation (By level, gender, school identification required)
The contestant will be given 3 minutes to deliver his/her piece. This includes entrance & exit of
props if any.

Voice Clarity and Projection 25%

Diction 20%
Expression and Showmanship 25%
Mastery 20%
Costume 10%
100%

2. Vocal Solo (By level, gender, school identification required)

The song chosen either English or Filipino should be appropriate to the child’s age. Non-
compliance to this requirement would mean disqualification of the contestant. He/ she will be
allowed to perform the piece on exhibition purpose only. Performance should not exceed 4 minutes
including entrance and exit.

Voice Quality & Projection 25%

Rhythm 15%
Dynamics 15%
Diction 15%
Mastery 20%
Showmanship 10%
100%

*3. Storytelling (By level, gender, school identification required)

The contestant will be given 5 minutes to deliver his/her piece. This includes entrance and exit of
props if any. Costume is allowed but is not necessary.

A. Story Content
- Mastery 20%
- Organization of events/ideas 15%
including inference from texts
- Interpretation of Events 15%
B. Voice Projection/Verbal Style 20%
C. Expression/Distinct Style 20%
D. Level of Confidence 10%
100%

Page 4 of 28
4. Story Reading (English)
Contestants will be gathered in the assigned room and coaches. Parents are not
allowed inside the room. The contestant will be given a piece to read before the contest, to
acquaint him of the story.

1. Interpretation
a. Voice expression 15%
b. Proper Phrasing 15%
c. Timing 10%
d. Pacing 10%
2. Projection
e. Voice Mechanics 10%
f. Level of Confidence 10%
3. Reading Fluency
g. Accuracy 10%
h. Automaticity 10%
i. Prosody 10%
100%

5. Creative Dance (combined boy & girl Nursery, Kinder1 and Kinder 2)
There should be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members. Each group will create a dance
depicting Calisthenics, relevant to the theme and not to exceed 8 minutes including entrance and
exit. English or Filipino music or combination will do.

Relevance to the theme 20%

Creativity 20%
Mastery, Harmony/Synchronization 20%
Attire: relevance to dance& fashion 15%
Choreography 20%
Audience Impact 5%
100%

Primary Level
1. Vocal Solo (By level, gender, school identification required)
The song chosen either English or Filipino should be appropriate to the child’s age and relevant to
the theme. Non-compliance to these requirements would mean disqualification of the performer.
He/she will be allowed to perform on exhibition purpose only. Performance should not exceed 4
minutes including entrance and exit.

Relevance to the theme 20%

Voice Quality & Projection 20%
Rhythm 15%
Dynamics 15%
Diction 10%
Mastery 10%
Showmanship 10%
100%

*2. Storytelling (By level, gender, school identification required)

The contestant will be given 5 minutes to deliver his/her piece. This includes entrance and exit of
props if any. Costume is allowed but is not necessary.

A. Story Content
- Accuracy of recalled events 20%
- Organization of events/ideas 15%
including inference from texts
- Accurate outlining of the sequence 15%
of events as they happened in the story
B. Voice Projection/Verbal Style 20%
C. Expression/Distinct Style 20%
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 D. Level of Confidence 10%
100%

3. Story Reading (English Only) (By level, gender, school identification required)
Contestants will be gathered in the assigned room and coaches. Parents are not
allowed inside the room. The contestant will be given a piece to read before the contest, to
acquaint him of the story.

1. Interpretation
a. Voice expression 15%
b. Proper Phrasing 15%
c. Timing 10%
d. Pacing 10%
2. Projection
e. Voice Mechanics 10%
f. Level of Confidence 10%
3. Reading Fluency
g. Accuracy 10%
h. Automaticity 10%
i. Prosody 10%
100%

4. Creative Dance (combined boy & girl Grade 1, 2 and 3)

There should be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members. Each group will create a dance
depicting traditional Filipino games of their choice, relevant to the theme and not to exceed 8
minutes including entrance and exit. English or Filipino music or combination will do.

Relevance to the theme 20%

Creativity 20%
Mastery, Harmony/Synchronization 20%
Attire: relevance to dance & fashion 15%
Choreography 20%
Audience Impact 5%
100%

5. Chamber Theater (English and Filipino Category)

Each group should have minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members. The performance should
not exceed 8 minutes including entrance and exit. The performance should be relevant to the
theme.

A. Relevance to the theme 25%

B. Voice Projection 20%
C. Mastery 20%
D. Fluency
- Accuracy 10%
- Automaticity 10%
- Prosody/Expression 10%
E. Costume 5%
100%

*6. Declamation (By level, gender, school identification required)

The contestant will be given 5 minutes to deliver his piece.

Voice & Diction 25%

Interpretative Projection:
inflection, phrasing, pacing 20%
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 Gesticulation: Facial expression,
Hand/Body Movement 20%
Stage Conduct: confidence, poise,
showmanship 20%
Mastery of Piece 15%
100%

Intermediate & Junior High School

1. Vocal Solo (By level, gender, school identification required)

The song chosen either English or Filipino should be appropriate to the child’s age and
relevant to the theme. Non-compliance to these requirements would mean disqualification of
the performer. He/she will be allowed to perform on exhibition purpose only. Performance
should not exceed 4 minutes including entrance and exit.

Relevance to the theme 20%

Voice Quality & Projection 20%
Rhythm 15%
Dynamics 15%
Diction 10%
Mastery 10%
Showmanship 10%
100%

2. Poster Making
Contestants should bring 1/4 illustration board and their own materials for the contest. The theme
will be given during the contest.

Creativity 20 %
Neatness 20 %
Originality 20 %
Relevance to theme 20 %
Layout 20 %
100%

3. On-the Spot Drawing

Contestants should bring 1/4 illustration board and their own materials for the contest. The theme
will be given during the contest.

Creativity 25%
Lay out 20%
Color Harmony 20%
Relevance to theme 25%
Neatness 10%
100%

*4. Oration
The contestant will be given 5 minutes to deliver his piece.

Voice & Diction 25%

Interpretative Projection:
inflection, phrasing, pacing 20%
Gesticulation: Facial expression,
Hand/Body Movement 20%
Stage Conduct: confidence, poise,
showmanship 20%
Mastery of Piece 15%
100%

Page 7 of 28
5. Essay Writing (English and Filipino)
Identify your essay with your name, date and the name of your school. Length of essay must be
500 words. Keep in mind that the quality of the essay is more important than the quantity. Be sure
to identify your sources when quoting facts or ideas.

Content 30%
Rhetoric 25%
Universal Impact 15%
Relevance to the theme 20%
Style 10%
100%

6. Jingle (English and Filipino)

Each group should have minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members. No tune adaptation is
allowed.

Lyrics’ relevance to the theme 30%

Rhythm 10%
Dynamics 10%
Diction 10%
Mastery 10%
Showmanship 10%
Originality 20%
100%

4. Creative Dance (combined Grades 4 -6, and Grades 7 – 10)

There should be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members. Each group will create a dance
depicting traditional Filipino games of their choice, relevant to the theme and not to exceed 8
minutes including entrance and exit. English or Filipino music or combination will do.

Relevance to the theme 20%

Creativity 20%
Mastery, Harmony/Synchronization 20%
Attire: relevance to dance & fashion 15%
Choreography 20%
Audience Impact 5%
100%

8. Cheer Dance (combined Grades 4 -6, and Grades 7 – 10)

There should be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members, and not to exceed 8 minutes. The
dance should be relevant to the theme. English or Filipino music or combination will do.

Relevance to the theme 20%

Voice Harmony & Rhythmical Pattern 20%
Cheering Technique 20%
Choreography 20%
Costume & Make-up 10%
Stage Conduct 10%
100%

9. Robotic Dance (combined Grades 4 -6, and Grades 7 – 10)

There should be minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members, and not to exceed 5 minutes.
English or Filipino music or combination will do.

Authenticity 25%
Team Performance 25%
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 Interpretation 20%
Choreography 15%
General Effect and Impact 10%
Costume 5%
100%

*10. Declamation (grade 4, 5, 6) (Grade 7, 8, 9, 10 )

The contestant will be given 5 minutes to deliver his piece.

Voice & Diction 25%

Interpretative Projection:
inflection, phrasing, pacing 20%
Gesticulation: Facial expression,
Hand/Body Movement 20%
Stage Conduct: confidence, poise,
showmanship 20%
Mastery of Piece 15%
100

* Common piece

Preschool

1. Nursery Rhyme Recitation

Nursery

Let's Recycle

Paper, plastic, glass and tin,

Put it all in your recycling bin!
Love our planet, keep it clean,
Always remember the recycling bin!

Kinder 1

The little Tiny star

There's a little tiny star

Way up in the sky.
A little tiny star,
Up so very high
She twinkles brightly
Through the night:
The stars are shining oh so bright.
There's a little tiny star
Way up in the sky.
A little tiny star.

Kinder 2

Four little stars

Four little stars

winking at me.
One shot off,
then there were three!
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three little stars
With nothing to do.
One shot off,
Then there were two!

Two little stars

Afraid of the sun.
One shot off,
Then there was one!

One little star

Alone is no fun.
It shot off,
then there was none!

3. Storytelling

Nursery

FLEUR AND THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Once upon a time, there was a white daisy called Fleur who lived in a very big field full of other daisies. All the plants had a
very important function in life, and that was to perform photosynthesis.

Fleur was a very young plant, but she was also very intelligentbecause from the moment she was born she never
stopped observing the actions of a yellow daisy that lived beside her.

One day, when she was just a little daisy, Fleur asked the yellow flower: “Yellow daisy, what’s photosynthesis? The other
plants say that’s what we do.” And the yellow daisy answered: “Well, photosynthesis is when we plants absorb the light
from the sun and water from the ground to feed ourselves and grow. That way we also help the nature maintain its
balance.”

“But how do we help it maintain its balance? What exactly do we do?” Fleurasked, for she was very curious.

“Well, the plants on the ground are in charge of taking in a gas called carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and breathing
out another gas called oxygen. That’s how our stalks and trunks and branches and leaves grow. In the sea, the algae and
seaweed does the same. And that’s how humans have enough oxygen to breathe and live.” And that was how Fleur
understood what photosynthesis was and what it was for.

THE END

Kinder 1

THE GARDEN SCARECROW

My name is Laura, I’m 9 years old and I live in the city. In summer, when it’s school holidays, I go to my grandparents’
house in a little village.

One day, I walked through the orchard to visit Mr. Anselmo, one of my grandparents’ neighbours, so he could teach me how
to grow tomatoes and carrots. I wanted to plant my own little vegetable garden at home. There were all sorts of
vegetables and fruit in Mr. Anselmo’s garden, because he was the best gardener I had ever met.

“Hello Mr. Anselmo!! How are you?” I asked.

“Well good day to you, miss, ready to learn where most of my food comes from?” he replied.

“Yes! I’m impatient because I want to be a gardener,” I said.

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Mr. Anselmo spent all morning teaching me how to look after tomatoes and carrots, how many times to water them, and,
above all, how important it is to keep the ground free of weeds, because this could really affect the tomatoes.

From Mr. Anselmo’s lessons, I planted a vegetable patch of tomatoes and carrots. To protect the tomatoes (because
carrots grow under the ground and don’t need to be protected), I put up a scarecrow – the birds had eaten the first
tomatoes to come out, and I didn’t want them to take any more…

The scarecrow would be in charge of protecting my vegetable patch from the local birds. He had a straw hat and a blue
monkey and I painted two eyes, a nose and a mouth on his face.

Ever since I made him, not a single bird has come near to nibble at my tomatoes. I wondered how he did it, so one day
I hid a camera in a bush and set it to record.

The next day when I picked up the camera and watched the video, I got a real surprise! A bird was flying near the
tomatoes but the scarecrow started spinning around like a windmill and scared him off.

Then I understood that a garden is a magical place, not just because of therich food that comes from the earth, but
because of all the things that make up a garden – the earth, the water, the scarecrow, the compost and lots of other things
that work together to give we humans the very best food.

THE END

Kinder 2

THE LION AND THE WIND

There was once a very special lioncalled Simba who lived on the African savannah. Simba would play in the plains, running
and jumping with his friends the leopards and other lions in the area. Simba had a very special gift, for every time he
roared he created such a strong wing it seemed like a hurricane.

On the savannah whereSimba lived there were lots of kinds of animals: giraffes, elephants, hyenas, etc. and even though it
wasn’t a particularly green place, there were lots of species of tree and plants.

One day, as Simba was playing with his friends, they saw enormous machines destroying part of the plain by digging
into the earth. “The humans are building oil wells…” said one of the wisest lions.

Day by day, the men built more and more oil wells, destroying the local naturein the process.

Simba had fewer and fewer friends with whom to play, and fewer plains in which to run about, and he knew that it was the
men that were causing it all.

So he decided to ask the wisest lion in the area for a solution. The wise old lion said: “The only solution is for the men to
stop using petrol, and use renewable energies such as wind instead…”

That gave Simba an idea, and he decided to help one of the most powerfulrenewable energies in the world: wind power.
So he went round all the countries in the world roaring with all his might to create a great wind that would help men use
more renewable energy. In the end, Simba succeeded in getting mankind to stop using petrol, and the African savannah
recoveredcompletely.

THE END
Primary

2. Storytelling

Grade 1

LEWIS AND THE GREY SMOKE

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There was once a little boy of 6 years old called Lewis. One day, as he was looking out of the car window on his way to
school, he discovered that a large mass of grey smoke was forming just above his dad’s car.

Somewhat alarmed, Lewis looked at the other cars on the road to find out if they too had a cloud of grey smoke chasing
them. To Lewis’ surprise, all the carstravelling on the motorway had the grey smoke hovering around them.

So Lewis asked his father: “Dad, what’s that grey smoke above our cars?” Lewis’ father was a little surprised by the
question, but answered: “Well, Lewis,it’s called pollution.”

“Pollution? What’s pollution?” asked Lewis, waiting intrigued for his father’s answer.

“Well, for example, it’s that grey smoke you can see above our cars. Cars that run on petrol or diesel give off gasses into
the atmosphere, which are very bad for all living beings and the planet too. Today you can see a lot of the grey smoke
because it hasn’t rained for a long time,” answered his father.

Lewis spent a while pondering on this, and began to put two and two together. If the grey smoke was bad, and it was all
because of cars, then why were there so many cars on the road?

“Dad,” said Lewis slowly, “If the grey smoke is pollution and is bad for us, why are we going to school in a car?”

“So I can get to work on time, son. The bus or metro would make us late,” answered his father.

From that morning, Lewis couldn’t stop thinking about why people used the car so much. Not quite satisfied with his father’s
answer, one day at break he went to talk to his geography teacher.

“Sir, can I ask you a question?” asked Lewis and the teacher nodded.

“Why do people use cars so much if it causes all that grey smoke?” Lewis asked.

“By grey smoke, I suppose you mean pollution, Lewis?” said the teacher.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Well you’re right, Lewis. People should use public transport more often to get to school, work or other places. That way
we’d help the grey smoke disappear from cities and help look after the environment. What do you think, Lewis?” asked
the teacher.

So that afternoon when Lewis’ father came to pick him up from school, he told him: “Dad, we should come to school by
bus tomorrow. If there isn’t enough time, we’ll just get up early and that way we’ll help look after the environment.”

And that was how Lewis taught his father that it was very important to reduce the amount of grey smoke in the world. Not to
mention that every single person could help just by swapping the car for the bus. And from that day on, Lewis and his
father always travelled to school and work by bus.

THE END

Grade 2

PAPPY THE PAPER BAG

Plastic bags are used all over the world to carry everyday items such as bread, shopping, clothes, toys and lots of other
things. ButPappy, the hero of our story, wasn’t a plastic bag like all the rest – he was a very special paper bag. And Pappy
had a mission to complete…

Pappy knew that all over the world there were millions of plastic bags that had been abandoned by people and ended
up floating in the seas and oceans, contaminating the water and causing damage to the creatures that lived nearby.
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Pappy didn’t want things to go on this way, so he came up with a plan to put an end to plastic bags being thrown away.
One day he went to visit a big supermarket to talk to the manager.

“Hello Mr. Manager, my name is Pappy and as you can see I’m a paper bag. I wanted to propose an idea to avoid using
plastic bags in shopping,” Pappy declared.

“What? Have you gone mad? Where else would people carry their shopping?” answered the manager, shocked.

“Very simple,” smiled Pappy. “My plan is to replace plastic bags with paper ones like me, because we don’t pollute the
environment. I’d also like to suggest something else: that we reuse both plastic AND paper bags instead of throwing them
away straightaway,” Pappy went on, sounding very enthusiastic.

“That’s not a bad idea, but why is it better to use paper bags and reuse them?” asked the manager, interested by what
he what he was hearing.

“Well, because firstly it would mean fewer plastic bags spoiling the environment. But it would also save us money, because
we would be reusing all our bags without needing to buy new ones,” Pappy explained.

The manager of the big supermarket realised that they were wasting resources, and that this could be avoided. So the
following week, only paper bags and plastic bags were given out to the shoppers.

Pappy went all over the world supermarket by supermarket, spreading his message that we should always re-use our
bags, encouraging recycling and looking after the planet.

THE END

Grade 3

THE MAGIC BINS

Once upon a time there were six hard-working rubbish bins, each a different colour depending on the rubbish that was to
be thrown into it. The green one was called Glassy (he was in charge ofglass for recycling); the blue one was
called Papius (he was in charge of paper for recycling); Oilo was charge ofcollecting the used oil bottles; the yellow
one was called Plastica(she was in charge of plastic for recycling); Batterius was in charge of used batteries and finally
there wasGeneralia who was in charge of the rest of the rubbish, particularly food waste.

Whenever someone put the rubbish in the wrong place, the bins would pass it into the correct one for they were v ery good
friends. That way, the rubbish was always correctly divided so that it could be recycled properly and help after the
environment.

Every so often, the rubbish van would come along to empty them and was always happy to see the right kind of waste going
into the right rubbish bin.

But after a few days, the bins grew tired of ordering the rubbish because it was such hard work. They can’t move around
very well, as you can imagine.

Soon Batterius, the youngest of all the bins, began to feel sick and very upset. He spat out everything that wasn’t a
battery into the street, for he was so tired he could no longer contain it.

It wasn’t long before Plastica began to experience the same symptoms and spat out anything that wasn’t plastic. She
was soon followed by Oilo, and finally all the bins began to toss out the rubbish that didn’t belong to them…

Walking down the street was a little boy called Declan, who was quick to realise that all the rubbish on the ground had
been coughed out by the rubbish bins… So very responsibly, he went about putting each bit of rubbish into its rightful
bin.

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That afternoon, Declan went home and told his parents. They knew that lots of people don’t care about the environment, but
they told him: “You did a great job putting the rubbish in the right bin. If everyone in the world was like you, our planet would
be a better place and nature would be grateful.”

THE END

6. Declamation

Grade 1

It Is Raining

It is raining.
Where would you like to be in the rain?
Where would you like to be?
I’d like to be on a city street
Where the rain comes driving down
Trying to make things neat
As it washes the houses, roof and wall
The taxis, buses, cars, and all.
That’s where I’d like to be in the rain
That’s where I’d like to be.

It is raining.
Where would you like to be in the rain?
Where would you like to be?
I’d like to be in a tall tree top
Where the rain comes dripping drop, drop, drop, drop,
Around on every side –
where it wets the farmers, the barns, the pig.
the cows, the chickens, both little and big.
Where it batters and beats on a field of grain.
And makes the little birds hide from the rain.
That’s where I’d like to be in the rain.
That’s where I’d like to be.

It is raining.
Where would you like to be in the rain?
Where would you like to be?
I’d like to be on a ship at sea
Where everything’s wet as can be
And the waves are rolling high
Where sailors are pulling the ropes and singing
And winds in the rigging and salt’s sprays stinging
And round us sea gulls cry
On a dipping, skimming ship at sea.
That’s where I’d like to be in the rain.
That’s where I’d like to be.

Grade 2

Dirty Hands by John P. Delaney S.J.

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I’m proud of my dirty hands. Yes, they are dirty. And they are rough and knobby and calloused. And I’m proud
of the dirt and the knobs and the callouses. I didn’t get them that way by playing bridge or drinking afternoon
tea out of dainty cups, or playing the well-advertised Good Samaritan at charity balls.

I got them that way by working with them, and I’m proud of the work and the dirt. Why shouldn’t I feel proud
od the work they do – these dirty hands of mine?

My hands are the hands of plumbers, of truck drivers and street cleaners; of carpenters; engineers, machinists
and workers in steel. They are not pretty hands, they are dirty and knobby and calloused. But they are strong
hands, hands that make so much that the world must have or die.

Someday, I think, the world should go down on its knees and kiss all the dirty hands of the working world, as in
the days long past, armored knights would kiss the hands of ladies fair. I’m proud of my dirty hands. The world
has kissed such hands. The world will always kiss such hands. Men and women put reverent lips to the hands of
Him who held the hammer and the saw and the plane. His weren’t pretty hands either when they chopped trees,
dragged rough lumber, and wielded carpenter’s tools. They were workingman’s hands – strong, capable proud
hands. And weren’t pretty hands when the executioners got through them. They were torn right clean through
by ugly nails, and the blood was running from them, and the edges of the wounds were raw and dirty and
swollen; and the joints were crooked and the fingers were horribly bent in a mute appeal for love.

They weren’t pretty hands then, but, O God, they were beautiful – those hands of the Savior. I’m proud of those
dirty hands, hands of my Savior, hands of God.

And I’m proud of my hands too, dirty hands, like the hands of my Savior, the Hands of my God!

Grade 3

Mother Earth Cries Out - Poem by Edwina Reizer

Peace, please come to me.

I am the earth,
the land and the sea.
I'm home to the animals
and the birds flying free.
I'm home to the fishes, insects
and butterflies you see.

I've tried so hard

to provide for all
but it's like my purpose has hit a wall
that's been built out of hatred,
greed and deceit
making it hard for my heart to beat.

I know I've been desecrated

many times before
by the bombs that are detonated
in times of war.
I've made my peace with you.
So, I plead for peace
to come to me.
I am the earth. This is my plea.

Intermediate and Junior High School

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4. Oration

Grade 4

"Peacebuilders towards Love and Care for Mother Nature."

I am the most powerful creature on earth.

Nature indeed is blessed with millions of amazing creatures. All these creatures, big or small, contribute to each other’s
survival, one way or another. Insects help plants to reproduce, plants, in turn, become nourishment for small animals, which,
will also be food to larger animals. All these are part of Mother Nature’s greatest miracle cycle. But in this cycle, where does
man belong? Man is a special being. Special enough that of all creatures that dwell and depend on Mother Nature, only
man has the power to protect it. I have the power to protect Mother Nature.

Honorable members of the board of judges, my fellow orators, friends, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
I am glad to be part of this great institution. An institution that strives for its students and its personnel to be peace builders
towards love and care for mother nature. Before I sleep at night, I sometimes fiddle with my mind, trying to think of ways on
how to become a peace builder towards love and care for nature. I am only student. I am still striving for my own survival. I
am but a simple minute inhabitant of mother nature’s vast environment. I am not sure if you will all believe in what I am
going to say, but my words are products of an honest opinion harvested from my own young mind.

A lot of us take nature for granted. We tend to forget that our existence solely depend on nature’s condition. We might not
notice it, but mother nature is reminding us about it. We can feel the heat of global warming. Our usual weather is slowly
changing. Our summers now have a lot of rainfall, while we experience heat stroke during the supposed rainy season.
Some of us may just take it as natural disasters: earthquakes, tsunamis, flash floods, raging storms, forest fires… ladies and
gentlemen, these are all the effects of man’s abuse to nature. These should serve as our reminder.

I believe everyone have heard Save Nature campaigns once in a while. But do we really listen to its message? Some of us
even get annoyed of it. A lot of us, if not all, tend to take it for granted. We should feel glad that some of our brothers and
sisters are now trying to get us involved in taking care of mother nature. A good start would be in our self. We should start in
our own little ways. Separating trash, minimizing the use of plastic, conserving water and electricity, these are things that we
can all do in our home. These are things that even a student like me can do. I have started doing it. This is my own little
contribution to preserving mother nature. And my actions will not end here. I will take it as my responsibility to influence my
peers, my classmates, my friends, and my family, to do the same.

My friends, it is time to show our love for mother nature. Now is the right time to do something. We should not wait until the
last lake is finally dried out, the last food is consumed, the very last tree is cut, because when that happens, it will be way
too late. We can’t expect other creatures to protect the environment. They have nothing to do with nature’s destruction. It is
us, mankind, who endangers our own dwelling place. We are the only creatures powerful enough to destroy our planet. We
should be using the same power to safeguard it. Protecting nature is protecting our existence. This is what makes us
powerful.
I believe that my own existence does not mean that I have to do things only for myself. I am aware of the power that my
Creator has bestowed on me. I have the capacity to preserve. I have the ability to conserve. I have the power to protect.

I am the most powerful creature on earth.

Grade 5

Because Of What We Are, Of What We Believe

For every generation, there is a destiny. For some, history decides. For this generation, the choice must be our own.

Our destiny in the midst of change will rest on the changed character of our people and on their faith.

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In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty.

In a land rich in harvest, children must not be hungry.

In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die untended.

In a great land of learning and scholars, young people must be taught to read and write.

How incredible it is that in this fragile existence, we should hate and destroy one another. There are possibilities enough for
all who will abandon mastery; others to pursue mastery over nature. There is world enough for all to seek their happiness in
their own way.

We have discovered that every child who learns, and every man who finds work, and every sick body that is made whole –
like a candle added to an altar – brightens the hope of all the faithful.

So let us reject any among us, who seek to reopen old wounds, and rekindle old hatreds. They stand in the way of a
seeking nation.

Let us join reason to faith and action to experience, to transform our unity of interest into a unity of purpose. To achieve
change without hatred; not without difference of opinion but without the deep and abiding divisions which scar the union for
generations.

Under the covenant of justice, liberty and union, we have become a nation. And we have kept our freedom.

It is the excitement of becoming – always becoming, trying, probing, resting, and trying again but always gaining.

If we fail now, then we will have forgotten in abundance what we learned in hardship; that democracy rests on faith, that
freedom asks more that it gives.

If we succeeded, it will not be because of what we have, but it will be because of what we are; not because of what we own,
but rather because of what we believe.

For we are a nation of believers. Underneath the clamor of buildings and the rush of our day’s pursuits, we are the
believers in justice and liberty and union. And in our own union we believe that every man must some day be free. And we
believe in ourselves.

For this is what our country is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed bridge. It is the star that is not
reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground.

Is our world gone? We say farewell, is a new world coming? We welcome it – and we will bend it to the hopes of man.

But you must look within your own hearts to the old promises and to the old dreams. They will lead you the best of all.

Grade 6

STOP!.......... LOOK!........... and LISTEN!

STOP! And let your senses work. Some people in different parts of our country or in the whole world in general are suffering
from the “Wrath of Nature”. Floods, frequent tropical storms, landslides and the exaggerated greenhouse effect --- the
Global Warming.

LOOK! Our used to be “Virgin Forests” have been penetrated by illegal loggers. Our used to be “Crystal Clear Water”
has been turned into blackish and stench liquid. Smog or the combination of smoke and fog has been dominating the
atmosphere of some highly industrialized cities around the world.

Here in our locality we can also observe the so-called Nature’s Revenge. An hour of continuous raining will flood our rivers
or almost all low lying areas including our school. The temperature of the 7:00 o’clock sunlight is no longer healthy for our
skin. It BURNS!

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And now, LISTEN!

The “Climate Change” we are currently experiencing at the moment is the result of the negligence of men, of greed, and
lust of power.

As students--- the younger generation, labeled as the Hope of Our Motherland, we play the great role in saving and
preserving our nature from total destruction or saving the whole planet from the impending “Third Extinction”.

Let us start within ourselves. Let’s be vigilant against illegal loggers and watchful against ozone layer-depleting practices.
Tree planting activities or reforestation will be effective if we put our heart in that particular activity. If we plant, we must see
to it that it will grow. The trees are our fortress against nature-related calamities.

In our home or even in school, let us be a model for the rest of the students --- A model of a nature-lover citizen. We will
inform our co-students that burning plastics will augment the global warming and contribute to air pollution. Let us practice
proper waste disposal by separating the biodegradable from non-biodegradable garbage. Let us learn to value all the things
GOD has given us. The trees, air, water, and the soil. They are important parts of our living planet.

By doing these simple things, we are reminded of the famous phrase during the first human landing on the moon:

“A small step for a man, a GIANT leap for mankind”.

For every generation, there is a destiny. For some, history decides. For this generation, the choice must be our own.

Our destiny in the midst of change will rest on the changed character of our people and on their faith.

In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty.

In a land rich in harvest, children must not be hungry.

In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die untended.

In a great land of learning and scholars, young people must be taught to read and write.

How incredible it is that in this fragile existence, we should hate and destroy one another. There are possibilities enough for
all who will abandon mastery; others to pursue mastery over nature. There is world enough for all to seek their happiness in
their own way.

We have discovered that every child who learns, and every man who finds work, and every sick body that is made whole –
like a candle added to an altar – brightens the hope of all the faithful.

So let us reject any among us, who seek to reopen old wounds, and rekindle old hatreds. They stand in the way of a
seeking nation.

Let us join reason to faith and action to experience, to transform our unity of interest into a unity of purpose. To achieve
change without hatred; not without difference of opinion but without the deep and abiding divisions which scar the union for
generations.

Under the covenant of justice, liberty and union, we have become a nation. And we have kept our freedom.

It is the excitement of becoming – always becoming, trying, probing, resting, and trying again but always gaining.

If we fail now, then we will have forgotten in abundance what we learned in hardship; that democracy rests on faith, that
freedom asks more that it gives.

If we succeeded, it will not be because of what we have, but it will be because of what we are; not because of what we own,
but rather because of what we believe.

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For we are a nation of believers. Underneath the clamor of buildings and the rush of our day’s pursuits, we are the
believers in justice and liberty and union. And in our own union we believe that every man must some day be free. And we
believe in ourselves.

For this is what our country is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed bridge. It is the star that is not
reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground.

Is our world gone? We say farewell, is a new world coming? We welcome it – and we will bend it to the hopes of man.

But you must look within your own hearts to the old promises and to the old dreams. They will lead you the best of all.

Grade 7

Save Mother Earth

I really wonder at the absurdity of the title of my speech ‘Save Mother Earth’. Does it not look absurd that a 6ft tall man, just
one species in millions of species of earth, a species that is powerless against tsunamis, earthquakes, tectonic plate
movements, volcanic eruptions, a species that cannot save itself if mother earth sneezes is talking about Saving Mother
Earth..?

Let’s look at some facts.

The climate of earth has been undergoing changes all throughout its millions of years of existence. Tectonic plate
movements, Orbital variations, variations in solar radiation, change in vegetation, volcanic eruptions that throw out materials
from the depth of earth into atmosphere have been happening all the times.

These have been causing climate change all through the history of mother earth. Only in the last few centuries, the impact
of man on climate change has accelerated.

Due to rapid industrialization and very high energy consumption, man has been drilling petrol from deep inside the earth,
throwing it out into atmosphere through uncontrolled emission almost relentlessly every second and all over the world. Thus
Mother earth has been subjected to artificial volcanic eruptions every second, polluting the atmosphere all around earth.
This definitely has accelerated the climate change.

The expanding human population and greedy consumption of minerals and materials has resulted in rapid deforestation.
This has accelerated the changes in vegetation and has accelerated the aging process of Mother Earth.

Onshore and Offshore drilling of petroleum, Huge dams that generate hydro-electric power, deforestation, un-controlled
mining et al could have caused changes in tectonic plate movements or accelerate earth-quakes, though it is yet to be
scientifically proved.

Irrespective of man’s actions, Earth has its own life-cycle and would get doomed in few billion years. But man’s irresponsible
actions as I said above have accelerated or subverted the natural process in particular directions and brought the impending
doom much closer.

This doom is not for Mother Earth. It is the doom for all the species living in Mother Earth and in particular the doom for
human race. So when we talk about saving Mother Earth, it’s not about saving Mother Earth. It is about saving ourselves
and our progeny from faster death.

"Modern technology owes ecology an apology" – said Allan Edison. I would say Modern technology owes man an apology. I
would offer here four solutions with which we can decelerate our impact on climate change and save ourselves from
accelerated doom.

My first solution is to decentralize energy generation. Centralized energy generation and distribution over long distances
causes huge energy losses and increase the environmental cost. We need to invest in technologies that allow energy
generation closer to place of consumption. For example, with right technologies, fuel cells and solar energy could be used in
every home and office. Tidal energy could be used by industries located closer to sea-shores. Industries could be located
closer to sea-shores to exploit tidal energy and wind-energy. Why we should not have technologies that capture the heat of
our tar roads and convert them to energy..?

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Instead of establishing large-scale energy plants that guzzle up exhaustible resources, we should invest in technologies of
future that rely on in-exhaustible resources. Clean Energy technologies are the need of the hour.

My second solution is to decentralize food production. Food grains such as rice, wheat are almost grown all over India.
Today these are transported to central warehouses located in few places, raising the need for transportation and impacting
climate. We should have ware-housing facilities in every village powered by bio-gas and other local available energy
mechanisms.

Our crop patterns need to be made scientific, variable and not focus on just rice and wheat or cash crops. Such a spread of
crops would promote local self-sufficiency.

Strange but true, we need to also modify our food habits to have less environmental impact.

Why can’t we grow green and vegetables in every house as we grow fish in aquariums..? It is just a question of technology.

Decentralized distributed production is required not only in food, but also in many items wherever it is possible to be
achieved to reduce transportation costs.

My third solution is to work on our economic models. Our economic model of centralized production, distribution, large
enterprises and globalization add their bit to environmental impact. We should develop a combined and optimized economic
model that reduces the environmental impact.

For some products, we can use globalized models. For some products we should use local self-reliance models. We need
to choose the model based on environmental impact.

Not only production and distribution models, the overall economic model of large enterprises, global stock markets and
bourses all need to be revisited with their environment impact and optimized.

My fourth solution is to make environmental impact analysis studies compulsory in all streams of knowledge. Economists
must correlate environmental impact in their models. Chemists, Biologists, Scientists of various streams ranging from
nuclear science to nano-technology need to consider environmental impacts in all their products and solutions.

Why..? Even mathematicians, statisticians, musicians, cine-actors, workers, employers, management graduates, Civil
service people, almost everyone need to have the knowledge to understand the environmental impact of their solutions and
services.

As I said initially, man has no power to save Mother Earth. Long after the death of human race, mother earth will continue in
this form or other forms. We are simply talking about not accelerating the aging process of human race and avoiding a
premature death to our race.

Hope this reality sinks in every one of us and all the thinkers and planners of this world.

I stand before you today with the courage in informing you about very important facts about our Mother Nature.

Grade 8

THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE

Highly sophisticated machines, laser DVDs, electronic computers, cellular phones, informative camera, silicon radios,
internet, modernized and computerized fast craft transportation and communications, digital camera, human-genome map,
satellite system, human and animal cloning. To hail in a world of glorified works! The magic of Science and Technology!

Highly esteemed members of the board of judges, fellow orators, friends, ladies and gentlemen, a bountiful day!

We live in a world of constantly and rapidly changing technology and beliefs. Rapid changes in our environment bring us
awareness on coping and growing with these changes without forgetting the fact that we play a great role in the
preservation and conservation of our environment. This is our social responsibility as active community member.

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In the past three centuries, scientific discoveries revolutionized life. These discoveries greatly improved the lives of many
people. Important developments were occurred in biology, chemistry, physics, and the new social sciences- sociology and
psychology. From then on developments in transportation, communication, and manufacturing advanced industry have
undergone tremendous changes in the lives of people. Life makes easier and works make faster.

The connection between Science and Technology has greatly played a major role in order for us to survive in this fast
changing world. It helps us prepare to face the demand of globalization in a way to adapt to what the world can offer us. In
fact, many of those inventions and discoveries have helped improve life in this world. Many inventions have made life easier
and comfortable. Many prolonged life. Some have improved the physical features of man and some have even made
promises on achieving the laser anti- aging surgery.

In retrospect, while many new inventions and scientific discoveries have improved the living conditions of people, others
have proven to be destructive to human life and the environment. Worth mentioning are the earth-altering accidents caused
by human activity on the advent of Science and Technology as such water contaminated by waste from chemical plants,
human error on the released of coolant fluid in the air, mechanical failure, radiation poisoning. All these are the wonderful
creations of Science and Technology! Such mistakes on the misused and error tactics of treating these amenities of life
have given us adverse effects on the perils of pollution in our environment. My friends, we are now in the midst of global
warming, greenhouse effects, acid rain and the thinning of the ozone layer. Our senses have brought us to global climate
change which emerged as the greatest threat facing humankind today. Climate change affects almost all ecosystems,
society and economy. We are now facing its serious impacts such as extreme weather events, floods, erratic rainfall and
sea-level rise, which leads to food shortages, infrastructure damage and the degradation of natural resources. Hence,
development gains achieved globally are under threat.

The issue on climate change is now widely recognized as one of the major challenges for mankind in the 21 st
century, not only because it may ultimately affect many areas of our environment, nature and human activity, but its
mitigation may have far reaching consequences to almost all sectors of the economy.

Scientific advised has in the past years changed our perception of what is possible with the ambitious healthy
environment. Environmental issues are a luxury extraneous to economic survival. Indeed protecting and restoring forest
ecosystems and arresting global warming are matters between life and death.
In this respect, it is vital to adapt its impacts through global action. Desiring a novel spirit of trust, each country
needs to commit to the most ambitious targets and measures that are technologically and economically feasible and
Philippines is not an excuse.
What is the challenge for us students in using these inventions and discoveries advantageous? Firstly, we can start
to the very young through proper education. One great way to conserve resources and help the environment is recycling by
using the three Rs. Did you know that recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees and 17,000 gallons of water? And more
than 30 million trees are cut down to produce a year’s supply of newspapers. Reducing waste is the best way to help the
environment. Instead of buying large containers of food, buy one 32-ounce container of yogurt rather than four 8-ounce
cups. Secondly, try reusing it. Rather than throw things away, find ways to use them again. Use food containers for food
containers for paint cups or for storing toys or art supplies. Cut old clothes into pieces and use them as rags. Thirdly, recycle
all your used paper and your aluminum, plastic and glass containers. Ladies and gentlemen, by changing those wasteful
ways, we are creating a balance relationship between Science and Technology and the environment.

You and I are responsible in taking care of Mother Earth.

Grade 9

“Change, I want To See Begins With Me: Becoming the New Filipino”

“Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in
them and try to follow where they lead.”

My courtesy to the Honorable Board of Judges, friends, ladies and gentlemen, good day to everyone!!!

Change they say is the only constant thing on earth. Much has been heard around the world about a battle cry raised
against the administration of a workplace, against the educational system or against the government. . And there has been
only one similar plea … to have CHANGE in the system. People long for change because they want to start anew.
Particularly, for the labor sector for example , to raise their standard of living. .for the youth sector, to enjoy a more quality
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education, to have freedom on everything they need, and for the women in the community, to attain gender equality, for the
masses, to eradicate poverty, and for an ordinary citizen, to have a peaceful living.

But what is change really? Is it something personal? Yes.! It must start from within. If we long to change the world into a
better one, make it a point, aim high and follow your dreams. Sound idealistic? No. It’s simple. Great things come from
humble and small beginnings.. Remember that old, old cliché? Absolutely, we must always start from the fist step in the
ladder. Some coin it as a joke “ there is no short cut to heaven.” So what is important is that, you must only believe in
yourselves as I mentioned earlier, try to follow where your aspirations may lead you. If you can’t reach them, just look at the
beauty of such aspirations. If you find it hard to reach your dreams , change the way you look at them. In short, think
positive!!

As a youth, I want to see myself way ahead as a successful career individual with much higher hope to change not only my
life but others as well. After all we are destined to live for others too. God created us for others’ existence. Biblically, once
God felt lonely and alone and decided to create Adam. And when he saw Adam lonely, He created Eve out of his concern
and sensitivity to Adam’s need to have a companion in life. See? God himself has wanted us to live happily with others.
That significant event alone has taught us to care for others and that makes life worth and meaningful. As a social being, it
has been a fact that “no man is an island.” I myself has been longing for a change for a better life, and I believe it must start
from me and I must be like a stone thrown into a still water to create a rippling effect to others.

Change therefore is not a word per se that will just multiply and happen in an instant without any driving force from within
ourselves. It depends on our motives to see how Philippines will become more progressive socially, morally, economically
and spiritually. No matter how we cry out loud to eradicate poverty, social unrest and political turmoil , if we have the wrong
motives, change is impossible. Yes, it’s hard to change if we are resistant to it. But if we are determined to foster it, we must
also alter our principles, our ideals, ourselves. We can make and unmake men by trying to be an example to them and that
will eventually create a peaceful and better Philippines if not a better world.

Furthermore, what is change for? An alteration for a better one? A change for becoming a new individual? Try to ponder
upon the metamorphosis of a butterfly. The gradual change from a slow creeping scary worm into a beautiful multi- colored
winged creature truly gives us a clear picture what is change for. We want freedom like a butterfly who is not destined to
stay forever in its cocoon. We hope to spread our wings and explore and look for a more comfortable life like a butterfly
looking for the sweetest nectar it has never tasted all its life.

Hence, change connotes freedom, peace and abundance in life. If we long for that kind of life, we better vary our outlooks.
Certainly, the once selfish individual can possibly turn into a selfless one, the egoistic into a socially and civic oriented
citizen, the peace wrecker into a peaceful loving one, the proud into a humble person and the violent into a non- violent
citizen. These are but a few examples of changes that will be made possible if we mean what we really want to say and say
what we really want to mean. Personally, I am inspired by a line from a song that goes , “when I see you smile, I can change
the world.” If we want to be happy, make others happy too. So now , we come to know what is change for? After all life is
short. So we must accept the challenge just like me. You’re hoping to become a better Filipino? Start to make a change and
take a step forward. Good day once again!

Grade 10

I will Persist Until I Succeed

I was not delivered unto this World in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I will hear not those who weep and
complain, for their disease is contagious. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many
steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides
behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.

I will be likened to the rain drop which washes away the mountain, the ant that devours a tiger, the star which brightens
the earth, and the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts,
repeated, will complete any undertaking. I will persist until I succeed.

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I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable,
impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat. I will avoid despair but if this
disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure.

I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the
smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter I will carry in it the seed of tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to
appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once. I will persist until I succeed.

Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus I will plant the seed of tomorrow’s success and gain an
insurmountable advance over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, then
mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.

Nor will I allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the greatest foundation of failure. I
will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with
confidence that this will be the best day of my life.

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist? For I know one of the greatest principles of success – if I persist
long enough, I will win.

10. Declamation (grade 4, 5, 6) (Grade 7, 8, 9, 10 )

Grade 4

MOTHER EARTH CRIES

Mother Earth she is screaming

Her heart is sad...
Look what they have done to the land
It is dead and dry as autumn leaves

The trees that once touched the sky

Their life is gone... they were chosen to die
Cut and dropped to mother earth's breast
People not humans in their plight to do their best
They have raped you... and left you to rest

The large flat stones are broken and crumbling

The earth that once held them carefully
Has been pushed and shoved and plowed away

The water that once flowed past the wooded trees

Has now dried up... just a memory

The birds circle above and scream as they fly

They watch the torment of their love... from the sky

What can mother earth do... but watch as she cries...

Ho!!!

Grade 5
"Promise Land"

"Where am I?"

"Is this the real world?"

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A lot of things are on my mind. I may be young and innocent, but not ignorant. I can clearly see what's present.

I can only imagine life when the world was first created, a beautiful scene yet to be exploited.A dash of green and blue then
add the bright yellow sunshine that lights up the day. God gave us a world full of promise. He wanted us to use it, take care
of it and make sure that there is plenty for everybody.

The water is not blue as it was.

The air we breath is not healthy anymore.

The forest that used to be rich and full, nowhere to be seen.

Dead
Denuded
Destroyed

"What happened to the promised land?"

"How dare we ruin it!"

"Look at it people! look at it!"

"If the world could only speak, it would tell us how much it hurts."

"All of us can do something but not everyone is willing to do it."

"Now, I can't imagine what the future holds."

Living
Hoping
Praying

The chances are getting thinner everytime. Time is running out. We better do it now or pay the price later.

Let's rebuild this world and plant new life for a new day.

Grade 6

One Rainy Day - "ME AGAINST YOU"

I can't breathe in this white uniform. It's so tight. Release me.

Well, Thank you for your kind words. I know, right. I already
expected this. I'm not surprised.
Oh! I haven't introduced myself to some of you. For those
who don't know me, which only a few don't, I'm Genuino Ontangco,
a smart young man or I should say, a genius. Do you need someone
to answer your problems? I'm the perfect person to approach. You
asked why? Because, I know everything. Give me those equations, I'll
simplify it. Give me those problems, I'll solve it. Give me that piece, I'll
correct it. Oh............ It feels good to be a genius
Sometimes I wondered, maybe if I was born a long time ago, then
I would have created all the inventions in this world. Maybe yes! Maybe...
..............yes! Why can't I? I know everything, remember? Hahahahaha
My mother calls me Gene, my nickname. She has been my inspiration,
or i mean assistant ever since. How can she be my mentor? I know a lot more
than her! My father, Oh! i don't know him. I refuse to know him. Some people told
me, he was a criminal, a thief, a man of pure evil, a product which sent him to jail.
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Some people told me, he has changed. I don't believe them. I tend to react when
they connect him to me. I can't stand it.
I hate those people who stand in my way, and does something without my
approval. Only I, know what's right.
"Mom!!!!

Where's the documents in my table?" I asked.

"Oh! I thought that's a trash, I already threw it away." She answered
"I told you never to touch anything here, you stupid moron!"
"I'm still your mother young man! You can't say that to me"
"Why can't I? I know more than you coz you're a brainless idiot!
Yes! That's true!"
Then, she slapped me in the face. I punched her hard, and laughed as she dropped
to the ground. You should have seen her face while she fought for her life! She's dead!
Hahahaha. What a relief.
Oh! Here they are again! Stop! I can't breathe in this white uniform. It's so tight.
Release me! I should be free. Release me! Release me!
Release me!

Grade 7

Mother Earth's Plea

“I am Earth, your "significant other"

and your ailing, endangered mother.
I'm treated much like a garbage can
by the great consumer; modern man.

"Human birth rates are out of control!”

Mother Earth cries, “I’m paying the toll!
I can’t support all the lives you bring,
You humans are a perplexing thing.

“To illustrate my point, observe a tree,

who shares free oxygen and energy,
Peaceably growing up to the light,
Yet, it’s a target practice in some men’s sight!”

You breed cattle which erodes my topsoil,

You KILL for my depleted stores of oil,
You destroy my skies, and pollute with noise!”
Planet Earth calms and gathers her poise.

“My inhabitants; women and men —

Rejoice in me, every now and then.
Gain a feeling of natural health
by exploring nature’s bountiful wealth...

From breathtaking glacier lakes, pristine

to the most long-living trees ever seen.
Climb my mountains to follow the light.
Watch for moonbows adorning the night.

Inhale my fragrant fields of wildflowers.

Cherish my sweet smelling rain showers
that fill the rivers and streams that flow,
nourishing all life that yearns to grow.
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 Walk my valleys and swim in my ponds.
See my trees as giant magic wands
that neighborly point the direction
of the sun’s glorious perfection.

I sustain your life and the lives of all other,

So, I’m forced to be a threatening mother.
I urge a new environmental zest
Or I’ll rid myself of the human pest.

Listen to me children, hear my call

and heed my warnings once and for all.
Appreciate me, your Mother Earth---
Protect and preserve my priceless worth.”

Grade 8
“ AM I TO BE BLAMED?’’

They are chasing me, they’re chasing. No, they must not catch me. I have enough money now, yes! Enough money for my
starving mother and brothers..

Please let me go,,,, Let me go home before you Imprisoned me…. Very well, officers? Take me to your headquarters Good
morning Captain! No captain, you are mistaken; I was once a good girl, just like the rest of you here. Just like any of your
daughters. But time was when I was reared in slums. But we lived honestly, We lived honestly in life , My father,, My
mother, brothers, sisters and I. But then poverty enters the portals of our home. My father became jobless, my mother got
ill. The small savings that my mother had kept for our expenses’ were spent. All for our daily needs and her needed
medicine..

One night, my father wake out, telling us that he would come back in a few minutes with plenty of foods and money, but that
was the last time I saw him. He went with another woman. If only I could lay my hands on his neck I would wring it without
pain until he breathes no more. If you were in my place you’ll do it, won’t you Captain? What? You won’t still believe in
me? Come and I’ll show you a dilapidated shanty by a railroad.

Mother, mother I’m home, mother? Mother? Mother?!. There captain, see my dead mother. Captain? There are tears in your
eyes? Now pack this stolen money and return it to the owner. What good would do this to my mother now? She’s already
gone! Do you hear me? She’s already gone. Am I to be blamed for the things I have done?

Grade 9
“A Glass of Cold Water”
Everybody calls me young, beautiful, wonderful. Am I? Look at my hair, my lips, my red rosy cheeks and a pair of blinkering
eyes.
I remember, somebody says that I look like my mother that I look like my mother. But that when she was young.
Now, I am much lovelier than she is. I’m a mortal Venus. Oops! What time is it? I must get ready for the party!
Beep-beep…!A-huh! Here they are! Yes, I’m coming!
"Child, are you still there?"
"Hmp! That’s my mama"
"Child, are you still there? Will you please get me a glass of cold water?"
"Mama, I’m in a hurry!"
"Please child, try to get me a glass of cold water."
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"Mama, please, try to get it on your own."
"Please child, try to get me a glass of cold water!"
At the party, I danced and danced the whole night.
You see, I can’t leave the party at once. I have to danced with everybody who proposed to me. At last, the party is over. I’m
very tired. Very, very tired.
So, I went home to tell mama what happened.
"Mama, I’m home! It’s very quiet. "Mama, I’m home!" Nobody answers.
Where is she? I look for her in the sala, but she’s not there. Where is she? A-huh! In the kitchen!
I saw my mama, lying down on the floor, dead. With a glass on her hand. I remember, she tried to get it.
Oh, God, just for the glass of cold water! Mama! Mama! Oh, Mama!

Grade 10
"The Plea of an Aborted Fetus"

LET THIS PRECIOUS ANGELS LIVE !

"SET ME FREE. LET ME LIVE, I DESERVE TO BE BORN, I WANT TO LIVE. FOR HEAVENS SAKE, HAVE PITY."

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear fathers and mother, listen to my plea, listen to my story. I could have been the 17th
Lady President of the Philippines Republic, had you given me the chance to live, had you not deprived me of my
life, had you not taken away my privilege to be born.

Some eleven years ago, a healthy ovum started to generate in the womb of a woman with six other children. My
coming should be a herald of joy, a symbol of love incarnate but to my mommy it was a burden, a problem, an
additional mouth to feed. To Dad, it was a mistake, an effect of Mom's carelessness for not taking the contraceptive
pills.

One gloomy day in June, my unexpected coming was confirmed. It was a painful decision. I could sense the
imminent danger as Mom got inside the abortion room. I was an unwanted child. No one loved me. No one cared. I
was a rejected being, a tiny lump slowly forming into human being with human soul. I was already alive, kicking,
struggling. My heart was already beating and my thumb had already the unique mark. As I was holding to my
mother's womb a splash of heat came all over me. I writhed in extreme pain.

-- "Mom, why have you done this to me? Am I not the flesh of your own flesh, the blood of your own blood?"

The rubber suction caught my tiny limbs and mercilessly twisted it slowly cutting it from my body. I struggled for
my life. 1,2,3 and the first part of me came out.

-- "Mom, why have you permitted this? Am I not Dad's pledge of love to you?"

Then it was followed by another rubber suction sucking the other part moving it with force until both were fully
amputated.

-- "Mom, why have you done this to me? Am I not God's image you promised to love and protect?"

Then i felt shaken once, twice, several times until I do not know anymore what has been going around. I gushed
forth my last breath...

Then came the final blow, my head - the abortionist termed as No. I was totally cut from my torso: total annihilation.

GONE IS MY CHANCE TO LEAD A HEALTHY NORMAL LIFE.

GONE IS MY CHANCE TO BEHOLD THE MANY LOVELY THINGS GOD CREATED FOR US.

GONE IS THE PROMISE OF A BLISSFUL LIFE.

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