1.

Ang Probinsyano has been going on for years now and it shows about Cardo who’s dealing with a lot
of cases as a member of CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group). It exemplary conveys how
much the characters aimed for peace and maintain it. It portrayed the government, politicians, and even
how power amongst people are such a major factor that can change a situation in an instant. With how
the story began, everything circulates on the police and their abilities to alleviate criminal cases and
other villains of the story. I can say that they depicted characters that can be or cannot be similar to real
life situations, as I know that we have prideful and corrupt officials. The show definitely affected people
outside of the fiction as the police showed their violent reactions in relation to Ang Probinsyano’s plot.
Still, their remarks were debunked as people stated that the show does not have any connection to the
police and was only fiction. I can say that even for characters existing in the teleserye, they were built up
with all of the circumstances that made them strong enough to continue their characters with the sense
of purpose.

2. The Rome’s Colosseum is known for being the largest and ancient amphitheater to ever exist. There
held the gladiator battles that took place in the time of the Roman Empire. To be able to learn that this
ancient place exists, it sends me an awe that something big could last for nearly two (2) millenniums.
History is definitely a broad topic with exquisite creations, and I for a 21 st century person, is astonished.

Noli me tangere

Marxist criticism

Noli Me Tangere is written by the Dr. Jose Rizal way back December 1886 and published a year later.
This novel is also translated as “touch me not” in Latin. The novel depicts the story of a young boy Juan
Crisostomo Ibarra who came back after seven (7) years in Europe, who aims to alleviate the poverty, and
allow education for his own countrymen. Jose Rizal wrote the novel in hopes of revealing the unjust
treatment under the Spanish colonization. He wanted to attain freedom and release from the shackles
of the government and its rulers.

With Rizal’s resolve in unmasking the Spaniard government for his countrymen’s sake, the novel became
a crucial role in the Philippines’ political history. The novel carried the true lifestyle of the Filipinos and
how the nation did not progress the way Rizal desires to. After publication, Noli Me Tangere had 2,000
copies and became a top instrument in acquiring Filipino nationalism and leading the 1896 Philippine
Revolution.

Realizing the existence of the novel, the Spanish authorities banned Noli Me Tangere along with its
sequel, El Filibusterismo; showing how much of a threat it is with the allegations of corruption and
unjustified treatment within the government and the Catholic church. They seized all the copies they
could acquire and protect their egocentric attitudes and image. This is what Jose Rizal was aiming for:
revelation of the situation of the Filipino people under the colonization. Which then leads to him being
exiled to Mindanao and later arrested for “inciting rebellion” just by his writings. He was then executed
at Luneta on December 30, 1896, which now honors his name in the park.

I can say that the existence of Noli Me Tangere not only influenced Jose Rizal to pursue independence
but also reached his fellow countrymen to overthrow the existing Spanish government and attain
freedom once and for all. It puts me in astonishment how the novel carried a huge take on leading
people to widen their perspectives and realize their worth as people of the Philippines. With this, the
novel has become one of the most important literary works as they began teaching it to Philippine
schools as a part of the curriculum under the Congress passed the Republic Act 1425, also known as the
Rizal Law.

For over two (2) years of the existence of the CoVid-19 virus, the world had gone into an immediate
lockdown, and suffered under the global pandemic. Everyone, despite the age was not excluded from
the said virus, leading people to face the difficult reality of what’s to come. CoVid-19 was first suspected
in the Philippines around January 22 of 2020, along with 633 suspected cases as of March 1. This 2021,
there are 2.27 million cases and counting. Tragic deaths have occurred, and unprivileged people suffered
most in this time.

The Philippine government had responded as one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world.
Enhanced community quarantine has been implemented; schools and university classes were
suspended, mass gatherings were prohibited, face masks were necessary, and everyone was advised to
stay at home. Social distancing was also one of the things Philippines had observed. People were
introduced with quarantine passes and having only one person in the family to go out for their own
needs. With how the sudden change in everyone’s lifestyle, people had no choice but welcome the new
phase later called the “new normal”.

In my perspective, the government did try their best in alleviating the sudden spread of the virus,
however, it was irresponsible of them to not solely focus on the situation but to produce other projects
that had nothing to do with helping on the said pandemic, for example, the Manila Bay Dolomite
project. Sure enough, they did the place quite pretty, but it still doesn’t change the fact that they
should’ve focused the money used to help the nation in facing the pandemic. It costed over 400 million
pesos in completing the project and this has stirred a big controversy. With people losing their jobs and
the health care of the Philippines is at stake, people couldn’t help but to voice out their thoughts on
securing fund for relevant projects than this.
President Rodrigo Duterte promised an immediate alleviation of the CoVid-19 pandemic yet over a year,
nothing has changed but only a raise in the number of cases and its death rate. It was also reported how
PhilHealth and DOH lost billions of pesos under their management which can be used for the
improvement of the hospital’s facilities and medical treatment for people without the privilege to pay.
The government did not disclose what happened to the said fund, leaving Filipinos unanswered.

The pandemic has been taken advantage of as it became a new factor for capitalism. Higher ups have
been somewhat exposed of their intentions as they focused more on attaining power than help those
who were afflicted. Face shields have been said to be useless and was only increasing plastic wastage
and contamination. They have way too many modifications of the community quarantine and none of
which were ever employed correctly or at the right time. People also thinks how the government is
taking the pandemic lightly as they don’t usually announce what course of action they are doing next.
The Philippine government have faced the pandemic way too strict but still so slow and ineffective.

The video documentary of Genie Wiley’s upbringing in Youtube has covered most of her
childhood as she has lived enduring abuse from her own family. It was said that within the
thirteen (13) years of her life, she was tied up and was only given the potty chair for her to use. It
was evident that she was neglected of her whole life with her small frame unsuitable of her age.
She was saved and was given help from a lot of doctors and scientists to examine her situation.
She was given treatment and was then diagnosed with problems relating to her brain and trauma.
They had hypothesis about Genie’s situation and as for how children’s brain develops. The
doctor stated that her brain was so different with children her age that she’s not able to learn
language; this is due to her upbringing that even though she had a major progress, she’s still
stuck in learning the human language and will ever be stuck. With years of lack of social
interaction, communication, exposure, and even attention, she was certainly going to have a
difficulty of facing reality with the state of her mental and physical well-being.

I can say that Genie Wiley had a childhood unbefitting and undeserving for a beautiful kid like
her. My heart broke knowing as she practically lived her life in a hell house with unresponsible
parents, for leaving a child like her to rot. Socialization is definitely a huge factor in our lives
that could affect our brains whether positively or not. Nonetheless, as growing people, we are to
learn the concept of social interaction and communication in order for us to properly learn our
language and different skills to be used in our everyday lives. To prevent having people to end
up in a situation like Genie and let children see the beauty of life and its world.

Genie Wiley's upbringing was documented in a YouTube video documentary that spanned the
most of her youth, during which she was subjected to violence from her own family. She was
reportedly tied up for the first thirteen (13) years of her life and allowed just the potty chair to
use. Her petite frame, improper for her age, made it clear that she had been neglected her entire
life.

“Beauty” in the 21st century

Beauty, /ˈbyo͞odē/ (noun), a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases
the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. However, we all have various definitions of the said
word. Beauty for others may come from within, or from the seen. Nonetheless, we define it as
how we like. Over the past years, beauty have been a major factor in terms of physical
appearance. By being beautiful comes with all sorts of advantages and disadvantages, under the
existence of “stereotypes”.

Stereotypes have lived for a long time and even up until today. People followed these and caused
discrimination among us. To be beautiful means to become fair, to become flawless, to have a
sharp jawline, pointed nose, double eyelids, and a sexy body; these may define one’s expectation
of beauty but I, myself considers beauty as something we all have in common. To be different in
skin type, color, height, weight, and race does not mean one isn’t considered beautiful, but
factors I call as something unique but all normal.

Lookism, a term of which describes the unjust treatment to people who are considered as
physically unattractive. This connects to sexism, racism, and discrimination as a whole but isn’t
given that much of an attention. Furthermore, lookism is solely existing because of the supposed
“beauty” that have been affecting people from their choice of love, job opportunities, and other
circumstances in life. For instance, people have been bullied due to their physical appearance just
because they aren’t inline with the supposed stereotypes. Other people then experienced being
abused, raped, catcalled, and taken advantage of because of their supposed “good looks”. Racism
also is a product of one’s misconception of the word beautiful. Specifically, black people have
lived their lives under the pretense of their color being considered unattractive. They were
abused, discriminated, and were killed just because people think they are different. This connects
to how beauty is but a dangerous word as well. Black is beautiful, every black life matters.

As beauty then evolves throughout the century, people of the 21st are doing various of
movements for people to accept themselves as they are. People now are breaking stereotypes and
advocates the beauty we all have. As we all carry faces, bodies, and lives that are worth more
than one’s judgmental thoughts. Every face is an art, all considered and accepted in this world of
a canvas. Discrimination must not live on but shall end today. As we are all made under one
image, we have no reasons to prolong this unjust treatment any longer. I say that people are
worthy of being called beautiful, despite the age, race, color, and gender. Despite insecurities
being a major factor of how people perceive themselves as, I still do believe that no one has the
right to consider someone solely based on their appearance because we are all the same kind.

The beauty existing in this point of time is slowly flying off the cage people have built for
several generations. Stereotypes should have been thrown off to the trash and be forgotten
because just by one’s existence, they are already considered beautiful. I aim to live along the
path of acceptance and under the balanced treatment between people, with nothing to be afraid of
and to live as someone who’s constantly reassured everyone is all considered loved and
beautiful.