NEWS WRITING, FEATURE WRITING, EDITORIAL WRITING

ARTICLES

NEWS WRITING BY STUDENT

Fight Crime! This was the slogan of some 50 presidents of homeroom organizations who convoked Aug.15 at the school Social hall to create the local peace assembly. With the administration at the helm, the student leaders planned to fight criminality in the neighbourhood. The massive fight crime campaign started from the school premises and eventually spread to the community. Each group, with the help of Kabataang Barangay officers, interviewed parents on the existences of dope pushers, extortionist, and vandals in their localities. They appealed to the parents to report these law

NEWS WRITING BY A JOURNALIST

The Stabbing incident

A 12-year-old boy was killed on Monday night when he tried to shield his father from a knife-wielding man in Alabang, Muntinglupa City. Christopher Romualdo, agrade six student, died while he was being taken to a hospital due to the numerous stab wounds he sustained all over the body. The man who stabbed him, Michael Dumacay, 51-year-old construction worker, was in turn killed by Joseph Ramuoldo,43, the boys father and his intended victim. Police said that at around 6:30 p.m. Monday, Joseph was drinking with some of his neighbours in front of his house in Ilaya, Purok 1, when the incident happened. Dumacay attacked the elder Romualdo with a 12-inches-knife after the latter shouted at him invectives while passing by in the area homeward from work. The boy ran to his father and shielded him from Dumacay using his body and thus taking most of the knife thrust intended for his father. When he saw his son bloodied, Joseph wrestled the weapon from Dumacay and used it stabbing him to death.

FEATURE WRITING BY A STUDENT

EVERYBODY LOVES CHILDREN

Butuan is a child. It is a little snot-nose, pantless, dirty faced boy, with eyes open wide in amazement. It is a little girl running barefoot in the grass, taking in the freshest of fresh air. It is, with its many little shops filled with clutter that may never be bought, a boy, his pockets bunched up with snakes and shells and rocks. It is people walking in the middle of the roads and tricycles ever on the left side, forgetting red and yellow traffic lightsa child forever disobeying his mother. Butuan is a frank child. It is not grown up enough to feel embarrassed when it lifts up its skirts and visitors are around. It is captivatingly candid and open. It is a girl scouts who come into your room without warning and put up your mosquito nets. And boy scouts who knock at our door at five in the morning to turn the faucets on in your washstand. It is grandmother doing the jerk at formal balls unblinkingly. Butuan is a trusting child. It is not an adolescent, confused, rebellious. It is no place for revolutionaries. It takes you by the hand and looks up at you and says, I like you. I like everyone. I like the world. But Butuan can be an exasperating child. It is a little boy perpetually following you around, asking questions, and expecting you to give him all your attention. It is a boys and girls expecting you to flash an eternal smile and call out endearing remarks. And Butuan is often a naive child. With its notes running, it lifts up a corner of its T-Shirt to wipe away the dirt. With its shop girls who ask you, What is U.P? it stares at you in open -mouthed wonder. Then Butuan is a caring child. Its policeman answer you with a cheery salute Are you all right?" Do you want anything? Are you sure youre not mad at me? What else can I do? it is always so very sweetly. So Butuan is a Child.

FEATURE WRITING BY A JOURNALIST

THE MAN WHO SWALLOWED HIS NEIGHBORS 200 BALUT by Prof. Phil Viduya One hundred pieces of balut and a dozen packs of chicharon proved too heavy for a 30 year old construction worker. The worker, identified as Albert Leober, of Reclamation area in Pasay City, allegedly ate yesterday all the balut he stole in his effort to conceal evidence which might implicate him to any misdeed. Fearing that the victim could trace the missing balut and chicharon to him, the suspect consumed all of them inside his own shanty. However, his neighbour suspicion was aroused when the suspect never botherded to peep and inquire what happened while the former and some sympathetic neighbours were noisily searching the balut that Mingote was about to sell. When Mingote and handful of his neighbours, barged in into the house of Leobar they were surprised to find the balut shells and the already Chicharon. Plastic packs littered on the floor. Leobar tried to elude his neighbours by hiding in a grassy part of the neighbourhood but He was seen and was easily cornered because he

... FEATURE WRITING BY A JOURNSLIST

Restaurant offer dinner show for lovers only, how love spots and other commercial establishment have cashed in alltoo-human trait to show the world that one has arrived, and therefore, one should be seen and heard in the in Valentine places, the more often, the better the chances that one would be finally noticed. Not that we are advocating a Boycott of these fun places they have their own p-laces, under the proper perspectives. But before we spend a fortune for a Valentine Dinner, why dont we think of better and more sensible ways of proving or renewing ones love. Surely, one can say the magic word without going overboard, without having to spend in one meal or one night what the lonely farmers earns in one year: surely we can learn from the latter in showing by daily deeds, instead of one day avowals, what love really means. And surely , if one truly loves somebody , he would realize that long after the day has ended, he would still be around, for better or worse without having to indulge in the frivolitry of todays Valentines day. And if the loved one realizes this, then the Spirit of Valentines would still be there, since, as the Aristotle once said, love is wishing the beloved good.

EDITORIAL WRITING BY A STUDENT

Old year 1993 with knitted brow, limping and hungry , blackeyed by student demonstrations, social unrest, dirty politics, criminality, kidnapping, and rebellion has just departed, leaving behind great problemso youthful 2994. All around the country are tensions, miseries, and starvation. Hunger stalks the land, as different kinds of diseases inflict the people. The poor and the unfortunate stage the same old story. The power of political struggle and the growing strength of the NPA and Muslims rebels have crept even into the once peaceful barrios throughout the country, while countless of millions look up to the sky with hope for order, peace, and sobriety. Now that the New Year is here, it is time to take stock of and adjust ourselves to a brighter tomorrow. Let us challenge the future with renewed courage, faith in ourselves, and greater love for the people. God will always be with us. Let us stand firmly, for the future depends on how we make it. All that we do is only a matter of trials, struggles, sacrifices. But above all, let us practice peace and love of God and of our fellowmen.

EDITORIAL WRITING BY A JOURNALIST

Love is wishing The beloved good

At the risk of being dubbed cynic, we contend that Valentines Day, as it is being marked today, is one for the birds, the mo re extinct they are, the better. They have gilded a lily, and in the frenzied attempt to add one form after another, the essence has somehow been lost what once a dewkissed flower is now a plasticized form, and because we have long forgotten what it was to pluck a flower from the garden, we can no longer discern the difference. All that it takes now to deliver loves message, for instance, is to pick up the telephone. And because it is that easy, beca use it is convenient to patronize the peddlers of love, many swear that Valentines Day is but one of 365gone is the special or exclusive aspect it used to attract lovers with. Worse, it now takes something supernatural to resist temptation to go frivolous, all in the name of love and Valentines day, and, consequently to add the cynics observations that love is nothing but an island surrounded by expenses. Note for instance how so called plush Restaurant offer dinner show for lovers only, how love spots and other commercial establishment have cashed in all-too-human trait to show the world that one has arrived, and therefore, one should be seen and heard in the in Va lentine places, the more often, the better the chances that one would be finally noticed. Not that we are advocating a Boycott of these fun places they have their own p-laces, under the proper perspectives. But before we spend a fortune for a Valentine Dinner, why dont we think of better and more sensible ways of proving or renew ing ones love. Surely, one can say the magic word without going overboard, without having to spend in one meal or one night what the lonely farmers earns in one year: surely we can learn from the latter in showing by daily deeds, instead of one day avowals, what love really means. And surely , if one truly loves somebody , he would realize that long after the day has ended, he would still be around, for better or worse without having to indulge in the frivolitry of todays Valentines day. And if the loved one realizes this, then the Spirit of Valentines would still be there, since, as the Aristotle once said, lo ve is wishing the beloved good.