Celebrating the BER months

By Jeremiah G. It-it

September. October. November. December na!

When a sudden familiar chill of the wind touches your skin, you know what it means. Here comes the “Ber” months! And yes, nothing can stop it now – Christmas is indeed approaching!

Lanterns are now visible in town. Also, colorful Christmas lights are starting to make homes look livelier at night. This means that the spirit of the yuletide season is just around the corner that as early as September, people have been greeting their friends a Merry Christmas. To add more delight, some radio stations in town have just started playing holiday carols. Shopping malls and convenience stores are starting to get busier.

The busiest season of the year is about to come. But before we greet the Christmas season with great excitement, let’s make a countdown of the recent events, festivities, and commemorations of the Ber months.

September Fever

September is said to be the start for Christmas countdown with everybody greeting one and all a “Merry Christmas” and others often asking for some presents from friends and relatives. But what are some of the most significant days of the month that are being remembered and celebrated?

Aside from being the starting lane for the Christmas season, September is the World Tourism Month. Different sectors in the tourism industry devote their time and effort in promoting, improving, and sustaining the tourism industry.

Here in Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City, some universities and colleges took part in the celebration through fun activities and competitions.

September is also the commemoration of Martial Law done every September 21 as a reminder of the law signed by then president, Ferdinand E. Marcos on September 21, 1972. The administration took nine years of suppression that made public and private entities mum about government inequities. Even media industries from radio and television were not able to exercise their right for expression.

The media also observe the Press Freedom Week this September as it commemorates the suppression of the freedom of speech and the media during the Marcos regime. Media practitioners and professionals vividly remember the fight of media against dictatorship, and celebrate it through activities hosted by media organizations across the Philippines.
Festive and creepy October

In Negros Oriental, the high spirits felt during the Christmas season is just at par with the ecstatic spirits of the Negrenses. The grandest festival of Negros Oriental, the Buglasan is celebrated this month. Negros Oriental is now on high gear as it prepares for the upcoming festival. Towns and cities of the province have also organized their booths to showcase their local goods and talents in the said occasion.

Towns and cities in the province will be given a chance to promote their own products, handicrafts, fresh creations, and their tourist spots all in one. The weeklong fiesta celebration will also highlight the province’s beauty with festival street dances, food fests, trade fairs, and the two-day fireworks competition. The schedule of activities for the said festival is slated on October 16-25.

Another event which will be observed this month is the United Nations Day on October 24. Over the years, member nations like the Philippines meet with other countries to discuss matters like achievements and goals of the organization in the United Nations Day meeting.

The anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations is devoted to informing the people of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gain their support for its work. The said occasion will be part of the weeklong celebration of the United Nations Week on October 20-26.

To end the month, the happy environment of the ber months will be put to‘pause’ as the day of the Halloween finally takes center stage – something that the Filipino culture has been practicing. Everything will turn scary and everybody will be ready for their costume parties wearing their best and scariest mask and outfit to frighten other people. During Halloween, there are fun activities that lighten up the celebration; to name a few, there is the trick or treat, costume parties, and ghost hunting. Others read or watch scary stuff like novels and movies.
November Rush

It might as well be the extension of the celebration of Halloween but November has also a lot to offer. We should start this month by giving thanks and praises to the saints who showed exemplary deeds to serve our God Almighty. We usually do this by lighting up some candles and going to churches and chapels in our respective barangays. The feast of the church has always honored those early witnesses to the Christian faith.

On its second day is the commemoration of All Souls’ Day. This commemoration is based on the doctrine of Catholicism. In the Filipino culture, All Saints’ Day is a solemn day done by lighting up candles and going to churches. This day will also be a reunion for many families as they remember their departed loved ones and visit them in the respective cemeteries.

For Norsunians, on the other hand, November may also be the month to get ourselves enlisted. Yes, November is the starting of the second leg of academic challenges, and lining up for the enrolment season starts this month.

There are still other activities this month. Like, the Founder’s Anniversary of Negros Oriental State University. The League of Student Organizations with the recognized student organizations will be creating their booth, showcasing gimmicks and fun fairs.

Also, one of the anticipated competitions in the university will be seen, manifesting dynamic talents of Norsunians, the cheering and cheer dance competition, the Hugyawan Festival, and other related stuff. All these will be celebrated during the last week of November to the first week of December.
Merry December

The tick of the clock seems to run fast. Months run quickly, and the Christmas season arrives with a big boom in the most joyous time of the year, December.

Do you know that the Philippines, the only Christian nation in Asia, is reputed to have the longest Christmas season in the world? This is because aside from the very obvious fact that we greet a “Merry Christmas” early, many people are already making their Christmas lists for the coming Christmas season as early as today. At home, families already hung their Christmas decorations ahead of time, and putting them back to the boxes by February or March.

Christmas Eve on December 24 is usually celebrated with families attending Misa de Gallo with the rest of the relatives and friends. When the clock strikes midnight, it would mean the arrival of Christmas Day. Filipino families gather together with the preparation of sumptuous meals called Noche Buena as they celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Despite financial crisis, usually Filipino families prepare lechon, quezo de bola, hamon, pancit and the like.

Activities are also done during Christmas by many families, schools, and children. Common activities include the Kris Kringle, parlor games, songs, and dance numbers, exchange gifts, and the famous, caroling. The Misa de Aguinaldo, on the other hand, is celebrated on December 25. It is usually attended by the whole family. It is often celebrated between sunrise and 10 a.m., a schedule preferred by many Filipinos who stay up late on Christmas Eve for the night-long celebration of the Noche Buena.

Other celebrations include Media Noche, Feast of the Three Kings, and the much-awaited New Year’s Eve.

Long before you realize it, December, the most awaited month of the year has come. So as early as now, let’s begin showing care and love to others, and make it a habit to show it every month of the year. Through this, “Ber” months will not only be the months we are looking forward to the most, but all the calendar months will be worth celebrating. As the famous line says, “Everyday is Christmas.”

Source: http://wikipedia.com

Their stories: A double dose of inspiration

By Dorothy Mae E. Acabo

In this world, it is one sad reality that money and education come together. Financial constraints has always been the primary reason why a lot of students opt to give up their education and choose to work. There are those who believe that by giving up their education, they could lessen their financial burdens and help their families instead.

On the other hand, there are also those who still believe that by persevering in their education, they could make their lives better. Hence, despite the hardships they encountered due to financial constraints, they find ways to pursue their education. In this issue, let us meet two Norsunians who chose to persevere and continue with their education despite the odds. Read on and be inspired.

Her dreams and the lechon manok

She looks like any other Norsunian. She attends her classes, she chats with her friends, she does reports, and she makes projects. But what makes her different from any other Norsunian is that, she is not just a student – she is also a full-time employee in one of the famous chicken restaurants in the city, "Ang Lechon Manok ni Sr. Pedro".

At an early age, Maria Cleofe Carta is already aware of their financial incapacity. So when the business owner of Sr. San Pedro’s Lechon Manok, who is also her neighbor in Zamboanga del Sur, offered her a job, she did not hesitated to accept it. "I don’t want to be another burden to my mother who is a factory worker only," she shared.

As one of the trusted employees of the restaurant, Cleofe does all kinds of work— from preparing and cleaning the table, serving the customers, doing cash work, and even to banking transactions. Aside from being a hard worker, what makes Cleofe outstanding is that, she still maintains very high marks despite all her duties in the restaurant. Although she spends all her vacant times working, she never neglected her studies. According to her, the lowest grade she received in college is 2.2 or 83.

Now a junior BS Office Systems Management student, Cleofe admitted that sometimes her work problems affect her studies. Cleofe shared that she sometimes attends classes with her mind on other things such as worries in the workplace.

As a full time employee, Cleofe no longer asks for money from her parents. She pays her boarding house, buys her projects and spends for all her other expenses. Also, when she has excess money, Cleofe sends some amount to her parents.

Despite the difficulty of working and studying full time, Cleofe is not giving up. "I’m not thinking of today, but of tomorrow," she said. When asked what keeps her going, Cleofe can only point to her family. Cleofe knows and believes that she can do anything because of her family.

With everything she has experienced, Cleofe sees herself as somebody successful in the future, working in a company, with her own table, and her own office.

Student by morning, security guard by night

During daytime, he is among the thousands of students being guarded by the security personnel of Negros Oriental State University. Ironically, by night he is the one guarding one of the biggest companies in Negros Oriental.

Junie Tuballa, a 25 year-old junior BS Industrial Technology major in Computer Technology student, keeps his eyes open all night as he guards Energy Development Company-Southern Negros Geothermal Power Field (EDC-SNGPF), a power plant located in the mountains of Ticala, Valencia.

Like Cleofe, Junie was forced to work because of poverty. As the sixth among eight siblings, he stands as the father of the family because his two elder brothers are already married. As the breadwinner of the family, Junie provides for the family’s food consumption, pays for the electric and water bills, as well as the other needs of the family. Aside from that, he is also the one supporting himself and his brother’s tuition fee and allowance, since both of them are already in college.

Junie shared that he has been working as a guard for five years now. Every night, he spends eight hours on-duty. After that, he starts to scan his notes and study to be able to cope with his lessons, and most of all, to gain a passing grade.

To make ends meet, Junie does not only work as a security guard but also engages in other works. He also sells DXN products like coffee, tea, shampoos, lotions, herbal medicine, and a lot more.

Junie admitted that it is not easy to be a working student. Tired from work, he finds it difficult to focus especially now that he is already in his third year in college, a crucial stage in his education. But like Cleofe, Junie is not giving up not only because he wants to finish his studies but also because he does not want to see his family suffer from hunger.

Cleofe and Junie are just two of the many Norsunians who, because of their determination to succeed, juggles school and work in order to achieve their dreams. They are two of the many other students of this university who are worth emulating for the perseverance and determination that they show.

Their stories should teach us a lesson and inspire us that financial constraints is not a reason for us to give up our education. As an old cliché goes, "Poverty is not a hindrance to success", and Cleofe and Junie are on their way to prove the precision of that old cliché.