UM-SIGAW

UMSigaw wins first place at the PHCM Lantern Festival!

Originally printed at Filipino Journal, October 21 – November 05, 2009, Volume 23, Number 24

PHCM Lantern Festival participants and thier Parols.

On Saturday, December 5th 2009, the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba held the Filipino Lantern Festival. It took place at the PCCM from 6-8pm. There were mini booths selling Filipino goods such as food, clothing and bags. Entertainment consisted of singing and games, during which the judging took place for the Parol contest.

There were five entries. All were originally made by the contestants, with designs reflecting the Filipino Christmas lantern tradition, were 6 ft. in diameter and height at maximum, and were constructed of recyclable materials. Points were awarded based on the percentage of recyclable materials used, the originality of design, techniques and materials, and portrayal of the Christmas spirit.

Consolation prizes were given to the parols entitled “Starrr” and “Go Green!” Third place received $100, second place received $200 and first place received $300. The second runner up was entitled “Glory to God in the Highest” and the first runner up,“Starflake of Bethlehem”. Both entries were made by the Lucas family. Their prizes are going towards two Filipino Charities: the Divine Mercy Shrine of Tarlac and the Precious Blood of Jesus and His Divine Mercy Charity Shelter in Urdaneta, Pangasinan. The Divine Mercy Shrine feeds the orphans and street children of Tarlac while the Precious Blood Shelter treats the elderly abandoned by their families and takes care of pregnant teenagers.

The parol entitled “Peace Be with You” by UMSigaw received first place! The prize will be added towards the funding for the UMSigaw bursary, still to be awarded during the month of July. Our goal was to portray the evolution of the parol. What made our parol different from the others is its design. It is reversible, more than 90% recyclable, and has the option of being hung. “Peace Be with You” was made much like paper mache: out of cardboard and recyclable papers. It was dangling with soda bottles, and eco-friendly bags as streamers. The acrylic paint made it come to life. It was mostly painted green and red, symbolizing the dominant colours of Christmas. The green symbolizes what parols were traditionally made of, bamboo. Although the parol does not consist of lights, the colours of pink, blue, yellow, and purple symbolizes brightness and sparkle. It also symbolizes another material commonly used in parols today; capiz (seashells). Copper is used to link the capiz together; hence the copper was used all around the parol.

To incorporate the theme of being traditionally Filipino, the centres of the parol consisted of the Philippine flag. It has been said that the parol symbolizes the star of the Nativity of Jesus. We chose to put Jesus in the centre of our parol, both holding up the peace sign. We chose this title, because although commonly said during mass, it is during the Christmas season when we are most reminded and given the opportunity to bring and receive Peace, to and from others.

May this Holiday season be full of joy and may it be peaceful for you and your families!
- Linger Ann Aragon
President, UMSigaw

Linger Ann Aragaon (centre) with Rod Cantiveros, President PCCM; Perla Javate, PHCM President; Flor Marcelino, Minister of Culture, Heritage & Tourism and Julie Javier, Treasurer PCCM.

New Executives & Upcoming Events
by Agnus-Mariae Lucas

Originally printed at Filipino Journal, October 05 – October 20, 2009, Volume 23, Number 19

UMSigaw Executive Officers ‘09-’10 (L-R): Roley Leyson, Czarina Damian, Linger Aragon, Agnus-Mariae Lucas, Grace General, Patrick Valderama, Lemarie Tubog (on floor)

U1 Ako!
The last time you heard from us, we were inviting graduates from high school and students planning on continuing a post-secondary education to the ‘U1 Ako!’ Orientation. This workshop proved to be a delightful success, even exceeding our expectations. — people came to be enlightened about the facts of university life, and to be educated on the different directions and opportunities one can encounter after secondary school. Thirteen speakers from ten faculties each gave personal insight and tips on the different programs and expectations of each faculty. There was fun and games, food and laughter. We hope this seminar would be a yearly event to help youth discover their appropriate calling.

Recruitment
After a week of orientation, the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) held a recruitment week where most of the student groups had their own tables to recruit and make known their existence to the new students at the U of M. Having our table stationed for only three days, we were able to sign on about 70 more members this year, in addition to the 100 that had renewed their membership. Although not all were able to attend our first general assembly last Tuesday, Sept. 29, we plan on holding our future meetings on both Monday and Tuesday so that members who are not available to attend on one day have the option of attending on the alternative date. Dates for upcoming meetings will be posted on our website, http://umsigaw.org.

Typhoon Ondoy Relief
Upon hearing of the tragic disaster that hit our beloved homeland on Friday, many people approached and e-mailed us asking if we were going to do something. With help from many outside sources but mainly through the encouraging support of UMSU, UMSigaw was able to have a table set up at the University Centre right inside the front doors, so that we would be seen by all. We gathered all kinds of donations – monetary, clothes/toys, and non-perishable food – to forward to the Typhoon Ondoy Disaster Relief Fund drive held at the PCCM. The effort that many members gave to contribute – through donations or giving up their time to stay by the booth – is moving and greatly appreciated. We will continue to help our fellowmen by keeping them in our thoughts and through our prayers.

October Bake Sale
After Thanksgiving, from Oct. 13-16, UMSigaw will be holding their Fall Bake Sale in two different locations. On Oct. 13 & 15, we will be stationed in Fletcher Argue, right beside the ATM near Greenhouse Cafe, while on Oct. 14 & 16, we will be in the Armes Tunnels on the way to the University Centre. For those who will be at the Fort Garry campus that week, you’re welcome to stop by and try out the insaymada, puto, karioka, and other delicacies we’ll have to offer. We’ll even have some on-the-spot made pancakes to satisfy as breakfast! All proceeds will go towards funding for the July banquet.

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Mabuhay Ang ‘SIGAW!
by Agnus-Mariae Lucas

Originally printed at Filipino Journal, August 20 – September 05, 2009, Volume 23, Number 16

It’s been three years since the founding of the University of Manitoba Filipino Students’ Group and they’re still going strong. They have just recently wrapped up their 2008-2009 school year with an annual picnic held at the Assiniboine Park on August 12th. Siblings and relatives of the members were also in attendance, adding to the fun during the games and activities.

With over a hundred registered members, UMSigaw continues to be an active organization at the UofM and this time, with a different vision. The mission of UMSigaw is to promote the value of post-secondary education to the Filipino youth in the city of Winnipeg, primarily by providing financial assistance through bursaries, having an alternative non-profit system of accessing books and school materials, and offering effective tutorials through a more personal peer-to-peer approach, in hopes of producing successful graduates who will proceed to become role models to the Filipino Community. The proceeds obtained from all events held by the organization in the approaching school year will go towards the funding of a banquet in July, where the awarding of their bursary will take place.

The first event that UMSigaw will host for the 2009-2010 school year is the “U1 Ako!: Intro to Post-Secondary Education” orientation, to be held on September 2nd, 2009 at the Brodie Centre. From 1pm-4pm, participants will be enlightened by the various highlights and advice given by student speakers from different faculties. Whether they are discerning or already have the specific profession or vocation in mind, graduate high school students and those entering a post-secondary institution are welcome to hear representatives from the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, and Red River College speak about their respective schools. For more information, check out their website at: http://umsigaw.org or e-mail them at umsigaw@gmail.com. (Photo Credits: Arianne Angela Solis and Alvir Visarra)

Playing a game that tests knowledge of Filipino locations

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Obtaining a Valuable Fortune
by Arianne Angela Solis

Originally printed at Filipino Journal, July 20 – August 05, 2008, Volume 22, Number 14

Last May 29, I joined hundreds of students and obtained my bachelors degree. After four years of sleepless nights, long (and cold) bus rides going to school, numerous cups of coffee and sugar-laded energy drinks, I was able to obtain the certificate that shows that I was able to complete the requirements in order to obtain credits for higher education. My parents and two of my closest friends were there to witness one of the most important events of my life.

Friends, particularly my peers back in University, all said, Mabuti ka pa, tapos ka na (That’s good, you’re done already). Getting this remark is not surprising — we are mostly of the same age, but since they moved to Canada later than I did, I attended school relatively earlier than them. This statement, however, is most of the time accompanied by the sound of disappointment. The reason is unspoken, but I believe that most people my age who just arrived here in Canada would agree that the disappointment roots from this: if we did not leave the country, we could have finished our degree earlier, and we would have been working now.

I will not deny that I used to think that it is unfortunate for me that I graduated a bit late than my high school friends and college block mates. I remember that in 2007, most of my friends marched down to get their diplomas while, I, on the other hand, had to endure another more year to finish school. Nonetheless, that did not keep me from being disappointed throughout my university life. Getting in to University of Manitoba means I have a whole new opportunity ahead of me, and being granted that chance to pursue something that will change my life completely is something that I should be grateful for. As I went along and completed my degree requirements, I met people, gained new experiences and discovered new things. I learned that time is of an important essence in my life, and while, at first glance, it looked like I just wasted my time completing courses in the University of the Philippines, I really did not waste any time. True, I did not manage to use the credits I earned to get in to University of Manitoba, however, I acquired knowledge from the subjects and courses I took, and that alone makes the time I spent in U.P. Diliman extremely worthwhile. There is no sense for me to think that I was left behind because despite of the idea that we are all batch mates, we all have to pursue different goals in life, and the only person that could determine when we will achieve those goals is no other than ourselves.

Getting an undergraduate degree has made me a lot smarter and more appreciative of the things around me. True, one of the reasons why I got a degree is because I wanted a better, stable life in the near future by having a good job, but there is something more with that. One of the most important things I have learned in my quest to get the diploma is that I have placed more value on learning, knowledge, and education itself, far more than I used to. I was brought up by my parents with the belief that education is something that no one can take away from me – and it took me long years in school to discover that they are indeed correct. Regardless of the seemingly troublesome and almost never-ending school requirements, in the end, what I have learned in each class is something that people cannot rip away from me. The lectures, the encounters, the workload; no matter how difficult or seemingly trivial they are, they have slowly became a part of who I am. Education has greatly influenced how I see the world through my eyes, how I act, and how I perform my work and my activities. Try to take the things that I have learned away from me (and from anyone else) and I cease to exist. That for sure, meant that I have obtained something important – something that of great value, and I am blessed to learned of its worth.

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A Drive Down the Road
by Sybil Abarientos

Originally printed at Filipino Journal, July 05 – 20, 2008, Volume 22, Number 13

May 12, 6 a.m., I and an uncle of mine are on our way to Pasong Tamo in Makati City. He is off to work and I am going to Glorietta, a large shopping mall in Ayala Center in Makati, Metro Manila. Seated in the passenger side of our Toyota Revo, I can’t help but notice the commuters in the streets—ordinary people waiting patiently to board a jeepney or a taxi to get to their respective destinations. The local vendors are up and awake, all ready to sell their wares—from newspapers to cigarettes, bread, and bottled water—to the throngs of people on their way to work. Clad in their yellow uniforms, police officers are in their best selves, trying to maintain the traffic and be on the lookout for any violators. The beeps and the buzz are the soundtrack of the morning rush.

I am spending the day at Glorietta, strolling around, observing and checking out interesting stuff. The stores? Huge and varied. The people? Numerous and busy and equally diverse. The shopping center was crowded yet somehow laidback.

Right now, I’m very excited, to say the least. Only two years have passed since I last visited the Philippines, and yet a number of changes are easily noticeable—new buildings, new routes, even a new weather. I may be missing the crisp cold mornings of Winnipeg, but I welcome with a smile the humid summer days of the Philippines.

I’m surely going to have a busy day, I tell myself. But I like it this way—the eye-catching sights, the tolerable chaos, as well as the heat typical of a tropical country like the Philippines. I’m sure I’m going to enjoy my stay in this country. It’s home to me, and there’s no place like it.

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Pagninilay
by Arianne Angela Solis

Originally published at Filipino Journal, April 20 – May 05, 2008, Volume 22, Number 8.

Noong nakaraang Enero ay nanumpa na ako sa harap ng hukom at naging ganap nang mamamayan ng bansang Canada. Taong 2006 ko pa napagdesisyunan ito at naayos lang ang proseso ng application ko noong nakaraang taon. Bandang Hunyo ay naisaayos ko na ang papeles; dumating ang Nobyembre at naganap ang pagsusulit.

Sa mga buwang nagdaan habang naghihintay ako ng sulat bilang kasagutan, wala namang bumagabag sa akin. Kasi ang layunin ko ay para mabawasan na ang dapat kong gawin. Nakatuon lang ang pansin ko sa ideya na may mga importante akong bagay na dapat tapusin bago man lang ako matapos ng pag-aaral ko, at isa na dito ay ang maisaayos ko ang aking status. Malaking bahagi na rin ng pagpapasya ko na kumuha na ng citizenship examination ang mga long-term goals ko – kung mag-aaral ba ako sa ibang probinsya o ibang bansa, o kung balak ko bang maglakbay sa ibang lugar.

Pero nang naramdaman ko na ang nalalapit na oras ng panunumpa, bumalik na naman ang pagdududa ko sa aking sarili. Totoo nga at hindi ako nagdalawang-isip habang in-process ang pagiging citizen ko, subalit inabot din ako halos ng isang taon kakaisip kung tama nga ba ang gagawin ko, at ano ang mga bagay na nakalaan at kaakibat ng desisyon kong ito. Umabot din sa puntong naisip kong parang kay dali yatang maging mamamayan ng Canada dahil madali lang ang pagsusulit. Inisip ko kung ano nga ba ang dahilan ng pagiging isang legal na mamamayan ng isang bansa; ano ang mangyayari kung magiging Canadian na ako, at ano naman ang mangyayari sa pagiging Filipino ko.

Noong nakuha ko na ang resulta mga dalawa o tatlong linggo bago ako manumpa, alam kong wala nang atrasan ito. Tutal, ginusto ko naman ito. Subalit sa kabila noon, nakaramdam ako ng inis sa sarili ko. Parang nakagawa ako ng krimen sa sarili kong bansa. Pakiramdam ko, naging traydor ako sapagkat mas iniisip ko pa ang sarili kong kapakanan kaysa sa kapakanan ng bansang iniwan ko. Parang hindi rin ako naiiba sa mga taong paglapag na paglapag pa lamang ng kanilang mga paa sa ibang bansa ay kinalimutan na ang kanilang pinagmulan at pilit ang pagsasalita ng Ingles kahit naman marunong sila mag-Tagalog.

Matapos kong manumpa, naalala kong may naisulat ako tungkol sa plano kong pagpasa ng application mga isa o dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan. Binalikan ko ang aking talaarawan at nainis ako sa sarili ko sapagkat nakalimutan ko ang tanging dahilan kung bakit ako nagpasyang ipagpatuloy ang aking plano: “Kahit saang sulok pa ako ng mundo dalhin, kahit anong wika at tradisyon pa ang matutunan ko, hindi pa rin maaalis sa akin ang kinalakihan ko. I still respect my country today they way I respected it before.”

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Arianne is a BA (Adv.) Psychology major at the University of Manitoba and the founding president of UM-Sigaw (Academic Year 2006-2007).

On Taking Nursing
by Jaq Diaz

Originall published at Filipino Journal, April 05 – 20, 2008, Volume 22, Number 7.

I remember during one of my classes in the faculty, part of our introduction was to answer the question “Why did I choose nursing?” Most of my classmates’ answers involved having been positively influenced by nurses at some point in their lives when they, or a family member, were hospitalized. I remember my answer standing out from everyone else’s – I chose nursing because I was asked to. Although no one really forced me to take it, I could not think of anything else to answer. I could not relate any experience I had of being influenced by a nurse. Honestly, during that time, I have no idea what they actually do except “looking after the sick”. I could not answer “I have been dreaming of being one” just to make a good impression because that will be a complete lie. Now that I think about it, it is pretty sad for my part. How can I be in a place I am not sure if I want to be at?

I took up nursing because I had no idea what else to take. In 2001, I took up Medical Technology in UST in the Philippines hoping to get into Medicine, but my family had to move here in Winnipeg on my third year. I lost my drive to go to Medicine because of the fact that I have to start back at square one in university. Feeling there is no more time left, I opted for a “regular” four-year course. It was then I was convinced to take up Nursing, thinking it is close enough to my dream. I got through the lectures, assignments and other requirements from first year to fourth year just fine, but I was never thrilled about it unlike most of my classmates. I got through my clinical rotations just the same, but I was never fulfilled. Despite the uncertainty I was already having from first year, I chose to stick with it, suck it up and go on. Until the moment I have to choose my practicum placement in fourth year, I was doing just fine. It was when I was starting practicum, the last lap of my marathon, when my uncertainty came to its maximum. For the first time, I witnessed firsthand what nurses’ roles are. I go to the hospital and practice just like, and under the supervision of, a registered nurse and on the very first day of practicum, my eyes were opened to a reality I never thought exists. I realized how much effort nurses must exert every day – physically, mentally and emotionally and the amount of energy it takes out on them at the end of every shift. It was something I never thought of inside the classroom. It was then I knew “doing just fine” is no longer adequate for me to get through. I was not successful on my first try.

My initial intention for writing this is to advise my friends who are thinking of taking up nursing (or have already entered the faculty but are still uncertain) and let them know how tough it can be if they are half-hearted to go through the process, I should know for I went through it myself. Things may end up differently for them, but I am still hoping that somehow this can reach through them in order to make a better decision, to attain a better outcome. 1. Do not take nursing just because someone else asked you to. No matter how hard the process is, stand up for what you personally want to achieve and where you believe you will be successful at. If it is just to please someone else, it will never be as easy as when you do it for yourself. 2. Do not take nursing just because it is a good source of income in the future. What is the point of being rich when you are not enjoying what you are doing? Money cannot buy happiness after all. Also, bear in mind that you are going live with it for the rest of your life.

You may be able to endure the first four years as a student, but what about ten years after that? 3. Do not take it just because you think it is nice to be one. It isn’t worth it! In my opinion, unless it is your own decision and you can live up to it or unless you are open to eventually liking it, think a hundred times more before going through it. You need to have dreamed about it, you need to have passion for it and you have to be able to look at someone else’s eye and proudly say you want to be/try to be a nurse. Otherwise, things will not work as well as you hoped and you will have a difficult time throughout. In the end, and often this happens, you are going to figure out you made the wrong decision when you are to run your final lap, and it is not something pleasant to bear.

Now I can say that I have already made my decision – I will go run my final lap once again and not because I was asked to, but because after all the options I can possibly go with, I can no longer see myself doing anything else but this.

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Jaq is a 4th Year BS Nursing student at the University of Manitoba.