SELF-DOUBT: The 8th Deadly Sin
Here’s my latest YouTube video…
This video is an exposition of the nature of self-doubt and its negative effects.
South Korea: Celebrating My 10th Year
On to my 10th year here in South Korea. This country has been a huge… huge blessing to me, personally and professionally.
Thank you Lord. To You be the glory!
This video shows a few glimpses of my 10 years in this country.
The Keys to Effective Teaching
This is the talk I delivered when I was invited as a resource person in a webinar for Education students in the Philippines on February 16, 2022.
Part 1
Part 2:
My YouTube Channel: The Road To Self-Improvement
My goal with this channel is to help people, especially Filipinos, have a greater awareness of the importance of self-improvement. This will also serve as my platform to pursue my other interests – Education, ESL, and writing – and to share my personal experiences as an expat working here in South Korea.
This video serves as an introduction to my YouTube channel and my take on why self-improvement is important.
Link to my YouTube channel…
Ang Sumpa (Part 1)
(A Novella in Filipino)
Papalubog na ang araw. Nagsisimula nang gumapang ang dilim sa paligid. Nagsisihapon na ang manok sa mga punong nakapaligid sa aming bahay. Isa-isa na ring nagsisipag-paalam ang aming mga bisita. Ilan na lamang ang natira sa kanila kasama ang ilang mga kamag-anakan namin.
Masaya ang maghapong iyon. Maraming pagkain at inumin. Rumenta rin ako ng videoke para mas mag-enjoy ang mga bisita. Nagkakantahan sila habang kumakain. Ang iba’y nag-iinuman at ang ilan sa kanila’y sumasayaw kapag may kantang nagtutulak sa kanila upang umindak. May ilan rin sa mga bisita na nag-abot ng regalo kay Alfred. Ang iba’y sobre ang ibinigay sa kanya.
Pinagmamasdan ko ang aking kaisa-isang anak habang inaasikaso niya ang kanyang mga kaklase at mga kaybigang nagdatingan. Masigla siya at tawa ng tawa. Panay nga ang kuha ng selfie kasama ang mga bisita. Pihadong mamaya o bukas eh babaha nanaman ng pictures sa Facebook ng anak ko. Ipinalangin ko na sana ay ganoon siya palagi. Sana pagkatapos ng araw na iyon ay walang magbago sa takbo ng buhay niya… sana ay walang magbago sa takbo ng buhay naming mag-anak.
“Kuya, mukhang hindi ka yata uminom ngayon. Nakakapanibago ah. Parang pang balisa ka.” Si Pol iyon, pinsan ko.
“Ha, eh pagod lang siguro ako,” tugon ko sa pagitan ng isang ngiting pilit.
“Ang dami mong inihanda para kay Alfred ah!”
“Siyempre naman, binata na ito mula ngayong araw na ito.” Sagot ko sabay akbay sa aking anak. “Alam mo naman ang tradisyon sa lahi nating mga Cervantes. Kapag unang kaarawan, ika-7, ika-13 at debu ng mga anak natin ay ipinaghahanda natin sila, di ba?.”
“O tito Pol, itay… picture-picture muna.” umakbay sa akin si Alfred sabay kuha ng picture namin gamit ang bagong cell phone na iniregalo ko sa kanya.
“Siyanga pala, next month eh debu naman ng unica hija ko. Huwag na huwag na hindi kayo pupunta ha.”
“Aba eh hindi talaga puwede na hindi kami pupunta. Magtatampo iyong inaanak ko,” sagot ng asawa kong si Sally na bigla na lamang sumulpot mula sa aming likuran.
“Aasahan ko yan! Pasensya na ulit kung iyong mag-ina ko eh hindi nakarating ngayon, may sinat kasi iyong inaanak mo kanina.”
“Okay lang iyon Pol. Tumawag kanina si kumare at nagpaliwanag,” ang sagot ni Sally.
“O papaano, ako eh aalis na at hayan oh papadilim na. Happy birthday na lang ulit Alfred. Iyong regalo ko, binuksan mo na ba?”
“Naku hindi pa po, mamaya ko pa siguro maaasikasong buksan mga regalo ko.”
“Okay… okay! Hoy batang tisoy, huwag ka munang manliligaw ha… hehe.”
“Wala pa po sa isip ko iyan tito.”
“Talaga lang ha. Iyong isang bisita mong dalagita kanina eh laging nakadikit sa iyo ah. Panay pa ang sulyap sa iyo.”
“Ha… eh…”
“O kitam hindi ka makasagot. O…o…biglang namula mukha mo ah.”
“Naku tito wala lang po iyon, napakababata pa po namin ano.”
“Okay…okay… sige… sabi mo eh!. Ay siya, lalakad na ako.”
“Sige po tito. Ingat kayo,” ang sagot ni Alfred.
Inihatid ko sa labasan ang aking pinsan at ilan pa sa mga bisita namin.
Habang pabalik ako sa loob ng bahay ay napansin kong may mga uwak na aali-aligid sa bahay namin. Napansin din iyon ng ilang mga bisita naming papalabas. Iyon eh binale-wala lang ng mga bagong kakilala namin subalit sa aming mga kaybigan na alam ang kuwento ng aming pamilya ay nabakas ko sa kanilang mukha ang pag-aalala.
Bawat huni ng uwak na marinig ko ay parang nagpapasidhi sa kabang aking nararamadaman at nagpapabilis sa paglalakad palayo ng ilan sa mga bisita namin.
Nagsimula na ang kinatatakutan ko. Kung kaylan pa naman na parang nanumnumbalik na ang lahat sa normal. Kung kaylan na parang nakalimutan na ng mga dating kapitabahay at mga kaybigan namin doon sa sityo sa barangay na aming pinanggalingan ang mga nangyari.
Naabutan ko si Alfred na naglalagay sa ilang supot ng mga pagkaing inihanda habang ang asawa ko’y patuloy sa pagliligpit ng mga ginamit sa handaan.
“O, saan mo dadalhin iyan?” tanong ng kanyang ina.
“Kay tito Mon po. Dadalhan ko siya ng makakain.”
“Ha! Gabi na, malayo iyon. Bukas mo na lang siya dalhan niyan!”
“Inay naman eh! Ngayon na po. Pleaasee!!! Magmo-motor naman ako eh.”
“Ay naku anak!”
“Pleaaasseee!!!” Ang nagsususumamong sabi ni Alfred sabay halik sa pisngi ng ina.
“Pero anak, baka mapaano ka. Dumidilim na oh.”
“Inay, hindi na po ako bata.”
“Hayaan mo lang si Alfred ‘nay. Binata na nga naman siya.” Pagkatapos kong sabihin iyon sa aking kabiyak eh bumaling naman ako kay Alfred. “Sige na anak, lakad ka na para makabalik ka kaagad. May pasok ka bukas kaya hindi puwedeng doon ka nanaman matutulog ha.
“Opo itay. Babalik po agad ako.”
“Huwag mabilis magpatakbo ng motor. Iyong bago na ang gamitin mo. I-check mo muna ang preno at ilaw bago mo paandarin” dugtong ko.
“Sir… yes sir!”
“Kunsintidor ka talaga. Wala pa namang lisensya iyang anak mo at napakabata pa.” Bulong sa akin ng aking asawa sabay kurot sa aking baywang.
“Responsableng bata si Alfred. Sanay na sanay na siyang magmotor. Naiaangkas na nga niya ako eh.” Ang sagot ko.
Habang isinusuot ni Alfred ang helmet ay may itinanong siya.
“Itay, iyon nga po palang sunog na mga bahay sa tabi ng bahay ng tito Mon… ano po ba talaga ang nangyari doon? Ang tagal nang ganoon ang hitsura ng lugar na iyon ah. Bakit kaya hindi na inayos ng mga may-ari.”
“Ha?! Eh…” Hindi ko inakalang itatanong niya iyong sa akin. Hindi ko malaman kung ano ang isasagot ko sa kanya.
“Naku… naku… Alfred lumakad ka na at gagabihin ka masyado. Saka na lang ikukwento sa iyo ng tatay mo iyan,” ang wika ni Sally.
“Ang gara ah… kapag tinatanong ko si tito Mon tungkol doon eh halatang ayaw niyang ikuwento kung ano ang nangyari. Tapos ang tatay naman eh parang nagulat ng nagtanong ako tungkol doon.”
“Alfred… sabi nang lumakad ka na eh!”
“Oo nga po inay, heto na nga po bababa na.”
“Ikumusta mo na lang kami sa tito Mon mo.”
“Sige po itay. Lalarga na po ako.”
Comparing the Effects of Face-to-face and Online English Lounges on Students’ Speaking Ability and Attitude Toward Foreign Teacher
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine to what extent the English Café Program affected the students’ speaking ability and their attitude toward foreign teachers as well as the significant differences in the effects between the program carried out face-to-face and online as perceived by the participants in this study. This is a descriptive comparative survey research. Frequency analysis, mean comparison analysis, t-test, and correlation analysis were performed. Mean values show that as perceived by the respondents, the program, implemented face-to-face and online, improve the students’ speaking ability and attitude towards foreign teachers to a great extent. Computations for significant difference show that there is no significant difference in the perceptions of the respondents. In the correlation analyses, in both face-to-face English Cafe and online English Café programs, students’ speaking ability came out to be significantly positively correlated to their attitude towards foreign teachers. The results also reveal that there is a significant negative correlation between students’ speaking ability and teachers’ length of service only in the face-to-face English Café program. There was no correlation between students’ speaking ability and their attitude towards foreign teachers and teachers’ educational qualifications in both face-to-face and online English Café programs.
Key words: English lounges, speaking ability, attitude towards foreign teachers, teachers’ educational qualification, teachers’ length of service
Examining National Character and Development in Selected Southeast Asian Countries and South Korea
ABSTRACT
This essay investigated the relationship between the development of a nation and the characteristics of its people. In this investigation, the construct used to embody the characteristics of the people living in a particular country is national character and the development of a nation is viewed here using the socio-economic and political lenses. The countries chosen upon which this investigation was anchored were South Korea and three Southeast Asian (SEA) nations, namely, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
In examining the national character of the aforementioned countries, Hofstede’s measures of cultural values (Hofstede’s 6-D model) were used. In measuring the development level these countries have reached, their scores and corresponding ranks in the Human Development Index (HDI) were compared. The descriptive-comparative structure was used in the discussion.
The investigation sought answers to the following questions: 1) How may the national character of the selected SEA countries and South Korea be described in terms of Hofstede’s measures of cultural values?; 2)What is the current status of development in these countries as indicated in their latest HDI rank?; 3) What inferences could be made as to how national development in these countries is associated with their national character as described using Hofstede’s measures of cultural values?; and 4) What can SEA countries learn from South Korean models in terms of national character and socio-economic and political development?
Hofstede’s 6-D model show that the South Koreans are the least hierarchical, most collectivist, the most feminine, the most uncomfortable with uncertainty, the most long-termed oriented, and the most restrained among the group of people whose national culture and human development were analyzed. The Malaysians are the most hierarchical and indulgent while the Filipinos are the most individualistic. Only the Philippines has a masculine society, and its citizens are the most short-term oriented. Of the three Southeast Asian nations, Vietnam is the most long-term oriented.
The cultural dimensions that are considered significantly correlated with wealth are power distance, individualism-collectivism, and long-term orientation. The less hierarchical, more collectivist, and more long-term oriented a country is, the wealthier and developed it could become. The South Koreans are the least hierarchical, the most collectivistic, and the most long-termed oriented. Of the four countries chosen for this analysis, South Korea is ranked the highest in the Human Development Index. Among the three Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia has the best score in the Human Development Index.
This investigation concluded that the development of a nation could be affected by the characteristics of its people. The South Koreans have certain characteristics, as shown in their scores in Hofstede’s 6-D model, that helped them consistently ranked high in the Human Development Index. People in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian nations may perhaps consider embracing, not only the music, movies, TV dramas, food, and fashion of the South Koreans but also their cultural and behavioral orientations that are considered positive and applicable to them. In particular, the leaders of the said countries should consider looking at South Korean models when formulating their policies in the fields of education, research and development but at the same time also study how they could avoid the social problems besetting South Korea.
Keywords: National Character, National Development, Culture, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory, Human Development Index
M.A.D. LIGAYA
M.A.D. L I G A Y A 