ija is driven to succeed with k-12

VOLUME 19 No. 1 JUNE TO august 2016

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF INFANT JESUS ACADEMYTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF INFANT JESUS ACADEMYTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF INFANT JESUS ACADEMY---MARIKINAMARIKINAMARIKINA

Infant Jesus Academy-

Marikina once again opened its

gates for the preschool pupils on

June 13 and for the rest of the

students on June 15 for the School

Year 2016-2017.

With the new K-12

curriculum in full swing, IJA-

Marikina successfully started the

school year for its students,

including the pioneering of the

Senior High School classes. With its

forthcoming SHS Building, the

Grade 11 students are looking

(Continued on page 18)

IJA is Driven to Succeed with K-12 Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo, Grade 11—St. Matthew the Evangelist

From Top, clockwise: Nursery pupils being readied for school through play activities on their first day of school; Grade School pupils attentively listening to Mrs. Mendoza’s (Asst. Principal for Instruction) first day of school address; Senior High School students paying close attention to Mrs. Nobleza (Principal) and Mrs. Portugal (AP for Student Development) as they are being oriented about SHS concerns; and a class of Junior High School students thinking hard about how they will introduce themselves for their GTKY activity.

Blue Chron’s story picked best at CPAIPS Writeshop 6.16

Martina Clare Baque, Grade 9—St. Peter

The collaboratively

created short story of the Blue

Chronicle staffers was chosen to

be featured in a book of short

stories to be compiled by the

organizers of a Summer Writing

Workshop, dubbed Writeshop

6.16, held at the Marikina City

Hall last June 7 and 8, 2016, eight

days before the school year 2016 -

2017 started, which said staffers

of the IJA Blue Chronicle joined.

That event was organized by the


E D I T O R I A L_

- Proclaimed Reapers (pg. 8)

- LGBT: In the Verge of Acceptance or Rejection?

- “Life is up here, but you comment below”

- Survival Mode: Students whose parents are OFW)

- Pokémon Go: Fun but Dangerous

- Young and Reckless

N E W S_

- IJA Braces for Disasters

- IJA Commemorates Dr. ATM, Jen G.

- IJA Bares New Identity

- IJA Glitzes up PDA Induction, Seminar

- SDC holds anti-bullying campaign

- SCB ’16 Automated Elections Held

- IJA Pre-School celebrates Nutri-month

L I T E R A R Y / F E A T U R E S_

- Nutri-poems

- You are worth it

- Jenny

- Your Health is Your Wealth

- Friendship

- Battlefield

- It rained anew

- Set Me Free

- Lost in the Night at the Forest

- Nutri-coloring

- Why do we need to eat healthy food?

- Nutri-yell Over-All Winner

- Highlights of the Quarter

- A prayer INSID

E:

Staffers of the IJA Blue Chronicle touring the

Marikina City Radio Station, during the Summer

Writeshop 6.16. The guide (on the phone) is an

IJA Alumnus.

The Infant Jesus Academy Marikina held its

first of a series of evacuation drills aimed at

preparing students for earthquakes or other calamities

that would require evacuation of the buildings, last

July 4, 2016.

Indeed, catastrophes can happen any time, at

any place or circumstance. It is unpredictable and

maybe unstoppable. This is why we need to be

constantly aware and be reminded of the threats that

may happen even in the school grounds.

To prepare all of the students for these

possibilities, the IJA Health Service Department,

having been deputized to head the School’s Disaster

and Risk Reduction Management Team, conducted

lectures for students in all levels, about earthquakes

and other catastrophes and how to act and behave

once they happen. This series of lectures was done

prior to the evacuation drill. The students were

advised to secure an emergency kit containing

supplies that they may need in case of emergency.

The first evacuation drill took 4 minutes and

15 seconds, a period longer than the ideal 2-minute

mark for evacuation. Mrs. Ana Marie R. Nobleza, the

Principal, spoke to the students right after the drill to

remind them of the time it should take to vacate the

buildings, which should be shorter than 4 minutes.

She prompted the students to “be alert and always

take the drills seriously”. She also reminded the

students to “refrain from bringing unnecessary


2 NEWS The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

IJA Braces for Disasters

Anne Margareth B. Saulog, Grade 11 - St. Thomas Aquinas

IJA commemorates Dr. ATM, Jen G. Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo, Grade 11– St. Matthew the Evangelist

A mass was sponsored by

the IJA community to

commemorate the death

anniversary of Dr. Alberto

Mallonga, one of the founders of

IJA and the untimely passing of

Ms. Jennifer Guerrero, the

Executive Assistant to the

Principal, last June 17, 2016.

The mass, which was

officiated by Rev. Fr. Peter Julian

Eymard C. Balatbat, was held at

the Consolacion Florentino

Mallonga Memorial Building

(CFMMB), three days after the

successful opening of classes for

the Grade School and High


Dr. Alberto Turingan Mallonga, one of

IJA’s founders and Ms. Jennifer Guerrero,

also known to many as Jen G., Guerre or

girl.

IJAians, students and personnel alike, briskly walking to the

designated evacuation area during the evacuation drill.

Selected IJA students, who are members of

the Drumbeaters, Glee Club and the Sugarcane Band,

including the Officers of the Citizenship

Advancement Training (CAT), were invited to glitz

up the 66th Induction of Officers and 1st Scientific

Seminar of the Philippine Dental Association (PDA)-

Marikina Chapter held at the CVJ Catering and

Clubhouse last June 26, 2016.

Event coordinators Dr. Cristina Garzon, and

Dr. Arlen Khurana were glad to see the full-support

of the school at their event. The CAT Officers opened

the ceremony with the entrance of colors, and then

Chartreusse Lacza, a grade 9 student, led the

invocation. The Drumbeaters accompanied the

audience in the singing of the Philippine National

Anthem, while the Sugarcane band entertained the

audience with their repertoire of popular music.


3 NEWS Make a Stand Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

IJA Bares New Identity Christine Joelle A. Tayao, Grade 10 - Our Lady of Consolacion

IJA Glitzes up PDA

Induction, Seminar Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo, Grade 11—St. Matthew the Evangelist

Just after the summer of

2016, the blue school along Russet

street has turned yellow, making

its occupants and those who

used to go there ask why!?!

For the past 36 years, IJA

was known as the “mighty blue

school” along Russet Street. The

blue color has served as the

strength and identity for the many

IJAians going there - the

inspiration that made them strive

for their “blue dreams”.

The students got quite

rattled in knowing that the IJA-

Marikina campuses were

repainted yellow. It almost felt like

a part of their childhood was

taken. Even some of the alumni

were shocked with the sudden

changes. Since then, they would

always say “blue school no

more.”

“Why?” is the only

question that kept bugging the

IJA community. “We have been

craving for answers ever since we

learned about the sudden

renovation.”, said some students.

Luckily, an interview with one of

the school’s administrators settled

the students’ curious minds.

According to Mrs.

Josephine S. Mendoza, Assistant

Principal for Instruction, the IJA-

Marikina main campus has been

the only campus remaining blue,

ever since the other IJA

campuses/buildings were built

(Molave CFM Memorial Building,


IJA main campus’ new look (still work in

progress)

IJA’s Drum Beaters, Sugarcane, and CAT Officers participating in

the PDA Induction

Grade 5 students experiencing the use of tablets in voting for SCB

officers

An Anti-Bullying Program, one of the various

programs of the Student Development Center (SDC),

designed to open the minds of the grade 6 students

with regards to bullying, was held last July 12, 2016 at

the conference room of the IJA main campus, under

the supervision of Ms. Wendy Molera, one of the

Student Development Advisors.

Bullying cases have been identified to be

growing in number all over the country, news reports

say. IJA conducted the Anti-Bullying program to

make the students aware of what bullying is and to

prevent cases of this kind from happening, since the

institution is noted for having students imbued with

the values of Integrity, Responsibility, Excellence and

Discipline (iRED). Ms. Molera discussed what bullying

really is as most of the students, even the parents,

often misunderstand it. Preventing bullying among

the students was also highlighted in the program, as

well as its effects to the victims. Students were given

instruction to report such incident, if there’s any, to

keep IJA a harmonious school for all learners

including differently-abled students who are said to


SDC holds

anti-bullying campaign Rachel Clare B. Dulay, Grade 6—Makatarungan


SCB ’16 Automated Elections Held

John Vincent Doctama, Grade 8 - St. Frances of Rome

The very first automated elections of the

Infant Jesus Academy Student Coordinating Body

(IJA-SCB) was held last July 1 and 4, 2016, with

much excitement from the student body, through the

Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) of the

Aral1nks educational technology platform that the

school decided to adopt starting this School Year

2016-2017.

Selected students ran for different positions in

the SCB, forming 2 parties namely, Kapit-Bisig and

LANDAS. They were assisted by Mr. Christian

Antero and Ms. Jubielyn Quillao, the newly

appointed SCB moderators.

Every year, the SCB conducts election of

officers in the Grade School and High School Levels.

This year, the members of the two parties who ran

were pre-selected by the moderators with the help of

recommendations coming from the teachers as no

student could run for any position if he/she had

failing marks or had deficiencies in deportment the

previous school year. The Kapit-Bisig High School


Intermediate Level’s Anti-bullying campaign activities.

Last July 29 2016, the

preschool pupils and their parents

celebrated Nutrition Month by

creating dazzling works of art and

lovable dances that spread cuteness

and joy throughout the entire

campus.

The event started with a pre-

judging of the Nutri-hats and

costumes, which was immediately

followed by the parade of the pupils

that showed not only how creative

IJAians are but also how supportive

parents are of all the programs of the

school. Moments after the parade,

the students were organized in lines in

front of their loving parents.

The Nutrition Month not only

celebrates and reminds pupils of their

proper diet but also their entire well-

being. To fulfill this, the Health Service

Department gave out De-worming

tablets for the pre-schoolers. This

project of the department, which

aims to make pupils free of parasites

that may affect their performance in

school, was done through the support

of the Department Of Health,

represented by the Health Workers of

Barangay Concepcion Dos.

The program's host, Mrs.

Maria Fe Monterey, the Student

Activities Coordinator, uplifted the

mood of the audience by giving

warm and welcoming words before

the program. Mrs. Monterey

introduced the judges who would

assess the students' costumes, hats

IJA Pre-School celebrates Nutri-month Vince Lenard U. Buenaflor, Grade 8 - St. Frances of Rome

and bags. The judges were Mr.

Lawrence Dimailig, Colour Palette

club moderator, Ms. Krissia Del

Rosario, Computer teacher and Ms.

Jazmin Catalan, TLE teacher.

After their presentation of

costumes, the pre-schoolers danced

to the tunes of different kindergarten

songs, which gave joy to the

audience. The program ended with

the announcement of the winners

who were each given a certificate, a

book and an apple as prize.

The second batch of pre-

school pupils had exactly the same

program, which followed shortly after

the first batch.

The winners of the contest

are as follow:

Nursery- Love

#6 Arkyne Gaibe M. Nepomuceno

#8 Jindrich Erthan T. Torres

Nursery - Hope

#2 Miguel Alexander M. Duran

#4 Cratos Ori S. Serrano

Pre-Kinder -Charity

#20 Jarence V. Mangsat

#23 Aldric Miguel S.P. Yambao

Pre-Kinder - Peace

#42 Cyan Philip B. Lacsamana

#57 Micah Raeven B. Villamayor

Pre-Kinder - Joy

#44 Alexa Nenuca C. Eneldas

#46 Angela Murphy L. Laserna

Pre-Kinder - Faith

#26 Anica Krisanda A. Quintos

#27 Brianna Sophia C. Ramos

Kinder - Wisdom

#63 Kylle Christian M. Nuez

#75 Francheska Jeane V. Mangsat

Kinder - Understanding

#98 Ferina Louidellle G. Barajas

#104 Stacey Shane L. Gregorio

Kinder - Counsel

#54 Shan Jann S. Angeles

#61 Conrado IV G. Espejo

Kinder - Knowledge

# 82 Cale Raphael B. Baraero

#91 Zachary Ken L. Ramos

Congratulations to the

winners!#


Awarding of winners for the Pre-School’s Nutri-hat and Nutri-costume Contest

6 LITERARY The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Best Nutri-Poems “First 1000 Days ni Baby Pahalagahan Para sa Malusog na Kinabukasan”

You are Worth It!

By Mhiel Shaine T. Ulanday,

6-Makabansa

Living for a thousand days

Growing in different ways

Depending on how you’re treated

How you’re loved, cared, and fed

Your father works everyday

While mom sings and stays

For you to sleep with a fairytale dream

And not a nightmare with lots of steam

Because of your daddy you can eat a lot

“Nom, nom, nom” hmmm…it’s fish broth!

“Blup, blup, blup” this milk is just right

When you finish, they kiss you goodnight

When you wake up, your parents greet you with love

A blessing as innocent as a dove

That’s what you are, that’s what you should be

And as you grow up they’ll begin to see

You are worth it after all

Good and healthy like when you were small

Jenny By Anne Beatrice R. Nelmida,

6-Makabansa

When a baby came out from her

mother’s belly

Mom and Dad were so happy

That they jumped so high like a jelly

And they said that they’re going to

name her “Jenny”

Every day, Mommy breastfeeds her

with milk

And wraps her with a comfy cloth

called silk

Mom and Dad also sing her lullaby

every night

And when she falls asleep, they bid her

goodnight

Mom and Dad give her a lot of

attention

Showing her their tender love, care, and

affection

Guided by Daddy, she learns how to

walk

Reading with Mommy makes her talk

As months pass by, she grows so fast

Soon she’ll celebrate her birthday with

a blast

Jenny, oh Jenny, how lucky you are

Someday your dreams will take you far

Your Health is

Your Wealth By Princess Kriselle B.

Nepomuceno, 6-Makabansa

Baby, baby, baby, here you are!

In a marvelous place on earth

Playful sounds of blithesome

children that go around

With your aesthetic eyes that felt

so round

A baby like you is like a diamond,

precious and rare

That we should show magnanimous

love and care

Your first 1000 days should be

appreciated

To live a better and fortunate life

not jaded

Milk, milk, there you are day and

night

Wanting to cuddle up with mom and

dad so tight

Multiple sicknesses, should not

aggravate, fight, fight, fight!

For strong bones, Mr. Sun, I need

your sunlight

Oh my baby, don’t cry

Nothing to worry about, I’ll be on

your side

One, two, three, my health is your

health

‘Cause your health is your wealth

7 LITERARY Make a Stand Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Friendship

Timothy Patricio

Grade 8 - St. Elizabeth of Portugal

I wanted to thank you

But was unable to explain

What it means to have a friend

To share life’s joys and pains

It’s good to know our friendship

Is one of endless devotion

Forged out of respect

And every kind of emotion

It’s patient and forgiving

Never failing or forsaking

When a hand is outstretched

Or one’s heart is breaking

It’s ever faithful

Even when the world condemns

And sparkles in the darkness

Like fireworks and gems

It does my heart good

At the end of the day

To know that you will never be

More than an email away.

Proof for a true friend is knowing

that If I were lost

You would find me

Battlefield

Ysabel Galang

Grade 8 - St. Frances of Rome

I kept on fighting like there was no tomorrow,

But in the end, I lost the battle.

All my bullets fired, but never reached home.

I lost my sanity and I just couldn’t settle.

I was wounded and bruised, inside-out,

And there were no words coming out of my mouth.

I tried to scream just so someone could get me,

Even though I was too weak to do anything.

I felt so hopeless; left alone, bleeding,

And there was too much pain for me to handle.

“I wouldn’t make it through,” I thought,

But I was still hoping that I thought wrong.

Unexpectedly, somebody heard my call.

It was you, who came with open arms and a loving hug,

But before you let go, you stabbed me with a knife.

I guess that was just a battlefield, after all.

It rained anew Nathaniel Pierce Padua

Grade 11—St. Albert the Great

As rain pours, people seem to be

pretty uptight towards it,

As it ravages its way through

anything and everything.

Causing traffic in our busy

streets,

Dampening up kids’ plans to go

play outside,

And covering the skies in a splash

of gray

As violent as it may all sound I

have found peace in the rain

I see it as more of a pristine

beginning

It washes the old and brings upon

the new

Almost as if a rebirth of humanity

As the phoenix once again rises

from the ashes

In the pitter patter of the rain I

have found peace, a world anew.

8 EDITORIAL The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Leo Tolstoy once said, “No circumstances

can stop murder from being the vilest and most

blatant violation of God’s law.” Yet, bringing back

death penalty remains one of the most debated

concerns here in our country. With our newly elected

President, who has been reportedly involved in

numerous deaths and who, with his pronouncements

over the mass media, encourages the act of

extrajudicial killings, will violence be the answer to

solve violence itself?

Crime has never been this rampant

throughout the country. As we turn on our TVs, flip

through the newspaper, and even as we scroll

through our phones, there would always be reports

of violence, murder, rape, and the like. We cannot

escape the fact that it is happening right now. It has

been such a part of our daily lives that we even

accept it as a norm even though it shouldn’t be.

When put in the position of the victim, no

doubt it shall be tempting to take on the path of

revenge, or probably want the most barbaric

punishment to take place. We’d want to take the

things most dear - the oppressor’s life. In some cases,

we do not rely on the court to take actions; “an eye

for an eye” as they say. But ask yourselves, by

wanting this, are we any better than those who have

done us wrong? Aren’t we already turning ourselves

into the monsters we once cowered from?

It is unusual that we do not consider the

criminal becoming the victims themselves. Once

they are put to death, it will be irreversible. There

would be no room for change, for forgiveness, and

chances. The damage would have been done both

for the victim and the alleged criminal and worse is if

the criminal turns out innocent of the charges, then

how can we bring him back? No compensation in

the world could make up for taking someone’s life,

be it legal or not.

It is such a terrifying thought once the nightmare of

legal murder becomes a reality once again. I could say

that the world is certainly out of joint. Killing criminals would

not ultimately result to deterring crime if all that hinders

them from doing these crimes is fear instead of the

realization that they should not commit these crimes

because life is sacred and no one human can ever take it.

The fear of death is only the consciousness of unresolved

contradictions in life. Never can we resolve a mistake by

committing another mistake.

Proclaimed Reapers

Anne Margareth B. Saulog, 11 – St. Thomas Aquinas

An illustration made by Mr. James Candedeir

9 OPINIONS Make a Stand Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

LGBT: In the Verge of Acceptance or Rejection?

Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo, 11– St. Matthew the Evangelist

On the night of the June 12, 2016, a man killed 49 people

and injured 56 more at a gay clubhouse in Orlando, Florida. It was

considered one of the deadliest shooting that happened because of

gay-hate and the bloodiest since the September 11 bombing attacks.

Because of these horrendous events, the world seeks for

understanding of this matter. Gays and lesbians have been part of

this world - living on, and roaming the Earth and coexisting with they

say the “normal” people and it has been like that ever since. But

stereotypes and beliefs have destroyed us, leaving a gap among us,

separating those who see clearly and those who just pretend to see

the truth, resulting in that massive killing.

I abhor such a killing! LGBT people are human beings, who

ought to be respected no matter what choices they make. As the

very first Universal Declaration of Human Rights would say, “All

humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are

endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one

another in a spirit of brotherhood”. We are all born equal in the eyes

of God and the law. They are humans, and they are not any different

from us. We have souls, conscience and the right mind to think, and

they, too. And for that, there is no valid reason as to why we should

treat them differently. Naysayers claim that the LGBT’s personality is

a choice they made, and it is a bad one. But who are we to judge?

All I know is that the world can be a better place without

hate, and difficult as it may seem, the world is what it is because of

hate and the troubles we face. We must bring forth a new era where

one is not simply judged by color, race, belief, and/or gender. This

world has faced many problems, and this problem is just one of us.

We must try to open our hearts and minds to understand the whole

situation. World leaders must try to communicate and eradicate this

discrimination that poisons the mind of people who say that the

LGBT people are garbage. What if your sister, or brother, or even

your child in the future becomes one, would you loathe, hate or

worse, kill him? Would you disrespect him and treat him like an

animal? You decide. #

“LIFE IS UP HERE,

BUT YOU COMMENT BELOW.” Ysabel Francesca Galang, 8—St. Frances of Rome

“Please use discretion when you’re messing with the message,

man.”

As I was listening to some music, a distinct sentence

from Twenty One Pilots’ song entitled Message Man got my at-

tention: “Please use discretion when you’re messing with the

message, man; these lyrics aren’t for everyone, only few un-

derstand.” Only few know how that certain thing really meant;

only those who could relate to it or know the story behind it,

probably.

Somehow, this song reflects our society nowadays.

People easily comment whatever they want, without thinking

how their comments may affect others. This results to some-

one getting deeply affected by their comments, which may lead

to worse things. People carelessly say what they want to say

that it seems like they do not bother hurting others through

their words. Words hold a lot of power that should be used for

good.

Most of the time, we judge people for being too differ-

ent. Being different is good; it shows that we are not afraid to

stand out and be unique. Rather than criticizing someone for

being different, we should appreciate their bravery.

People share their thoughts, although what they’re

seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. They shouldn’t assume

unless they know the whole story. I feel like we all have this bad

habit of making conclusions although not all details were filled.

We keep assuming although it’s not true. What we see is what

we accept, which I think is an indiscretion that we should all

change. Yes, we are entitled to our own opinion, but we should

just keep our lips sealed if we have nothing good to say. #

10 OPINION The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Young and Reckless

Mary Maacah Planes, 11 - St. Thomas Aquinas

There is no doubt that today, a great number of people

in our society are indulging in different trivial things that they

claim make them happy. Smoking, gambling, drinking, owning

expensive gadgets, and even branded things which do not really

give lasting happiness but temporary pleasure. We tend to

become desperate about material things that we fail to realize that

we are falling into the pit of our own despair; we would grasp

even the tip of the thread to save ourselves from drowning.

Young or old, everyone can succumb to the reckless sensation

that temporary pleasures give. No one is an exception, especially

the youth.

When we are young, though we may deny it, our

thoughts are usually all over the place; one big mess, chaos. The

burden of growing up starts to take a toll on us, slowly feeling the

pressure for approval; the endless sequence of adjusting; trying so

hard, yet not meeting the results desired; ashamed; ridiculed; and

what not and what not about teenage life. The truth is everyone

wants to hide from reality even for just a moment; to believe that

the temporary relaxation material things bring could keep us at

bay, the calm. But what if the price for this nirvana comes with

our own life?

Living in the moment and dealing with the consequences

later is a bad habit we all do; to just picture the moment and not

even think about the future. But what if the future is beyond our

comprehension. What if tomorrow would even be harder than the

present? Though cliché but true, we must take responsibility for

our actions and decisions. We should be ready for what could

happen in the future because of the choices we make today.

It is okay to hide once in a while, but if we keep on

hiding, we will never get to go where we are headed - to what lies

beyond; to see the next beautiful moments that could be ahead.

We may feel alone, but out there are millions more just like us

waiting to be saved. And once we meet these people, we will get

to mend them and they will get to mend us. And though that little

piece of sensation may bring us temporary comfort, it will not

bring happiness; it will definitely not bring true comfort. This is

all up to us; we are in control. #

Survival Mode (Students whose parents are OFWs)

Martina Clare A. Baque, 9 – St. Andrew

According to the 2015 survey that the Philippine

Statistics Authority (PSA) conducted, the estimated

number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is 2.4

million and counting. This increasing number somehow

gets in the way of how children are brought up well.

Parents leaving their children to work away from their

homes leads to both negative and positive effects.

One negative effect is that the families of some of

these OFWs, especially the children, still experience a

loss even amidst the material progress they are enjoying.

They sometimes get into trouble because of the insecurity

of not having a father around, for instance, that they

have developed through the years of separation; lack of

self-esteem; and lack of concentration on their studies

because they are too much supplied with material things,

like gadgets that veer them away from their studies.

Positively, however, there are children of OFW

parents who take their being away from their parents as

a challenge, so they learn to be responsible at a very

young age especially when it comes to their actions. They

become independent in terms of fending for themselves

and making decisions.

In the end, it really just depends on how children

would take their situations and of course, if there is a

good support system coming from the rest of their family

members and friends, that would give them enough

understanding about the matter and reason to be

thankful and take advantage of the situation. In addition,

continuous communication between the children and

their parents will help them realize that no matter how

far they are from each other, the love, care, and support

they've built for so many years will never fade away,

whatever happens. #

11 OPINION Make a Stand Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

EDITORIAL BOARD S.Y. 2016 - 2017

Mary Maacah Planes, Editor-in-Chief

Anne Margareth A. Saulog, Associate Editor

Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo, News Editor

Kyla Fegarido, Sports Editor

Martina Clare Baque, Features Editor

John Vincent Doctama, Features Editor

Jennifer Milan, Literary Editor

Ysabel Francesca Galang, Literary Editor

Irish Masinna, Photojournalist

Carl Arvin Caliwag, Head Cartoonist

CARTOONISTS

Aien Roxas, John Paul Salinas, Adrian Justine Borbe

JUNIOR STAFFERS

Vince Lenard Buenaflor

Chamiq Almirañez

Timothy Patricio

Nathaniel Pierce Padua

Kiefer Villacarlos

Katherine Pestolante

TECHNICAL ADVISER

Ron Joshua DJ. Deato

actually need to go to different places to catch Pokémons which is full

of fun and adventure.

As one of the people who’ve waited for something like this, I

was jubilant about it and was a little impatient for its release in our

country, but there’s a saying that “Best things come to those who wait”.

Based on what I read and heard about this game, I think it’ll be very

tiring to play this because you really have to travel to distant places.

But based on posts and blogs of players of this game or should we call

them “Pokémon Trainers”, it was some kind of a fun idea to exercise

every day and they were actually thankful for it. Some also said that

they actually found a way to socialize with others by joining PokéGyms

to help each other out and have a funny form of settling things.

Considering that the game has just started, numerous

accidents happened appearing in the news that were said to be

caused by the game, just like when a 28-year-old driver in Ausburn,

New York crashed into a tree while playing Pokémon GO. I absolutely

think that it is just not right to blame the game for the recklessness of

the driver for it is his own fault not to follow the safety precautions of

the game that “For safety’s sake, never play Pokémon GO when

you’re… driving a car… or anything else where you should be paying

attention…”. Everyone should indeed pay attention to their

surroundings when playing this game. We should always remember

the saying “Look before you go” or we could change it as “Look before

you play Pokémon GO”. Remembering it will save us from trouble.

Even though a rare Pokémon like Mewtwo is near us, we should

restrain ourselves from getting our phones to catch it.

In consideration of the game being location-based, I

anticipate that the developers wouldn’t place Pokémons in highways or

in any other dangerous sites that Pokémon Trainers would tend to go

risking their lives just for the Pokémon because that carelessness

would seriously kill a person. Seeing that there are cases about

temerity of people playing this game, I also hope that if there are still

many of these cases, the government would implement a rule wherein

there are specific places that are phone-restricted or the data

connections aren’t allowed following that the game needs data

connection or Wi-Fi connections.

I hope that everyone who will play this game would take the

responsibility that comes with it. We should keep in mind that great

things come with great responsibilities. #

Pokémon GO: Fun but Dangerous?

John Vincent D. Doctama, Grade 8 - St. Frances of Rome

Have you heard of pokémons like Pikachu and Charmander?

Well, most of us dreamt of catching one of them. They started coming

out from our mouths when the game Pocket Monsters Red and Green

was released in the 90’s and was followed by the anime series. They

gave us joy during those days and until now, its series is still ongoing,

namely Pokémon: XYZ, continuously giving entertainment to the youth.

Last July 6 of 2016, Niantic Inc. and the Pokémon Company

released a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game

called Pokémon GO for iOS and Android devices. Most people were

totally excited about it but, for some time, it was only available in some

countries like the United States and New Zealand. In this game, you

12 OPINION The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Pilipinas panalo, mga Tsino ayaw patalo

Anthony B. Baybayon, 6-Makabansa

Tunay ngang panalo tayo sa International Arbitration

case ngunit ayaw pa rin umalis ng Tsina. Ayaw nilang galangin

ang desisyon ng internasyonal na korte, dahil ang laban sa mga

pinag-aawayang teritoryo ay nasa pagitan lamang ng Pilipinas at

Tsina. Ayon sa Tsina, dapat daw na huwag makialam and ibang

bansa. Para sa akin, and sinabi ng Tsina ay hindi pagbibigay ng

respeto, dahil alam nilang talo sila. Hindi rin tama ang kanilang

ginagawa sa mga mangingisdang gustong pumalaot sa “Bajo de

Masinloc” dahil may karapatan tayo, sa atin ang teritoryong

iyon.#

Krisis sa West Philippine Sea

Timothy Richlann F. Abesamis, 6-Makabansa

Ang desisyon ng Arbitration Court sa pag

aagawan sa West Philippine Sea ay panig sa

Pilipinas. Bakit nga ba ito pinag-aagawan ng

maraming bansa? Ito ay pinag-aagawan dahil sabi ng

mga eksperto kapag naubos na ang natural na langis

ay kukuha na lang sa West Philippine Sea. Ito ang

dahilan kung bakit inaagaw ng Tsina ang lahat ang

anyong tubig na nasa kanluran ng Pilipinas. Ang

aking opinyon dito ay hindi dapat agawin ito dahil

wala silang sapat na dahilan para angkinin nila ito.

Sila din ay lumalabag sa karapatan ng bawat Pilipino

na nangingisda sa West Philippine Sea. Ginamit din

nila and kanilang kapangyarihan sa pag-agaw ng

dagat na ito. Kamakailan, naglabas din ng opinyon

ang ating pamahalaan tungkol dito.

Ang opinyon ng pamahalaan ay huwag muna

magsalita nang masama tungkol sa Tsina. Sa tingin

ko, tama ang kanilang ginawa na pag-isipan muna

ang susunod na paggalaw sa pag-aagawan ng West

Philippine Sea.#

Ano ang masasabi n’yo tungkol sa Isyu ng Spratly?

Panalo ang Pilipinas Kirsten Chloe F. Damian, 6-Makabansa

Noong araw na nanalo tayong mga Pilipino sa

International Arbitration, hindi parin tumigil and mga Tsino sa

pakikipag-away at hindi pag respeto sa desisyon ng

International Arbitration Court. Para sa akin, mali ang gawain

na pinapakita ng mga Tsino sa mga mangingisda sa West

Philippine Sea. Mali rin ang hindi nila pagsunod sa desisyon

ng korte. Inaasahan ko sa mga pangyayaring ito na dapat pati

mga pulis o taga-protekta ay sumunod at kumalaban ayon sa

desisyon. Dapat tayong mga tao sa buong mundo, pati na rin

ang mga Tsino ay makikiisa sa desisyon na napag-isipan. Wala

na dapat ang kapwa “haters” para lahat ay makisali na sa

taong sumusunod at rumerespeto sa desisyon o pagkapanalo

nating mga Pilipino. Sa puntong ito, kahit saang anggulo, ang

mga Pilipino ang may karapatan sa pagtapak at sa pangingisda

sa West Philippine Sea. Kung ako sa mga Tsino, kikilalanin ko

ang Pilipinas sa pagkapanalo nito kahit mas malakas ang

proteksyon ng Tsina kaysa sa Pilipinas. #

Mapa ng Spratly Islands.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Mapspratly.jpg

13 LITERARY Make a Stand Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Set Me Free Rachel Clare B. Dulay, 6-Makatarungan

I fright because of fear

The voices I don’t want to hear

My hands started shaking

As my heart starts aching

With my eyes on the ground,

I stood up with trembling feet.

I look around,

seeing people each time they greet.

I tried to walk,

hearing their happy voices each time they talk.

I tried to step again,

thinking how love will regain.

I breathe heavily

as my heart beats quickly.

I sigh trying not to cry,

But a tear started to fall from my eye.

I just continue to walk

pretending not to hear their hurtful words as they talk.

Never dare to look back

with the happiness that I lack.

Walking alone on the streets,

touching my chest as my heart beats.

Following the light

as it guides my sight.

Nothing but only trees to see,

wishing to be truly free.

Forgetting the hurtful past,

finding my right path at last.

Try, try, and try

as I spread my wings and fly.

Taking the path I choose

Risking my tomorrow, I won’t lose.

As I close my eyes,

I know that they can’t see me.

Once I open my eyes,

I’ll smile because finally, I am free.

Lost in the Night

at the Forest Mhiel Shaine T. Ulanday, 6-Makabansa

Tonight you might feel a bit of a fright,

without much sight in the middle of the

night.

But you walked while you wondered

about something you have discovered.

That in the night, nature has turned to

beauty

and could be seen even if it’s scary

Yet you’re still remote from home,

so you walked around and roam.

You hear the crickets chirping

And in the silence you’ve been thinking.

“Have I aggravated my problem?

I’m lost so I must be solemn.”

If that’s the way you came from,

it will lead you to where you began

Follow your footprints, on the ground it lies.

And as you find your way home, the sun

starts to shine.

14 FEATURES The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

1st - Marianne Louise Tuazon

1 - Mapagmahal

1st - Maika Ghinine S. Avila

3-Madasalin 2nd - Denise Isabel S. Mangaoang

3-Matapat

3rd- Richard Russel M. Abalos

3-Masigasig

1st - Charlyn Francesca G. Apaya

2-Masipag

2nd - Angelie Bielle M. Aguila,

2-Masipag

3rd - Kristoff Andrei P. Latoga

2-Matipid

2nd - Marianna Ysabella Ragasa

1 - Mabait

3rd - Cassiopeia Iryse Marcelo

1 - Mabait

Winners of the Nutri-coloring Contest

For the Primary Pupils

15 FEATURES Make a Stand Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

“It makes us strong and

healthy. If we don’t eat

healthy foods, the bacteria

will make our body sick.”

Sky Marriane C. Romero

Kinder – Understanding

“We need to eat vegetables be-

cause it is healthy and it makes

you strong and it’s very yummy. It

is fun to eat healthy food because

it makes us smart. “

Charlene Apaya

2-Masipag

Why do we need to eat healthy food? Take it from the kids…

“So you can be super

strong.”

Marcus Jadon D. Inocencio

Kinder – Knowledge

“To make our body strong.” Azure Jamie Vargas

Pre-Kinder – Joy

“We need to eat healthy food

for us not to get sick.”

Alviann Elijah Vergara

1-Mapagmahal

“Healthy food is important

because I can do better in

school.”

Skye Almari Bragas

1-Mabait

“We need to eat

healthy food because it

helps us to grow taller

and stronger.”

Uly Xander Palambiano

1-Masayahin

“I am eating healthy food

so that I can study well.”

Jared Mathew Mantes

1-Magalang


because it has vitamins. Fruits

and vegetables are very healthy

and delicious. Like carrots, it

helps your eyes see well, also

pumpkins. Broccoli is my favorite

because it is the best and

healthiest vegetable for me.”

Rhian Mae L. Jocson

2-Masigla

“We need to eat healthy food be-

cause we are growing. It’s fun eat-

ing healthy food because we become

healthy, strong and get lots of en-

ergy. We can be smarter, too.”

Anne Marllory N. Arambulo

2-Masipag

“It is important to eat nutritious

food so you can be strong and healthy.

You can be taller and have stronger

teeth and bones by drinking milk.

You can eat a little bit of sugar but

it has to be balanced with healthy

foods.”

Precious Amber B. Trajano

3-Mahabagin


because it makes us strong.

We get protein and different

vitamins and minerals from

the food we eat, which help

us become smart.”

Violette C. Sta Cruz

3-Mahabagin

“It is important to eat nutri-

tious food for you to be

healthy and strong. You also

eat healthy foods to be ener-

gized every day, so you can

study and play.”

JieanneCathryn L. Garan

3-Mahabagin

16 FEATURES The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

Sa pagsilang ng bata

Kalinga’y kailangan

Lahat ng mabuti ay para sa kanya

Mainam na nutrisyon

Hanggang dalawang taon

Ang gatas ng ina

Puno ng sustansya

Ang batang bagong silang

Gatas ay kailangan

Sustansyang ‘to’y kumpleto

Para isipa’y wasto at

Sa kanyang paglaki

Gulay, prutas, at karne

Ang isipin natin

Buhay nila’y pahabain

Batang may kinabukasan,

Sa wastong

Nutrisyon nasimulan

Nutri-yell

Over-All Winner 4-Maagap (Ms. Vergara, Adviser)

Highlights of the Quarter

NEW PARENTS’ ORIENTANEW PARENTS’ ORIENTATIONTION

NEW STUDENTS’ ORIENTNEW STUDENTS’ ORIENTATIONATION

PREPRE--SCHOOL OPENING OSCHOOL OPENING OF CLASSESF CLASSES

GTKY ACTIVITY (1ST DGTKY ACTIVITY (1ST DAY OF CLASSES)AY OF CLASSES)

DR. ATM’S DEATH ANNIDR. ATM’S DEATH ANNIVERSARY MASSVERSARY MASS

HS CLUB RECRUITMENT HS CLUB RECRUITMENT DAYDAY

GS CLUB RECRUITMENT DAYGS CLUB RECRUITMENT DAY

MASS OF THE HOLY SPIMASS OF THE HOLY SPIRITRIT

LECTURE ON NUTRITIONLECTURE ON NUTRITION

PREPRE--SCHOOL EXHIBIT (1ST PTC)SCHOOL EXHIBIT (1ST PTC)

GRADE 1 FAMILY DAY WINNERSGRADE 1 FAMILY DAY WINNERS

PS SPEECH FEST WINNERSPS SPEECH FEST WINNERS PS TIMPALAK BIGKASAN WINNERSPS TIMPALAK BIGKASAN WINNERS

WASTE MANAGEMENT SEMINARWASTE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR

COLLABORATIVE BULLETIN BOARD MAKINGCOLLABORATIVE BULLETIN BOARD MAKING

GS LEADERSHIP TRAININGGS LEADERSHIP TRAINING

GS BASKETBALL TRAINIGS BASKETBALL TRAINING BY A PARENT NG BY A PARENT

MTAP TRAININGMTAP TRAINING

PS NUTRIPS NUTRI--COSTUME PARCOSTUME PARADEADE


be the ones bullied most of the

time.

IJA students are fortunate

to have this kind of awareness

program that strengthens their

good values and provide them

sufficient knowledge, skills and

emotional readiness to build

strong and healthy relationships

with fellow IJAians, the ultimate

goal of the program. #

SDC holds… (Continued from page 4)

party members were Joseph

Atabay of 10 – Our Lady of

Consolacion for Vice-President,

Adrian Justin Borbe of 9 – St.

Andrew for Secretary, Ysabel

Francesca Galang of 8 – St.

Frances of Rome for Treasurer,

and Kiana Nicole Ortega of 7 – St.

Raphael for P.R.O. On the other

hand, LANDAS High School

party members included Smiley

Cajumban of 10 – Our Lady of

Fatima for Vice-President, Lour

Thea Eliz Gutierrez of 9 – St.

SCB ’16 … (Continued from page 4)

Peter for Secretary, John Vincent

Doctama of 8 – St. Frances of

Rome for Treasurer, and Kyra

Alyanah Zene Fegarido of 7 – St.

Raphael for P.R.O. The 2 parties

campaigned on June 29-30, 2016

with the help of their advisers, Mr.

Nolan Alzol for Kapit-Bisig and

Ms. Ana Rose San Jose for

LANDAS.

Some students asked why

no one ran for Presidency. This

was because it was decided that

the previous SCB President,

Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo, who is

now in Grade 11,will still be the

president for this year, since this is

the first year of the Senior High

and it is not practical to hold

elections for them alone.

On July 5, 2016, right after

the morning assembly, Mrs. Maria

Fe Monterey, the Student

Activities Coordinator, announced

the winners in the High School

Level while Ms. Marydhelle

Nositera, Grade School Teacher, did

the same in the Grade School.

Here is the new set of SCB

officers for SY 2016-17:

HIGH SCHOOL

President: Lorenzo Angelo Mapalo

(11–St. Matthew)

Vice-President: Joseph Atabay

(10–Our Lady of Consolation)

Secretary: Adrian Justin Borbe

(9–St. Andrew)

Treasurer: Ysabel Francesca Galang

(8–St. Frances of Rome)

P.R.O.: Kiana Nicole Ortega

(7–St. Raphael)

GRADE SCHOOL

President: Mhiel Shane Ulanday

(6–Makabansa)

Vice-President: Jazz Comias

(6–Makatao)

Secretary: Justine Vicente

(5–Mapayapa)

Asst. Secretary: Ayesha Agbunag

(4–Maagap)

P.R.O.: Jana Zafe

(5–Mapagpakumbaba)

It was a landslide victory

for the Kapit-Bisig party, both in

the Grade School and High School

Levels. #

Grade 6 pupils sticking their notes of

commitment to end bullying.

The New Set of Officers taking their oath of office.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina Center for

Public Affairs, Information and Publications Services

(PLMAR-CPAIPS). The selected students of IJA

were accompanied by Mrs. Maria Eliza Boa,

Communication Arts Area Team Leader and Ms. Ana

Rose L. San Jose, Grade 8 English and Enrichment

teacher.

On the first day of the seminar, the topics that

the first set of speakers discussed were about news

writing, video editing, photography and radio

broadcasting. In addition to that, the participants were

also taught by the Marikina City official

photographer how to choose the correct angle when

taking pictures and how to handle cameras properly .

The organizers also toured the participants to the City

Hall’s official radio station.

On the second day, the last set of lecturers

talked about photo editing, balarila (grammar),

creative writing and hosting. The participants were

asked to host a program and write a fiction article,

where IJA’s story, as mentioned earlier, was chosen

as one of the stories that will be featured in a

compilation of short stories that the guest speaker is

creating.

The members of the Blue Chronicle had fun

joining the workshop. The staff said that they have

learned a lot from the writeshop, which they can

apply to their tasks as staffers of the school’s official

publication, The Blue Chronicle. They also said they

can share their passion in Journalism with the rest of

the IJAians and readers of the publication. #

Blue Chron’s story… (Continued from page 1)

forward to spending their academic year in the said

building. Other grade levels are also anticipating the

finalization of the renovations being done in all of

facilities of the school as they shall spend the rest of

the year using such facilities.

Mrs. Ana Marie Nobleza, school principal,

personally welcomed the students on their first day,

together with the other faculty members. She said

that there is so much in store for the students,

especially for the first batch of Senior High students,

who are one with the rest of the country in this

endeavor of uplifting the educational system.“There

are new sets of teachers for all levels, in addition to

the ones who have been with the school for quite

some time, who have undergone rigid training and

workshops in preparation for the school year. The

newly painted classrooms offer fresher ambiance

and a place more conducive to the teaching-

learning process. The acquisition of the third campus

here in IJA Marikina, promises wider spaces for the

students’ need for classrooms, laboratories, libraries

and play areas”, Mrs. Nobleza added.

The school, with its ever energetic faculty,

better facilities and with its pioneer batch of Senior

High School students, is in high hopes that the school

year will again be a success. #

IJA is Driven… (Continued from page 1)


The façade of IJA’s newest campus at Ipil St. This building shall be

called the Dr. Alberto T. Mallonga Memorial Building or simply the

ATM Building.


things” most especially fans and other hard and

pointed objects as these might hurt themselves or the

ones beside them. “No material thing can be more

valuable than a person’s life”, according to her.

These evacuation drills are held not to scare

the students but as a precautionary measure against

real-life disasters. When time comes (but God

forbid), that earthquakes or other disasters happen, all

that is left to do is to be alert, be mindful of our

surroundings, and most of all, have faith in God. #

IJA Braces … (Continued from page 2)

School students. The death anniversary of Dr. Alberto

Mallonga, one of the pillars of Infant Jesus Academy,

was remembered that day together with the

untimely passing of Ms. Jennifer Guerrero the day

before. Her death that followed her less than a

month hospitalization, shocked the whole school

community, as she was still seen reporting to school

during the summer break. She was remembered by

students, parents, alumni and personnel through

prayers and a benefit concert for her hospitalization.

The Grade 11 students were assigned to

sponsor the Mass, which was immediately followed

by the blessing of the new Senior High School

building at Ipil Street which will be named after Dr.

Alberto T. Mallonga. #

IJA commemorates … (Continued from page 2)

Antipolo, and Kalibo). She also said that the change

of color in the main campus is for the main campus

to be one with the rest of the campuses of IJA.

“So now, of all the colors, why yellow?” asked

an IJAian again. The answer is simple and scientific.

Based on a study, tropical countries should use bright

or light colors like white or yellow in their buildings so

it would not absorb so much heat. Scientific

experiments prove that light colors indeed repel

heat, while dark colors absorb it. Thus, the decision to

change color and besides, it is also much cooler to

look at.

IJA might look different from the outside, but

it is strengthened with its values, that even a

hurricane can’t break. Students and alumni might be

having a hard time adapting to this change, but it

has to be kept in mind that the “blue school” would

always have a special spot in its students’ hearts,

and it would never be gone no matter what change

may come. #

IJA Bares … (Continued from page 3)

The event highlighted the induction of the

PDA-Marikina Chapter’s new set of officers for 2016

-2017 and their first seminar which focused on the

improvement of dental services and introduction of

new dental and orthodontic methods and equipment

to provide quality dental care to the residents of

Marikina City. #

IJA Glitzes up … (Continued from page 3)

IJAians during the evacuation

drill.

IJAians during the mass

dedicated to the school founders

and Ms. Jen G.

IJA Marikina, Antipolo and Kalibo campuses

20 CAPTURED The Blue Chroni-

Vol. 18 No. 1 - JUNE 2015 - FEBRUARY 2016 20 CAPTURED The Blue Chronicle Vol. 19 No. 1 JUNE - AUGUST 2016

A Prayer Gian Nathaniel DS. Alfonso, 5-Mapagkumbaba

Reading Psalm 20: “They will collapse and fail; but we shall rise and stand up right.”

Reflection Sometimes we fall and fail. But when we fall, we should not just cry and keep it

that way. We should rise up and do better. When I failed in my exams, I didn’t

cry. Instead, I said to myself that I need to improve myself and pass the

performance task. Do you know why? Because every time I fail, God watches

me and helps me stand up. I believe that God will never leave us.

He always helps us.

Petition God, please guide my father in his work on the ship, and all the rest of the

fathers and mothers working hard for their children, so we can all get away

with our problems, like paying our debts. When we fall, please lift us always so

we can solve our problems.

ija is driven to succeed with k-12

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