ePortfolio

ePortfolio

Mark Gonzales           August 30, 201                ENGLCOM

Cover Letter

Dear Mentor,

    First and foremost, I would like to thank you for teaching me how to become a good writer and an effective communicator. I am very happy with what I have gained in my Englcom class. I became a better writer and an effective communicator, which can be supported by the comments I received in my blog and your remarks and suggestions on my essays.  These evidences prove that I was able to improve my writing skills and improve on how I express myself.

    The DLR that I found difficult to achieve is to become a critical creative thinker because I am somewhat close-minded to things that I am not fully interested in. However, I realized that I needed to be open-minded for me to express myself fully. I plan to reflect upon interesting topics to broaden my knowledge and enhance my creativity.

     The evidences that I am most proud of are the comments I received from you in my Argumentative Essay. Upon reading those comments, I cannot help but ponder on how I was able to achieve these things. Again, thank you for motivating me to push my limits and to enhance my writing skills.

    The learning activities that I deemed helpful in achieving my personal goals in Englcom are the essays that I have done since the beginning. Each and every essay that I have done enhanced my abilities in writing and helped me in expressing myself.

    In my opinion, blogging helps in the development of my reading and writing skills because by writing essays and expressing myself, I am able to improve on my abilities as a writer.

Throughout this course, I learned that I still have a lot to learn and that I should never give up even when faced with multiple problems. I also believe that I should always be open to ideas and suggestions from peers.

I believe that the revisions I made on my major essays show that I became a better writer. My first few essays received negative reviews; however, as I continue to progress, the comments and suggestions I received became positive feedbacks.

           

           

Yours truly,

Mark Gonzales

Table of Contents

Essays  (Entry)	Date Submitted	Score/Perfect Score
Cover Letter	August 30, 2012
1.     Argumentative Essay (The Good side of RH Bill)	August 19, 2012
2.      Extended Definition               (Pursuit of Happiness)	July 22, 2012
3.     Englcom goals essay (Goals and Hurdles)	June 25, 2012
4.    Diagnostic Essay       (The Rich and the Poor)	August 26,2012 *absent po ako nung first day, sabi niyo po deadline for my diagnostic essay is on the date of submission pa po ng e-portfolio*

Argumentative Essay(FINAL)

The Good side of RH Bill

            Studies by the National Youth Commission show that the youth are more vulnerable and at a greater risk without proper reproductive health services. Young pregnancies account for 30% of all daily births in the Philippines. According to the Commission on Population, 3 out of 4 young women die every day because of maternal complications. Furthermore, A study by the National Epidemiology Center in 2005 shows young pregnancies have the highest rate of fetal deaths, especially by women under age 15. In December 2010, the Department of Health reports that there are 489 cases of young men and women infected with HIV. There are 6 new and unique detections of HIV every day, 59% of which is in 20-29 years old bracket and 28% belong to the 15-24 years age range. In line with these problems, there is a need to make solutions. One great solution would be the implementation of the Reproductive Health bill, or the RH bill. One of the aims of the RH bill is to solve these problems by providing access medically safe, legal, affordable and quality natural and modern family planning methods. The RH bill also aims to guarantee universal access to information about birth control and maternal care. Thus, the RH Bill should be passed because it helps the Philippines progress towards development by offering women healthcare, providing sexual education to students, and helping the Filipinos to have responsible family planning.

            There are reasons why the reproductive health bill is not yet passed; however, majority of the people believe that the advantages brought by the implementation of the reproductive health bill will outweigh the cons that go with it. According to the survey hosted by Pulse Asia, 69% of the respondents from different regions are pro RH bill and they believe that the implementation of the bill would do more good than harm.(Pulse Asia, 2012)

            The first plausible disadvantage of RH Bill is that the money that will be used in funding the bill would be subject to corruption from officials. An estimate of 14 billion pesos would be allotted to the bill if the bill would be implemented (Department of Health, 2012).  The money involved can blind those corrupt officials; however, health and development should be prioritized.  The bill provides healthcare services to women and the marginalized. The Women and marginalized are prioritized by providing for their needs such as legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services. After the implementation of the bill, the State guarantees universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information thereon even as it prioritizes the needs of women and children, among other underprivileged sectors (SECTION 2, RH Bill, 2008).  Furthermore, women seeking care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner. (SECTION 3, RH Bill, 2008). The health and development of the marginalized sector and the women should be clearly prioritized over the risk of the money being stolen by corrupted officials.

            Second, the implementation of the bill would possibly increase the number of couples engaged in pre-marital sex. However, this would not be the case because the bill aims to provide sexual education to address this problem. As stated in the bill, “Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health Education,” recognizing the importance of reproductive health rights in empowering the youth and developing them into responsible adults, Reproductive Health Education in an age-appropriate manner shall be taught by adequately trained teachers starting from Grade 5 up to Fourth Year High School. In order to assure the prior training of teachers on reproductive health, the implementation of Reproductive Health Education shall commence at the start of the school year one year following the effectivity of this Act.” If the youth are educated regarding the consequences of pre-marital sex, they would become responsible and they would know their limitations.

            Third, critics believe that the bill would lead to the legalization of abortion; however, the bill aims to prevent unwanted, unplanned and mistimed pregnancies. As stated in the bill, with “respect for life” as one of its guiding principles (sec. 2), the bill unequivocally states that it does not seek to “change the law on abortion, as abortion remains a crime and is punishable” (sec. 3.m). It can be argued, in fact, that in guaranteeing information on and access to “medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality” natural and modern family planning methods (sec. 2), the bill seeks “to prevent unwanted, unplanned and mistimed pregnancies” (sec. 5). The bill addresses the issue before it occurs and not the issue after pregnancy occurs.

            Lastly, the church disproves of the use of contraceptives. If the church is pro-life, how can the suffering of the marginalized sector and the mass with regard to the sexually transmitted diseases be ignored? The bill aims to address these problems with the adequate supply of contraceptives given to the mass. It is now time for the church to realize that the old teachings are not always applicable to the present situations and problems.

            With the pros and cons stated, the people should realize that the implementation of the RH bill would not just cause us present relief but also the development of the country by offering women healthcare, providing sexual education to students, and helping the Filipinos to have responsible family planning. It is now time to act, let us stop being so naive to the issues being faced by the country. The implementation of the bill is one step further to development.

          

          

          

          

Word count: 903

References

                  Anti-RH bill proponents are ineffective and ignored by the people; 69% support RH bill. (2010, December 1). Retrieved from http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/new-pulse-asia-survey-on-rh-bill-shows-the-anti-rh-bill-proponents-are-ineffective-and-ignored-by-the-people

                  The RH Bill as pro-life and pro-women. (2011, March 9). Retrieved from http://www.likhaan.org/content/rh-bill-pro-life-and-pro-women

                  Reproductive Health Bill. (2011, February 21). Retrieved from http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/basic_15/HB04244.pdf

                  PB listens to pros, cons. (2011, July 19). Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/25789/pb-listens-to-pros-cons

Exented Definition Essay(FINAL)

Pursuit of Happiness

Mark Gonzales

            What is the true meaning of happiness? Where can we find happiness? These are questions that linger in everybody’s mind. Happiness for me is a state of well-being which we can draw from sources like family, friends, money, and achievements. Happiness is not just about doing whatever we like, it’s about being happy or contented about the things we have done.

            The Denotative meaning of happiness, according to the Webster Dictionary, is the state of being contented by a pleasurable or satisfying experience. Its denotative meaning suggests a common way of expounding this state; however, its connotation reveals a much wider perspective. Jamiko Allan Sabbun Manguba, a college freshman from De La Salle University, believes that true happiness is when we come to realize our highest desires, taking no notice of all other matters we once thought would bring us much gladness. What Miko means by this is that many people think that money would give happiness to them, only realizing that money would just be a short-term solution to their problems. Happiness is not what we think it is. Four of the many sources of true happiness are as follows: family, friends, money (long-term), and achievements.

There are many sources from which we can draw happiness. First, Family is one of the key providers of happiness since they would always be there to support no matter what. Examples of happiness that can be acquired from family members are motivation, support,  and love which would drive us to become happy and better people. Second, friends are also a key provider of happiness to us because majority of the time outside our homes, our friends would be there to provide us with what we need, physically or emotionally. Knowing that we have friends that would always support us would give us a reason to be happy. Third is money because money would help ease our financial problems. When we solve our financial problems, we become less stressed and thus we become happy. I do not believe in the saying “Money cannot buy happiness” because to be able to survive in the fast pace changing world, one must be able to be financially independent and capable.  Being financially independent is that one must be able to survive everyday living without hassle of financial problems. By living a financially independent life, one can ensure a life free of hassle about money.   Lastly, achievements that we have accomplished would greatly boost our happiness quotient since accomplishing tasks would reward us with a boost of ego and happiness.

            With happiness come positive and negative effects. It does not mean that if you are happy, there are no consequences. Two good effects of being happy are being in a state of wellness and being stress-free. Knowing that what we did will make us happy will result in a state of being contented. By being contented, we would not be greedy and in the long run, we would live a life with good values. By being stress-free, we can live a life with less hassle or less problems to cope with. Being happy is a sign that we have done what we like doing best and knowing that he/she would be happy and contented after doing it. According to the studies of BC Health Coalition, a life with little stress is a life with less illness. I believe that this is true because majority of the illness that occurs in our body resulted from stress. Too much stress can lower our immune system, thus making us more prone to sickness.

            There are many good effects of happiness but they are too many to mention; however, there are negative effects that should not be overlooked. One of which is that by being overhappy, we are driven away from reality. An example of which is that if you are too happy, you will not be able to become aware of present problems or stressors. This is a grave negative effect of being excessively happy because if we are absent from reality, the happiness we are currently experiencing is just a short-term happiness. Furthermore, it is very crucial to become aware of the present reality so as to be able to plan the course of action. By planning what we ought to do, we can overcome the forthcoming stressors and in the future, become contented. Another disadvantage of being excessively happy is that we become complacent. Thinking that all will be good, we become complacent and if we become gratified, we may neglect other aspects that may have made us much happier.

            Being happy is not just about doing what we like or having things that satisfy us at the moment, true happiness is more than that. We can achieve true happiness by focusing on what we have now and knowing how to allocate time to plan for the future. Additionally, to be happy, we must treasure the sources of happiness and know how to use it for our advantage. Always remember that majority of the time, family would be the first source of happiness because from womb to tomb, they would be there. Being happy gives us good effects as well as negative effects. By knowing how to utilize these negative effects for our advantage, we can become happier than ever in the long run. Sharon Salzberg once said, “As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: 'What do I really need right now to be happy?' What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way.” This means that happiness is not always what we think it is.  Happiness comes in different forms and comes from different sources. We must know how to utilize the present short-term happiness for the future long-term happiness and this I believe, is the meaning of true happiness.

Word Count: 1067



Sources:

     Psych Basics(n,.d). Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/happiness

     Happiness(n.d). Retrieved from http://www.nsrusa.org/happiness.php

     Happiness(n.d). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness
     
     Authentic Happiness(2012, March 22). Retrieved from http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

Diagnostic Essay

*ms. absent po ako dati kaya sabi niyo po mag post nalang po ako dito*

The Rich and the Poor

Why do the rich people become richer and the poor poorer? This is the question that lingers in everybody's mind. In my opinion, the reason why the rich becomes richer is that they are financially educated. I am sad to say that I do not fully agree with people’s view of multistream management and their views that money can’t buy happiness. The sad truth is that, to become financially independent and to be able to cope up with the fast pace of the world, one must become not just value oriented but also financially educated.

            I am currently an inactive member of a multi-level marketing company named Global Fusion Incorporated and seeing how my brother operates in the company inspires me to become just like him or even better.  I believe that to become successful and happy in life, it’s not just becoming a good person (in terms of values) but also become financially independent. What I mean by financially independent is that one must be able to survive and overcome financial problems without too much hassle.  Money may not buy happiness the same way poverty may not buy happiness. But having money would surely ease stress. The way my brother works in the company is that he personally trains and supports his downlines and fellow distributors (multi-stream approach). By doing this, his fellow distributors would earn which would in turn make him earn (mainstream approach.) This process illustrates that it is possible for mainstream and multi-stream approach to be used hand-in-hand for a better outcome for everybody.

            There would never be one good trusted approach of management in life. The only thing that we should strive for in these times is to become financially independent and happy by using mainstream and multi-stream hand-in-hand. This might be the secret formula of living a stress-free life without having to step on other people.

Argumentative Essay: RH Bill(DRAFT)

                                                      Argumentative Essay: RH Bill

            Studies show that the youth are more vulnerable and at a greater risk without proper reproductive health services. Young pregnancies account for 30% of all daily births in the Philippines. According to the Commission on Population, 3 out of 4 young women die everyday because of maternal complications. Furthermore, A study by the National Epidemiology Center in 2005 shows young pregnancies have the highest rate of fetal deaths, especially by women under age 15. In December 2010, the Department of Health reports that there are 489 cases of young men and women infected with HIV. There are 6 new and unique detections of HIV everyday, 59% of which is in 20-29 years old bracket and 28% belong to the 15-24 years age range. In line with these problems, there is a need to make solutions. One of great solutions would be the implementation of the Reproductive Health bill, or the RH bill. One of the aims of the RH bill is to solve these problems by providing access medically safe, legal, affordable and quality natural and modern family planning methods. The RH bill also aims to guarantee universal access to information about birth control and maternal care. Thus, the RH Bill should be passed because it helps the Philippines to lean towards progress by offering women healthcare, providing sexual education to students, and helping the Filipinos to have responsible family planning. 

            There are reasons why the reproductive health bill is not yet passed; however, majority of the people believe that the advantages brought by the implementation of the reproductive health bill will outweigh the cons that go with it. According to the survey hosted by Pulse Asia, 69% of the respondents from different regions are pro RH bill and they believe that the implementation of the bill would do more good than harm.

            The first plausible disadvantage is that the money that will be used in funding the bill would be subject to corruption from officials. An estimate of 14 billion pesos would be allotted to the bill if the bill would be implemented (Department of Health, 2012).  The money involved can blind those corrupt officials; however, health and development should be prioritized.  The bill provides healthcare services to women and the marginalized. The Women and marginalized are prioritized by providing for their needs such as legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services. After the implementation of the bill, the State guarantees universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information thereon even as it prioritizes the needs of women and children, among other underprivileged sectors (SECTION 2, RH Bill, 2008).  Furthermore, women seeking care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner. The government shall ensure that women seeking care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner. (SECTION 3, RH Bill, 2008). The health and development of the marginalized sector and the women should be clearly prioritized over the risk of the money being stolen by corrupted officials.

            Second, the implementation of the bill would possibly increase the number of couples engaged in pre-marital sex. However, this would not be the case because the bill aims to provide sexual education to address this problem. As stated in the bill, “Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health Education. – Recognizing the importance of reproductive health rights in empowering the youth and developing them into responsible adults, Reproductive Health Education in an age-appropriate manner shall be taught by adequately trained teachers starting from Grade 5 up to Fourth Year High School. In order to assure the prior training of teachers on reproductive health, the implementation of Reproductive Health Education shall commence at the start of the school year one year following the effectivity of this Act.” If the youth are educated regarding the consequences of pre-marital sex, the number involved would be significantly lowered.

            Third, critics believe that the bill would lead to the legalization of abortion; however, the bill aims to prevent unwanted, unplanned and mistimed pregnancies. As stated in the bill, with “respect for life” as one of its guiding principles (sec. 2), the bill unequivocally states that it does not seek to “change the law on abortion, as abortion remains a crime and is punishable” (sec. 3.m). It can be argued, in fact, that in guaranteeing information on and access to “medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality” natural and modern family planning methods (sec. 2), the bill seeks “to prevent unwanted, unplanned and mistimed pregnancies” (sec. 5.k). The bill addresses the issue before it occurs and not the issue after pregnancy occurs. 

            Lastly, the church disproves of the use of contraceptives. If the church is pro-life, how can the suffering of the marginalized sector and the mass with regards to the sexually transmitted diseases be ignored? The bill aims to address these problems with the adequate supply of contraceptives given to the mass. It is now time for the church to realize that the old teachings are not always applicable to the present situations and problems.

            With the pros and cons stated, the volume of the population should realize that the implementation of the RH bill would not just cause us present relief but also the development of the country by offering women healthcare, providing sexual education to students, and helping the Filipinos to have responsible family planning. It is now time to act, let us stop being so naive to the issues being faced by the country. The implementation of the bill is one step further to development.

           

           

           

           

Word count: 915

Sources:

Anti-RH bill proponents are ineffective and ignored by the people; 69% support RH bill. (2010, December 1). Retrieved from http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/new-pulse-asia-survey-on-rh-bill-shows-the-anti-rh-bill-proponents-are-ineffective-and-ignored-by-the-people

The RH Bill as pro-life and pro-women. (2011, March 9). Retrieved from http://www.likhaan.org/content/rh-bill-pro-life-and-pro-women

Reproductive Health Bill. (2011, February 21). Retrieved from http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/basic_15/HB04244.pdf

PB listens to pros, cons. (2011, July 19). Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/25789/pb-listens-to-pros-cons