@fidelis

Industries in the Midst of the Pandemic and Services Offered The coronavirus disease that had greatly affected the world’s economy to this date is a highly infectious disease that spreads quite rapidly. This type of virus, which are positive single-stranded large RNA viruses, had evolved from infecting animals to infecting humans. Originated in Huanan seafood market in Wuhan in the province of Hubei of China, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which was shortened to COVID-19 had spread to several nations worldwide. The most common symptoms of the patients that accumulated the virus are fever, dry cough and fatigue. The Covid-19 disease is considered severe and in need of urgent care when the symptoms include shortness of breath, loss of appetite, confusion, pain or pressure in the chest and a high temperature above 38 °C, according to the World Health Organization (2021). [1] The pandemic had exposed the world to great challenges to make proper adjustments for the sake of preventing its contamination to the great population. Almost every industry is mandated to provide precautionary measures for their employees just to keep their business going. They are also giving extra services and assistance to the people during this time of uncertainty. The past months has been an unexpected time of difficulties that had brought great impact to individuals, organizations, companies and other industries. However, as time passes by, these industries had to adapt and implement new strategies that would give their costumers assurance of safety and their own. They were able to formulate ‘new normal’ techniques and strategies that would keep their businesses going. **Music Industries**             One of these industries that had shown great creativity is the music industry. The music industry has been greatly affected by the outbreak as the cancellation of concerts, music festivals and live performance events had a massive negative effect on the revenues which had become the greatest casualty for the industry. These live events were cancelled due to the social distancing measures to reduce the rapid spreading of the coronavirus. According to the article by Hall (2020), a shutdown had cost the worldwide industry of approximately more than $10 Billion dollars in sponsorships for the past six months. [2] Also, physical sales of albums have decreased by one-third, which was expected due to the lockdowns in cities and shutdowns of physical stores. The situation had not only affected the performers and artists, but also their fans as well. Fans had been anticipating to watch their live shows, even wait for months or years to get to attend their idols’ concerts in their own countries. Not only the performers, but their fans too and those fond of going to live music events were gravely disappointed to what the pandemic had cost them. Live Nation and Ticketmaster had collaborated to conduct a survey on the statistics of how the pandemic affected live music goers. About 91% of live music goers worldwide are confident in the return of the artists’ cancelled concerts, with a ratio of 9 out of 10 ticket holders still planning to attend their live shows. Moreover, results show that 81% of the respondents truly miss the excitement of attending live events. [3] Lane stated in her article (2020) that the music industry has found new methods to fight back and recover from the loss of revenue and bring back a familiar at the same time different music experience to fans. [4] People now depend on using digital music platforms to stream their favorite artists’ music. Streaming has been essential in the revenues since it has grown from 9% to 47% in only six years. Music agencies had discovered using online platforms to hold music events like online concerts with fans needing to buy online tickets to support their artists. This has brought joy to both the artists and their fans. Some artists including Chris Martin, John Legend and Gavin Rossdale had conducted concerts via live streaming and used the live feature of Instagram to entertain their fans with free shows. They also upload performances on Youtube to promote their songs and feed their fans that have been deprived of seeing them perform live. There are even online charity concerts being held, or “concerts for a cause” where the proceeds from their number of views or ticket sold are to be given to those in need. Music is a language of emotion that portrays different unspoken feelings and barge into the soul with no limitations. There are times when people are challenged by the thought of no one understanding them, and thus music has been a great factor of comfort, especially during difficult times. **Bighit Label’s New Year’s Eve Live Concert.** HYBE Corporation, formerly known as Bighit Labels, held a family concert which included most of its artist last December 31, 2020. This was announced on Weverse, an application which serves as a platform for the fans’ communities. The label uses this application to let their artist connect with their fans more, as they can post anything and can reply with each other, making both artists and fans happy with their interactions. This concert was held at KINTEX Exhibition Center in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea which was live streamed for fans all over the world to watch. It was noted that the activities of the artists and staff of the event were under the guidance and followed the protocols of their government in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Tan further stated in her article (2020) that the line-up for the virtual concert included BTS, Tomorrow by Together, ENHYPEN, NU’EST, Lee Hyun and Bumzu. Days later the first announcements of the line-up, the label also announced special stages for Halsey, Lauv and Steve Aoki. [5] HYBE Corporation stepped up the online concert experience by adding multi-views and online meet-and-greets to give fans a better concert experience at their homes. Moreover, Bighit Label’s artists themselves have helped vulnerable people in this pandemic like how BTS had supported Crew Nation’s campaign and donated $1 million to charity supporting live concert crews and staffs, reported in the article by Press Trust of India (2020). [6] **88Rising DOUBLE HAPPINESS Winter Festival.** 88Rising, an American mass media company had announced a free global music festival to be streamed via EASTERN STANDARD TIME, a concert platform that allows fans experience the music festival in real-time in their own homes. DOULBLE HAPPINESS Winter music festival had presented great Asian acts worldwide. Replays of the performances will also be given for free via Youtube. The festival was held last December 2, 2020 and presented over 30 acts with performances spanning from Vietnam, South Korea, Philippines, the United States, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia. This has also given opportunities to performers to expose their music worldwide, as this music festival had showcased “the world’s best Asian talent in a digital sphere while celebrating Asian unique heritages and talent worldwide,” written by LorraineYe in her article (2020). [7] **Food Industries** Another industry that had undergone great adjustments is the food industry. Due to the challenges brought by COVID-19, there has been about the process of food production, with its distribution and demand. From the research conducted by Aday (2020), the outbreak of the disease had caused restriction of workers, shutdown of food production facilities, restaurants and stores, limitations on food trade, and changes in consumers demand. [8] Many had lost their jobs due to the situation and workers such as small farmers are in need of financial assistance. To be able to improve and cope up what has been affected by the pandemic and to benefit everyone, including workers and consumers, the food industry had changed their working conditions while simultaneously maintaining the health and safety of the employees by providing and modifying safety measures. Numerous restaurants and food chains are restricting customers from dining in due to the social distancing policy and prevention of mass gathering of people. Due to this, take-out or take-home practices and deliveries have surged, as mentioned in the article by Lane (2020). [4] An example of such practice is how a person can order via phone messages or online applications to go to the store or restaurant to pick up their meals, which are handed by employees who are well-trained with extra safety measures. Food delivery services had surged which relied heavily on ordering through online applications to minimize exposure to personal contact or interaction. Many restaurants, food chains and food stalls had adapted to these services and provided job opportunities such as food delivery drivers. Little do others know how these delivery services did not only benefit to the safety measures of the general public to stay at home, but also helped those who had financial struggles during the new normal where many had lost their work from other industries. **Jollibee Provides ‘Cloud Kitchens’.** One of the examples of services provided is the building of ‘cloud kitchens’ by Jollibee, a Filipino fast food chain, to balance out the struggles within the pandemic. A Nikkei staff writer, Cliff Venzon, wrote in his article that the food chain company was said to spend Php 7 billion or approximately $138 million to build these ‘cloud kitchens’, which are unmarked delivery outlets, and to provide a stronger delivery services. These outlets do not include facilities for dine-in services for the safety of the customers, and it are located in discreet, low rent sites. They also decided that there will be closures of their food branches that are weak in performance and have to put more of their investment in digital infrastructure. Jollibee also announced that they are improving their online order and payment methods including delivery services. [9] With these schemes, job opportunities would still be provided, the customers would still enjoy the food, and at the same time safety measures against COVID-19 are practiced. **Nestlé’s Response to COVID-19.** Nestlé is the world’s biggest company for food and beverages. Posted in their official website are statements on how they focused on continuing to take advantage of their size and scale to support communities all over the world. They ensure to meet the nutritional necessities of families during this uncertain time of difficulty. The food company had donated a total of CHF 90 million, both in financial and in-kind, to more than fifty nations. Their initial actions target in providing support to healthcare systems along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). They offered more help and services as they continued to respond to hunger and poverty with the European Federation of Food Banks. Nestlé also had contributed to delivering vaccines against the coronavirus since the beginning of April 2021. With regards to employees, the company provided generous sick leave arrangements for those who got in contact with the virus, offered cash loans for those having financial struggles, and gave free meals and transport to workers in factories and distribution centers to help lessen the risk of contact with the virus. [10] **Oil Industries** One last example of the industry that had brought additional services to provide to communities is the oil industry. There have been concerns on its operation as they race to protect their employees. Moreover, companies strives to ensure the continuity and stability of their operations despite a huge drop in the forecast of the capital expenditure. This sector has to adjust and provide extra assistance and services to help both the industry and consumers. According to Corrigan (2020), priorities should include the following: health, safety and productivity to sustain the delivery of their service during the outbreak; careful management of supply chains due to restrictions; cutting off of producer/consumer spending; and balancing of capacity of staff with alterations in the workforce. [11] **Shell’s Contributions.** One company under this industry that had provided great service to the people is Shell. According to its official website, the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a great impact on people’s livelihood and the company has been working hard in assisting in the global fight against the COVID-19, and to support efforts on the recovery of the communities.             Stated in Daly’s article (2021), Shell has donated $10 million to COVAX to support the global aim to make vaccines against the coronavirus be more widely available. COVAX is a shortened term for COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access founded by the Vaccine Alliance; the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). One of its objectives is to provide vaccines against the coronavirus for free to at least twenty percent of the populations of the poorest nations of the world. The target of this project is to be done by the end of 2021 and the country of Ghana was the first countries to be provided in February. [12] Other generous services Shell has offered was free fuel for the vehicles from Hyundai Motor Company in Mexico City who provided these vehicles for about one hundred doctors and other frontliners in the medical field. These vehicles are for their everyday transportation for about five weeks to a temporary medical center for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Shell also provided foods and drinks to the medical staff. Moreover, Shell has donated alcohol and disinfectant wipes for hospitals and other medical centers. In addition to these services, Shell TapUp which is a mobile fuel service company, has offered to supply fuel to charities that provide food to people, such as Meals in Wheels. [13] **Petron fuels fight against COVID-19.** Petron, a large oil refining company, worked with government agencies in providing services for workers and communities most affected by the pandemic. They firmly promised a sufficient supply of fuel to their valuable costumers while making their employees and facilities safe. They also donated Php 1 million to support the PVC donation drive and provided free fuels for free transportation of frontliners and medical staff. [14] **Conclusion**             Despite all the difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic had brought to everyone worldwide, people learned to adjust and adapt to do whatever it takes to improve their livelihoods. These adjustments would not be possible without the services offered by different facilities and industries, as every single individual, organization, and company are striving to help each other out. The industries had made major adjustments and provided services that would benefit both them and their consumers. Music industries provided virtual concerts and even online concerts for charity. Food industries improved their delivery services. Oil industries had donated fuel for transportation of medical staff and services. These are only a few examples of what industries had contributed in fighting the pandemic. References [1] WHO COVID-19 IPC Global Expert Panel. (2020). *Clinical Management of COVID-19.* World Health Organization. [2] Hall, S. (2020). *This is how COVID-19 is affecting the music industry.* World Economic Forum. [3]  Live Nation and Ticket Master. (2020). *COVID-19 IMPACT FROM LIVE MUSIC FANS* [4] Lane, Rachel. (2020). *How Industries Around the World are Adapting to COVID-19.* iGrad. [5] Tan, V. (2020). *Weverse to hold New Year’s Eve Live Concert featuring Bighit Label’s Artists* *– BTS, TXT, GFRIEND, ENHYPEN, and more.* Bandwagon News. [6] Press Trust of India. (2020). *Coronavirus Outbreak: BTS, Big Hit Entertainment donates $1 mn* *to charity supporting live concert crew.* [7] LorraineYe. (2020). *ATEEZ & Kim Chung Ha To Perform at 88rising's 'DOUBLE HAPPINESS* *Global Holiday Festival'.* Allkpop. [8] Aday, S. and Aday, M. (2020). *Impact of COVID-19 on the food supply chain.* Oxford Academic. [9] Venzon, C. (2020). *Jollibee to build 'cloud kitchens' to offset coronavirus pain.* Nikkei Asia. [10] Nestlé editors. (2021). *Our response to COVID-19.* Nestlé Official Website.             Retrieved from: *https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/our-response-covid-19-coronavirus*  [11] Corrigan, J. (2020). *COVID-19 and the oil price collapse: The impact on oilfield services*. PWC, United States. [12] Daly, C. (2021). *COVID-19: Shell donates $10 million to COVAX.* Shell Official Website. [13] Shell Website Editors. (2021). *SHELL’S CONTRIBUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD*. Shell Official Website. Retrieved from: *https://www.shell.com/covid19/shell-contributions-* *around-the-world.html* [14] Petron Website Editors. (2020). *Petron fuels fight against COVID-19.* Petron Official Website.

Should Hate Speech be Banned? It is stated in the First Amendment of the American Constitution that the Congress shall give the public the freedom and protection to speech, to express themselves and even given the right to petition. It safeguards the public speech and the government cannot arrest a person for speaking out his or her mind, as the founding fathers of the nation had believed that the freedom of speech or of the press is fundamental to democracy. Hate speech is covered under such freedom, and it still must be protected for it is how an individual’s perspective can be converted into the power of the public and be able to express and fight for their rights (Kahn 572). [1] Having restrictions on hate speech means that the citizen’s democratic rights are being restricted, and such restriction cannot be accepted in a democratic country. Hate speech should not be banned, but there are at least three dimensions to regulate it. One is considering the object of hate, as the legislation includes only specific types of offenses considered, like racism that could be punishable if it amount to unlawful discrimination. Another is the nature of harm, as hate speech can lead to harm that goes beyond hurtful emotions and can manipulate a certain individual or group to provoke them into abusive actions or violence, which also relates to the last dimension which are checks against abuse (George). [2]             A slippery slope in banning hate speech is how putting restrictions in the most hurtful hate speech can lead to unacceptable banning on speech itself that should be protected, since there is no specific between kinds of speech (Brison 5). [3] Hate speech itself is considered not problematic and people would not defend themselves properly if they do not have the freedom to express.             The freedom of speech has been the most powerful weapon of the public with their equal rights, and censorship is the strongest counter to such weapon (Strossen 465). [4] The government could easily control the people that may lead to abusive power if it becomes out of hand, thus ripping the rights of the people from their hands.   Works Cited [1] Kahn, Robert A. *WHY DO EUROPEANS BAN HATE SPEECH? A DEBATE BETWEEN KARL LOEWENSTEIN AND ROBERT POST.* 2013. [2] George, Cherian. *Hate Speech Law and Policy.* Wiley Online Library, 2014. [3] Brison, Susan. *Hate Speech.* [4] Strossen, Nadine. *Hate Speech and P Hate Speech and Pornography: Do We Have to Choose between Freedom of Speech and Equality?* CASE WESTERN RESERVE University, 1996.

Mono Album Review Mono by RM was released on October 23, 2018 through Bighit Entertainment, now known as HYBE Corporation. [1] Mono is more of a playlist type of album with a hip-hop genre where each track is connected with one another. RM produced and wrote most of the tracks and collaborated with artists such as Nell, eAeon and HONNE, and producers including Supreme Boi, HISS NOISE and Pdogg. It features seven tracks which are generally in Korean with one full English track. Despite not using the universal language, Mono had made history with its recent record as it reached the most #1’s on iTunes album sales chart, reaching the top of the chart for 121 countries, defeating Ed Sheeran’s Divide album as reported in Headline Plant’s music news.[2]             Kim Namjoon, also known as his stage name “RM,” is a 26-year old Korean artist who is a member of the famous boy group BTS. He is also the leader, main rapper, producer, composer and song writer of the group. He has also recorded with Western artists such as Wale, Warren G, Krizz Kaliko, Fall Out Boy, and Lil Nas X. He was first known as “Rap Monster” as he believed he raps like a “monster” and raps “non-stop” inspired by San E’s song “Rap Genius” thinking it was rather cool. Later on, he changed this stage name to RM in November 2017, at the thought that his past stage name may be a bit much. He said in an interview in Entertainment Tonight that ‘RM’ could mean many things. He was asked once what it means to him and he answered that it could be “Real Me or something”. [3] With his work, Mono, he was able to express himself and he described that this album really depicted what kind of person he really was. HONNE, a band who he collaborated with, revealed that one of the many meanings of Mono was “monster no more”. [4]             After listening to each track in order, one can sense the loneliness and suffering the artist may be feeling, even without searching up the translations for the lyrics. RM himself said that the title mono can mean black and white and can also mean or alone or one. He explains that this album playlist defines him. He once had a phase that he got stuck into dark wear or gothic style of clothing and at one point, he started liking to wear clothes of other colors. “This is important for me because clothes can be a very important tool in expressing oneself,” he stated in a livestream where he talked about the creation of Mono, “and when I discovered that I had changed I thought that I should reflect on myself. ” [5] The album cover is quite plain and fits its name. He further explained that rather than a complicated cover design, he chose a simple one with lots of blanks. And with these blanks, a person can come up with various expressions and thoughts just like a blank canvas, and it was somehow a way of communicating with his listeners. This paper shall further discuss three of the seven tracks of the album, presenting briefly the first two tracks to let one understand the theme of the album and focusing on the third track which was quite impactful. The first track of the album is “tokyo”, this song started off with a simple sound of a piano as RM soothingly sing-raps into the song with his raspy voice. RM is well-known among the fans to be very clever in using his words, he plays with words and gives it a different but much more meaningful touch. The word “tokyo” when written in Korean is similar to the pronunciation to “longing from afar”. RM seems to be longing for something, asking the question “Do I miss myself?” in his lyrics as he seemed lost and trying to finding himself. Shamisen sound was added to fit the Japanese vibe that somehow incorporate with the title of the song, and included a whistling melody in the end to express the feeling of emptiness and longing. It was a slow track a expressed in English language, and despite RM not being a born English speaker, he was able to express his raw feelings with this song. It was a perfect introduction for the album, the theme and RM’s message was perfectly arranged with this song and all of his other tracks.     The second track is “Seoul” where he collaborated with HONNE, an English band consisting of a duo, James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck. RM said in his livestream that this song reflects his heart for the city of Seoul the best, it’s his tribute for the city. The lyrics describes how it is possible to love and hate the city at the same time. In this track, he mentioned good and bad memories that makes the city special. It is written how he loves even the fumes and its “nastiness”. With his statement, it can be said that RM embraced the positivity of the city, and even its negativity. A review by Lily Low (2019) explains that on one hand, the city has been his home and his comfort although he also depicts in his lyrics that he has a love-hate relationship with Seoul. [6] The melody of the song had a bittersweet vibe that can be rather catchy. The drums started off with a muffled pattern and went on to a hip-hop type of breakdown that gave a touch of groove and made quite unique. There was a half-time part where the drums were pitched down that eases the mood of the listener.             The next track is “Moonchild.”, the actual favorite of the artist. RM dedicated this song to people who would much rather find their comfort at night. The daytime was described as stressful time because it is the time when you had to face the reality, but when the night time comes, everything is quiet, dark and calm. The song described the night as a sense of freedom – a getaway from other’s eyes. The second verse hit hard, and it was unfortunate how Koreans say that the translations cannot justify the true meaning of his lyrics and how RM’s cleverness was shown through several plays on words. However, the English translations were still striking, “You say you wanna die but live it much harder. You say you wanna let go but put on another weight. Thinking of not thinking at all is still a thinking.” These lyrics are something that the majority of music listeners relate to. RM’s words show a sense of comfort, as he believes that sad music can heal one's sorrow. The hook comes in with big drums and a bit of string instruments in the background and what made it anticipating was the kick that has a lot of reverb on it. Along with the second verse were sounds of wind chimes and soft snares that later grow to get your head to bop. It was rather unique because snares usually smack into the beat. As the second hook approaches, there’s this a hint of background vocal or adlib that signals the approach of the hook to get the listener’s ears to focus and get tuned in to what’s coming near. The chords and synthesizers sounded very spacy which still show the consistency of the vibe of the album. RM harmonized and stacked his vocals with lots more strings to make the last hook seem fuller. It is a song where you feel relaxed, assured, sad at the same time, and each lyric anticipates you what comes next.             There are still four more tracks and it is recommended that one should listen to them too, to be able to picture the complete vibe or theme of the album. RM wanted to create an album where he could show the bigger picture. According to him, listening to a well-made album or an entire playlist from beginning to end is much bigger than the catharsis one might get from listening to just one song. He compares how nowadays people consume songs like products, and said that he wants his songs to operate like an organic machine as a whole. He wants people to look at the beauty of the whole forest rather than a single tree. One can agree with this, as listening to every single track in order was quite an experience. One track after another, a person can witness the struggles he had been through, and how the lyrics tell people that they are not suffering alone. RM also mentioned recently that he has been working on his new solo album or mixtape, and is surely an album that is to be highly anticipated after following Mono for about three years. References [1] Bell, Crystal. (2018). *BTS’ RM JUST DROPPED HIS SOLO PLAYLIST MONO AND IT’S* *LIKE FREE THERAPY.* MTV News. [2] Cantor, Brian. (2021). *RM’s “Mono” Breaks Record By Reaching #1 On iTunes Album Sales* *Chart In 121st Country; Fellow BTS Member V Recently Broke Song Chart Record.* Headline Planet. [3] Drysdale, Jennifer. (2017). *BTS Answers Fans' Biggest Burning Questions -- And RM Reveals*             *Why He Changed His Name From Rap Monster!* Entertainment Tonight. [4] Niki and Sammy’s Peachy Podcast. (2018). *S4 E7: HONNE on Collaborating with BTS's RM*. BBC Radio. Retrieved from: *https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06tvwbg* [5] Kim Namjoon. (2018). *RM MONO Behind*. Vlive. Retrieved from: *https://www.vlive.tv/video/96907* [6] Low, Lily. (2019). *Mixtape Review: “Mono” by RM*. Medium.

Fridays *Don't you just love it when you come home from a tiring day* *As you change your uniform into comfy PJs* *A sudden jump on your bed, feeling it's coolness* *Ah, this day is finally over, I can finally get some rest* *It's so weird when you can't even sleep* *You just had to get your phone and take a peek* *Wifi still connected, gotta scroll through my wall* *Not realizing how time flies, ah, it's past midnight after all!* *Still not sleepy, what should I do?* *Tomorrow's Saturday, I can sleep later, in maybe an hour or two* *Should I watch anime? Maybe a movie? Or some series?* *How about reading a book, hmm should I ask Siri?* *Didn't realize falling asleep, now I wake up* *I can smell mom's cooking, I get hungry but still too lazy to get up* *Thinking of the precious time I can spend for the day* *Just to relax, have fun, and play* Hi guys! This is a poem I've written about 4 years ago. I just found it on some old school stuff that we published on our newspaper project back then. It kinda made me miss how I look forward to Fridays, but now there's not much excitement since I'm also kinda busy during the weekends ^^; Being an adult kinda sucks, eh? Anyways, I hope you all have a nice day!

Concert Memories Hi there! I hope you guys are doing fine~ Being stuck at home during quarantine sucks. When will this pandemic end? >< Anyways I was cleaning and organizing my files in my laptop and saw some pictures of my happiest moments in my life. Ahh, seeing someone you've been a fan of your whole life hits different, no? July 30, 2016 was the first ever legit concert I attended ('cos, well you know there are school concerts and such). It was at the Mall of Asia Arena. I couldn't believe I would get to see them with my own eyes. BTS. Yes, I'm a fan. I've been a fan since 2013 (so as of now, it's been almost 7 years). Their first concert in the Philippines was last December 7, 2014. I wasn't able to go (with a HEAVY HEART) since I was still in high school and my parents didn't allow me. I was also broke so I couldn't fight my way into going to the concert. Ah, well. During the concert day that time, I locked myself in my room and felt bitter about it. Yup, haha, a typical teenage girl feeling bad about not seeing her favorite boy group. Since I was desperate, I saved money. I tried ways to spend less at school. I kept asking my mom that I'd bring packed lunch, instead of buying in the school canteen. I knew they were going to come back someday. I felt it. No matter how long it would take, I told myself I would see them. I'm sure my parents would allow me if I used my own money, so they wouldn't complain. The cash I received on my birthdays, on Christmas, and even on my high school graduation, I saved them all. It was hard not to spend since I'm quite a *gastadora*. The urge not to buy my guilty pleasures was frustrating. Damn, it was HARD. Lol, the things I would do for my idols. Finally the news came that they would have another tour. FINALLY. When the ticket prices were posted, I kept practicing how I would tell my parents. I prayed that they'd allow me. I have to make sure everything is planned, because for sure, they would bombard me with questions. How will I get there? Who would be with me? Manila is two hours away. How much do I have? Until what time will I be there? I've prepared myself for those questions. Also, it was my first time going to Manila with only a friend or two. I was 17, still a minor going to Manila without her parents. The only adult I was with was a classmate who was 18, lol. The moment my parents allowed me, I actually fell to my knees out of joy. HAHAHA. I was such a kid. I was about to cry, and my family was teasing me. I couldn't eat dinner well, I was so happy! Okay this is getting a bit long HAHAHA. I'll go straight to the concert memories now. My seat was Lower Box but still kinda far, so I couldn't get high quality shots of them on stage. Some of my shots are blurred but I appreciate every single one. They hold precious memories. July 30 2016. EPILOGUE IN MANILA! I wasn't able to take shots Yoongi and Hobi :( I didn't realize it, I just kept screaming hahaha. That's all the post-worthy shots I have haha the others are a mess. I miss them. Looking forward to another concert someday!

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Rejection Therapy On January 28, Tuesday, we had our first meeting in our subject Technopreneurship. A technopreneur is a new age of entrepreneur who makes use of technology to come out with something new to make some innovation. We were introduced and oriented on how we were going to deal with this subject for the rest of the semester. Honestly at first, I had not realized how this subject is really important to us students, as future engineers. We were oriented on how we should create innovations and enhance our skills as leaders. Our fixed mindset should be changed and we have to step out of our comfort zone to be able to improve ourselves and face the environment related to our field.             This is why we were assigned to do an activity which is called “Rejection Therapy”. In this activity, we will be faced with the feelings of being rejected and realize how we react to such scenario. A “social experiment” must be done to be able to experience. What I decided to do is to randomly offer candy (Mentos in the long packaging) to total strangers. We also have to vlog our feelings and insights before and after the social experiment. The social experiment was done right after our orientation in the Main Campus Amphitheater for our Seminars and Field Trips subject. The target area was first at Plaza Mabini, Batangas City. It was during lunch time and the sun was still high above so not much people were at the plaza.  It was honestly hard to gather courage to approach a stranger. The more time to take before going, the more nervous you get. Finally, I was able to approach a person who seemed to be a student of elementary or junior high school. I awkwardly sat beside him and asked if he wanted candy. He agreed without hesitation which caught me by surprise I even accidentally dropped a candy while giving him one. I was not expecting an acceptance at first try. After that, I had the courage to approach another person, also young of age, selling sampaguita wreaths. I was rejected, and what made me feel worse was that he was asking for me to buy sampaguita from him, and did not want any candy. My wallet was not with me during the moment so I was not able to buy even if I wanted to. That was my first rejection. Rejected by a child who just wants to earn money and did not care much about what kids are usually happy about. I then decided to go to the mall because there was hardly any other person approachable at the moment. This was because I was also with a group of classmates doing their own social experiments. And since there weren’t much people in the plaza at that moment, and we were being noticed as time goes on, we decided to change our location. The next person I encountered the social experiment with was sitting on the floor at one side near the entrance of the mall. When I offered her candy, she suddenly laughed and asked why. I did not want to expose the experiment so I just made a reason that I just wanted to finish the candies and wanted to share her some. She then laughed and agreed. World Of Fun was my next stop. I spotted a guy sitting alone. I was very hesitant at first because I know that I will be rejected knowing how serious he looked, and I was right. I got rejected as soon as I offered him. I felt really embarrassed at that moment. The next one, I approached a guy sitting on the stairs. It was kind of awkward, knowing how the stairs was pretty vacant, I sat to a spot right in front of him which I think he noticed. Right then and there I offered him candy, which once again surprised me as he did not even hesitate to agree. I was expecting him to either reject me or simply ask why, but he did not and said, “*Sige*.” Lastly, there was a woman sitting alone in a food stall and as I approached and offered her candy, she rejected me at once. She said she was already full. After I got three acceptances and three rejections, I decided to finish the social experiment. As a person who does not interact much with people, I felt socially and emotionally exhausted. It was also physically exhausting of course. I realized that when I got rejected, the more disappointed I got and it was harder to approach another person. At the same time, the more courage I need to collect and feel proud of myself after a simple interaction. I feel like rejection therapy is making you realize how you face rejection and being aware of it. To be honest, there was a point when I really wanted to stop. One motivation I got was to finish this activity for it is necessary for my grades, so I cannot lie how I really forced myself to approach strangers. This experience was very new to me, but after all that happened, I can’t help but laugh about it and thinking that it was not that bad after all.

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You Can Do It I've been working a lot these days, but I'm sure all these efforts will be paid off. A happy morning to everyone!

I've been busy today and I wasn't able to post an article aaack. But I'm actually proud of myself for being productive ^^ Hope you all had a great day!

On the Way Home Hi! I'd like to share a few photos of the scenery outside the company where I used to train for internship. These photos were captured inside the shuttle service I was in, using my phone. It was a nice sunny afternoon. The glare of the sun's rays made it look like I captured the scene with a filter effect, but this picture above is very raw haha. The company I was training for was just by a bay. I like how the sun's light is only focused somewhere in the middle of the body of water, like a spotlight. On this photo, I just randomly took it while the driver was driving fast, haha. But it turned out great, don't you think? I really like the blurry effect it made. That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading!

Chill Buddy It was a nice day. I thought of drawing on my sketchpad, although it's been a while since I had last drawn something. It felt cozy and chill and I was enjoying myself. And then my good boy, Oggie, wanted some attention! I didn't notice I was ignoring him while focusing on drawing, LOL. I'm sorry, Oggie!! I'll give you some hugs and cuddles. See how fluffy he is >w<

Fresh From Bath Hi! I'd like to share some "wetlook" pictures of my good boy, Oggie. He looks kinda intimidating when he's being bathed, but he's really a playful fella! Thank you for reading~

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Rushed Looking at the clock every now and then Papers scattered as I look for my pen Heart beating fast as I finish this work Regretting the times I wasted, feeling like a jerk Oh no! Only a few minutes left There are still a lot of things to do, there's even a test! Haven't studied much, gotta rush through the notes Gosh, what if my mind explodes? Starting to feel hopeless as the deadline draws near I'm so stressed I'm about to shed  a tear If only time would give me a chance and slow down a bit Then I wouldn't be rushed as I complete these sheets Trying to find answers for things to be done After this, I can't wait to celebrate and have fun Hoping all the effort would be paid well Now, nervously waiting for the results to tell

Missing Maya No, Maya isn't missing. She's not lost. She's in a happy place, with no pain and worries. I just miss her, that's all. I was 8 years old when I adopted her. She was just a wee lil' kitty, so innocent about life. She was just a stray, found her in our neighbor's canal. My siblings and I brought her in. She became part of our family. She sleeps beside us. Stays by our side even when we're busy. Watches us do stuff. She gets really playful when in the mood. But most of the time, she just... ignores us. LOL. Hahaha being the princess of the house that she is. She just lays by the side, being.. well, being a cat. We love to annoy her a lot, hehe. There was a time when I felt really sad. I had no one to talk too. I was just crying in my room. I did not even realize sooner but.. Maya was there. This spoiled princess that usually hides from us when she doesn't want cuddles, was there. It was unusual, but she's there. She knows. This is the picture of the moment. She's soft and fluffy and didn't mind to be hugged that time. Pretty, isn't she? Here's another pic I treasure <3 She left to a happier place when I was 15. She lived with us for 7 years. I just miss her a lot. That'll all~

Meet My Boy! Hi! I'd like you to meet my best buddy, Oggie. He is a good boy - in fact - the "bestest" boy! Look how he looks at the camera playfully and with eyes filled with curiosity. See how handsome he is? He noticed me focusing the camera to him. Then, he gradually prepares himself for.... . . . . . wait for it~ . . . . ... a huge smile!!! He really knows how to warm my heart. I hope he made you smile too. This is one of my favorite photos of him. Oggie has been with us for almost seven years now. SEVEN!! I still can't believe how we just found him on the streets. He used to be just a stray, looking for scraps to survive. He was still a puppy, looking dirty and wounded. How did he become part of our family? Well, we really didn't expect to get attached to him, honestly. Our family has this habit of placing our leftovers in a spot outside for stray dogs and cats to eat, instead of throwing away food that would be put to waste. Usually, dogs would appear after we place the food, since they aren't fond people. Oggie was different. He watched us place leftovers outside, getting excited and rushed towards the food as soon as we're done filling the container. He later on recognized us, coming near us waiting for pats and scratches. We were surprised because strays out here usually barks at us since we're just strangers to them, but Oggie became attached to us first than we became attached to him, haha. I wish I could show you how he looks before to see his "transformation". He had wounds all over his body, and even smelled rusty(?) because of how blood keeps coming out. :( To be honest, really did not expect that he'll become part of our family. Nonetheless, he is with us now - happy and healthy. We took him in, seeing how he became fond with us. At first we only allowed him to stay in our yard, but now he even sleeps beside us on bed. He greets us every morning when he knows we're awake. At night when we start closing the doors, he knows that it's time for bed. He lies down beside us, guarding us while we sleep. Oggie is my stress reliever and my happy pill. I love him with all my heart. He's like my best friend. I might be uploading more articles about him so please subscribe! A bonus picture! Makes you wanna boop his nose >.< Thanks for reading!

Eco-cooler **Abstract** Rapid increase in average temperatures is being experienced around the world as a result of climate change. Sweltering heat during summer can cause higher electric bills as consumers in the urban area turn to cooling equipment like air-conditioners. However, people living in poverty don’t have the means to combat the surging heat; their incomes affect their energy consumption. The Eco-cooler is a low-cost, ideal solution for the poor amidst the rising temperatures without the use of electricity. It is to be made of a board with bottleneck-sized holes cut out in a grid pattern, and installed on windows per size. Funnel-shaped bottlenecks will be mounted on the board through the holes. When hot air blows through the bottlenecks, it gets compressed (temperature is decreased), and cooler air emerges. The project covers two Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), the former being the main goal which is to eradicate poverty, now that the poor not only struggle for their basic needs but they struggle from threats brought about by climate change. SDG 7 is covered as electricity is not needed for product to work. This cost-effective technology can bring relief to people most likely the poor suffering from the scorching heat, and conserve electricity while helping the environment. **Introduction** Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. More than 700 million people, or 11% of the world population, still live in extreme poverty and is struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation. And as climate change brings more frequent and extreme heat around the world, demand for air conditioners is soaring, but the poor may be left to swelter because not everyone will be able to afford to beat the heat. Sustainable development is a priority goal for the global community that joined forces to eliminate poverty. With the help of the academic and education community that has a major role in increasing the awareness about the impact of poverty, it provides the foundation for new and sustainable approaches, solutions and technologies to tackle the challenges of reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development. The contribution of science to end poverty has been significant. The group come up to this kind of project that will benefit those who are unfortunate in their livelihood. It covers Sustainable Development Goals 1: No Poverty and Sustainable Development Goals 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. This product is a cooling device created from recycled materials that can run without electricity, so it would not cost the electricity bills. Based on the direction of the wind and the pressure created by airflow, it decreases the temperature at optimal conditions. Making this product a cost-effective, environment friendly solution can be easily implemented in rural areas. **Objective** The objective of the project is to build a device or product which is shall especially benefit those who are unfortunate in their livelihood, which covers Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty. It also covers another one of the sustainable development goals, which is SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. The product designed does not consume electricity but in essence it is a way to recycle wasted raw material for sustainable development of our society by reducing environmental pollution as well as reduction in power usage. **Sustainable Development Goals** Main Goal: No Poverty. More than 700 million people, or 10% of the world population, still live in extreme poverty and is struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation, to name a few. The majority of people living on less than $1.90 a day live in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, the poverty rate in rural areas is 17.2 per cent—more than three times higher than in urban areas. Having a job does not guarantee a decent living. In fact, 8 per cent of employed workers and their families worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 2018. Poverty affects children disproportionately. One out of five children live in extreme poverty. Ensuring social protection for all children and other vulnerable groups is critical to reduce poverty. Poverty has many dimensions, but its causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and high vulnerability of certain populations to disasters, diseases and other phenomena which prevent them from being productive. Growing inequality is detrimental to economic growth and undermines social cohesion, increasing political and social tensions and, in some circumstances, driving instability and conflicts. Other Goal Covered: Affordable and Clean Energy. Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential. Working towards this goal is especially important as it interlinks with other Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on universal access to energy, increased energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy through new economic and job opportunities is crucial to creating more sustainable and inclusive communities and resilience to environmental issues like climate change. **All About the Product** The Eco Cooler method is very simple, even just how it can be constructed. A board is cut to fit the desired window, and bottleneck-sized holes are cut out in a grid pattern. The bottoms of empty plastic bottles are cut off and discarded, leaving funnel-shaped bottlenecks that are placed on the grid. That’s all there is to the Eco Cooler, except for the task of installing it in place of the regular window. When mounted, the wider part of the bottles faces outward and catches the passing wind, literally funneling cool air into the building’s interior. Electricity is not needed for the product to work, that's why it also covers Clean Energy goal. In addition, the product is constructed from recyclable materials. The construction does not involve processes that release harmful wastes to the environment. **Market Strategies** *Direct Selling.* Direct selling accomplishes exactly what the name suggests – marketing and selling products directly to consumers. In this model, sales agents build face-to-face relationships with individuals by demonstrating and selling products away from retail settings, usually in an individual’s home. *Word of Mouth Advertising.* Word of mouth advertising is unpaid, organic and powerful because those having nice things to say about your product or service generally have nothing to gain from it other than sharing good news. A recommendation from a friend, colleague or family member has built-in credibility, and can spur dozens of leads who anticipate positive experiences with the product, the Eco-cooler. The word of mouth isn’t strictly verbal. Leveraging online reviews and opinions are equally effective at spreading the word. *Social Networks and Viral Marketing.* Social media marketing focuses on providing users with content they find valuable and want to share across their social networks, resulting in increased visibility and traffic. Social media shares of content, videos and images also influence Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts in that they often increase relevancy in search results within social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram and search engines like Google and Yahoo. The Eco-cooler may be advertised in this online platform for the general public to notice and share. The spread across social media is fast and people can easily notice these advertisements. *Experience it Yourself or Show and Tell.* Another idea to encourage the customers to buy the product is to first experience it with themselves. In this strategy, one can clearly tell how Eco-cooler works and explain to the customers its features first-hand. One can endorse through personal demonstration and let the customers witness the use of the product with their own personal experience. *Freebie Marketing.* Promote free giveaways or sell the products and services sold at low rates to boost the sales of other related products or services. Freebies can also encourage the customers to buy the product. In our product which is the Eco-cooler, an air freshener can be an option for a freebie. Our customers may think that it is a good investment because there’s an air cooler especially it is summer season and the freebie can increase their interest in the Eco-cooler. *Personalized Marketing.* Personalized marketing (also called personalization, and sometimes called one-to-one marketing) is an extreme form of product differentiation. Whereas product differentiation tries to differentiate a product from competing ones, personalization tries to make a unique product offering for each customer. In our product, the customers may request to personalize the color of the Eco-cooler and they can also choose the scent of the freebie which is the air freshener. **Design** The group had an idea of making a low-cost cooler out of recycled materials such as empty plastic bottles. To create this cooling system, plastic bottles are cut in half and then placed into a grid or matrix through bottle-sized (width) holes. The grid can be made of plywood and placed over a window with the smaller end of the bottle facing inwards. When the wind blows through the bottles, cool air enters the house. The idea of this comes from basic physics, the air cools down while expanding as air passes through the bottle. The pictures below are the designed planned by the group members. Figure 1. (a) Outer side of the Eco-cooler and (b) Inner side **How the Group is Going to Profit** Made out of repurposed plastic bottles or cold drink cans, the proponents worked on an Eco-Cooler which is cost-effective, environmentally friendly and simple to produce. An air conditioning system that does not require electricity. The major benefit of this new ventilation is to help the poor in surviving the summer heat by reducing the indoor temperature up to 3 degrees centigrade at optimal conditions when installed in the house. This proposed project is a zero electricity, zero pollution, low cost, easy to make, and, easy to install cooling device. The customers will able to win significantly on both cost and sustainability. The customers will able to exceed their expectations not only in terms of pure efficiency of the equipment, but more importantly the desire and capability to enhance their solutions to our specific use case. In addition, it can be a profitable invention to save money and the environment, thus there will be a reduction in electricity consumption. The Eco-cooler will ensure that the poor people can battle ever increasing day temperatures without expending more their money, in some cases, any of their money. Utilizing this product which is an eco-friendly air conditioning system reduces energy bills. Since many people in the world would argue that air conditioning is mandatory, the ability to save money on energy bills by using eco-friendly solutions is appealing. Eco-friendly is a good long-term investment. When the time comes to consider a new air conditioning system for our home, people will want to put some serious thought into an eco-friendly system. Since an eco-friendly system saves our money on our energy bills, it can pay for itself over time. Overall, this product will also cool our home and keep our family comfortable without the tremendous noise that usually accompanies an air conditioning system. Customer feedback is information provided by clients about whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with a product or service and about general experience they had with a company. Their opinion is a resource for improving customer experience and adjusting your actions to their needs. This information can be collected with different kinds of surveys (prompted feedback), but you can also find opinions and reviews your clients post online (unprompted feedback) and collect them using Internet monitoring tools.  The proponents had conducted on online survey to gain feedbacks and reviews regarding the product. The proponents had collected surveys from 68 respondents. 86.8% of the respondents belong to the age group of 19 to 24 years old as shown in Figure 2. As for the school or company, 52.9% are students from Batangas State University. The rest are students from ICCT Colleges, University of Batangas, University of Sto. Tomas, Lyceum of the Philippines University, ICCT Colleges and Philippine Normal University. Those who are working are employes of PLDT, BPI, Shalom Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, St. Patrick’s Hospital and Medical Center, Flyeast Philippines, Insular Life, Mt. Malarayat Gold and Country Club and DepEd. Most of the respondents reside in Batangas province though there are some from Mindoro, Quezon City, Cavite and even a Filipino living in China. Of the 68 individuals, 75% are female and 25% are male. 73% are students 29.4% are employed. These are shown in Figures 3,4 and 5. Figure 6 shows the majority of the individuals answered the lowest range under monthly allowance or salary. This means that many of them may not afford to spend for other less necessary items or products for serve only for one’s comfort. There is a high possibility they would only spend usually for one’s essential needs. According to Figure 7, 66.2% has disagreed to the question about enjoying the summer heat. This means that they are highly uncomfortable with the atmosphere they feel inside their homes. The following statements are responses to a question asking what are they means to lessen heat: “Staying indoors and using electric fans but then they don’t have the feature of cooling so they are ineffective.” “Aircon every day in every room and yes it's super effective” “Wearing comfortable clothes and using electric fan to reduce summer heat” “Drinking a lot of cold water.” “Stayed hydrated and looking for a cool spot in my house” “Take a bath 2 times a day. It lessens the heat.” Most of the respondents stated that they just use electric fan to manage the heat, and very few uses air conditioning unit. Others consider drinking lots of water and taking more daily baths. Figure 8 illustrates the percentage of those who have and have no access to electricity in their location. 94.1% have access while 5.9% have difficult access. This is considered to determine the effectivity and importance of the eco-cooler in their location. Figure 9 shows that 88.2% does not experience abnormal body reactions to heat while 11.8% of the respondents do experience such reactions. These reactions may include rashes or heaviness of breathing. Figures 10, 11 and 12 indicates the percentage of individual’s evaluation to the corresponding questions. For Figure 10, 34 out of 68 or 50% had answered that they would buy the Eco-cooler at a rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. For Figure 11, 32 respondents or 47.1% had highly agreed with a rating of 5 that the Eco-cooler will benefit those who could not afford to buy more costly air conditioning systems. Figure 12 illustrates that 42 respondents or 61,8% had highly agreed with a rating of 5 that the Eco-cooler will benefit those who have no access to electricity. The following statements are some of the respondents’ comments and suggestions that serve as a feedback for the improvement of the product: “It can have different sizes (Mini, Medium, Large) depending on the customer needs/wants” “I think it will help those who are having a problem during summer seasons specially those who encounter health problems because of the heat. Also, I recommend that this eco-cooler must not be so expensive so that less fortunate could be able to avail it.” “I think the desirable area of the room to be cooled should be considered too” “It's a good idea! I hope I will see this available one day. Goodluck!” “hopefully it can be sold all over the world at low prices” “Great concept and a more eco-friendly approach to lessen the summer heat. And can also benefit the people who are having difficulty in electricity.” These feedbacks will be considered for further improvement of the Eco-cooler.

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