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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Peace Process in Mindanao

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Mental Health: A Round Table Discussion


Kates Ante (on the left) and Abegail Escolano (on the right) were the mental health advocates who visited our class last November 16, 2018.


The pictures above were taken when our group was presenting a skit for the visitors. It's about a student who was having emotional problems and dealing with her insensitive classmates at the same time. The skit concluded with the student consulting a guidance counselor. Other groups also showed mental health in a creative way. Every after performance the visitors gave their comments and briefly discussed each situation. 

A round table discussion followed next wherein we were asked to share our questions, opinions and experiences. My classmates where brave enough to share their stories and yet I'm just there, contemplating if I should share my personal story or not. Until the talk finished, I wasn't ready to introduce my past self to my new set of classmates in iAcademy. I remained silent as I listened to everyone.

M y  S t o r y

On the last quarter of year 2017, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. Words weren't enough to describe what it feels like to people who were asking how I was. I supported myself by writing poems, it became my way of expressing myself instead of repeatedly explaining myself to people. My poems were how they're supposed to be written metaphoric and flowery; it requires a deep connection for someone to understand it, just like how they're supposed to be with a person for them to know them genuinely. My negative mental recordings started a year before I was diagnosed. I literally cried every night, whether it was because of something or my mind betrayed me by overthinking. I lost my passion in my hobbies  making music, reading novels and creating my own. Each time I try doing them, it doesn't turn out like before. My works seemed empty so I lost interest in them. I didn't care if I was hurting myself back then. Self harm was very satisfying for me since I thought I deserved it. There were moments where I tried battling with myself, whether I'd deepen the cut in my wrist or not. It made me think that it was for the best, that if I leave this world, all the misery would end but there's always something that's stopping me which I couldn't figure out. I wasn't sure what'd happen to me, when my life would end, so I wrote goodbye notes in case I couldn't stop myself the next time. For a year, I struggled just by myself until my mom caught me lying in bed, with my left arm full of blood. Her tears made me rethink what I was doing with my life. My head became messier that time. My parents brought me to the hospital to see a psychiatrist. I suffered from a panic attack so the nurses injected me with something to make me calm. For a week, I stayed at the hospital because the doctor said it'll be dangerous for me at home since I was suicidal. They'd visit me to inject me with something I don't know but that made me sleepy for the whole day. I'd only wake up so I could eat and my head felt heavy each time I did. After I was confined, I was brought home because I didn't want to be confined in a four-cornered room anymore. Well, that's also the situation at home but at least I felt home. I didn't go to school for a month. My parents would take turn in staying at home because they didn't want to leave me with anyone. I had a hard time sleeping each night because I had insomnia. The medications that the doctor gave me would take effect slowly. There are nights that my parents would cry with me because they saw how much I'm suffering. Everyone were telling me to fight so even if I didn't know how to live anymore, I still did.

Depression is a beast that's hard to defeat. It can't be controlled, it controls us.

Months after my medications and psychiatry visits, I became a person I didn't imagine to be. The world seemed a better place and I felt like I was reborn. The scars that were left in my skin always made me remember that I can go through anything with the grace of the Lord. I'm very thankful because he was with me throughout my battle and blessed me with people who loved me truly.
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Depression is a serious medical illness that negatively affects the way a person thinks and acts. It causes sadness, suicidal intentions and/or affects the lack of interest of a person towards something.

"Depression is all just in your mind. Try to do happy things and it will be gone," says every person who are not aware of mental illnesses. As of 2015, there are 3.3 million Filipinos who suffer from depressive disorders with suicide rates in 2.5 males and 1.7 females per 100,000 Filipino population according to National Center for Mental Health. Increasing rates of people who die from suicide alert the society that mental health issues exist. Some people recognize that awareness to these issues can help reduce the repercussion while some do not take this matter seriously. The government is starting to address the issues regarding mental heath and each individual should cooperate by educating themselves about the illnesses. Pursuant to the newly signed Republic Act No. 11036 otherwise known as Mental Health Act, its mental health services shall be developed accordingly in order to properly implement the law. 

Normalization of the concept of mental health as a common topic is also one illness of the society. For the example, the line, "ang bipolar ng weather," has been accepted and used in the society. Because of this, people who have no idea what bipolar disorder is would think that the word "bipolar" is not associated with a serious illness. And those who have legit bipolar disorder would not be taken seriously. People also tend to self-diagnose resulting to the society being "annoyed" to those people who are professionally diagnosed. "Depressed ako ngayon," is normally being used to refer to the feeling of sadness where in fact it's different from the depressive disorder. This causes the society to ignore those who really are in need of help.

How can we know if a person is really suffering from depression?

Unless a person is checked by professionals, namely a psychiatrist or a psychologist, we can't confirm that a person is having a depressive disorder. At the same time, we can't ignore the fact that the person is going through something. All humans have a limit of what we can take. It's normal to experience the feeling of giving up. The least we can do is to pay attention to the people in need and listen to them. Sometimes, the presence of someone is enough for us to be comforted. 

Take note of the 4Ds!!!

Deviation 
Not all people who are diagnosed with depressive disorder are obviously gloomy. Sometimes, the saddest stories are disguised under the cloth of joyful and merry melodies. We must remember to check on our happy friends and family members because they are the ones who are either using the smile to hide the pain, or smiling because they're happy to leave the world soon.

Dysfunction
The performance of a person can change if they have depression. If their actions are starting to be suspicious such as not eating right, sleeping over or less and being suddenly quiet or distant to other people, then those changes shouldn't be ignored.

Distress
A person may have negative feelings such as stress, sadness and frustration. That's completely normal because that's a man's nature but it's not healthy anymore when it's too much. We should balance these negative feelings to positive ones by treating ourselves right. It's okay to cut the toxicity in our lives.

Dangerousness
It's a whole new level when a person starts exhibiting signs of self harm and suicide. If we know people who are like that then we should immediately consult the family members so they can take action while it's not too late.

Social Imagination

Symbolic Interaction is the most appropriate in this talk because we are able to understand why the people who have mental health issues behave the way they do by interacting with them. We observe the actions of these people to confirm if they are mentally challenged.











Sources:
www.facebook.com/imsuperkates
www.psychiatry.org 
docsopinion.com
www.pressreader.com

YSEALI Programs

ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS OR ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1977 in Bangkok, Thailand. It includes 10 member nations which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In 1977, the United States initiated a partnership with the ASEAN. Over the last 40 years, US was the first non-ASEAN country to name an ambassador to ASEAN. In 2015, the US-ASEAN partnership was elevated into a strategic partnership. 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN and the 40th anniversary of its partnership with the United States.


The US has partnered with ASEAN to focus on the following areas:

1.) Supporting economic integration

ASEAN is the fourth largest trading partner of the United States. Trades between the US and southeast Asia supported 500,000 jobs in the US and even more in ASEAN. American companies are one of the largest foreign investors of the ASEAN which made the US government support more than 120,000 entrepreneurs in the past 5 years alone.

2.) Expanding maritime cooperation

In the past 5 years alone, the United States has conducted more than 500 trainings, workshops and exchanges and spent over 51 us dollars to advance maritime cooperation in ASEAN. The US provided 37 million us dollars in security assistance and another 37 million us dollars in military education and training 

3.) Addressing transnational challenges

Since 2012, the United States has helped protect approximately 64 million acres of forest lands and coastal areas in Cambodia and Indonesia. They also supported access to clean drinking water for over 6 million people in the ASEAN.

4.) Promoting opportunity for women

The US invested over 14 million us dollars for programs to support Southeast Asian Women's Economic Engagement

5.) Cultivating emerging leaders

Launched in 2013, the Young Southeast Asian Initiative or YSEALI is former US President Barrack Obama's signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in southeast Asia. This YSEALI event will bring together 500 YSEALI members from Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines. During the summit, participants will explore issues in southeast Asia, develop leadership and interact with other young leaders in the ASEAN. The summit themes are environment, economic empowerment, civic engagement and education. The exchange students from ASEAN will also receive funds to support their projects for their community.

Conclusion


"Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan" - Jose Rizal

Quoting the famous line of the Philippine National Hero, young people can be powerful agents for the greater goal of the community. With the help of YSEALI, the delegates will learn advanced leadership skills that will equip them to develop innovative solutions in addressing the issues of their communities. This will prove that our generation is more than what the society views us. The leadership skills of the youth can influence the society to come together and be involved in developing their respective communities. SYMBOLIC INTERACTION is also observed in the YSEALI programs because the projects and workshops strengthens the fact that people make sense of their social worlds through interacting with one other. People become active in shaping the society through the use of language and symbols.








source:
www.youtube.com/yseali
asean.usmission.gov
bangkokpost.com
rizaliansite.weebly.com

Gender Roles: A Round Table Discussion


Out of all the sessions we had, the discussion about gender roles was the topic I'm most interested in. In my every day life, I encounter issues regarding gender and I finally had the chance to speak my mind and share my opinions about this topic. 

Focusing on the relationships of individuals among the society, symbolic interaction is present within the issue of gender roles and stereotyping. To better understand this, a perfect example would be interacting with the members of LGBTQ. As they are able to communicate their emotions through language and symbols, the more that they mold the thinking of the society to accept them. In my perspective, I understood my friends who are members of the LGBTQ as I talk to them about their stand on the issue and know what they feel. My realization finally answered the whys in my head. I can now connect the dots as to why the society is behaving the way they do.

The round table discussion revolved around three questions facilitated by our classmates, Jeuny Custodio and Francesca Bolivar. As we go on every question, my classmates are able to exchange thoughts and acquire new knowledge.

Question #1: How do young children develop an understanding of gender role and stereotypes?

Home has always been the first environment where children learn. Based from experience, I grew up with the idea that females are always supposed to be the one doing the nurturing. From cooking to laundry to cleaning the house and such. All our house helpers before were females because they are the ones who know how to do the chores. And when it comes to fixing the broken furniture and electricity wires, females can't interfere because it's a "man's thing." My parents planted the idea in my head that as a girl, I should wear sparkly dresses, wear headbands and collect barbie dolls. I absorbed that thought in my head to the point that I called my boy playmates "bakla" when they touch my dolls. Every time my cousins and I play "bahay-bahayan," all of us girls would be the one assigned to cooking and our boy cousins would protect us from enemies because we believed that they're stronger and girls can't defend themselves. One time I bought my brother a present for his birthday, it was a blue toy car with purple wheels. As he opened it, my dad questioned me why the wheels were purple because that color is for girls. Starting that scenario, I carried the belief that even colors are assigned to men and women. I even felt uncomfortable when I play with my brother's robots and toy cars because it stuck to me that it's not right. School can also influence the children about gender roles. I've been taught before that engineers are all males since it involves construction and flight attendants are all females. As a child, I assigned careers for men and women in my head and I believed all of those until I was able to think on my own.

Question #2: In your perspective, in what kind of environment to these gender stereotype perpetuate? And how do gender stereotypes affect the children?

If you grew up in a conservative family like me, you'll always be hearing that belonging in the third sex is a sin because God only created a man and woman. Gender stereotype is common in my family and it affected me as child because they fed me with beliefs that made me judgmental to people. I have this girl cousin who's very good in basketball, more than her brothers. My relatives are labeling her as "tomboy" because she acts so boyish. They're even teasing her that instead of having a boyfriend, she'll have a girlfriend one day. From this scenario, two issues can be pointed. First, if you do not act feminine then you'll automatically be concluded to belong on the opposite sex which is male. Second, females are always partnered with males and vice versa. Having an intimate relationship with the same sex would be viewed as something "immoral." Being in a conservative family feels like walking on a tightrope. That if you choose to look on other directions, you'll fall and be in the margins of the society. Until now, my relatives see the third sex as something not normal. I still remember when someone said, "Ay, bakla yung anak ni ***! Bakit naman niya pinabayaan ng ganyan?" as if being gay is a mistake. I personally say that it's not wrong to have faith in the bible. I'm somehow religious too but I believe that the essence of respecting God is respecting people. If you say the you love God but you disrespect the beliefs and choices of other people, then you must re-evaluate your life as a "religious" person.

Question #3: How can parents and communities help reduce the impacts of gender stereotypes on children?

I believe that the parents of the community have already done their part when they were young. Their time is different from ours so that makes their beliefs different from ours too. We all know that they were raised with the influence of religion so most of them are conservative. We can't force a person to just accept a new belief when they grew up from a time when everyone had the same belief as them. The question should be reversed, how can the youth reduce the impacts of gender stereotype on children, parents and the community? It's now our responsibility to influence the society because this is our time where new ideologies have evolved. We have all the means to educate ourselves and share our voice through the use of social media. We must open our minds to the issues of gender stereotypes and have the courage to share our wisdom with other people.

People Centered Consultation


Known to having a lot of stunning beaches and land forms, Mindanao is the second biggest island of the Philippines next to Luzon. The archipelago is surrounded by the Philippine, Bohol, Sulu and Celebes seas. Mindanao is the outpost of Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. Large numbers of ethnic minorities are also found in Mindanao such as the Maranaos.


Symbolic Interaction was observed as we interviewed a guest from Mindanao. We were able to find out the current state of its economy and environment. Through Mr. Jamal Mangondato, a resident of Lanao Del Sur, we dug the way of living of the Mindanao citizens and their stand among the issues they encounter.

Marawi War: The biggest problem experienced


Before the war in Marawi City happened, Mindanao was peaceful. Agriculture was the main living of the people. They get their power supply from Agos River. The environment was in a good condition to the point that water from Lake Lanao can be drank. Tons of fishes can also be caught in rivers. But due to the continuous bombing of Marawi City, bodies of water became highly affected. Fishes disappeared, and the climate became hotter than usual.

When the terrorists attacked the city, the government had no choice but to send troops to the area. Mosques, schools and houses were destroyed. Martial Law was implemented to control the situation but unfortunately, it's still existing in Mindanao until now which made some of the citizens disagree. "Sa nangyari sa Marawi, wala nang respeto 'yon," said Mr. Mangondato referring to the government. They are still under the power of the military up to now.

"Yung martial law na 'yan ay gamot. Gamot 'yan pero bakit kumbaga sa sakit ng ulo ay ginagamot mo sa iba. Ibang gamot ang binibigay mo edi lalong magkakasakit ang tao. Dapat yung gamot na talagang gamot, 'yon ang gagawin"

Mr. Mangondato is not in favor of Martial Law. He believes that it's supposed to be "medicine" but this type of medicine isn't needed in their area.

Economy

Back then, people can eat coconuts and get food from nature without buying. But when man started having interest with money, the prices of food became high. Poverty rates continue increasing causing the people to be homeless. Inflation rate also had a negative impact especially to the minority of the society. 

Lanao del Sur lack health facilities so they have to go to Iligan to find a hospital.

Farmers aren't supported by the government so a big part of their population moved to the cities hoping that their lives would be better. Farming is discouraged in their area because there's no available irrigation. Because of this, farming became unstable and the production of crops declined. They don't produce their own food so they have to get it from Iligan and Cagayan. 

"Hindi sila magkakaroon ng sariling paninindigan pag hindi nawala ang kahirapan."

Mr. Jamal Mangondato suggested that livelihood projects are needed to sustain agriculture in Mindanao. Fishermen must be given their own boats and fishing nets. Farmers must also be provided with all necessary equipment for farming.

Education: A solution to eliminate social issues

Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao is the poorest region in the Philippines. According to our interview with Mr. Mangondato, it's mainly because the people choose the wrong leaders to govern. Every election, the people are always blinded by the money that the candidates offer in return of their votes. Before, vote buying was just a technique but it became a practice later on to be part of every election. Money has been a requirement since then to be able to enter politics. People view candidates as insane if they run without having enough money. Even the indigenous people are hopeful for the money of the politicians and they care less about the other good qualities. Corruption is also prominent in Mindanao. During the father of our interviewee's time as a treasurer of Lanao del Sur, they audited that 600,000 pesos were missing every month in their funds. To avoid this practice and other situations like prostitution and drugs, education should be accessible for everyone. Scholarships should be given for the people who can't afford to pay for school. In this way, people would be educated about the issues happening within their region. If they know the negative repercussion of these issues to the society, then the more it can be avoided.

Introducing Islam and the Bangsamoro Law

Bangsamoro Law is proposed to recognize the region of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao as an independent state with their own government and provisions. 

Our group misunderstood a part of the Bangsamoro Law which is the Shariah Law. Our group's misconception about Shariah Law is that it covers even the non-Muslim of ARMM. It's basically the law of Islam regarding the physical punishments to be given to a person who's proven guilty of a crime. Good thing that our interviewee is a Muslim and he cleared things out for us. First, Shariah Law is not yet implemented in the Philippines. Second, only the Muslims are eligible to be given the punishments and not the non-Muslims. Islam may be introduced to people, but they do not force their religion and beliefs to others. It was explained that Shariah Law is an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth punishment. Meaning, the criminal will also get what he did to the victim. The intensity of the physical punishment depends on the crime a person did. And it's not just something that can be decided immediately. The case will be investigated and there must be about four witnesses to prove that somebody is guilty. 

With regards with the Bangsamoro Law, Mr. Mangondato inferred that the citizens of Mindanao do not agree because they're not ready. If ARMM is separated from the country, then they will loose their right in Mindanao which is the outpost of Muslims in the Philippines. It's also not easy to assemble a new government since from the very start they will have to choose a chief and that may result negatively. The perfect alternative would be giving ARMM the right to change the provisions of their region.

Islam is derived from the Arabic term "salam" which means "peace." So the misconception about them of being terrorists opposes the name of the religion itself. Another misconception is that Muslims force fixed marriage to daughters of the family. Where in fact, it's completely the female's choice if she wants to get married with the consent of her parents.

Conclusion

As I got to know more about the issues of Mindanao, I realized that the distribution of power and authority are mainly the causes of social conflict. Exhibit one is the implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao. Some residents disapprove that the military ruled them. It created heat between the Filipinos and the government. Exhibit two is the graft and corruption happening in Mindanao. Politicians are using their power for their own benefit which slows the progressiveness of communities.

This is called the Conflict Theory.





To summarize my learnings during the interview, here are the key points of what I've learned:
  1. Consult people on what they really need before implementing a law –  Remembering how Mr. Mangondato said that "medicines" are supposed to be used accordingly, I learned that our group should draft our bill in accordance to the issues and opinions of the people that will be affected. Since our interviewee said that they're not in favor of the Bangsamoro Law, we decided to create a new bill that we believe will be effective for their region. This consultation has helped our group finalize our bill which is a livelihood project for the farmers of ARMM. We addressed the issue of the declining rates of productivity in their region as well as the sustainability of farming.
  2.  Misconceptions can affect our judgement – There are two sides of a story, the good and the bad. Those that belong in the good side are usually the ones that are genuinely understood. The bad side are viewed as negative because we either oppose to it or we don't understand a part of it. My misconception about the Shariah Law made me view Islam on the negative side. Yes, I know a little about their beliefs and practices, but when I found out about the existence of the Shariah Law it made me see their religion differently. I admit that I somehow disagreed with it when it wasn't yet clear to me. Good thing that it was explained so I really felt enlightened.













credits to the following:
www.britannica.com
lovemindanao.com

Oplan Metro Yakal Plus

THE BIG ONE, as big as it sounds, has a great destructive impact to the Philippines once the 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the West Valley Fault traverses various parts of the dense Metro Manila area and can shake the neighboring provinces as well. Once the earthquake happens, the National Capital Region will be isolated because of collapsed roads and buildings. The northern and southern parts of Metro Manila may also be separated. Aside from that, knowing that Metro Manila is highly populated, a lot of lives are at risk. Individual interaction will be affected since all lines of communication will be down. The society will also be in chaos since the central government is located in the Metro and will also be affected. Since NCR is the business capital of the Philippines, the quake will have a repercussion in the economy until a domino effect happens. Issues will emerge all at once after the disaster. Our country will face a lot of difficulties before we can stand back to our normal way of living. The earthquake is not a prediction, it will surely be inevitable so the least we can do is to prepare to lessen the damages.

Lou Gepuelaa writer from Rappler, a disaster risk reduction advocate and an Agos mover, visited our class to discuss about The Big One.







Agos Project, powered by eBayanihan, promotes innovative and responsible use of mobile and web technologies to facilitate the flow of critical and actionable information to those who need it before, during and after disasters. Through social media, rescuers are able to detect and send help to those who are in danger.
                                       


Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or MMDRRMC is composed of representatives of local government units in Metro Manila and regional officials of national government agencies. They have the primary role to respond to disasters in Metro Manila.



Oplan Metro Yakal Plus is the the contingency plan of the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) which details the protocols and procedures that would take place in the event of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. In the plan, they divided Metro Manila to four quadrants namely the north, south, east and west. Each quadrant has their respective commander who will cooperate with MMDRRMC to respond to emergencies and give orders to their quadrant. Rescue equipment are also prepositioned in each quadrant to be used in rescue operations. According to Republic Act 10121, the first responder to disasters is the barangay. If the big one strikes, Cordillera is assigned to assist Manila. The bridges would be down so the main transportation will be through the Pasig River.

Each quadrant has their own weak qualities. In the west old Manila specifically in the Intramuros area, there are many old houses made of wood which make the area prone to fire. It's also near the sea. The safest place in the west during an earthquake is the Intramuros Golf Course because it's an open area. While in the south, the safest is the Villamor Airbase. In the whole Philippines, Palawan is the safest place because it has no volcanoes and fault lines.

The worse case scenario is about to happen. Infrastructures may collapse; falling debris may injure citizens in the worse case possible; resources such as food, water and electricity will not be available; roads will be blocked resulting to the isolation of some areas; telecommunication lines will be cut; and hospitals will be closed for the people in need of medication. All of these scenarios cannot be avoided since an earthquake is a natural disaster, but the negative impacts can be reduced if we are ready. Communities must prepare for emergency evacuation, relief, search and rescue, emergency transport and communication, debris clearing, burial services and medical camps.


Government units have their own roles when the disaster happens. This can be related to the social imagination of functionalism because the institutions have their respective functions which are vital to each other. On the time of the disaster, these institutions will depend on each other for the emergency plans to be effective.

As a matter of fact, we are fortunate enough to be born in this period of time because we became educated about the hazards of natural disasters. Pre-modern disaster risk reduction include: the use of technology to warn people about a disaster, using scientific knowledge to calculate an intensity of a disaster, and having emergency plans. During the Mount Pinatubo Eruption, an aeta family survived because they learned from their ancestors to protect themselves from by hiding in a cave and burying themselves under the mud. Indigenous people have their own disaster risk reduction practices and beliefs such as believing that if the leaves of the Ayutay tree would turn white, rain will arrive a week after. In that way, they can prepare for safety.

One thing that Mr. Lou Gepuela told us that I'll never forget is that we need to take the earthquake drills seriously. It will determine how prepared we are when a disaster happens. When an alarming situation occurs, even if we know what to do we usually become overwhelmed by the situation until we are under panic. Having regular shake drills can train us to have that natural instinct to know what to do during a disaster. Unannounced shake drills are more effective since the public will not plan ahead the drill. Individuals should also prepare a survival kit at home inclusive of a flashlight and a whistle in case we are buried underground. It will make it easier for rescuers to search us during an operation.





Learning about The Big One made me afraid of what's going to happen. But knowing that the government is preparing for the possible outcomes, I realized that fear will not save me when the earthquake happens. I need to engage on the preparations by simply participating in the shake drills and being aware of the emergency plan. I also need to prepare an emergency kit for my family and know all the open areas near my community to serve as a safe space. As what Mr. Lou Gepuela taught us, we need to interact with many people as possible for us to help each other during the earthquake. Interacting with the society is essential because humanity can save us.











sources:
www.moneymax.com
rappler.com
www.facebook.com/lou.gepuela
thedailystar.net
intothejungle.org
cnnphilippines.com
army.mil.ph