Saturday, December 10, 2011

Cover Letter

Upon making this portfolio, I had written essays and paragraphs which I can say is more concise, more organized and more coherent compared to essays and paragraphs I had written before.  The guidelines and techniques taught by my professor in academic writing really helped me in improving my writing skills.  However I still have difficulties in writing without grammatical errors. I still sometimes become confuse and careless in writing. But I try to make it a point to keep track of these errors and make sure that I would not do it next time.

I am very much proud of all my written output. But I think what I am most proud of is my argumentative and extended-definition essay. I had thought of topics that really interest me. I had successfully made an organized outline, thought of a good introduction and expressed my ideas in a concise manner. Through this course I gained techniques and strategies in writing. I also found my style in writing. I owe all this knowledge to my professor who introduced me that in order to make a scholarly-like, good-quality essays, you must follow the steps that would be helpful in organizing ideas. This includes the prewriting stage where you think organized your thoughts and ideas. Brainstorming and writing ideas in a journal are the techniques I have learned in pre-writing. After the prewriting stage is the drafting stage. I think this stage really helps in improving your work because you asked people to read your draft to find if there are errors which you may still correct when you go to the revising stage. This stage involves rethinking, researching, and rewriting. This is the time to evaluate and review your work and add more ideas that are relevant to the essay.  

                Speaking of revisions, I improved my essay through the help of classmates who edited my drafts and through the help of my professor in ENGLCOM herself, Ms. Cequena. I take their comments constructively so I am able to correct my grammar and think of new and better ideas.  One specific example is the revision I made in my extended-definition essay. On my first draft, Ms. Cequena told me that I should be consistent in the formal tone because it is an academic essay. I followed her advice and changed some lines. It turned out to be better than the previous one.  Revision is really important in making essays but someday I want to write an essay that is really outstanding and does not need any more revisions. Even though this course has finally ended, I will still continue to discover more techniques and will still pursue in improving my writing skills. 

Table of Contents


Essay/ Paragraph
Date Submitted
Score
Extended Definition Essay
(The Necessity of Reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines)


Argumentative Essay
(A Search for the True Meaning of Success)


Comparison-Contrast Paragraph
(Ages of Man)


Cause and Effect Paragraph
(Corregidor Island)


Descriptive Paragraph
(Corregidor Island)


The Necessity of Reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines



For the past years, the Philippines has been obliged to pay the debt of the construction of the unpowered nuclear power plant in Morong, Bataan. It is ironic because the government alloted budget for the plant but did not benefit from it at all. This urged former Congressman Mark Cojuangco to encompass an advocacy to revive the nuclear power plant to use it as an energy supply that would be distributed throughout the country. He authored and sponsored a bill to recommission the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which unfortunately failed to be ratified in the senate before the end of his term. However, the present representative of the 5th District, Congresswoman Kimi Cojuangco, picks up where he left off by now proposing a new bill to validate the feasibility of getting the BNPP in operation. The Cojuangco’s have strong advocacies in the revitalization of the power plant. This paved way to the protrusion of debates and articles if there is really a need to reopen the BNPP. Reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is not necessary because it will only pose economic, environmental and health problems in the country.

One of the arguments in the revitalization of the power plant is the technological features and location of the plant.  The BNPP’s location according to Filipino geologists is safe. It is protected from any lava flows that may come from a dormant, but maybe active, volcano, Mt. Natib because it sits on a high ground (18 meters above sea level) and is surrounded by deep valleys. Furthermore, its 18 meters above sea level location protects it from tidal waves, the highest one to hit the area being only 16 meters in height.(Quilop, nd.) As an addition, IAEA experts agreed that Bataan is the best possible site of the plant. The plant has also been designed to withstand an earthquake up to 0.4g of acceleration while the strongest earthquake that can hit the area could only generate up to 0.35g ground acceleration.  However certain arguments about this say that there is no assurance that the power plant will be safe from earthquakes and other disasters. The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire which is prone to earthquakes that could damage the BNPP. A strong earthquake around the plant’s location could cause ground acceleration at the plant’s site of up to 0.53g while the plant is only designed to withstand ground acceleration of 0.4g.(Simbulan,1992). Simbulan also argued that as pointed out by the National Union of Scientists Corporation composed of 50 scientists from different countries including the US that was commissioned by the Philippine government to provide a technical audit in 1986, 1988 and 1990 on the BNPP, the plant has "serious defects" in its "cover design, construction, quality assurance, workmanship and project management" that were never addressed by Westinghouse.

The revitalization of the BNPP will bring several effects to the country’s economy. It will contribute to the country’s progress in terms of energy production.  Raymund Quilop argued that nuclear power "represents a significant savings over the lifetime" of other plants (gas turbine, coal, combined cycle and oil). It estimated that operating BNPP could generate a savings from "a low of P1.06 billion for geothermal to a high of P3.6 billion for gas turbines annually." It also pointed that nuclear energy is generally cheaper and more stable over longer periods of time compared to other fuels.(Quilop,nd). The BNPP was constructed under a "conspiracy of corruption." It was a conspiracy among Westinghouse, Mr. Marcos and his crony Herminio Disini. The BNPP is an overpriced, unsafe plant and one that has left the Filipinos with US$2.2 billion of debt (Simbulan, 1992). History may then repeat itself. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, if reopened might be a possible source of corruption for the government. It may just add up to the debt of the Philippines and may be a burden for the progress of our economy.

The revival of the Bataan Nuclear power plant will have both positive and negative effects on people and  the environment. Nuclear power is considered to be generally cheaper that could provide Filipinos with a cheaper energy source.  Reopening the plant will provide job opportunities for the residents of Bataan. Though the revitalization of the plant will bring benefits to the people, the danger it may pose is a more important factor to be considered. Nuclear waste will bring hazardous effects to the environment and to the people. Stressing that of the operation of the power plant will poses grave danger to life and environment. Exposure to radiation may damage the habitat of animals and may bring severe diseases to the people. Nuclear energy is not clean, not safe and not cheap. In fact, it is probably the most dangerous and expensive power source there is. (Hernandez, 2009)

The revitalization of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is not necessary in the country. It does not have the advance technological and right geographical features needed for the safety operation of the plant. Other than that, it will only pose to economical problems such as the problem of allotting budget for operation and maintenance. It may also be a possible source of corruption of government officials. And lastly, the operation of the plant may cause hazardous effects not only to the environment but to the Filipino society as well. In my personal opinion, I think that the government and other local agencies should focus on finding an alternative and a cleaner energy source such as geothermal and wind power. Though nuclear energy does not also emit gasses, wind and geothermal energy are a lot more better because they are not hazardous to our environment and people’s health. 

References:
Cojuangcos Continue Advocacy of BNPP Nuclear Power Plant (2010) Retrieved December 4,


Using Nuclear Energy: A Philippine Experience by Raymund Jose Quilop (nd) Retrieved


Revival of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant a Source of Corruption? (2009) Retrieved from

A Search for the True Meaning of Success


When I was in 4th grade, I had a “slambook” – a notebook wherein people can slam their own opinions down about the question written in each page. There was this question which asked “what you want to be when you grow up.” I noticed that most of my classmates wrote down “to become successful.” Well, it is not a surprising answer. Who does not want to be successful? No one. I think that the most common idea when we hear the word success is to make lots of money, live in a mansion, own a red Ferrari and buy all the things you want. But is this really the true meaning of success? Do all people think that being successful means living in luxuries? This question urged me to seek for the real meaning of success.

            Success, as defined in the dictionary, means a favourable outcome of something attempted; the attainment of wealth and fame. These definitions gave me information about what success is. However, these fail to give me a concrete answer of what I was looking for. And so it is time to further seek for its true meaning.

            I found a discussion of what true success is in an internet site.  As I scroll down through the webpage, I have seen several meanings of true success from the comment of other people. Success has different meanings for us. For some, it could be a sense of happiness. Another might think of success as earning lots of money. Someone might just see it as a special love for a partner. Our concept of true success depends on what we want to do, on our goals and on our objectives in life. For example an engineer may see success in terms of building the highest skyscraper. A doctor may define success as finding a cure to a patient’s disease or saving a life. Success for a student could be graduating with flying colours. A businessman may see success in terms of increased profits and expanding market sales.

            Success is not achieved instantly; there will always be bumps along the way. The most common factor that hinders us in achieving success is our fear of failure. We let this fear into our hearts and minds which eventually will affect our performance and determination in achieving our goals. Making the wrong choices is another reason why people tend to fail. And lastly a person may fail if he or she does not truly know what path to follow.

            In order to achieve success, we must have first known our goals and dreams in life. We should also not be afraid of failing because failing is the first step in achieving success. Sometimes, we stumble down but eventually we get back on our feet. We learn from the mistake in life and do our best not to fail again.  We must have determination and hard work to be able to reach the highest peak of success.

            For most of us, success is more than just an accomplishment. There is a deeper and more enduring feeling than that of just an achievement. This is what success is. True success is richly textured with powerful feeling and positive emotions. It energizes and inspires those that are driven by an inner sense of real destiny. True success is having a real connection to our life’s mission. This is the kind of success that lasts a lifetime.

            The search for the true meaning of success is finally over. The true definition of success lies in our hands. It depends on our goals, aspirations, dreams and perspectives. True success is not just an accomplishment. It is an unexplainable feeling that has to be driven by passion from a dream that cannot be denied. We will reach true success if we follow our hearts and if we work hard because as Mark Twain (nd.) quotes “the dictionary is the only place where success comes before work”. We can achieve true success by not letting fear win over us because according to Paulo Coelho (nd.)  “the only thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve is the fear of failure”. Now that we finally know the meaning of true success, let us all look into ourselves and find it....


References:
The True Meaning if Success. Bruce Eisner (2011). Retrieved Nov. 18, 2011 from

Merriam-Webster (2011) Retrieved Nov.18, 2011 from http://www.merriam-
            webster.com/dictionary/success  

Top 5 Tips for Achieving Success (May 7, 2007) Retrieved Nov.21 from http://ww-
            success.com/blog/index.php/2007/05/07/top-5-tips-for-achieving-success/

A simple guide to achieving success in life (2009) Retrieved Nov.21 from

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Ages of Man

   Some people say that age is just a number, isn't it? But as we grow older, certain factors such as our appearances, our attitude and perspective in life also change. There will be a certain point in our life where we will experience being young as well as  being old which greatly differs in a lot of factors. When it comes to the physical appearance, teens have fresh faces, they are strong and they are physically fit while the seniors have wrinkled faces and are weak. Young people are energetic, cheerful, fierce, happy-go-lucky and are always on the go. On the other hand, old people are lousy and are always at home. Teens have no money yet have so many things to buy while the elders have money but have nothing to buy. The youth are independent and immature while the elderly are dependent and mature. Teens have less experience in life compared to the elders. Despite all their differences, both do not have the capacity to find a job. Young people are still studying while the old ones  are too weak to work. The young and the old may have lots of significant differences but let us all accept the fact that we will all experience these two situations. And when these situations come, let us just enjoy and savor each moment because life is too short and we must make the most out of it.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Corregidor Island

The island of Corregidor is one of the historical places to visit in the Philippines. The island served as a fortress for the Filipino and American soldiers against the Japanese forces during World War II. Hundreds of brave soldiers shed their bloods to defend the country. It was also the place where General Douglas McArthur had stayed. These events are very significant in Philippine history. Other than the island's rich historical background, it also has great structural buildings and war equipments which add  beauty to the island. As time passed by, the island was opened to the public and was then declared as a historical place in the Philippines. A visit in the island is a must for people who cherish Philippine history. The island of Corregidor is guaranteed to bring you back in time and to experience its beauty.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Corregidor Island

Located at the entrance of Manila Bay, in the southwestern part of Luzon, lies a tadpole-shaped island known as the Island of Corregidor. The rock island served as a fortress for the courageous Filipino and American defenders who bravely fought the Japanese forces during World War II. Today, the enormous guns and canyons quietly sleep and the dilapidated buildings and structures still stand making it open to the public to showcase the Philippine's rich history and to give honor to the people who shed their bloods during the unatonable war. At the topside, the highest sector if the island, the ruins of the Mile long Barracks firmly stands. This three-story building is said to be the world's longest military barracks. Its dark massive structure is in contrast to the clear blue skies and green grass that surround it.  A mile away, you will find the gigantic and outmoded war equipment which played a big part defending the island. Not too far away, a Spanish whitewashed lighthouse with cross-shaped windows resides in a plaza of souvenir shops. At the middle side, you will find parks surrounded by verdant grasses and flowers that dance when the wind blows. At the bottom side is where the docks are located. The crystal clear water and the blood-tainted colored stones are popular among tourists. Built in the tail end of the island are memorials and statues of great generals and soldiers. Your Corregidor trip wouldn't be complete without visiting the dark, creepy and eerie Malinta Tunnel. This place is guaranteed to give anyone a cold chill up on their spines because an overwhelming number of Japanese,Filipinos and American soldiers died here. If you're the type of person who cherishes freedom and is interested in the history of the country, then Corregidor Island is the perfect place to go.