We should engage consistently in doing physical activities because it can improve our holistic
health. Regular physical activity does not just influence one aspect of our health but nearly all of them.
We all know how exercising or doing something physically can help us move around more easily. It also
affects our mood and social setting. These and other benefits can become long-term if we are
consistently active physically. Overall, it will improve the quality of our daily lives.
Regular activities can eventually tone our muscles and make our bones stronger. We could even
prevent certain diseases like heart cancer when we gave up our sedentary lifestyles. Always engaging in
exercises could decrease the risk of functional limitations too. At the older adult stage that we will
become in life, we can still do things like climbing and playing sport. It helps lengthen our lives even via
taking care of our mental aspects. There is a higher chance of being stress-free and happy when we pour
our attention in being physically fit. Imagine if we continue engaging ourselves with activities, anxiety
would not easily aggravate and we can do our task without being bothered by random thoughts.
Consistency in doing physical activities really helps us to stay strong and capable of doing task
for a long duration. Our mood would usually be on the positive side if chemicals such as endorphins in
our body are released regularly. Life would be much meaningful if we improve our health and
capabilities of performing a work.
Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT) Principle helps us in organizing an effective exercise
program exclusively for a fitness goal that we wanted to achieve. FITT can be used for cardio and weight
loss, strength and stretching which plays an important part in combating against COVID-19. Following
the standard recommendation for cardio training by the FITT Principle can help in reducing high blood
pressure and risk of chronic illnesses such as stroke, diabetes, and other cancers. The standard
recommendation for strength can help in strengthening the bones and muscles, needed typically to be
exercised by middle-aged or adult people. FITT for stretching will also guide us to increase balance and
flexibility, preventing us from failing to accomplish a certain action.
Everyone can be susceptible and infected by COVID-19. The prevention that can be done in
helping us to be immune depends within us. Instead of just sitting around at home during this pandemic,
we should start considering ourselves to exercise light to moderate intensity movements for our
cardiovascular strength and endurance. This can be done effectively and successfully with FITT.
Performing cardio training for a couple of minutes can prevent ourselves against being susceptible to
COVID-19. Older people are also recommended in doing the strength and stretching training that will
enable them to move easily and prevent injuries. The FITT discipline when done properly could definitely
help us fight COVID-19.
Marriage
A man can marry a single woman and can only marry another woman when his first wife has
either died or has been divorced. The traditional marriage proposal takes the form of the pamanhikan, a
formal way of asking the parents of the woman for her hand.
Behavior
When entering a nearly empty movie theater or public vehicle, you will look either suspicious,
disrespectful, or harassing someone when you sit beside the only person or stranger in the theater or
public vehicle.
Hand Gesture
The V-hand gesture is often seen at photos of Filipinos as a sign of peace. It is also done by
Filipinos in case they wanted to apologize for unintentionally putting someone in trouble.
Child-rearing
In order to control the population in difficult environments, Filipinos are recommended to use
family planning and birth controlling methods. Abortion could be done but not a favored method to be
used. Infanticide is illegal.
Religion
Filipinos which are mostly Christians belief that there is One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. We recognize Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save mankind from death and sin while
God created the universe and keeps it going.
Reading Text
Filipino and English books are read from left to right, top to bottom script.
Table Manners
We Filipinos use spoon and fork while eating. Sometimes we also use our bare hands while
eating certain foods.
1. Most of the given cultures of other people are different from mine. Some of their cultures has
opposite interpretations to what we believe and are unlawful when it comes to us. The way they
exercise something is a lot different to what I used to.
2. Yes, there are respective cultures that are the same and different to ours. Culture in Japan, China and
South Korea where they flash a V-hand gesture is also nearly related to our culture of flashing a peace
sign. The way Europeans and Americans eat with spoon and fork is also the same as our eating manner.
The marriage and child-rearing culture of Eskimos totally differs to our ways. Infanticide, which are done
normally by them, would become questionable and illegal when it comes to our society.
3. No. Others culture could be immoral or unlawful, bad or good in others’ perspective but I still think
that this certain group of people have their own reason for their cultures or practices. I should not refer
on judging a culture to what I know of what is right or wrong, good or bad, weird or normal. I should
understand first the whole context of their culture and norms.
4. As for me, I can’t consider some practices to be right or wrong. It is unfair to judge easily those
practices that we still have not fully understand. People has different societies that they had grew up
and been influenced by their practices. I would hardly disapprove the cultural practices they have
because we are not united to agree with a universal truth.
5. I cannot choose which among ours is the best. I would be biased if I would pick one. Each culture is
considered complex and expected that there are sort of differences and applied cultural settings. We
cannot give personal opinion if we don’t experience to be one of them in the first place. No culture must
be imperialized or ranked higher than the other. One’s reason of practicing their culture should not be
measured to others. We have different viewpoints and therefore, no general truth or fact would be
settled.
6. If one culture behaves in a particular act, it does not mean that all cultures can behave the same way.
As I said, each culture differs in their settings. It depends to them whether they had the same beliefs
formed. These are formed depending to what people in the society had settled to conform. The basis of
right and wrong in a certain culture could have been influence from experiences or occurrence they
have perceived; thus, this makes perception to culture different to one another. Not all cultures
experience the same thing as others.
INTRO
The Ilocano people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group that mostly lives in the
Ilocos Region in the northwestern seaboard of Luzon. Other Ilocanos also came mostly from Cordillera,
Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon. In their physical appearances, they look like most Filipinos with
tan/brown skin, big eyes, and dark hair. People that reside near the bays are known to be good
swimmers with lean bodies. Culturally, they excel in culinary, literature, agriculture and architecture.
Ilocanos are mostly simple and practical. They are loud when they are together but likeable people. They
are industrious people who are conscious about expenses.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
The Ilocano people called their towns íli, and smaller group of houses as purók. The chief or
agturay manages the town. Together with a community of elders called amáen or panglakáyen, the
ágtúray administered justice and governed the daily lives of the íli. There are also social classes during
the precolonial times like babaknang or Maharlika. Kailianes are the people who assist people for work;
katalonan are tenant farmers who consisted the majority of the population in ili. The ubíng were
servants while the tagábu were slaves. They largely practiced wet-rice agriculture which included rice
and taro as well as dry agriculture that included cotton.
The social organization at this modern time consists of churches, government, schools and etc.
They can freely move but obeying laws, study at schools and buy resources from public markets. Peace
and order and social activities are managed by the local government unit too. Ilocano words like ubing
had changed its meaning into a child, panglakayen into a group of elderly men.
LANGUAGE
Most Ilocanos speak Ilocano, a part of the Northern Philippine subgroup of languages. They also
speak Tagalog and English as second languages. The Ilocanos have their own distinct writing system
script known as kur-itan. Proposals have been made to revive the kur-itan by teaching it in Ilocano,
majority at public and private schools in the Ilocos Region.
RELIGIONS
By now, the population is predominantly Roman Catholic with strong adherents of
Protestantism. There are also adherents of other Christian denominations such as Mormons and Iglesia
ni Cristo. There is still an implication that traditional animistic beliefs are still practiced in rural areas.
ARTS AND LITERATURE
Even before Ilocanos had been colonized, they already invented the Dadapilan which is a tool
use for crushing sugarcane. Other cultural arts include tilar (native loom), dulang (low table), abel
(textile), burnay (native jar), almiris, (mortar), maguey products, panday blacksmith, sag-ut (cotton
yarn).
A well-known Ilocano literary work written in Iloco is the Biag ni Lam-ang. It is an epic poem and
a testament in the Ilocano culture about the fantastic life and escapades of an Ilocano hero named Lamang.
ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
In terms of the economic structure, Ilocos Region where major Ilocanos reside, is one of the 13
regions whose economy is predominantly Services-based. Services which include Education, Health and
Social Welfare, Hotel and Restaurants and Recreation Activities accounted for the largest share in
Service within Ilocos Region. Ilocanos have a mixed economy like what the whole country has. It consists
of public markets and government that share control of making, and exchanging goods in the society.
Business have economic freedom in the use of capital but still allows the government to supervise
economic activities.
VALUES, BELIEFS AND TRADITIONS
Before Spaniards arrived, Ilocanos were animists who believed in spirits called anito. A bari-bari
chant calls on the Mangmangkik (the anitos of trees) and other anito them not to curse the people
interfering nature. Golgol is also an Ilocano tradition customarily done in the morning after the burial of
a departed loved one. The family members are instructed to remove their clothes and to throw them
into the river, allowing the current to carry away their clothes. It is believed that the ritual of Golgol
helps to drive away the spirit of a dead relative and to bring it straight to heaven. The act of cleansing
also symbolizes the washing away of grief and bad luck that death may bring to the family. Ilocano
culture revolves around life rituals, festivities and oral history. They are known to value familial bonds
because they invest more on their family than anyone else; that is why they are seen as kuripot.
The first thing that I learned from Ilocanos is that we have almost the same appearance as them.
They have brown skin and dark hair, no far to what usually Tagalogs have. The second thing that I
learned is the reason why Ilocanos are seen as expenses conscious or kuripot. I am touched on how they
value their family first to have a better life rather than investing in miscellaneous things. Last thing that I
learned is knowing their distinct indigenous script called Kur-itan. It is good knowing that they are still
eager to preserve their past cultures although changes in the society are taking places.
The first thing that I found interesting is the well-known Ilocano literary work Biag ni Lam-ang. I
would love to read it if I have the time. The concept of bravery and compassion is shown in the story,
spotlighting Filipino people especially heroes’ personalities. Second thing that I have found interesting is
their Golgol tradition. Its essence presents us how they truly value their relatives by doing rituals that is
said to make the dead person go straight to heaven.
One thing that I have realized among Ilocanos is that I should not judge them quickly on how
they act. I understand that Ilocanos being thrifty are just their way of investing for their families. The
personality that they have is crucial far to what I had thought. Ilocanos may differ in their religions but
they are still united by values and beliefs.
Medium – oil pastel
Technique – Heavy Pressure blending, color mixing
Style – modern abstract self portrait drawing
MODERN
CONTEMPORARY ARTS
I, Darelle Nalagan, a novice artist with a touch of modernism, presenting to you my
With the oil pastels and pencil as my medium, I created an artwork exhibiting my very own self
portrait. I believed that I am inclined with the styles of modern art since I can perceive my art as a
modern-inspired drawing. The art style that I have made does not represent an accurate depiction of a
visual reality; instead, the main focus of my self portrait is to show the blending of colors and forms in a
two-dimensional perspective. By using the discipline of abstraction, the elements within my art were
simplified. I used the coloring techniques such as heavy pressure blending and color mixing in order to
show contrast and blended, rich colors. I partly included some shadowing with the use of dark colors;
however, I excluded the use of black pastels in able to show a much softer and cleaner look. The pencil
was used to make an outline that helps the drawing to stand out and catch the viewer’s attention.
H
O
P
E
People don’t have time for physical activities such as exercise and dancing because they are
mostly occupied with a busy life. They usually have different life commitments and casting aside physical
activities is the only way to lessen their hassles. Whenever they have time, they usually tend to do things
in a sedentary way. Other people who are interested in physical activities may seem to have a limited
budget. They cannot afford to have a gym access and take aerobic sessions. One of the reasons can also
because of they are not physically inclined. People may feel that physical fitness is not for them and it
does not seem to work effectively. Personal problems can also interfere to hating physical activities such
as self-consciousness and fear of unfamiliarity.
There are many factors why people hate to practice engaging in physical activities. Most of them
have difficulties on starting and settling a schedule for it. They find other ways to entertain their selves
without getting exhausted. People might also be aiming to do such exercises at the gym which is not a
least practical way. Physical activities can be done outdoors; you just have to find solutions if you really
want to do it. There are also convenient tools at home and chores that will enable you to move
physically. Doing physical activity is also better with a group or family. Try inviting them to accompany
you with dancing or exercising. By doing that, you can realize that having time for physical activities can
affect you holistically.
Dancing is a form of exercise which has many purposes; one of it is to relieve stress. It helps to
releases tensions in our body especially if you have a busy life. Any type of physical activities and
exercises release neurotransmitters which are chemicals that communicate messages throughout the
body and endorphins to alleviate stress. These endorphins or happy hormones are body’s natural
painkiller, besides alleviating stress, it improves the mind’s perception of life. Other than influencing our
mental help in order to alleviate stress, our physical and social health in the midst of this pandemic is
also at risk. Resolving our personal problems regarding physical and social health can also have an effect
in lessening one’s stress. When all problems in different health aspects are resolved, there is no way for
us to be bothered about something now.
As mentioned earlier, dancing offers a creative outlet to showcase their personalities in a safe
environment. Due to this pandemic, dance sessions may be hosted online; still, we still have freedom to
wear our Zumba outfit. We can ask our house members to have Zumba or dance sessions together. This
indoor activity during the pandemic can help us not just only by getting fit but also by socializing. Stress
could be cast aside when we prioritize to express ourselves out through dancing and have someone that
can accompany us and join our hobbies.
Dedicating time in dancing as if it is a total body workout can improve our physical health.
Pursuing our body goals while we have the time to get fit during this pandemic can also boost our
confidence and general, psychological wellbeing. In short, it can influence our holistic health. Besides
our goal to alleviate stress, we can also achieve to be strong and immune against the pandemic because
of dancing. Aiming a certain goal by dancing can give rise to side effects in a good way. We can be stress
free while being fit.