Kannawidan Festival (Insight)

    Ilocos Sur, our very own province has rich and stunning cultures and traditions that we Ilocanos must be proud of. In order to showcase these, we have important festives just to exhibit and promote products of ours and precious cultures of Ilocanos to attract and invite tourists to come and visit Ilocos. One of these is the Kannawidan Ylocos Festival which is a week-long festive of happiness for local and foreign tourists as more entertaining events are included in the celebration. Now on its 12th year, the Kannawidan Ylocos Festival had already established its identity as the prime festival of the province.The province has a rich heritage and unique cultures that need to be preserved for the next generations. However, many of these traditions, songs, dances and other Ilocano cultures were not already familiar to the younger generations due to the influence of the television, computer and internet. 

Highlights include the members of the Bayanihan Dance Company entertained the Ilocanos with their world class performance of the Beauty of the Philippines through dances, music and sounds. Their graceful movements and excellent rendition of songs and playing the indigenous musical instruments drew attractions from the crowd. Governor Luis Chait Singson and Vice Governor Savellano together with the officials of the Department of Education Division of Ilocos Sur signified the start of the different contests for elementary and high school students. These include traditional tribal rituals, choir and glee club competition, marching band contest, traditional music ensemble, dance drama, traditional and folk dances, contemporary dance competition and street dancing showdown. These events aimed to encourage young Ilocanos to learn these indigenous songs and dances for sustainability and preservation. Another important event is the Partuat ken Patanor Trade and Agri Fair. Officials from the trade and agri fair displayed all products from the different towns of the Ilocos Sur and its nearby provinces.  This Kannawidan Ylocos Festival aims to create awareness on the preservation of the province’ rich cultural heritage, practices and traditions, and a showcase of the different agriculture and industry products. We, Ilocanos should all be proud of with this because we are having this for tourists to appreciate our rich culture. Moreover, let us all preserve these cultures for next generations and this will serve as our trademark as an Ilocano.

New Year, New Me

    2018 has passed and 2019 has come. People usually make their resolutions, but they don't fulfill their promise. And every January, I see an influx of people admitting they’ve failed their resolutions just a few days in. This is the time of year everyone sets New Year’s Resolutions and although I don’t plan to make any this year (because let’s be real, who actually sticks to them?), I plan to make a few goals that I can reach through the year.

    When the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, we’ll all (most likely) will begin to hear (and see on social media) people use the old phrase “new year, new me”.While New Year brings new memories and possibilities, it doesn’t necessarily mean we have to change everything about who we are. It’s not exactly a new you, but a better version of yourself, a “You 2.0”.

    I normally hear the usual “I’m going to start eating healthier,” line when you ask others their New Year’s resolution. That’s a great goal to have, but if you’re going to be a better version of yourself, there are a lot more important issues you need to focus on. It’s vital to start on things that are inside of us!

  

There’s always room for improvement, and you will never stop growing as a person. It’s easy to say, “Maybe next year,” but why not now? Why not be a better version of ourselves every day of our lives? Why should we wait until New Year to want to grow? You already know what you want to change about yourself, so make every day of the year the moment you actually do it. Make this day the moment you no longer need the excuse of the New Year to improve yourself.

   May this be a year of growth and joy, full of lessons and challenges that will help you take every day as an opportunity to make a change. Don’t take any moment for granted and give purpose to every action you take. Aim high and you’ll thrive.

   Start improving yourself instead of waiting and making up excuses. The world needs more people believing in themselves and trusting they have everything to make a difference, whether it’s big or small. Happy new year and make “You 2.0” the best version of yourself so far!

Change: Starts With Me

     All people change for a reason. Some people change from bad to good or vice versa. Change happens whether we like it or not and regardless of whether we do anything about it. Tomorrow will be different than today. We can resist, but that is a bit like standing in a river and trying to hold back the water – useless. We have a choice to watch change passively happening around us, or to participate and lead it.

    Most people who say they don’t like change mean they don’t like when it happens to them, but they don’t mind if they are the ones initiating the change. Those with a growth mindset see difficult problems as challenges to be solved, embracing them with enthusiasm and determination. Those with a fixed mindset see difficult problems as a pain in the butt and tend to give up before they start.  Those with a growth mindset welcome change while those with a fixed mindset resist it. 

      We can lead change and make our world a better place if we start with ourselves. Learning to become a better spouse, parent, businessperson, leader, salesperson, philanthropist, coach and volunteer will enable me to contribute more to my family, my community, and my industry. By inviting positive change into my life, by initiating change, I might be able to positively influence others.

But that’s a choice they have to make.

References: https://www.tacresults.com/article/change-starts-with-you/