PUERTO GALERA ACADEMY, INC.

Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro

CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
SHS CARESIAN REMOTE ADAPTIVE DYNAMIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Name: _____________________________________ Grade and Section: ________________

Flex Your Writing Prowess!

FOURTH QUARTER

CLAP 1
CARESian Learning
Activity Page

COMMENCEMENT
OPENING PRAYER
CARESian Prayer
Grant me O Lord, my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you and wisdom to find you,
to act justly, to love and to walk humbly with our God.
Twin Hearts of Jesus and Mary Reign in our hearts forever. AMEN

OVERVIEW
A critique is written not only to summarize a literary texts’ plot, but also to highlight its merits and
weakness in the form of a critical literary discussion. A good book review does not only describe what
is on the page, but also analyzes a book’s perspective.

CONTENT STANDARD
The learner understands the distinction between and among creative nonfiction types and
forms.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learner competently delivers an artistic presentation summarizing and analyzing the form,
theme and techniques of a chosen creative nonfictional text.

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY

The learner shall be able to present a commentary/critique on a chosen creative nonfictional text
representing a particular type or form (Biography/Autobiography, Literary Journalism/Reportage,
Personal Narratives, Travelogue, Reflection Essay, True Narratives, Blogs, Testimonies, Other
Forms)

FORMATION STANDARD
The learner shall be able to become good critique and writer of a nonfiction piece.

TIME FRAME
Two (2) weeks

MY LEARNING TARGETS

At the end of the week, I can be able to complete the tasks and learn to:

 identify the forms of creative nonfiction.

 present a commentary/critique on a chosen creative nonfictional text representing a particular
type or form.
 compose short nonfiction piece from the chosen form.

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Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
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ACTIVATION
What comes to your mind when you encounter the word critique? Fill in the
graphic organizer below with words that you can relate to the term, CRITIQUE.

CRITIQUE

A literary text’s meaning depends on the interpretation of its readers. Sometimes,

readers do not share the point of view of the writer who wrote the literary piece they are
reading because of cultural and personal differences. One interesting way to present
your opinion regarding a literary text is by writing a critique.

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PUERTO GALERA ACADEMY, INC.
Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
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Name: ______________________________ Score: ____________
Grade and Section: ____________________ Date: _____________ Q4 CLAP 1

ACQUISITION
ACTIVITY TITLE: Creative Nonfiction Types
LEARNING TARGET: I can identify the forms of creative nonfiction
REFERENCE: DepEd.Learning.Module.Region1.La Union.Schools.Division

Concept Digest:
Creative nonfiction is genre of writing that combines different literary styles
and techniques in presenting factual information which differentiates it from the usual
genres of nonfiction. Though it is regarded as a relatively young genre of writing, creative
nonfiction comes in different forms. Read the attachment.
Learning Activity 1
Directions: Identify/ supply what is being asked and described in each question.
Write your answers on the space provided before the number.

A form of creative fiction that;

_________________1. focuses on a travelers’ experiences in their journey to a
particular places.
_________________2. narrates your own life.
_________________3. originated in Latin America that aims to report human rights
exploitation.
_________________4. pertains to a story of a person’s life written by another person.
_________________5. utilizes the techniques of journalism such as interviews and
reviews in order to look outside of the straightforward, objective world that journalism
creates.
What form of creative nonfiction is used;
_________________6. if you want to share what you have learned from an event in your
life?
_________________7. if you want to focuses only on a specific event that the author
wants to share?
_________________8. when a certain news was made creatively?
_________________9. if a person shares how good our Creator is?
_________________10. if your teacher is sharing a story in his or her life?

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PUERTO GALERA ACADEMY, INC.
Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
SHS CARESIAN REMOTE ADAPTIVE DYNAMIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Name: ______________________________ Score: ____________
Grade and Section: ____________________ Date: _____________ Q4 CLAP 1

REFINEMENT
ACTIVITY TITLE: Leave Your Comments
LEARNING TARGET: I can present a commentary/critique on a chosen creative
nonfictional text representing a particular type or form.
REFERENCE: DepEd.Learning.Module.Region1.La Union.Schools.Division

Concept Digest:
A CRITIQUE is a short paper, usually about one book or article. First, it gives a
short summary of what has been said in the article. Then, it looks at the article
critically. In presenting the critical comments, one has to look into the strengths and
weaknesses of the article. A critique can be positive or negative. However, it is better
that the critique points out to improving the article. For more information about a
commentary or critique, read the attachment.
Learning Activity 2
Directions: Each of the forms of creative nonfiction discussed in the attachment
has its own examples. Choose one from the examples given and present your
commentary or critique. Be guided by the information discussed in the attachment.
Your critique will be graded by the rubric in the attachment.
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PUERTO GALERA ACADEMY, INC.
Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
SHS CARESIAN REMOTE ADAPTIVE DYNAMIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Name: ______________________________ Score: ____________
Grade and Section: ____________________ Date: _____________ Q4 CLAP 1

EVALUATION
ACTIVITY TITLE: It’s My Turn Now!
LEARNING TARGET: I can compose short nonfiction piece from the chosen form.

Learning Activity 3
Directions: Now that forms of creative nonfiction has been discussed with its
examples, try to write own nonfiction piece from your chosen form. It could be your
autobiography, biography of a person you admire the most, your most unforgettable
travel through travelogue or a person’s true story thru personal narratives. Be guided by
the basic steps in writing your chosen form in the attachment. Your piece will be graded
by the rubric below. Use the paper on the next page in writing your piece.
RUBRIC for WRITNG NONFICTION
Very Good Good Fair Poor
Traits
(5) (4) (3) (2)
The introduction is The introduction is
The introduction is not
very interesting and it quite interesting and The introduction is not
Introductory adequately interesting
catches the attention attempts to catch the at all interesting and it
Paragraph or the topic is vague to
of the reader. attention of the is poorly constructed.
the reader.
reader.
Most events are in a
Most events are logical order but some Some events are The use of the graphic
Body
placed in a logical are either missing or missing and are not organizer is not utilized
(Sequence of
order and keeps the in the wrong order included in the graphic properly to logically
Events
reader’s interest. and this distracts the organizer. present the events.
reader.
Most sentences are Sentences sound
well constructed, but awkward, are
All sentences are well they have a similar distractingly repetitive,
Several sentences
constructed and have structure and/or or are difficult to
are well-constructed
varied structure and length. The author understand. The
and the author makes
Mechanics length. The author makes several errors author makes
few errors in
makes no errors in in grammar, numerous errors in
grammar,mechanics,
grammar, mechanics, mechanics, and/or grammar,mechanics,
and/or spelling.
and/or spelling. spelling that interfere and/or spelling that
with understanding. interfere with
understanding.
The conclusion The conclusion does
Concluding The conclusion is The conclusion was
adequately organized not adequately
Paragraph complete and specific. poorly written.
some events. organized the events.
CLOSING PRAYER
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I recite my verses for the King, my tongue is
the pen of a skillful writer.”
PSALM 45: 1
CAMILLE DATINGALING CAGUETE Facebook: Camille Caguete Gmail: [email protected]

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PUERTO GALERA ACADEMY, INC.
Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
SHS CARESIAN REMOTE ADAPTIVE DYNAMIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Name: ______________________________ Score: ____________
Grade and Section: ____________________ Date: _____________ Q4 CLAP 1

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CREATIVE NONFICTION 12
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ATTACHMENT
A. Autobiography vs. Biography
Etymologically, the word autobiography is composed of the Greek words auto meaning “self”,
bio, bios meaning “life”, and gráphō, graphien meaning “write”. Thus, autobiography can be defined
as any of the following: 1) a written account of the life of a person written by that person himself or
herself, 2) a written record of the author or writer’s life, or 3) a narration that tells the life story of the
author or writer.
In contrast to autobiography, biography is a description or account of a person’s life story presented
through the eyes of another person. The person who writes someone else’s life story is called a
biographer. In this genre of writing, the biographer has to extensive research in order to tell accurate
facts about the person’s life.
Basics in Writing Autobiography and Biography
1. Jot down all life events and arrange them in a timeline. Using a timeline makes it easier for you
to chronologically arrange the events. Also, it helps you not to mix up events that may have
similarities with one another.
2. Identify the people involved in each event. Every good story has interesting characters, friends
and foes who help move the plot along. Knowing the names of the people involved as well as
their roles in each event helps you in making the story more accurate and real.
3. Determine the best events. The entire life story will start to get pretty longwinded and you are
going to make some choices about what stories you are going to include and to discard. Start
by writing the key stories that will be put together to create an image of your life.
4. For autobiography, write down the story using the first person point of view pronouns such as
“I”. For biography, write down the story using the third person point of view pronouns such as
“he/she/they”.
5. Reading the output helps in identifying strong spots to be retained and weak spots to be
enhanced while rewriting it is the chance for you to improve and polish the
autobiography/biography.
Examples:
Autobiography of a 2nd Generation Filipino-American by Michael Espe
Looking back at my life, so many influences and events have shaped the way I am, now being
a 2nd generation Filipino-American UCLA student. From the time I was born on April 29, 1985 until I
entered my second year of college at UCLA, I grew up being oblivious as to how and why I was the
way I was, with my personality, my dealings with other people, and more approach towards education.
It wasn’t until halfway through my college career that I began to realize the impact that history had on
my life. Coming from a low-class family background, born and raised up mostly in Los Angeles and for
a few years in a city in the Philippines called Baguio, my decisions in life and consequently my
experiences leading up to the present times have been linked to history. Specifically, the history of my
own parents and the history of the Philippines are ultimately related to how my life experiences in the
past 21 years have come about.
Beginning with the history of my parents, it all traces back to our homeland, the Philippines. Both
of my parents grew up in small rural farming towns, miles away from the main city center of Manila.
Growing up in small towns, the only exposure they had to American life were their relatives who lived
in Manila during the 1970s. From these urban dwelling relatives, they had notions about the U.S. from
television and newspapers. My father was first exposed to the idea of joining the U.S. Navy from one
of those relatives. With the allure of gaining economic success, modern conveniences, and eventually
a life of prosperity, my father made the critical decision to move to the United States by joining the

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Navy. From this decision, my father was able to come to America and settle in Los Angeles after his
term was over. As for my mother, she was never really exposed to American life as well, except from
her own uncle who was living in Los Angeles for about 20 years after migrating from Hawaii where he
worked at the Dole Pineapple Plantation during the 1930s. She was also told about the riches and more
prosperous life one can have while living in the United States compared to the life they already had in
rural Philippines. From this experience, my mother made the crucial decision to immigrate to the United
States in hoping to experience a new and better life. Clearly, both of my parents were highly influenced
by other Filipinos’ perspectives about American lifestyles.
Coming to America, they began to absorb and understand the American culture and with it, its
cultural beliefs and practices. This exposure to such American ideologies greatly influenced the
decisions I made growing up, especially when it came to education and the lifestyle I led. As a child
born and raised in the urban areas of Los Angeles, I grew up mostly around Latinos since there weren’t
many Filipinos in my neighborhood. From this lack of cultural connection to most of my friends, I never
really understood my own identity as a Filipino American. Even from my own parents, they never really
pushed for me to learn Tagalog or about the history of the Philippines. I did not know back then, but
the main reason why my parents never really promoted my brother and me to understand our Filipino
heritage was the fact that they themselves had an “American” mentality. This mentality included the
American cultural beliefs which they were exposed to and taught when they first came to the United
States. These American beliefs incorporated the idea that the only way to be successful in America is
to assimilate into the American way of living, one in which going through the American educational
system, with its lack of cultural/ethnic studies, will help in that success. Any other form of education,
such as learning about one’s own culture and history, was not seen as important. From this mentality
that my parents had, all they ever wanted me to do was to be very successful with my academics in
order for me to go to a top notch university and gain a degree that can get me a wellpaying career. As
I was growing up, the family pressure to succeed well in academics for my parents dream to be realized
was always present in my mind and encouraged me to do successful which ultimately did occur. It was
not until my experiences in college and specifically, my involvement in a Filipino organization that my
whole life turned into something new and more challenging.
I came into UCLA as a naïve first year in the fall of 2003. During my first year, my only focus was
to become a pharmacist while being a chemistry major. However, my decision to choose chemistry as
a major and pharmacy as a career was highly influenced by my parents, not my own. This decision
became the worst decision of my life. I was nearly dismissed from the university and for the first time in
my life, I felt like I was a failure to myself and more importantly, to my parents. Additionally, I became
anti-social and I did not join any organizations, especially Samahang Pilipino, because of my lack of
connection and exposure to people of my own culture. From that down point of my life, I made an
important decision during my second year that helped me develop into the person I am today. During
that year, I decided to change my life around to make it completely different from my first year. I began
attending Samahang Pilipino meetings and decided to become a cast member and performer of
Samahang Pilipino’s cultural night and I switched my major from chemistry to history and then double
majoring in Asian American Studies. From these decisions, I became exposed to all the things I never
knew about myself, my parents, and of being a Filipino living in America. Being a progressive advocacy
group, Samahang Pilipino was able to introduce to me the historical reasons as to why my parents had
the “American” mentality. By going to Samahang events, I learned that due to the American occupation
of the Philippines during the early half of the 20th century, Filipinos were placed in an Americanized
educational system, which promoted American beliefs about education and careers. Both of my parents
had relatives who had general exposure to such American beliefs, including education. My parents took
those concepts into their minds and it ultimately transpired onto me and my brother. From this historical
fact of the American colonization of the Filipino mind in the Philippines, it became clear to me during
my second year at UCLA that all of the influences that my parents had on me in my decision to come
to UCLA and originally pursue a career in medicine was ultimately linked to the history of the
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Philippines. My own discovery of the intersection of my life and Philippine history became the turning
point in the way I began to view the world, my Filipino culture, my family, and of myself. Ever since that
turning point in my life and my mentality, I have grown to recognize that Philippine history and
consequently my parent’s history undeniably account for why my own personal history has been shaped
the way it has.
Now, being a 2nd generation Filipino American fourth year UCLA student and an active member of
Samahang Pilipino, my life experiences and all the knowledge I have been exposed to in the past three
years have contributed to my desire to continually challenge myself in understanding the world and
while being a Samahang peer counselor, to help in developing the mentality of Filipinos/Filipino
Americans at UCLA into a less “colonized and Americanized” mind. The various aspects of my college
career, from being a history and Asian American Studies double major to my involvement in Samahang
Pilipino, have all influenced my own awareness of myself, something that I hope to develop with other
Filipinos/Filipino Americans for the future. After learning from my own life history, I have come to
understand that in order for one to begin to recognize the forces that influences one’s life, one must
look back to the history of one’s parents and more significantly, the history of one’s culture.

The Biography of Emilio Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo, (born March 22,1869, near Cavite, Luzon, Philippines— died February 6, 1964,
Quezon City), Filipino leader and politician who fought first against Spain and later against the United
States for the independence of the Philippines.
Aguinaldo was of Chinese and Tagalog parentage. He attended San Juan de Letrán College in Manila
but left school early to help his mother run the family farm. In August 1896 he was mayor of Cavite
Viejo (present-day Kawit; adjacent to Cavite city) and was the local leader of the Katipunan, a
revolutionary society that fought bitterly and successfully against the Spanish. In December 1897 he
signed an agreement called the Pact of Biac-na-Bató with the Spanish governor general. Aguinaldo
agreed to leave the Philippines and to remain permanently in exile on condition of a substantial financial
reward from Spain coupled with the promise of liberal reforms. While first in Hong Kong and then in
Singapore, he made arrangements with representatives of the American consulates and of Commodore
George Dewey to return to the Philippines to assist the United States in the war against Spain.
Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines on May 19, 1898, and announced renewal of the struggle with
Spain. The Filipinos, who declared their independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, proclaimed a
provisional republic, of which Aguinaldo was to become president, and in September a revolutionary
assembly met and ratified Filipino independence. However, the Philippines, along with Puerto Rico and
Guam, were ceded by Spain to the United States by the Treaty of Paris, which was signed on December
10, 1898.
Relations between the Americans and the Filipinos were unfriendly and grew steadily worse. On
January 23, 1899, the Malolos Constitution—by virtue of which the Philippines was declared a republic
and which had been approved by the assembly and by Aguinaldo—was proclaimed. Aguinaldo, who
had been president of the provisional government, was elected president.
On the night of February 4 the inevitable conflict between the Americans and Filipinos surrounding
Manila was precipitated. By the morning of February 5 the Filipinos, who had fought bravely, had been
defeated at all points. While the fighting was in progress, Aguinaldo issued a proclamation of war
against the United States, which immediately sent reinforcements to the Philippines. The Filipino
government fled northward. In November 1899 the Filipinos resorted to guerrilla warfare.
After three years of costly fighting, the insurrection was finally brought to an end when, in a daring
operation on March 23, 1901, led by Gen. Frederick Funston, Aguinaldo was captured in his secret

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headquarters at Palanan in northern Luzon. Aguinaldo took an oath of allegiance to the United States,
was granted a pension from the U.S. government, and retired to private life.
In 1935 the commonwealth government of the Philippines was established in preparation for
independence. Aguinaldo ran for president, but he was decisively beaten. He returned to private life
until the Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941. The Japanese used Aguinaldo as an
anti-American tool. He made speeches and signed articles. In early 1942 he addressed a radio appeal
to U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur—who at that time was with the U.S. garrison holding out against the
Japanese on Corregidor Island—to surrender (the troops there did surrender in May 1942, but
MacArthur had already been evacuated).
The Americans returned to the Philippines in late 1944, and, after they had retaken Manila in 1945,
Aguinaldo was arrested. He and others accused of collaboration with the Japanese were imprisoned
for some months before they were released by presidential amnesty. In 1950 Aguinaldo was appointed
by Pres. Elpidio Quirino as a member of the Council of State. In his later years he devoted much
attention to veterans’ affairs, the promotion of nationalism and democracy in the Philippines, and the
improvement of relations between the Philippines and the United States.
B. Reportage/ Literary Journalism
Reportage also known as literary journalism reports an event, history or an actual case based on direct
observation, investigation or thorough research and documentation. Writers use interviews and reviews
in order to look outside of the straightforward, objective world that journalism creates. It uses literary
practices to capture the scene or setting of the assignment or the persona of the person being
interviewed. It can often be narrative or heavily imagistic.
Basics in Writing a Reportage / Literary Journalism
1. Get the facts straight by observing and researching. Keep all your interview and observation
notes in order not to miss out relevant information. Take note of all details from smallest ones to
biggest ones.
2. Conduct interviews. First-hand information about the topic help in describing and detailing the
subject matter.
3. Outline the story. Outlining helps you in organizing the events according to your style.
4. Use literary elements and devices in writing. Using the different literary elements helps you not
to leave important elements that enhance the reportage. Also, the literary devices help you to
make the reportage more dramatic, appealing, and interesting.
5. End with a point. Your goal is to get your readers entertained, informed, and enlightened. Make
sure to leave your reader an important point for them to reflect from.

Example:
The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic (excerpt) by
Giorgia Guglielmi
The timing couldn’t have been worse. In March, just as Thailand’s coronavirus outbreak began to ramp
up, three hospitals in Bangkok announced that they had suspended testing for the virus because they
had run out of reagents. Thai researchers rushed to help the country’s clinical laboratories meet the
demand. Looking for affordable and easy-to-use tests, systems biologist Chayasith (Tao) Uttamapinant
at the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology in Rayong reached out to an old
acquaintance: CRISPR co-discoverer Feng Zhang, who had been developing an assay for the
coronavirus inspired by the gene-editing technology.
Within days, Uttamapinant received starter kits from Zhang’s lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and
Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and tested them on samples from a hospital in Bangkok. “The
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kits are quite cheap and work well,” says Uttamapinant, who hopes to get the test approved for clinical
use by the end of the year. He has teamed up with biochemists in Thailand to produce the testing
reagents locally, with Zhang on standby for support. “This effort to produce everything locally will have
a lasting impact on infectious-disease monitoring and diagnosis in this part of the globe,” says
Uttamapinant.
Epidemiologists say mass testing for SARS-CoV-2 — requiring millions of tests per country per week
— is the most practical way out of the current crisis. It allows officials to isolate those who test positive,
limit the spread of disease and help to determine when it is safe to relax restrictions.
But countries are struggling to ramp up testing. One reason is that the standard test to detect SARS-
CoV-2 — based on a mainstay lab technique called the reverse-transcription polymerase chain
reaction, or RT-PCR — requires trained personnel, specific chemical supplies and expensive
instruments that take hours to provide results and are often available only in labs that provide routine,
centralized services. This limits the number of tests that can be done, especially in developing
countries. Even in wealthy regions such as the United States, providers have reported a severe
shortage of test kits and required materials — from nose swabs to chemical reagents — because of
supply-chain problems. Scaling up reliable tests quickly has proved challenging, too: early RT-PCR
tests developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention malfunctioned, for example,
leading to a series of delays.
Research groups around the world are now devising tests that go beyond PCR. Dozens of diagnostic
methods are in development, all of which detect viral material but in different ways: some are tweaks
for RT-PCR that make the test faster or easier to use; others use the gene-editing tool CRISPR to home
in on genetic snippets of SARS-CoV-2; and some identify the virus using proteins that sit on its surface.
Many of these tests, such as Zhang’s, are being validated using clinical samples, and some are already
in the clinic. In April, the US National Institutes of Health earmarked US$1.5 billion for coronavirus-test
development, aiming to enable millions of tests per week by the end of this summer. “The sooner we
can come up with a solution,” Zhang says, “the sooner we can resume some form of normalcy.”
The most promising way to perform large numbers of tests, says Mitchell O’Connell, a biochemist at
the University of Rochester in New York, will be to use a mix of methods that rely on different
instruments and supply chains so that a sudden worldwide demand won’t deplete any key materials.
“Any new technology that is able to expand the number of tests that we can do is good news,” he says.
If those tests are ready soon, it would be good news for the current pandemic and for future outbreaks.
Many of the assays in development could be readily adapted to an emerging pathogen once its genetic
sequence is decoded, says Isabella Eckerle, a virologist at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Eckerle says that, even though the ideal test doesn’t yet exist — one that is accurate, rapid,
inexpensive, and easy to use and scale up — “there are many things in the pipeline that could be
useful.”
C. Personal Narratives
Personal Narrative is a person’s true story. The author narrates what happened to them in a particular
event which makes it autobiographical in nature. A personal narrative is close to an autobiography;
however, they differ in scope. An autobiography tells the author’s life story which is composed of several
events, while a personal narrative focuses only on a specific event that the author wants to share.
Basics in Writing a Personal Narrative
1. Think of an event in your life that you want to share through a story.
2. Focus on the topic and write down all the details of that event in order to recall the event well.
Remember to use the 5Ws and 1H in identifying details.

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3. Organize your ideas according to your own style. Using an outline helps you in organizing the
details.
4. Write the story and use language in expressing what you really mean to say. You may utilize
different devices in order to successfully show rather than tell the story.
Example:
I stabbed my student, countless times… by Jethro Nocom
I walked towards the campus, wearing my white barong. Smiling, I always replied to
students greeting me with good mornings. The leisure walk ended when I looked at my watch
- it was almost 7:30. I started running to beat our biometrics. Luckily, I made it - the first
challenge of the day was accomplished, I wrote 7:29 on the logbook with my name and a
scribbled signature.
"Are you alright?" A question asked by one of my colleagues as she pointed the dark circles around
my eyes and said that I was pale.
"This is my usual look", I laughingly replied while I remember how I stayed late at night almost every
day, doing dozens of paperwork that we are required to accomplish according to some mandatory
memo. It would have been an easy task, only if I did not need to study for my lessons and check and
record hundreds of students' outputs.
I shove the negativity off as I was about to enter my class. I entered the room, and saw the lively
students. They are always lively. They are always too lively.
I stood front, I put my teaching materials on the table and waited for them to settle down. Seconds
turned to minutes, but still, they are not in their proper seats. I've been using the "teacher glare" for
three minutes now but it seems to have no effect. My bright mood started to deplete as I started lecturing
them about respect and some cliché do's and don’ts in the classroom.
Majority of the students became quiet. But there was one who kept talking and laughing, and even
rolled her eyes while I was speaking. It was Jessica. The usual disrespectful Jessica. Her ignorant grin
really pisses me off, but I just gave a sigh and continued my class. It was really hard to hold back anger,
but months of experience trained me. I also bear in mind that a co-teacher was terminated months ago
because she slapped a student and she was filed a case under Child Protection Policy.
As I continued my lesson, Jessica continued talking to her classmates. I called her attention many
times, but she just doesn't listen.
Fifteen minutes left before the time, I grabbed my daily test cards and randomly picked a student to
sum up the hour's lesson. The 'forced volunteer' from the draw lots was Jessica, so I asked her to go
in front and sum up the lesson. She stood, and walked towards me. She then faced the class, and
shouted "class dismiss, stop listening to this nonsense!"
I didn't know what to say. But my hand, it moved on its own. I started stabbing Jessica. Once, twice,
my hand didn't stop. It was pleasurable. Really pleasurable.
I stabbed Jessica, countless times.
. . . and then I stopped my imagination, once again, I opened my eyes, and remembered that the only
thing I did earlier was to ignore the humiliation that I received.
It was already 3 am. I reached my antidepressant and continued checking my students' output. It was
a tiring day.
Hopefully, I pray for a more favorable tomorrow.
Because I might really end up stabbing a student, countless times.
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D. Travelogue
A travelogue is an account of a person’s experiences while touring a place for the pleasure of travel.
It includes vivid descriptions, illustrations, historical background, and possibly maps and diagrams.
Basics in Writing a Travelogue
1. Write all the things that you notice like the sceneries, community, food, culture and others while
on travel.
2. Get the facts straight about the place, people, events, culture, etc. Factual accuracy must be
observed so that the readers will be well-informed.
3. Start with a clear story line. Make sure that the storyline arouses the curiosity and interest of
your target audience.
4. Describe the things that you are going to include in your travelogue using the different kinds of
imagery so that the readers can also visualize what you witnessed in your travel.
Example:
Baguio by Ringo Bunoan
I always head up to Baguio whenever I want to cool off. A small city located in the Cordillera
Mountains north of the Philippines, Baguio is one of the country’s most favoured summer
getaway. With its pine trees and foggy air, it is quite a postcard image that lures both local
tourists and foreign backpackers.
In March, just when the temperature was starting to rise in Manila, I took the midnight express bus to
Baguio to take part in the twentieth anniversary of the Café By The Ruins, probably the country’s
longest-running artist-run space. Founded by members of the Baguio Arts Guild and other friends, the
café is literally built upon the ruins of the former residence of the governor of Benguet.
I remember Santiago Bose, one of the café’s co-founders and leaders of the guild, telling me that
Baguio locals never paid much attention to artists. They perceived artists as good-for-nothings, just
idling away with their drinking and other vices. They were proved wrong when a powerful earthquake
hit the city in the early ’90s, flattening everything and causing widespread destruction. The Baguio
artists were one of the first groups to mobilize help, opening the café as a soup kitchen for the hungry
and homeless. Since then, the artists in Baguio have gained respect and café has become an iconic
place for the community.
Almost all of the people who played a part in the café were there on the first day of the celebration.
More than an event, it was a get together of artists and friends, a time to unwind, catch up and reminisce
— a homecoming. It was so nice to see Su Llamado, the real ‘mama’ of the café, who flew in from the
U.S. where she has been living for the past few years, just to organize the anniversary. Just like old
times, Su was there, all smiles, offering food, while the sound of brass gongs and bottles of tapuy
(homebrewed rice wine) welcomed everybody.
A bulol, the ubiquitous symbol of the Cordillera, carved in pink ice, presided over the dap-ay (an
outdoor circular platform where elders meet). There were also collaborative outdoor installations made
by young local artists. Works by founding members of the guild lined the wall inside the café. But it was
the board full of photos of the café, the artists and the happenings throughout the years that was
probably the most meaningful. It was history.
In the evening, Showman Shaman, a documentary on Roberto Villanueva, was shown. Everyone was
quiet. In this part of the world, silence does not mean indifference but deep respect. Villanueva was
truly one of Baguio’s visionary artists, combining indigenous culture with the contemporary. He played
the role of a shaman well, touching lives of people from the lahar-affected Aeta communities in Central

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Luzon, Philippines, to the well-heeled urbanites in New York. He died in 1995, as he was planning on
making a monumental acupuncture needle to heal the earth.
Towards the end of the film, there was an interview with Santiago Bose talking about the profound
influence of Villanueva on the Baguio art community. Bose is another pillar of the guild, as instrumental
in the organization of the Baguio Arts Festival from the ’80s to early 2000s. The festival was a very
successful initiative that drew international participation even before the idea of biennales became
common in the Southeast Asian region. Like Villanueva, Bose was able to incorporate traditional
leitmotifs in contemporary work, strongly laced with humor and sardonic wit. He died in 2003, a year
after the last festival.
On the second day, there was a thanksgiving cañao, a ritual feast involving the sacrifice of a few pigs.
It’s a gory affair that was quite difficult to explain to my six-year-old daughter, who asked me why God
would be happy with animal killing. Coincidentally, curator Okwui Enwezor was recently questioned for
including a work by Adel Abemessed, which showed the image of an animal being beaten to death, in
an exhibit in San Francisco. He had to remove the work due to pressure by animal rights activists. Such
are examples of cultural differences that need understanding.
Musical performances by two groups capped the evening. It was a good study in contrast: the first
group called Open Space Productions, led by Carlo Altamonte and Ferdie Balanag, did a comic
repertoire on sex, drugs and rock and roll while the older Pinikpikan group (named after a local dish
made, again, with a chicken beaten to death) jammed, mixing traditional and modern instruments to
come up with a cross-over global sound.
Unfortunately, I missed Yason Banal’s After Andromeda performance, since I left early. It was a poetic
memoir to the café made with recorded narratives and sound played inside the cars parked outside the
café’s entrance.
Before heading down to Manila, I took time just to walk around Baguio. Yes, much has changed
throughout the years. Even the locals admit it.
Overdevelopment is a real threat, represented by the huge SM Mall that stands at the top of Session
Road, the city’s main street, overshadowing the Convention Center, which was the venue of the Baguio
Arts Festival for many years.
Also on Session Road, the Victor Oteyza Community Art Space (VOCAS), owned by filmmaker Kidlat
Tahimik, could be full of promise. There was a photo exhibit by a young artist when I dropped in. But
Kidlat was not there and these days his energies are more concentrated in building his home higher up
in the mountains far from the city. Everyone seems to be moving on.
One has to realize something particular about Baguio. Traditionally, communities are led by the elders,
who gather around the dap-ays, charting and deciding the future of their kin. What happens when the
elders are gone? Just like the ice bulol in the café’s dap-ay that melted away even before the celebration
ended. All that’s left are the traces and fleeting reminders of what has been. I put on my coat and head
to the bus, cooled off, but feeling that I am missing something.
E. Reflection/Reflective Essay
Reflective essays describe an event that happened, then analyze the meaning and what can be
learned from that experience. What makes an essay insightful is that the writer analyzes present-day
historical occurrences.
To paint a true picture of their past, temperament, and human characteristics, reflective essays allow
the writer to open up about their thoughts and emotions. They should contain a vivid summary and
description of the experience in order for the reader to feel the experiences as well. They should also
include an explanation of your feelings, thoughts and reactions.

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Basics in Writing a Reflective Essay
1. Think of what you want to consider as your topic in writing your reflective essay.
2. Assess your feelings towards your chosen topic. Construct questions that you will answer based
on your experiences.
3. Answer the questions that you selected. Your answers will be your basis in making a reflective
essay.
4. Based on your responses, enhance your reflective essay by adding other significant elements
of writing as well as utilizing literary devices.
5. Make sure to always have your strong introduction and conclusion.

Example:
Family Community
by Maria Angela Sarte
To this day, I constantly question myself as to who I am and what my purpose in life is. In answering
this question, my family is my biggest influence as to shaping me to who I am today. My parents,
especially my mother, is my role model that I always look up to. Taking past Ethnic Studies courses, I
sought to look back at my own family history and I have become more appreciative as to where my
family came from as they struggled with their own identities especially being immigrants to America's
"Land of Opportunity." This is the common term used on the depiction of the United States especially
from third-world countries. However, in looking at my own family immigration history, that was not
always the case.
Because I was born in the states and grew up in exposure to American society, I would always show
amazement and awe every time I hear stories that my mother would tell me in sharing her experiences
growing up in her homeland of the Philippines. Although she lived a poor, simple life, she showed me
that it is possible to attain happiness without the need of a luxury through loving one another. The love
that her parents have shown her emotionally passed down to my own family as she is the one who
holds us together. As a new immigrant to this country, she experienced a strong depression as she
struggled assimilating to the American lifestyle. In hopes of finding a good occupation, her teaching
credentials as an educator did not appear valid, so she was limited to becoming a paraeducator. She
felt very belittled as she was not able to teach how she did in the Philippines.
Moreover, many people looked down at her due to her thick accent and brown skin. However, instead
of looking at these hardships negatively, she did her best to see these unfortunate occurrences as a
reason to push harder in showing more compassion to my family and those around her. Through the
cultural barriers that my mother faced, she believed best that my family keep our traditions in order to
preserve our Filipino culture which have shaped my values.
My family taught me many of these important values that we still continue to use in the Filipino culture
such as respect. In particular, my parents taught me of the significance of receiving "mano" from the
elderly of the Filipino community, in which the young bows and holds the elderly’s hand to his or her
forehead, symbolized as a blessing. This tradition that we have as Filipinos is especially important to
me as I realized how much of a sacrifice my family has made to get to where we are today. I am
reminded deeply of my grandfather who came to America working in the fields alongside my great-
grandmother, not too long after fighting in World War II. The challenges he faced to make a living with
little recognition as a war veteran makes me more appreciative toward the sacrifices my family has
made just to put food on the table. There's a famous quote from the Filipino National Hero by the name
of Jose Rizal who states, "She/he who does not know how to look back at where she/he came from will
never get to her/his destination." Looking at my grandfather, I am eager to learn more about my own
history in order to thrive and learn more about my own identity. Under the influence of my family, I

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aspire to continue to learn more about my culture and I also enjoy learning more of my native language
of Tagalog since I did not speak it growing up. My parents as well as my three older siblings also set
the example on valuing my education as they taught me the importance of studying well in order to
expand my knowledge to making a difference in the world.
Through turning back to my family history, I feel that I have gained a better understanding as to who I
am. In looking at the theoretical framework of power and resistance, I continue to strive for a better
future in order to thank my elders for the sacrifices they made as they lived a life of difficulties and
injustice. Such ways to help me attain this goal is through finishing my college education. Especially
because I grew up in a family who values the importance of finishing school, their constant motivation
and passion for education also inspires me to want to pursue a career in Higher Education. Thus, in
looking at this community analysis, my family is the ultimate influence to my perspective of life and
prosperity. They are the core to helping me identify myself with other communities as they have shaped
my culture, my beliefs, and my personal and career goals.
F. Testimonio
Through literature, it is an oral or written autobiographical story known as "testimonial literature." The
word "testimonio" refers to a genre of writing that comes from Latin America dealing with human rights
abuse experiences. However, its definition changed as time passed by. A testimonio is generally
defined as a first-person narration of socially significant experiences in which the narrative voice is that
of a typical or extraordinary witness or protagonist.
Basics in Writing a Testimonio
1. Describe the problem. Write a short description or the background of your problem to inform the
reader about what you are going through.
2. Tell the pros and cons. Share the effects, both good and bad, of having the problems. Tell the
things that you did to solve your problems.
3. The closing of the testimonial. Tell what you have learned from the problem and what you want
the readers to learn from you and from the experience.
Example:
I grew up in a Christian family, so I was surrounded by God and the church from the very beginning. I
was raised in a Christian home, but just followed through the motions of doing “Christian things” that I
thought you were supposed to do. I didn’t know Him, I just knew about Him.
I found myself searching for purpose and meaning in people and also in myself. Whether that was my
friends or in relationships, I poured my whole heart into them. I also became very fixated on myself and
my image. I became very consumed with what people thought of me and was living for the acceptance
of the world.
At my lowest point when I was alone and afraid, God drew me to Himself. From growing up in a
Christian home, I knew what to do. I knew that He could save me if I just let Him. I confessed that I am
a sinner and that I was trying to find life in other people and myself. I acknowledged that He sent Jesus
to die on the cross so that I can be saved from my sin and have eternal life. I committed to living for
God instead of others.
Since knowing Him, God showed me that being a “Christian” isn’t about just doing good works. He
made it clear that I do not have to earn my salvation or His love (Eph. 2:8-9). He has given me fulfillment
and purpose and joy. I am not perfect and I still mess up, but God loves me despite my flaws and
imperfections. And when the things I was pursuing before continually let me down, God has never once
left me. He has shown Himself to me in His Word, the Bible, in (verse of scripture). God loved me even
at my lowest point and He rescued me from myself and eternal separation from Him.

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WHY DO WE WRITE CRITIQUES?
Writing a critique on a work help us to develop:
• a knowledge of the work’s subject area or related works,
• an understanding of the work’s purpose, intended audience, development of argument, structure of
evidence or creative style
• a recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.
HOW TO WRITE A CRITIQUE?
1. Read the whole book or article thoroughly. Highlight text that you think is important or make
notes as you go along. Re-read the article to make sure that your interpretation of the author’s ideas
and arguments are correct.
2. Think carefully about what you have read and ask yourself questions about the article.
Look into the following:
2.1. what are the main points that the author is trying to make?
2.2. how does the author support those points? What evidences are being presented?
3. Re-read material to make sure that you have understood the author’s ideas.

4. Try to summarize what you have read. You may wish to do this by way of bullet-pointed notes.
A spider diagram or mind map. Use whichever techniques suits you.

5. Think about different points of view:

5.1. How do the author’s ideas compare to other writers of the subject?
5.2. Do you agree or disagree with the author? You should say why. This might mean
backing up your own views with academic opinion, so you will need to read
around the subject area.

To critique a piece of writing is to do the following:

A. Describe: give the reader a sense of the writer’s overall purpose and intent
B. Analyze: examine how the structure and language of the text convey its meaning
C. Interpret: state the significance or importance of each part of the text
D.Assess: make a judgment of the work’s worth or value

SAMPLE CRITIQUE TEMPLATE FOR NONFICTION

Introduction. This is where you mention the general idea or thesis statement in the
article.

• State the title of the work, the author’s name and the date of publication
• Outline main ideas of the book and identify the author’s thesis
• State your own thesis statement and your main idea about the work

The article “Narratives of intercultural transformation” by Ingrid Adams is informative and insightful
because the author…

Body. This includes the summary and analysis of the article.

When summarizing, you can:
• briefly outline the main ideas of the book, article or film.
• should involve who, what, where, when, why, and how.
• you may also choose to discuss the structure, style or point of view.

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This article is about… The main points are…
The author argues that… The The authors conclude…
research was…
When giving your analysis, you can:
• critically state what you like and do not like about the book, article or film
• explain your ideas with specific examples from the book, article or film
• assess whether the author has achieved their intended goal
• the analysis may look at whether the work is o focused, understandable, persuasive, clear,
informative o original, exciting, interesting, well-written o directed at the appropriate conclusions,
and more…
• the analysis is made up of several different paragraphs.

Conclusion. This contains the overall interpretation or evaluation of the article studied. In some
circumstances, recommendations for improvement on the work may be appropriate.
• overall interpretation
• relationship of particular interpretations to subject as a whole
• critical assessment of the value, worth, or meaning of the work, both negative and positive
You must read this book because… or This article is not useful because…
In conclusion, the article…

RUBRIC for SCORING CRITIQUE PAPER

Highly Satisfactory 5 Satisfactory 3 pts Fairly Satisfactory 1 pt

Traits
pts
Strengths and Strengths and weaknesses Strengths and
weaknesses that are that are peripheral to the weaknesses are
Critique / central to the article are article are addressed. addressed weakly. The
addressed. The The discussion of strengths discussion of strengths
Content
discussion of strengths and weaknesses take up and weaknesses take
(x2) and weaknesses take up the majority of the up only a small part of the
the majority of the assignment assignment
assignment.
Paper is well organized, Paper is organized, has an Paper is not well-
has a very clear intro, intro, body and conclusion. organized in the intro,
body and conclusion. The The purpose of the paper body, and conclusion. The
Organization purpose of the paper is becomes clear within the purpose of the paper is
clear from the very middle part and the name unclear including the
beginning including the of the author is mentioned name of the author.
name of the author. within the paper.
There are many
There are no grammatical There are few grammatical
Mechanics grammatical/typographical
/ typographical errors. / typographical errors.
errors.
The critique paper is The critique paper is very
Overall The critique paper needs
excellently made and very good but needs some
Impact revision.
scholarly. improvements

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