The Chiang Kai Shek College Language Center will open the second batch of Short Term Language Courses on September 14 of this schoolyear. These courses will strengthen and develop language skills, which are useful in daily life; promoting interpersonal relationships, coming in handy in trade and commerce.

The Language Center offers regular classes (small class) scheduled every Saturday, 8:30AM-11:30AM or 1:30PM-4:30PM. In addition to this, special classes (good for 2-4 persons) and one-on-one tutorial classes can be arranged around more flexible schedules.

The courses offered are Mandarin Proficiency Courses, Conversational Chinese, Business Chinese, HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test—Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) Remedial Class; and English Proficiency, English Conversation, Business English. Additionally, the Language Center also offers classes for the preferred dialect of the Filipino-Chinese community—Fookien, and the widely used language in this country—Filipino.

Registration is ongoing. At the end of the course, the enrolees will receive a certificate. Interested parties may register at the Chiang Kai Shek College Language Center, 1477 Narra St., Tondo, Manila. Telephone number is 252 3668.

CKSC students were one with the rest of the nation in celebrating the 116th Philippine Independence Day and 13th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day by attending numerous programs related to these important occasions.

To start with, the Filipino Folk Dance Troupe and Wushu team got positive reviews for their respective performances during the 13th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day program organized by the Filipino-Chinese Business Club (FCBC) last June 8, 2014 at the Lucky Chinatown Mall. During the same occasion, CKSC boy and girl scouts represented the Chinese-Filipino community in a symbolic exchange of national colors with Filipino student scholars from FCBC as a token of bond and brotherhood between the Philippines and China.

The CKSC Filipino Folk Dance Troupe also performed its rendition of "Luzviminda" which was opening number of the entertainment program for the 116th Philippine Independence Day and 13th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day organized by the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. at the Manila Hotel Tent City on June 10, 2014. His Excellency President Benigno Simeon Aquino III was keynote speaker of the event.

Finally, on June 12, 2014 which was the actual day of Philippine Independence Day celebration, CKSC boy and girl scouts attended the flag raising ceremonies at two venues, namely Luneta Park and SM Manila Mall. Vice President Jejomar Binay led the flag-up rites at Luneta.

There were numerous challenges that faced the thirteen Filipino scouts on their trip to the Formosan Island. Unexpectedly, eating with chopsticks was one of them.

They didn’t travel hundreds of miles in vain, for they were warmly welcomed to the 2^nd Scouts of China National Jamboree for Aboriginal Scouts from March 27 to 30, 2014, held at Saijia Recreation Center in Pingtung County, Taiwan.

The contingent was led by grade school discipline head Jelvin Ralph Sy, who was assisted by CKSC-FBAS students Judd Adrian Ong, and Francis Yan. Reign Cristine Balajadia, Patricia Clare Balay, Aldrin Hanson Chong, Andrea Jasmin Farnacio, Ivan Victor Lau, Daniel Paul Li, Andrew Brandon Ong, and Clinton Xu were the remaining scout representatives from Chiang Kai Shek College, while Alvin Ivan Herrera and Patricia Marie Roldan were from Manila Patriotic School.

Another challenge that hindered the delegates was to utilize what they had learned in their Chinese classes, that is, to converse in pure Mandarin with the Taiwanese scouts. Starting from the simplest Zao-an, they slowly adapted to the environment, and soon began to make international friends.

The delegation visited the 82-hectare Taiwan Indigenous People’s Cultural Park situated near their campsite, where they discovered the simple rural life of the aboriginal tribes. A simple life they may have, their costumes and attires though were no match against fashion retail stores, as they were decorated with beads, laces, ribbons, and all sorts of colorful lines and curves. Native archery lessons also embraced the scouts (a challenge!) and a spectacular one-hour concert by the aboriginals wowed them all. Even though they disliked the feeling, their faces, in a very tribal way, got tattooed.

Later that day, they endured the dreadful 10-kilometer hike in a quest to find the secrets of the Paiwan tribe. Rushing with adrenaline, the team quickly sped for the destination, but soon, fatigue started to pile up, and they saw themselves running in circles aimlessly. Thanks to what seemed like a tribal yell, the spirit of the team resurfaced, and they went on to accomplish the challenge.

At the last night of their stay in the campsite, our scouts were suited up in barongs, sayas, and Igorot costumes for the Cultural Nite of the jamboree. The tune of the undyingly familiar song 朋友 reverberated around the activity hall, and just by looking at the faces of the crowd, they knew their performance had exceeded expectations.

During the Closing Ceremonies at the 30th, the Philippine Contingent was awarded a plaque of appreciation and four merit banners for their efforts to applaud the name of Boy Scouts of the Philippines. The contingent was one of the top patrols in the jamboree, judged by their performance throughout the event.

For a breather, the team spent the seven more days for a tour around Taiwan, visiting Taipei 101, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Leo Foo Amusement Park, Raohe Night Market, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Formosa Boulevard and Dream Mall, to name some.

It’s true that they really enjoyed their 12-day voyage. But when they started to pack things to return to Manila, they discovered they exceeded the baggage allowance! Another challenge!

Contributor: Andrew Brandon Ong

CKSC students showed exemplary performance in different fields of competitions.

Jemilyn Kaw, a member of the CKSC Youth Choir, emerged as champion in the Foreign Language Song Festival sponsored by Lyceum University of the Philippines last February 21.

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CKS high school math prodigy Clyde Wesley Si Ang (Gr. 10-1) was awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Mathematicians in the National Capital Region last February 28, 2015 by Sharp Calculators.

In another competition that same day, Team CKS High School won 2nd Place in the 1st HP Academic Challenge 2015 held at the activity center of Glorietta Mall in Makati City. The team was composed of grade 7 students Lance Patrick Vicher, John Dominic Santos, Tiffany Huang, and grade 8 student Joyce Heidi Ong. Their trainers were Mr. Ian Mark Arevalo, Mr. Brian Cruz, Mrs. Marle Tan and Brenda Ong, Mrs. Angelina Consulta, Mrs. Cristina Monsanto, Mrs. Venus Marie Llantada, and Mrs. Desiree Villaron.

This year, I, Candy Joy Chua, 16 years of age, represented Chiang Kai Shek College in the search for Outstanding Filipino-Chinese Students of the Philippines, sponsored every year by the Ceng Jing Xiang Ai Shin Foundation (曾景祥爱心基金会). Hurdling all the phases of the competition, including the essay writing and personal interview, gave me a feeling of fulfilment.

I was born in a family with loving parents and two younger brothers who guide me, nurture me, and make me happy as I grow up. I have been studying in Chiang Kai Shek College since pre-kindergarten, and since I was young, I have always had this thing for drawing and singing. I have joined singing contests and luckily won awards on some occasions for being the best singer. In addition to this, I was given the chance to sing on stage during my kindergarten graduation ceremonies. Since then, I’ve wanted to be onstage, performing for other people. When I got into grade school, I joined the CKSC youth choir. Every time there is a school activity that requires the youth choir to perform, I am always chosen to perform. Influenced by my parents, I learned and liked Chinese, its language, culture, and traditions. As I progressed to high school, my parents encouraged me to go to China to enhance my Chinese communication skills. Aside from those years of learning, I always grab the opportunity to travel to the different provinces of Mainland China to learn more about its history.

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