Usap-usapan ngayon sa social media ang viral performance ni Julie Anne San Jose habang kumakanta ito ng “Dancing Queen” sa harap ng altar ng isang simbahan sa Occidental Mindoro.

Ang nasabing performance ay bahagi ng isang concert for a cause na tinawag na Heavenly Harmony in Concert' (Harana para kay Maria) ng Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Shrine sa Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro.

Kabilang sa mga kinanta ni Julie Anne San Jose ay “The Climb” ni Miley Cyrus, “Edge of Glory” ni Lady Gaga at marami pang iba kabilang na ang ilang OPM songs.

Maraming mga natuwa lalo’t isa itong benefit concert pero marami rin naman ang nagtaas ng kilay lalo’t tila hindi yata angkop ang mga awiting kinanta ni San Jose para awitin sa loob ng simbahan na tila ba naging isang concert venue.

Nakalagay sa ticket ng nasabing concert na ang kikitaain ay mapapunta para sa improvement ng simbahan.

Narito ang full video:

Photos courtesy of Facebook

Isang malaking karangalan para sa mga magulang ng isang estudyante mula sa Philippine Science High School (PSHS)- Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) na makatanggap ng isang scholarship grant ang kanilang anak mula sa isa sa pinaka prestihiyosong unibersidad sa Amerika at Singapore.

Maging ang paaralan mismo ng dalaga ay labis na natutuwa at ipinagmamalaki ang kanilang mag-aaral na si Maria Charisma Estrella nang nabigyan ito ng pagkakataon upang makapag-aral sa New York University and Yale University- National University of Singapore (NUS) College. *

Na kung tutuusin ay tanging piling-pili na mga mag-aaral lamang at nabibilang sa mga mayayaman na angkan ang maaring makapag-aral dito.

Ngunit dahil sa angking likas ng talino at husay ng mag-aaral na tio ay nabigyan sya ng oportunidad na makapasok sa isa pinakamagaling sa institusyon ng edukasyon sa buong mundo.

Bukod pa dito, hindi pangkaraniwan ang kursong tatahakin ng dalaga, na isang pambihira at napakahirap na kurso sa buong mundo, sa larangan ng Siyensya.

Kabilang ang pamilya ni Estrella sa mga natamaan ng kasalukuyang krisis na dulot ng pandemya, ngunit hindi ito naging hadlang para sa dalaga na makamit ang kanyang pangarap na maging isang doktor at researcher ng mga bagong kaalaman balang araw.

Nais ipaabot ni Estrella sa kanyang kapwa mag-aaral na ipagpatuloy at unahin nila ang kanilang pag-aaral kahit pa sa gitna ng pandemya. *

Photo courtesy of Facebook

“To all students who are having a hard time at school or for those who are stressed, tired, burned out, and overall struggling with online class, don’t worry because you’re not alone,” pahayag ni Estrella.

“The struggle is ultimately real with the new setup, not to mention the different environments that are sometimes not really conducive to learning,” dagdag pa nito.

“But I hope that in these lowest times, they get the motivation and drive to take risks, trust the process, and study hard by doing their best,” ani pa ng dalaga sa kanyang kapwa mag-aaral.

Si Estrella ay kabilang sa mga pinakaunang grupo ng mga mag-aaral ng Philippine Science High School - Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Region Campus, kaya naman labis ang kanilang kagalakan sa karangala na hatid ng nasabing mag aaral.  *

Photo courtesy of Facebook

“Congratulations, Maria Charisma P. Estrella, member of the pioneer batch of students of the PSHS-Calabarzon Region Campus, for receiving admission offers from the New York University and Yale University – NUS College!,” pahayag ng pamunuan ng PSHS sa kanilang Facebook account. 

“The Philippine Science High School System is proud of you.” dagdag pa nito.

Ayon sa PSHS, inalok ng full scholarship si Estrella sa  New York University para sa “dual degree program of BS (Bachelor of Science) Biology at BS Biomolecular Engineering." 

Itinatag ang New York University (NYU) mula pa noong 1831, isa rin ito sa pinakamalaki at pinakamataas na kalidad ng edukasyon sa buong Estados Unidos.

“a leader in global education, with more international students and more students studying abroad than any other US university.” ayon sa NYU.

Nakatanggap din si Estrella ng isa pang scholarship mula sa Singapore-based Yale-NUS College “with inclined interest towards Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology,” ayon pa sa PSHS.

Nagpa-abot din ng pagbati ang pamunuan ng PSHS sa kanilang unang batch na binubuo ng 82 na mag-aaral ang nakapagtapos mula sa rehiyon ng Calabarzon. 

“We are proud of you, Dingas Landas! We hope and pray for your successful journey as men and women of science, technology, and innovation,” dagdag pa nito sa kanilang Facebook post. 

Pope Francis

Pope Francis Encourages People To Smile Despite Life Difficulties 

Filipinos are known to be happy people despite hardships in life. Just like what Pope Francis said in his speech way back Dec 2016, it is important to have “hope” in this age. He said that we should not abandon the idea of hope despite trying times. In a way, it can be simply expressed with a smile.

Bringing back the hope 

Pope Francis took Israel’s exile in the desert as the perfect example of the situation. It was a difficult situation where people felt abandoned and at the same time lose their hope. Knowing that desert is a difficult place to live in, the Israel people are still able to walk through their faith and return their hearts to God. They were able to curve their lips and smile again, giving them new hope.


Pope Francis said,

“When we are in darkness and difficulty, the smile doesn’t come, but there is the hope that teaches us to smile on that path to find God,”

Life is like living on a desert 

According to Pope Francis, life is comparable to a desert,

“Life is often a desert, it’s hard to walk in it, but if we entrust ourselves to God it can become beautiful and wide like a highway.”

Despite everything that happens, Pope says that to keep going with our hope and faith is something.

“Let us also smile even if it was a difficult day because we see the hope.”

Feeling lost? 

Pope Francis notes that many of us are feeling lost, discouraged, broken, and even powerless in the darkness that seems to never end. But lo and behold, God and his love will never leave and abandon us, hence we should not abandon hope in our lives too. He conquers evil and opens the path of life for us.

Source: Catholic News Agency