Interview with Barangay Captain Fernando Mira

Problems to solve,

Let the community be involved

                 

             For our final take on the discipline of Social Work, we interviewed the Barangay Captain of Industrial Valley Complex here in Marikina City. Hon. Fernando Mira agreed to meet with us last November 11 to talk about the community involvement projects his administration does for the residents of Cinco Hermano, Monte Vista and Ulandes. We gathered several meaningful and inspiring insights from Barangay Captain Mira so read on to know more:

PROJECTS

‘Peace and order,’ that is what Barangay Captain Fernando Mira told us he focuses on for the barangay. His main focus is to promote peace and order; “Kapag may peace and order, saka na dadating ang pag-unlad.” That is why he created projects in order to sustain the peace and order he hopes to achieve and maintain. He also shared with us the other focuses of the other projects like disaster preparedness management, health, employment, feeding programs, and other more. He explained to us some of the projects that were already executed, and some other projects they do yearly. For peace and order, he shared that there were P.A. systems already installed around the barangay so that communication and information dissemination would be easier. There had also been stationed fire extinguisher around the different districts in the barangay to prevent fire from growing. The homeowners were gathered while a group of people explain how to properly use the fire extinguisher. So far, he told us that there were cases that the whole house was almost on fire, but luckily it was prevented with the help of the designated fire extinguisher near the house.

The other projects of the barangay include health programs, disaster and risk reduction management seminars, livelihood talks, feeding programs, relief goods distribution, and giveaways. They want to implement a variety of projects monthly if possible. These projects are either from the minds of the barangay officials, or collaboration from volunteers. From the barangay, it takes time to plan and implement projects. They still have to plan where they would get the funds for the project they want to implement. If the project is a collaboration of the office and the volunteers, it usually is faster to process and be implemented since they already have the funds needed for the proposed project.

Barangay Captain Fernando Mira said that he looks for contacts, like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the feeding program he wants to plan for the barangay, in order for there to be a concrete project. He is part of the Rotary Club of Marikina. The club he is in aims to help other people in terms of volunteering, donating, and creating projects for those who are in need. The people in this club are volunteer leaders who want to share their time and talent in helping people. Being in this club was helpful for him as a barangay captain since it was accessible for him to ask for some help from the members of the club.

Annually, every 27th of December, Barangay Captain Fernando Mira holds a Christmas party for the children living in the barangay. He has volunteers who would sponsor and donate toys and clothes for the children. Everyone in the barangay is invited to join the party, but the main focus is the children. This is his way to celebrate his birthday, by making ‘his’ children happy. He said that it was more fulfilling to see children happy than adults and senior citizens. Genuine happiness is seen to the children whenever they receive gifts, and that is what he wants to see.

Even when he was still a normal citizen, he was already helping the barangay in their projects. Starting with small projects helping a few number of people, contributing to the brainstorming for bigger projects in the barangay, then came bigger projects already helping the whole barangay, and him being the captain of his barangay. It was in his heart to help other people, and for me this kind of citizen is a true inspiration. Even though he was still a normal citizen until now that he is the barangay captain, he still continued to help people. I hope that everyone would also do the same and have a big heart in helping people. If the people have the same big heart as he does, then the world would be better and greater than what we are right now.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEES

& VOLUNTEERS

According to Barangay Captain Fernando Mira, they conduct a number of activities for the community of Cinco Hermano, Monte Vista and Ulandes. They organize educational seminars and trainings, as well as charity drives like donating toys to children on Christmas. When we inquired on the process behind the planning and preparations for the events, he stated that it actually takes a year to set everything properly. They have committees in charge of various necessities to make their activities successful, however they don’t exactly have departmental divisions that oversee specific and permanent tasks. The barangay developed the Peace & Order Committee, Committee for the Youth and Committee for Senior Citizens to efficiently generate the most effective means to foster a thriving community in their area.

Barangay Captain Mira cited several organizations that help their barangay in providing meaningful endeavors to engage their community members. The most prominent is the Rotary Club of Marikina, which has extended funds for several of the administration’s projects for years.  The Arko Fraternity, Red Cross of Marikina and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are some of the organizations that have helped the barangay of Industrial Valley. The local Church plays a part as well in cultivating a dynamic neighborhood through their outreach programs and zumba sessions. But the most dedicated workers are the volunteers from the community itself, from the Cinco Hermano and the Monte Vista divisions. They extend their helping hands to the lesser-privileged citizens of Ulandes by organizing events and charity drives.

STRUGGLES

It was not all smooth sailing in Industrial Valley, as the Barangay Captain recounted how some of the community members were not entirely cooperative during their endeavors. Despite the barangay’s best effort to engage their neighborhood in participating in various projects, they frequently receive negative feedback from the citizens. Barangay Captain Fernando Mira remarked how most of them are often dissatisfied of the services that the barangay provides. One such instance was when they were handing out bags of rice to the residents of Ulandes, and they were met with a scornful, “‘Eto lang?” by a senior citizen. There were others who were also unmotivated to take part in events hosted by the barangay administration unless they are given incentives or compensations. Often, the lower-income residents are reluctant to participate because they prefer managing their sari-sari stores or going to work generate the income they need to provide for their families compared to sitting through a two to four hour-long seminar that doesn’t generate money to put food on the table.

The Barangay Captain stressed that this short-sightedness is the major flaw for many of the residents of Ulandes. They don’t see the long-term gain in learning about vocational skills because they would rather have instant gratification for their needs. There was an educational course that the barangay offered the poorer community in their area and in order for it to push through, they need to reach the quota of 25 children who are willing to attend. Unfortunately, even they couldn’t fulfill this meager number of participants. It was disheartening to hear.

The barangay’s aim is to educate them in order to give them the opportunities to strive towards better paying jobs and business ventures. The barangay captain claimed that there are already those who have risen from poverty because of the vocational training they’ve received from their educational programs. Barangay Captain Mira hoped that his community members would find the initiative to improve their own life by seizing the opportunities that are presented to them. Through empowering the people and elevating the quality of life, Industrial Valley would become a thriving, prospering community.

EFFECTS

People who are dedicated and are inspired to have a better future were given a chance to achieve this goal. Barangay Captain Fernando Mira shared with us true stories of the people in the barangay. He told us that there was a livelihood talk about massage therapy. Those who were involved got the opportunity to learn and acquire skills needed for the job. Although time, patience, and persistence were needed, they invested themselves along with hard work in order for them to be a part of this kind of work. After years of training, some were able to work abroad, and some works here in the Philippines but still earns a lot more. The barangay captain himself is a regular customer of a massage therapist who was part of the program.

His story showed that the programs he implements are for the long-run. The programs for the people focuses more on for the whole community and as well as an individual citizen. Some examples of the projects for the community are the PA system, fire extinguisher, and disaster and risk management seminars. Projects for the individual on the other hand include livelihood talks, health programs, feeding programs, relief goods distribution, and giveaways. He wants to make sure that people would have a better future ahead of them; he was just the starting point for them towards their success. He envisions a bigger picture ahead for his people and helps them grow into a stronger, wiser, and a more independent individual, and a more unified and peaceful community for all.

Social Work

  We Work, 

Social Work

                Social work isn’t always a smooth sailing venture; in fact, it’s probably one of the most taxing professions out there. Let’s face it; dealing with other people is a pain especially when you’re not a people person. Imagine having to listen and fix other’s problems, being exposed to depressed and depraved living conditions, and seeing all kinds of injustice in the world, constantly. Well, that’s exactly what social workers do and they do it for a living. Today, we’re going to tackle the unsung heroes of society, the humble social workers.

                The Grade 12 Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students of SSAM Senior High School went to three different community centers that specialize in social work to truly understand what it means to be a social worker. Check them out below:

St. Maria De Mattias Center

A community center for impoverished girls, St. Maria De Mattias Center focuses on helping the “poorest of the poor” in their community by providing tutoring lessons, scholarships, values integration sessions, and provisions like food and other basic necessities. They have a strict admissions process in order to determine the recipients of their social work services. In a community such as theirs, this ensures that the girls who will be taken under their care are those who truly need it.

First, the social workers compile the necessary documents of their possible client in order to validate their background. Afterwards, they would conduct interviews and home visitations to assess the environment and specific circumstance of their potential client. Once the social workers have fully determined that an individual does need special care and attention, they would be taken in by the community center. The mothers of these girls would then work at St. Maria De Mattias Center as compensation. They are also taught valuable life skills as they cook and clean at the center.

Sir Jonathan, Sister Grace and Sister Cora were the welcoming committee of St. Frideswida. According to some of the students, they were very warm and accommodating. They explained the work that they do at the center and the passion they have for their job. Sir Jonathan in particular was an avid professional, enthusiastic in his vocation to serve the members of his community. Social work, according to him, was his true calling. He explained the details of the social work that he practices, how he employs theories and concepts in enacting action plans. This solidifies the validity and objectiveness of social work as a profession. Although it is more humanistic in its approach, social work is still as valuable and important as other professions.  

The work and effort utilized in this field shouldn’t be trivialized or dismissed. Sir Jonathan recounted the process of becoming a licensed social worker, from taking the board exam, studying for a Masters degree and finally partaking in field work. It is indeed a long and difficult journey but social workers who are truly committed in their belief in making the world a better and fairer place are willing to undertake this challenge.

This is evident in the colorful yet clean facilities in St. Maria De Mattias Center, in the humble space that they arranged for the children to study, to eat and to play in. Even in the pictures, the love and care of the social workers can be felt. They go above and beyond to help the girls in their care live happy, fulfilling lives. And that’s what social work is truly about, not the monetary compensation nor the personal gratification, but the strength of each and every social workers’ compassion to empower those who are marginalized in society.

         Photos © Aira Masangkay

Written by: Miraya De Dios © 2017

Special thanks to Alysia Petras and Alex Parada

Marikina Youth Home

On the other hand, St. Clodesindis visited the local correctional facility, Marikina Youth Home, for children in conflict with the law or juvenile delinquents. The institution aims to mold youth offenders to become better citizens and productive members of the community once again. The Marikina Youth Home is a government-owned rehabilitation center, inaugurated last 2013 by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). They provide a wide range of services including legal assistance, feeding programs, vocational training, counseling and case management services, however they specialize in aiding minors who have been tried or have criminal records.

Upon visiting the Youth Home, the students were greeted by Ms. Shelly Mae, the social worker in charge in the facility. She first relayed her background as a social worker and the specifics of what they do. Just like Sir Jonathan, they extend services and welfare management to the  juvenile delinquents in their care. They provide vocational and livelihood training to the youths and they also conduct Bible studies from time to time. The delinquents are also allowed to engage in sports and other physical activities at the local Sports Center.

When asked on the legal aspects of juvenile delinquency, Ms. Shelly Mae elaborated on the laws and rights of minors within the justice system. Because we are minors, we cannot be convicted in the same facilities as adults. She stressed that children can still be taught and shaped to be better individuals, unlike adults who have already formed solid mindsets and moral values that motivate them to do what they do. Youth offenders need special guidance in order for them not to turn to a life of crime in the future. They are given vocational training so that they would have other means to earn a living. They are taught to strengthen their spirituality and their faith in God to instill in them a better kind of value system.

However, life as a social worker is not easy, according to Ms. Shelly Mae. There are times when funding and necessities are scarce in the Youth Home. The social workers often rely on the kindness and generosity of volunteers to fully provide for the juvenile delinquents. It is obvious as well in the state of the equipments and the cramped space within the rehabilitation center. There is a great need for renovation and refurbishing within the facility, and I hope that the local government finds a way to improve the delinquents’ living condition.

During the outreach, the youth offenders were lively, if somewhat uncooperative at times. Although they all couldn’t divulge much on their personal cases due to confidentiality, they all had very interesting stories to tell. They all came from different backgrounds and they all have different dreams. What struck me the most was one delinquent who told us “‘Wag kayong gumaya sa amin. Mahirap buhay dito, kaya mag-aral kayo ng mabuti.” It was such a wise yet bittersweet statement from someone who couldn’t be older than us by a year. It was disheartening to hear. The profoundness of her statement echoed in me even as we left the Youth Home. But it gave me hope as well that the Filipino youth is not lost yet. As long as we believe in the capacity of our fellow men and in ourselves to change for the better, there is always hope.

             Photos © Angela Angeles, Trisha Robles

Written by: Miraya De Dios © 2017

St. Camillus Medhaven Nursing Home

                   And lastly, St Ehrentrudis visited a nursing home for the elderly called St. Camillus Medhaven Nursing Home in Marikina. The nursing home provides residence, care, rehabilitation, therapies, and adult daycare services to senior citizens. Camillus MedHaven was formerly named as St. Camillus Home of Charity that was founded in 1992. They accommodate senior citizens and persons with disabilities that pay for the care they receive. The nursing home offers activities and medical support in a home-like setting to the elderly.

 Photo © cg.medhaven

                 The social worker that introduced the nursing home was Miss Nilda. She said the history of the nursing home and that they are providing services and goods for the elderly, like food, water, and medicine. Other elderly, voluntarily enter while others are brought there by their families, but with their consent. The social workers bring the elderly to mass in a small little chapel in the middle of the garden. They walk around the garden every morning if they can and if the weather is pleasant. They are also given the opportunity to sell products that the elderly have made themselves. Every three months, they get to go to malls, or any place in Manila, and buy things they want and can afford at the same time, but sometimes, they just window-shop because they do not have enough money.

Photo © Adrienne Dela Paz

                   One lolo said, "The people here are very caring and concerned with our welfare, that is why I am very thankful to be here, unlike in other institutions." Miss Nilda shared that they do their very best to provide the needs and the comfort of their clients. She also shared that the caregivers of their clients really had and still needed patience in handling the elderly. Since they were already old, they have the tendency to be moody, sensitive, and may have special needs. So the social workers make it their mission to build a solid and healthy relationship with the elderly. They want to create stronger bonds, gain their trusts, and understand them more even though they are not in the same age group. 

   

Photo © cg.medhaven

                  The students who visited this nursing home held a program during their visit. They got to interact with the senior citizens, play with the, offer them a song and dance number, and was able to donate 3 electric fans for the nursing home. Overall, both the students and the elderly were happy with the whole experience. The students learned a lot from the elderly and from the social workers as well. Students learned to appreciate the institution because of their effort and willingness to take care of the elderly. The students also like that the institution continues to strengthen the faith of the elders through novena, rosary, mass, and other celebrations. With the experience, all of us hope to see more effective institutions like St. Camillus Medhaven Nursing Home here in the Philippines and all over the world.

Photo © Adrienne Dela Paz

Written by: Aira Bernardo © 2017

Special thanks to Gillian Mortera, Gaby Gutierrez, Ella Baduria, and Jodie Villanueva

            Social workers’ main goal is to help; help the marginalized and everyone who is in need of help. They are what we call them as “professional helpers” for they help and care for the people for a living. They take licensure examinations to be a certified social worker, and there are also different fields in this profession. A certified social worker may continue to become a psychologist, lawyer, researcher, or a social worker who works in the government or in a private sector. There are endless possibilities once you enter the world of social work.  But let me tell you this, being a social worker is not an easy job.

Here are some reasons why being a 

SOCIAL WORKER

is no joke:

      1)      It will take up your time.

         Handling cases and dealing with people will definitely take your time since you have to meet with your clients more than once. Also, there would be times that you would bring your work home since there are so many things to do. It may take your personal time, but never forget to have fun, relax, and enjoy some time alone or with your loved ones!

2)      You need a lot of patience.

 Not all your clients are easy to deal with. You will need a lot of will, strength, determination, and patience in order for you to be able to help your client be better. You just have to find the perfect formula for everything to be organized and in order, and as well for your client to cooperate 100%!

3)      There are a lot of paper works. 

Being a social worker doesn’t exempt you from doing paper works. The paper you have to do must be detailed and accurate, so it is expected from you to have a good memory!

4)      You have to keep it to yourself. 

Ensure the confidentiality of your work, especially your clients. It is very important to keep your client safe and their information confidential. Your client trusts you of their personal information, and it is up to you to help them and to keep their background as confidential as possible.

5)      Don’t get too attached. 

You must know your limitations and boundaries to your clients. It is an absolute NO to have a romantic relationship with your client. It is against the rules of being a social worker.  It is unethical!

6)      You don’t get paid enough for this.

 This may be heart-dropping news for you. I know we all find work to have money, but being a social worker is about passion and determination. You will not choose this career path just because it’s easy because all you have to do is to help people. You will choose this path because you want change; change for the people and for the nation. You want to see better and progressive lives not only to the people, but to the whole nation as well.

   

With the list I have given you, you may think that I am discouraging you to become a social worker; but I’m not. I just want to make it clear that being a social worker is no joke. Entering this career path may have the downs, but there are definitely more ups if you become a social worker.

Here are some reasons why 

YOU SHOULD 

be a social worker:

1)      You like to work with people. 

Technically, being a social worker is people-based, so you really have to deal with people. Nonetheless, if you are a natural people-person, so this career path will be perfect for you.

2)      You can help people. 

The main goal of social workers is to help the poor, marginalized, and just any regular person who is in need of their help. Now that you have the chance to be a certified and a licensed “professional helper,” grab the opportunity!

3)      You can change lives. 

With your help, you can make a person to become better individuals and to have a better future ahead of them. Become an inspiration and a starting point for them to choose a better life and for them to actually achieve their goals.

4)      Spread positive vibes! 

Share your positivism about life and influence your clients to strive hard. Although life may seem hard for them, remind them to smile and enjoy life once in a while. Smiling, enjoying, and even laughing can actually help brighten up the atmosphere so that handling your cases may be light and not too dreading. But don’t forget to take your job seriously as well!

      

5)      Return the kindness and the passion the people who had 

helped you become a better person. 

These persons who have inspired you in wanting to become a social worker may be the key for you to find your true passion and goal; and that is to help people as well just like what happened to you. You want to pass on to other people what you have experienced and inspire them as well to do the same. Pass it on!

6)      Victory is mine! 

After successfully accomplishing a case, you will feel victorious afterwards.

 You will feel triumphant after knowing that you have just won your client’s battle of problems. With this, you will be more than motivated to accomplish more cases with your utmost abilities. Keep up the good work!

7)      Definite satisfaction. 

Just to see the people you helped grow and become well will surely make your heart melt. Knowing that you helped someone will give you the fulfilling feeling of success, accomplishment, pride, and happiness. You have achieved your main goal and you will surely be proud of that, just like a mother seeing her child accomplish something great. 

Sources:

- http://camillusmedhaven.webs.com/

- https://www.socialworkguide.org/careers/

Humanities for Humans

HUMSS ka lang!

 Wala kang makukuhang pera diyan! HUMSS? 

Ang dali lang naman nun eh!

The new K-12 curriculum was implemented in the Philippines by former President Benigno Aquino III. With this new curriculum, they divided it into strands and tracks. The academic track is the most popular one since many students wants to take this track. It is divided into 4 different tracks namely Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM); Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and General Academic Strand (GAS). Among these 4 tracks, the HUMSS track was said to be the easiest to take up, but as a HUMSS student, I beg to disagree. Try creating 3 different poems in 1 and a half hour! It’s not just your ordinary poem, everything is controlled, from the pattern, stress of the words, the type of poem, the rhyme, rhyme scheme, and the topic as well.

 Let me tell you 

8 things 

that makes 

HUMSS  difficult 

yet fun 

at the same time!

1) YOU HAVE TO BE UPDATED WITH THE CURRENT EVENTS.

Reading newspapers and articles to some may seem boring, but being a HUMSS student, you need to be updated in order for you to share your insights in class. 

Isn't it exciting to be updated?!  😀

2) YOU HAVE TO READ, READ & READ!

Along with being updated with the news, you have to read a lot from newspaper, articles, books, to biographies. These reading materials may sound boring, but they are actually pretty interesting since a) it's practical, b) it's relate-able most of the time, and c) it's a learning experience! Yay, words!

3) Endless writing!

Papers, poems, essays, reflections, you name it. Entering HUMSS is like entering a world full of words and vocabulary. It is a must to have your writing skills on fleek to get that A on your paper! Warning, hands are prone to callouses, so you better watch out.

4) BE C R E A T I V E AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND WANT!

Go outside the box and get your imagination flowing and go all crazy. Your creativity is very much welcome in your papers, poems and essays, but make sure its goes along with the subject. 

 

5) YOU CAN SAY WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND.

Being updated with the current events, you probably have a reaction or a say about it. In class, you can actually voice out your opinions and state your concerns. Your voice can now be heard! 

6) DEBATES CAN BE ANYWHERE!

Now that you have a say and opinion about your topic, it's time to stick by it and support your side with arguments. All of us have our opinions and say to some matters, but not all of us have the same mind meaning that some may go against your say, but all you have to do is prove your point. 

Just a warning, don't let this ruin your friendship okay?

7) You would understand the government more!

Since a lot of people are blaming almost everything to the government, I think its also because we don't understand them. Maybe this time we can understand them by learning how things work.

8) Watch movies!

Even though most of the time the movies you want to watch is not being played, the movie that is being played is also a great yet sometimes it's old. It's not your typical romance cliche movie, but more on inspirational & essay worthy type of movie. Remember not to fall asleep while watching.

9) Say what you want to say!

Voice out your opinion and just talk and talk. It's not a crime to voice out your thoughts. You will not die if you just talk. You have a voice!

Now that you know how we roll in HUMSS, I think it’s about time to show you what HUMSS can do and what we can become.

Here are the

 9 branches 

of Social Science 

That would totally 

Be helpful to our society.

1)       Anthropology

   This is the study of ancient societies and cultural traditions. Anthropologists study how people change over the years. Under this branch is Archaeology. Archaeology rebuilds the olden time and goes back to the past to see how they lived before. It's a dream come true to live back to the ancient world! 

              2)           Economics

     Economics is the efficient allocation of resources to humans. This is needed to provide goods and services to the people to satisfy their needs and wants. Being an economist can really help a lot of people. Thinking about helping the economy of your own country is already a big help!

 

3)           Geography

     Geography tackles the matter of interaction of the environment and people. This analyzes how people use their available resources for their needs. This branch not only tackles the people, but as well as the land they live in. This branch is divided into two, physical: the earth, and human: the population. 

 

4)           History

     History is about the past. Who, what, when, where, why, and how before were recorded in history. Now historians’ jobs are to study and analyze them. This is helpful too so that whatever bad things happened before may be avoided in the present and the future. 

5)           Linguistics

Linguistics is the study of language, from letter to word to sentence to speech. Not only does this tackle the pronunciation of the words and letters, but as well as the history, sound, category, and meaning of it. There are so much more than just the words itself! With this branch, you can now learn how to languages you most certainly desire. You can now watch Korean dramas and Animes without subs! Exciting!

6)           Political Science

Political science is all about politics and government. With this branch you can now thoroughly understand how politics and government work. Maybe someday you can be a politician, or even the President of this country! Be a good and wise leader to us!

7)           Psychology

Psychology is all about the human mind, how it works, how people think and behave. There are 3 major fields in Psychology. Clinical: psychological disorders; Developmental: intellectual, social, emotional, and moral development; & Experimental: cognition, perception, memory, and learning. Do not expect after taking this branch up that you could already read minds.

8)           Sociology

Sociology is about the society. Not only does it deal with the people individually in the society, but also as a whole. With this branch, you can improve the society by understanding how it works. As technology is advancing in this generation, mobile-centric computing model can be a huge help in collecting sociological profiles (Guillen, Miranda, Berrocal, Garcia-Alonso, Murillo & Canal, 2013) Even though it would be easier, it'll be difficult as well because of its accessibility. But the model can let the device owners be aware and be in control of their own information. These information will be a lot since there are billions of people around the globe. Let’s go team people!

9)           Demography

Demography is all about the population. It also tackles migration, mortality, fertility, and other vital statistics. With this branch, detailed numbering is quite applicable here. They know everything, even your real age! 

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According to President Dalia Grybauskaitė (2013), ” social sciences and humanities deliver knowledge and experience to address conflicts and achieve peace through negotiations, collaborative work and communication - not by force or arms.” They are good with people, making them very much important since the world is full of people. Humanities have the competence to do such marvelous things through communication and collaboration in a humanistic approach for the world. President Dalia Grybauskaitė opened an event called "Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities", in honor to those people who work under social sciences and humanities. 

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Why did I choose HUMSS?

I chose HUMSS because: 

1) I am really not a big fan of math, and since HUMSS is only offering basic math, so I go for it. 

2) I like talking. Even though it’s nonsense most of the time, I still want to talk (especially motivational ones). 

3) I read. To be honest, I have a tendency to be a selective reader, but once you got my interest, then I will definitely read you. 

4) I am surrounded by people so it kind of spikes up my curiosity about them. 

5) I can’t envision myself with the other strands like STEM, ABM, GAS & etc. 

6) The subjects are interesting. Creative fiction, politics, discipline in social science, & creative non-fiction are pretty interesting for me (even though there are a lot of jargons in there).

 And lastly, 

7) I like to make a change in this world. The kind of change I want is that everyone can remember it. I also want people to change for the better, and I think I can achieve that with Humanities and Social Science since

Humanities is 4 Humans.

Sources:

• Guillen, J., Miranda, J.,  Berrocal, J., Garcia-Alonso, J., Murillo, J., & Canal, C. (2013) People as a Service: A Mobile-Centric Model for Providing Collective Sociological Profiles  IEEE Computer Society, Vol 31 (2), 48-53 DOI:  10.1109/MS.2013.140 
• Barysaitė, D. J (2011, September 24) Contribution by social sciences and humanities – important for Europe’s well-being Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.eu2013.lt/en/news/contribution-by-social-sciences-and-humanitiesimportant-for-europes-well-being 
• Mendoza, D.,  de la Cruz, A., & Fadrigon, C. (2016) Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences, Quezon City: Phoenix publishing House Inc.
• google images for gifs and images