Our Lady of the Pillar College - San Manuel Inc.

District 3, San Manuel, Isabela

KIMBERLY-CJ D. SERMONIA BSED-III

MRS. MARISSA F. PRUDENCIO PED-109

Synapse Strengthens:
Interview a former alcoholic who was rehabilitated. Ask how his alcoholism affected himself, his job,
and his relationship with his family and community. Ask him to give his advice to the young like you.

July L. Martinez
32 years Old

Mr. Martinez went to the rehabilitation center at the age of 27. He said that “ I do it for myself, so I can
recover and change myself for the better”. Because I become an alcoholic, myself affected very much like
there is no direction, my daily life is always dumbfounded, every time I am drunk I always want to be the star
with my circle of friends and in our community. I also experienced crawling just to go to the comfort room
and sleep inside, I forgot my worth because of abusing alcohol. I started to taste a little bit of alcohol and turns
into a habit that brings me down, I spend a lot of time thinking about alcohol, and I cannot control how much I
consume, even if it is causing serious problems at home, work, family, community, and financially.

My job was affected because of me, I become an irresponsible employee and I was fired. During my
work I always have money and through my salary, I can buy everything I want and most especially alcoholic
beverages. And it causes a big impact that my manager fired me because I am always absent and late, I do my
schedule, I treat myself like I am the boss. Then I lost my job and nothing left even my salary that's why I
overthink about my finances on how can I sustain my bad habit, needs, and wants.

My addiction ruins my relationship with my family and I give a bad image to my community. I gave very
disappointing decisions, stress my family to the point I lost everything that cared for me, my family and
friends rejected and ignored me. In our community, I tried also to hurt people around me, I break glasses and
pitchers in public, I have lost my sanity. I no longer know myself, I have been a bad influence on many
people, and I no longer recognize family, people, authorities, and even the Lord I have forgotten.

I thank God that he save me from that bad dream of mine, he sent me his instrument which is our
community officials to clear my mind, myself, and give me a new beginning. So I decided to rehabilitate
myself, now I know this is God’s will, and now I am talking to you giving this testimony of my journey of
being a former alcoholic.

I just want to give you and your fellow young people a simple piece of advice, In an early stage don’t try
drinking alcohol not only because it is a bad habit, bad for health, but also a little brings you to too much or
maybe you can also suffer what I’ve been done years ago. Go with peers that you know have seen you grow in
a good way with Jesus Christ, not to those friends who let or bring you down, need you when they need
something, and forgot you in difficult situations. To keep yourself from bad destinations and wrong decisions
put yourself in our Lord and make your family inspiration in life.

For research:

1. Which Filipino values pose obstacles to your value formation? How do they block your value formation?
“Pakikisama at utang na loob” - its like I need to obligate myself that is why I think that I am
showing that I am a plastic not only to them but especially to myself.
 I have respect too much with people specially to adults and yet they sometimes this bring me to
“pakikisama” and “Utang na loob” even I don’t like to go with them and do a favor that against to
me or to others.
 Our Lady of the Pillar College - San Manuel Inc.
District 3, San Manuel, Isabela

2. Are there times when the will refuses to act on what the intellect presents as good? How does a person feel?
 Yes, questioning myself why?, confusing and there is something missing which is not fulfilled.

Journal Entry:

1. Take care of your thoughts, they become your actions; take care of your actions, they become habit; take
care of your habits, they become your character; take care of you character, it becomes your destiny.

 Its like the statement “tulak ng bibig, kabig ng dibdib”, in every little thing there is a reciprocity. In
this statement also pin point that from thinking to destiny that represents as yourself, who you are
can only bring you to your own destiny.

2. “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” Albert Einstein

 No matter how successful you are without this value you are nothing. It is better to become a man of
value rather than become a man of success because you just hold your success with no values can
bring you down.

3. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Little
Prince by Antoine Exupery

 Its like the blind persons, even they see a darkness they feel alive and sees the beautiful things that
people cannot see with there eyes. Many people sees everything outside, use there eyes for there
wants over needs, and use it to bully or insult other people. This statement reminds me that, be with
your heart not on what you see rather go deeper on what you cannot see which brings you to good
direction in life.