Dear Ms. Cequena

                          Writing has always been my waterloo ever since high school. As a college student now, I think that I have improved much on writing in English, and I believe that I have gained knowledge on how to write properly, thanks to our great prof.!  I also noticed an improvement on the use of words to make my sentence sound better and also to leave a good impression to readers.  At first, I had difficulties in using the right grammar or finding a more appropriate word to express what I feel by the use of pen and paper.

                        ENGLCOM really helped me a lot to compose better essays and paragraphs and improve my grammar and vocabulary skills even though I only practice speaking in English in school. But now, it gradually changed. I feel much more comfortable having conversations, posting stuff on social networking sites, and even having my own blog. I learned different things like the proper way of citing your sources, keeping parallelism of the whole essay and transition of ideas in different paragraphs. What I really loved the most is that my writing experience here in ENGLCOM is far better than my elementary and high school experience. Whenever I compare my essays that I did this College to my High School essays, it shows an obvious improvement. As for my major essays, I did incorporate all the techniques, guidelines, rules and the right use of grammar to make my output better. Overall, for the past 14 weeks that we’ve been writing different essays and paragraphs, it was a FUN experience. You had been a great teacher for us and I’m looking forward to meet you and be my prof again when go to higher years. J

Essays (Entry)	Date Submitted	Score / First Draft
1.      Argumentative Essay “Detoxification;  an alternative    medicine”	November 29, 2011	84/100
2.      Definition Essay “Airbags, gimmick or safety device?”	November 15, 2011	85/100
3.      Paragraphs ·         Compare and Contrast       “Which is which, MPV or Van?” ·         Cause and Effect       “What makes a place special?” ·         Descriptive Paragraph      “Boracay: A haven for Beach lovers”	November 5, 2011  November 5, 2011      October 16, 2011	70/100      60/100                         80/100

 Detoxification: An alternative medicine

Image Source: http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=Detoxification+foot+bath&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1TSNF_enPH440PH440&biw=1364&bih=707&tbm=isch&tbnid=f_UpH-_2CFqwRM:&imgrefurl=http://www.russpage.net/detoxifying-foot-baths-get-love-from-ksl-pr-case-study/&docid=aGnGYiFm_1BxPM&imgurl=http://www.russpage.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/foot-bath-detox.jpg&w=350&h=321&ei=dJLbTuq3NarBiQfss7DYDQ&zoom=1

               Ever since the beginning of the 21st century, the technological advances also prospered. Every year, different companies introduce a machine that promises health benefits. One example is the foot detox baths. Foot detox baths have grown popularity because not only it does give us relaxation, but also promises health improvements. These detox machines work by dipping one's feet on a mixture of saltwater plus electrolytes. The electrolytes will then be absorbed which, in theory, will attract the toxins and extract them from the body. If you see a change in color, then you will know that the detox process has taken place. In spite of these claims, the use of these machines doesn't have concrete evidence on the removal of toxins from our body, some studies show that it relieves headache and constipation as well as the improvement of the blood and body fluid circulation. ("How Do Detox Foot Baths Work?", n.d). 

             In April 2008, Dr. George Friedman-Jimenez of the New York University Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic, suggested that the reported feelings of wellness and increased energy may be simply due to the Placebo effect. Placebo effect, defined from the Skepdic dictionary means a measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health or behavior not attributable to a medication or invasive treatment that has been administered. In the segment, a national laboratory in Pennsylvania tested two brands of foot detox patches which is also a form of a foot detox, proved that there are no metals and toxins found in the pad.

("About Foot Detox", 2011) Another negative effect of it is the reliance of people in the detoxification process, rather than seeking professional medical doctors who specialize in treating different sicknesses. 

             However, a scientist named Dr. Sanjay Chaudhuri conducted a study about the positive effects of a similar detox process using 6 people which received the real treatment, while another 3 were tested with the placebo effect. He reported that the blood flow increased, as well as the lowering of blood pressure of the respondents who had the real treatment. Other observations are the lowering of clumping of the blood cells after a 30 minute session. ("Ionic foot detox", 2008)

             In conclusion, detoxification might have some health benefits, but we should not always believe these claims of toxin removal, because there is still not enough concrete evidence or proof that supports this argument.   (84%)

Airbags; Gimmick or Safety Device?

Image Source: http://purpleopurple.com/inventions-and-inventors/airbag.html

                          During the years when cars became affordable, the number of accidents also increased. Thus, the invention of safety features like Airbags started. For some, seat belts are not enough to protect them from crashes. So what exactly is an airbag? An Airbag is a vehicle safety device that consists of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during a collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the driver's steering wheel or a window.

                                In 1951, airbag was designed by a German Engineer named Walter Linderer and was granted a patent. After him, another two engineers, an American and a Japanese were also awarded a patent within ten years from 1953 to 1963 in different countries. They work by using different sensors around the vehicle. When the sensors are triggered, a gas generator propellant will inflate the nylon fabric bag. These are designed to absorb and reduce impact of the occupants.

A deploying airbag

Image Source: http://theoldcardawg.com/how-important-are-your-new-cars-airbags

                                  Airbags were introduced in American cars in the mid 1970s. The early fleet of experimental cars with airbags had problems. And one of the seven accidents was suspected to be caused by the airbag.

Airbags of a Hyundai Equus

Image Source: http://lookslikeacar.blogspot.com/2011/06/2011-2012-hyundai-equus-launch-in-us-in.html

                               There are several types of airbags that are used in cars. The most common is the front airbags (driver and passenger side). Most countries today require to have at least one airbag as standard equipment on the whole line up of cars. Mercedes Benz introduced the high end S Class in 1981 with an airbag option, together with seat belts that have pretensioners that automatically reduce the motion of occupants in collision. This integrated the airbag and the seat belt as Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) rather than using an airbag as an alternative to seat belts. Using seat belts alone is a wrong method because seat belts help one keep in his position and it also reduces the chance of hitting objects. Another example of an airbag is a side airbag. Side airbags are used for protecting passengers during a roll over or side collision. These airbags are said to reduce head injuries or fatalities by up to 45%. They also come in different forms, e.g. Curtain, tubular and door mounted, depending on the design of the vehicle. Other types of airbags are knee airbags for leg protection, rear curtain airbags for the protection of rear passengers, center airbag for side impact protection for rear passengers, and lastly, the seat belt airbag. In the 1970s, airbags were also tested in motorcycles in the UK Transport Research Agency. Honda, which first introduced the production motorcycle with an airbag, claims that sensors in the front fork can detect a severe collision, thus deploying the airbag and absorbs some forward energy.

Toyota iQ rear curtain airbag

Image Source: http://www.zcars.com.au/toyota-rear-window-curtain-shield-airbag/

Honda motorcycle airbag

Image Source: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/motorcycle_airbags/source/5.html

                                      In theory, airbags are believed to protect passengers from different types of collisions, however, facts also supported that airbags may have different problems like deploying on the wrong time and wrong position, like for example, if you are caught in an accident with your head on the window, it might increase head injuries because it might push your head on the glass. And if you hit a minor accident, airbags may deploy immediately even though it is not that severe. Again, Airbags are NOT seat belt replacements, but for an added protection.   (85%)  

Which is which? MPV or Van?

                     Nowadays, most people are having a hard time choosing what type of vehicle will they buy. Since Filipino families are composed of more than 5 members, they are more inclined to purchasing a full-size passenger van. Passenger vans are big vehicles with more than 3 or 4 rows of seats that is good for up to 14 passengers. With a high demand for cars with big space, an MPV was created. It stands for Multi Purpose Vehicle. It offers a bigger cargo space than cars. yet smaller than a passenger van. Of course, smaller body means lesser cargo space. But MPVs costs less than a full size van. 

                       

                         For example, a Kia Carens costs 300,000-500,000 Pesos cheaper than its bigger cousin, the Hyundai Grand Starex. The Carens offers comparable space and comfort for a much cheaper price. It is smaller and shorter, that's why it is easier to park in tight spaces in parking lots. But if you are really looking for a larger space and more comfortable riding experience, go for the van. But if you will choose a van, I suggest that you hire a driver, because some vans require great driving effort due to its size and weight. :) (70%)

What makes a place special?

                                       

Image Source: http://litoatienza.org/about/political-history/ang-tunay-na-ama-ng-maynila/

                      

                                  We've heard this question over and over again to people who love travelling,  and to make it simple, we need to answer this question: what are the factors that makes an ordinary place to become your favorite getaway? Each of us have our own reasons, it may be because it makes us feel at home, or simply just because of the great scenery. One example is the Boracay Islands. It has been known to have white sand beaches and great party places. The island really has a great scene, which is ideal for wedding and romantic event venues for couples and newly weds. People who usually go there always have fun memories that are worth remembering, that's why they come back for more! Boracay is for everyone! For beach lovers, party-goers and people who wants to bond with their families and friends. (60%)

Boracay: A haven for beach lovers

(I took this picture as soon as I got off the van! :D)

             The Philippines, composed of more than 7 thousand islands, is blessed with hundreds of popular white beaches. The 3 main divisions of what namely known as Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, has beaches that the country can truly be proud of! But the most popular among these tourist spots is the Boracay Island, located in the Visayan region near Aklan. It is a two and a half hour flight from the NAIA Airport in Manila by plane, or a seven day voyage by sea. Since it's an island, you have to go there by boat from the Caticlan Airport. It's a 30 minute ride which you can surely enjoy with the clear shallow waters. Upon reaching the island, you have to take another 15 minute ride by either hiring a tricycle or use the hotel transport service in going to the beach side. The streets in the peaceful town of Boracay are somewhat narrow but it doesn't cause too much traffic. There are a lot of hotels and inns to choose from if you failed to book a room for your trip! You'll notice that you're getting closer to the beach when you see sand on the side of the road, and you feel the cool breeze from the sea. As you walk towards the beach, the sand gets whiter, and people will greet you with souvenir items like t-shirts, fre. magnets, sand in a bottle, and even bags! When you reach the shoreline, the clear blue water and the sound of the waves will surely make you feel at home, a relaxing feeling! A walk along the beach is really good for people who want to relieve stress even just for a short time to forget their problems at school or work. And the sun bids good bye, with a great sunset. (80%)