About

You can call me Martin, though students can’t help with the “Sir” so there you go. I am currently a social studies teacher in the Philippine Science High School, Main Campus.

Having just marked my first quarter century, I see myself in a transitional phase in my life. I have already been teaching for four years. While that is not a major accomplishment by a long shot, I am currently eyeing a career in public policy as I remain an educator and a writer.

This blog was born in the 6th of January 2007 when I finally outgrew my Livejournal. Blogging grew out of my passion for writing, and pretty soon it evolved together with my teaching. This blog has long transformed from being a repository of my thoughts and writings into becoming a second classroom for my students.

The thrust of this blog is to deliver high quality content as I love to comment on education, sustainable development, technology (particularly ICT) and the state of over-all human society. In writing I often allude to politics, economics and history as I am a student of the social sciences through and through. Moreover, this is my blog in every sense. I always find a way to integrate my life with a larger story.

Essential Reading:

AKOMISMO is coined from two tagalog words, ako and mismo. Together they translate roughly to “I, myself”. This title encapsulates my philosophy in life: that our destinies are ours to shape, and that it is only through the mastery of the self that we can be initiators and cultivators of positive action in the world. The philosophies of Daoism and pragmatism reinforce my belief. Moreover, this belief was born out of my own experiences in life, and I owe much gratitude to my parents who enabled me to be me.

My orientation towards my dharma (duty) in life is public service. I control my life but I can be larger than life; to whom much is given, much is expected. It is this orientation that got me into teaching and soon, it will draw me towards the next stage of my life. Where that will be is a story that remains to be told. Hopefully, you stick around for it. The best is yet to come!

Martin Benedict Perez
Publisher, AKOMISMO

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  2. cool!!! sir martin in a nutshell! *saves page*

    kitakits tayo this summer, sir! :D no goodbyes, ‘di ba?

  3. Sir..allergic sa Nike? Aww..why? :( Hehe.. :D

  4. wish i could teach u how to snap ur fingers, just so u can tick off one aspiration from ur list. =) nway, thanks for the removal tool of the %^&*!!! TAGA LIPA ARE virus. God bless.

  5. lol, Janella, sabi na nga ba sasabihin mo yun! XD

  6. I got here via one of your students online projects. Based on your “kids” I’d say you’re doing one hell of a job.

    Keep it up! We need more teachers like you. :)

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  8. wow….you look nice sa picture mo sa beach..wahahahah… :) )

  9. impressive!

    You from southern leyte, where at? just curios.

    Take care, happy Sunday and have a wonderful week ahead.

  10. Wow! Finally I get to see your blog. Have read it in an inquirer article.

    I’m a Pisay alumni, batch 95. It’s been a while since I’ve come back for homecomings, or as much as heard anything from pisay. But your blog provides inspiration – the passion for being Filipino and to make this nation work.

    I’ll definitely frequent your blog. Could I add you in my blogroll?

    Good day and happy blogging!

  11. I think you’re a nice guy, keep it up man.
    I’m a teacher too in college teaching computer programming and I like the way you express yourself here. It sort of inspiring in some way hehehe..
    I don’t get a chance to travel somewhere else but here but you a kind of man I like to meet.

  12. Martin,
    Wow!! Looks like you’ve had some really cool traveling experiences….your so young for being a teacher though!!!! Ha ha ha!!! Just kidding. You’ve accomplished more than I have at your age….I just turned 24 and I’m still trying to finish up my nursing degree!!

  13. wow.. astig.. hi sir!.. ^_^

  14. wow sir reads comics!! but i more of a marvel fan rather than DC how come no one ever dies in DC captian America died recently oh well nice to finally see ur blog sir

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  16. Sir, bamboo po ba ang bubong ng pinagbawalang palasyo (forbidden palace)?

  17. Great lil bio i will def be keeping up with you

  18. Wow! Thanks for showing me how to create one of these!Awesome!I wish you were my co-teacher!

  19. oh yeah

  20. Hehe. Hi. :D I’m a friend of Joshua (aka Pie). Cool bloog! :) Hoping to get into PSHS next year. :D La lang. just thought like dropping by. Lol. XD

    Bye. :) )

  21. It was nice meeting you, Sir Martin. :) Congrats sa event nyo.

  22. wow, sir martin — saludo ako sa dedication mo. i had a very short stint as an instructor in one college in manila but i bailed out after one sem. my priorities then were journalism and having fun :D but now am teaching english to pre schoolers, a volunteer work…am sure am gonna learn from your site.

  23. glad i chanced upon your site. but that’s how the internet works-you search, you find. but in life that doesn’t always work. sometimes no matter how much you seek, you just can’t find… i studied history at the state university, but i ended up writing and editing news and later, writing copy for ads. now i want to teach history. and there’s still much to do to make a life meaningful for me and for others.

  24. parang ang gnda ng site nyo..

    its interesting i think..

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  26. haha… ngayon ko lang napansin, dun sa binondo picture, most of us nakatingin dun sa isang camera..

    hahaha :)

  27. That’s why I picked this one. :p

  28. wala lang.hi sir….wala lang magawa

  29. galit ka kay Dan?

  30. hahahaha! i love algeb?
    I love Soc.Sci????
    Juan

  31. hello sir, you might wanna participate in my thesis experiment – TagBux. thanks.

  32. Hi Martin!

    Happy to finally put a personal face to the blog! See you around the blogosphere.

  33. Let’s make a Climate Wiki

    A new cross cultural (Danish / American / other countries) Web 2.0 open source project, which focuses on teen climate awareness, requests your input.

    The Climate Wiki will contain “green pods”: Audio, photo enhanced audio, and video podcasts, produced by high school students in Denmark, the USA and other countries that join in the project. All in short format – for free and easy download. Through their high schools, students are given a MISSION: Make a ”green pod” – tell us what you and others around you are doing to save the planet. At home, at school, in your neighborhood, or town. For this project we can help you to use your mobile phone, to record audio and take pictures for your report.

    The ClimateQuiz Game will contain 1000 questions. The game design is user generated. We start with a simple quiz, for individual and multiple online players. The game develops out of the quiz. Teens design the game, make the rules – which may change!

    Either you GET CLIMATE WISE (use the wiki) or you PLAY GAME. Help make a climate wiki and an entertaining online climate game that is played all over the world! If you want to join the project, contact Stephen Schwartz, ITMedia, KUA.

  34. Hi, Martin!

    I’m a Pisay alumna (Batch 92 – batchmate and barkada ko si Joyce Simpas ng Math Dep’t)… Just read your blog on the RH bill. I’m a member of Risa Hontiveros’ legislative staff, and I’d just like to say that it’s always heartening to find support for any of our advocacies. And, when it comes from a Pisay social studies teacher – well, that’s just really great! Thanks! :)

  35. 24 January 2009

    Dear Sir/Madam:

    Greetings!

    We are from the University of the Philippines Speech Communication Association (UP SPECA). We are an association upholding the power and the needs of speech communication majors and enthusiasts.

    The University of the Philippines is holding its annual Alternative Classroom Learning Experience (ACLE) on February 6, 2009 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. The ACLE allows the students to learn and expand their knowledge beyond the classroom setting by attending talks and seminars prepared by various student organizations. UP SPECA is going to host a talk entitled: “Blogging: Communication and Hyperrealism.” This talk aims to increase the awareness of the students regarding the nature of blogging, its benefits and possible repercussions on both the blogger and the reader(s). It also aims to tackle the use of blogs in commerce, journalism, and in the academe, among others.

    In this light, we would like to invite you to become one of our guest speakers to share your life and experiences as a blogger, or as a person who uses blogs in different transactions, for that matter.

    We feel that your story will contribute a lot to our knowledge and inspire us in our future endeavors.

    We will be hoping for your kind response.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    Oscar T. Serquina Jr.
    ACLE Project Head
    09156217506/oscarserquina_8@yahoo.com

  36. Is it not “ako mismo” is the same idea of individualism.

    I considered myself an objectivist after years of reading and studying the philosophy of Ayn Rand. It is also a philosphy resulting to a atheism.

    I just wonder if you had encounter or read about Ayn Rand’s essays or her philosophy.

  37. Thanks for dropping by, Alejandro. No, I haven’t read Ayn Rand and don’t really plan to.

  38. just wanted to drop a note that someone from the other side of the globe (New Jersey) is a big fan. you will forever be an inspiration to your students. Keep up your good work

  39. Hi Martin,

    I would like to send you an e-mail to formally ask for your permission for I’ll be using your winning single-post from from the PBA list to be used as one of my representative data for my thesis.

    Thanks.

    Garry Lopez
    BA English Studies – Language
    UP Diliman

  40. Hi sir ,mukhang enjoy kau sa bakasyon nyo ah :P

  41. how can i join?

  42. Ooh, cool, a fellow Pinoy using a dotAsia domain ^_^

    Mabuhay! po sa inyo kababayan!!

  43. salamat may ganitong samahan bukas ang isipan ng bawat tao, kasama mo ako sa pananaw at kaisa ako, sa hadhikain na makakabuti para sa lahat, sa lahat ng employee ng national housing authority kami ay nakikiisa, AKIMISMO

  44. JOINT AKO

  45. hi sir…. nabasa ko po ang ilang mga comments sa blog mo….. nais ko pong sumali. Paano po ba sumali sa blog na ito?

  46. isang adhikain na magbibigay ng inspirasyon sa bawat pilipino.sa ano mang adhikain ng AKO MISMO kasama mo ako sa pastupad nito,dahil pangarap ko rin ang maihatid ang mensahe ng pagkakaisa,pastutulongan,pagkakapaisa na may kabulohan..naway mahatid ko ng pormal ang mga adhikaing mapangalagaan ang ang ating kapaligiran……

  47. really love your advertisements and am curious about your site and movement if that’s how you call it? pretty much interested in joining if i may. am 31 yrs old and well aware of almost everything that’s been happening in our country right now and i also think that we do need a change in everything. i am from subic and im looking forward for your reply. thanks

  48. ……ako mis mo bilalng mag-aaral gagawin koh ang aking
    …..tungkulin bilang mag aaral

  49. She teaches English punctuation with a Gothic touch!

    June 28, 2009

    Dear Martin,

    You must have thought that it was the British sports columnist Lynne Truss who started the big English punctuation rush with her best-selling Eats, Shoots & Leaves. I thought so, too, until I stumbled on The New Well-Tempered Sentence: A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, an American who used to teach English and a consummate grammarian with a Gothic touch. It turns out that Karen Gordon had come up with her delightfully instructive punctuation handbook 21 years before Lynne Truss did, and had actually released an expanded and illustrated edition of it in 2003—at least a year before Eats, Shoots & Leaves hit the London bookstores!

    This is just one of the exciting and provocative features lined up this week by Jose Carillo’s English Forum for your enjoyment before, after, or in-between your English shoptalks inside the Forum. Look at the full story lineup to see what I mean:

    THIS WEEK IN THE FORUM (June 27-July 3, 2009):
    •Advice and Dissent: Who Really Started the Great English Punctuation Rush? (It’s an American former English teacher with a Gothic touch!)
    •My Media English Watch: Grammatically, Semantically Troublesome Threesome (Front-page leads trip over commas, a wrong conjunction, and a misplaced modifier!)
    •Essays by Jose Carillo: When Even the Passive Voice Isn’t Enough (Dare to cleave single-clause sentences for semantic emphasis!)
    •Going Deeper into English: A Huge Treasure Trove of Great Short Stories (The very best from Miguel Cervantes to John Updike!)
    •News and Commentary: Philippines Warned to Boost English Skills or Risk Ending Its Current BPO boom (But do we really need an Australian to tell us that?)
    •Getting to Know English: Lesson #9 – Getting to Know the Prepositional Phrases (Some verbs and adjectives are so picky with their partner prepositions!)
    •Time Out from English Grammar: Twixt Mathematics, Technology, and Ancient Religious Belief (Is mathematics a human invention or a cosmic—and possibly divine—order?)

    I know that you couldn’t wait to read these stories, so come on over now without delay. See you at the Forum!

    With my best wishes,

    Joe Carillo


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