The Boy Who Stutters

Just because I’m not smart doesn’t mean I’m not going to succeed she said  lastly. Her disposition in life cannot be judged by mere observation. Yes, you can know her but you cannot understand the way she is. However, upon noticing the person she is, you will eventually learn certain things. Often times, she has everything to say about anything; from time to time, she could just be so quiet that you’d definitely notice her silence. Just like any other people, she’s got problems in life – problems that she chose to keep behind her smile and –struggles that she chose to keep behind every laugh. She’s strong and brave on the outside, she’s fragile and sensitive on the inside. But what makes her special?             Born on September 9, 1999, Abigael Joy grew up in Davao Oriental. She has attended the same school in her whole elementary level which is just a walking distance from her home. Entering the secondary level, she w...

Durog na Mani. Lord, gusto ko ‘yun! Madurog yung mani ko. From online short films to the big screen, Darryl Yap remained true to his craft as he tries to perpetuate his trademark. Long take. Obvious cuts. Lengthy monologues. If you consider yourself #normals or an avid viewer of VinCentiments , the official Facebook/YouTube platform of SAWAKAS SHORTS - A short film production headed by Darryl Yap (Writer, Director) and Vincent Asis (Cinematographer, Editor), then you must know that JOWABLE series with its million views is going to the cinema – not as a short film but a full-length movie on September 25! If you haven’t heard of VinCentiments or watched any of its shorts, Jowable is a Darryl Yap short film released on June 14, 2018, in its Facebook Page (with 9.4m views and 155k shares as of this writing) and on August 17, 2018, on YouTube. This short film eventually became a series with a total of 6 entries in its YouTube Playlist still garnering a significant volume of on...

Is history repeating itself? The martial law in Mindanao which is implemented on May 23, 2017 has been extended until December 31, 2018 upon the request of President Duterte. Even it wasn’t implemented nationally, it has caused national uproar due to the historical context of martial law in the country. Unfortunately, there are similar events, issues, and concerns on what happened then during martial to what is happening now as seen in the film – Ginoong Maria. Ginoong Maria is a black comedy inspired by true events. It is a fictional gangster tale and a parody of key figures in the current political arena. Dindo, now a family man, is being recruited back to a syndicate involved in the lucrative business of killing. He is torn between a personal ambition and his loved ones- a wife and a daughter. These imagined characters are set against the background of a more surreal scenario: a world of EJKs, fake news, misogynistic & corrupt leaders and fanatic followers (Film synopsis, ...

Some of you might say that intelligence is not enough; only a few might say otherwise. Is intelligence not enough? Well, you cannot truly survive in this world with intelligence only. So yes, intelligence is NOT enough. Let me share my personal experience. When I entered high school, I valued knowledge so much that I neglected other aspects of my being. I wasn’t that desirable, or at least with my knowledge. I valued knowledge too much that I became a disgrace. I had disrespected my teachers and I wasn’t able to socialize with my classmates well. That is who I was back then, but as I age and entered a higher level – I’ve learned something, something that has changed me; I thought that too much knowledge wouldn’t do much good any longer. That’s when I started to prioritize attitude before knowledge. That has become my virtue and the reason I am who I am now. In reality, intelligence is not enough to survive. But everyone needs it. we need enough intellect to survive. Yes, we have di...

The month is September and as a child, my grandmother would bring me to the town plaza to watch the Balye sa Kalye , the most awaited event in Bañamos festival of our municipality. This goes every year with my grandma until I grew older to watch other events of the festival by myself or with my friends. The festival was just colors and music, an entertainment, and an annual celebration until I gained the consciousness to wonder its origin and curiosity to ask its implications to the local culture, which set the rationale of this paper. Origin             The festival’s name Bañamos, which is a Spanish term meaning “we bathe”, is ascribed to the name of the municipality, Los Baños meaning “the baths”. This is due to the fact that the founding of Los Baños goes back to the Spanish colonization. In the late 16 th century, a canonical mission in the lakeshore towns of Laguna led the Franciscans to come by the hot springs of bar...