Ma. Theresa Lampasa, 21 I grew up in a loving family that nurtured me and shaped me into a child full of purpose and hope. My childhood felt warm and secure. My family always made my birthdays feel magical. No matter how tight the money was, they found ways to surprise me: a small cake,...
By Meingel Damayon, 22 Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Social Studies University of Rizal System There is a specific kind of silence that settles in during your final semester. It feels like both a promise and an ending at once. I was chatting with a colleague about how strange this year...
By Jacel Dhafnie Lolo, 22 Journalism City of Malabon University Every Filipino household carries its own set of traditions during the Lenten season. For me, it has always been a time to reignite, or sometimes rediscover, my faith. It offers a pause from the usual rush of everyday life, a week...
By Aeisha Shaina Marie C. Salvador, 21 First-year AB Mass Communication AMA University – Online Education History bores most students and I used to be one of them. I know how it feels to memorize this and that, like who was born when and what happened where. It often felt like we were expected to...
By Rea Joy Reyes, 24 If you asked me what scares me right now, I might say snakes or worms. I’d probably laugh and even add ghosts, or any fear you can name, picture, and outrun. But if you asked me at 3 a.m., with beer in our hands and the world already asleep, I would admit something heavier....
By Phoebe Gwynn Francisco, 24 "Wait, is this it?" For many fresh graduates, the “dream job” is the ultimate prize. I thought I had won. I landed a role that genuinely excited me weeks before my graduation gown was even ironed. Coming from a heavy background in student leadership and campus...
By Joren Kycer Agnes Apoya, 21 Asian Development Foundation College Inc. Independence: a word that best describes youth, adulthood, and everything in between. It could be the first decision you made without seeking validation from others, or the moment when you finally stood up and owned the space...
By Renee Caitlyn Benitez, 20 3rd year Interior Design De La Salle College of Saint Benilde “Who in their right mind would enter a new sport while being a full-time student at the same time?” This was a thought that made me hesitate before I ultimately came down to the decision to do it anyway....
By Nique Salonga, 18 Grade 12 College of the Holy Spirit of Tarlac I thought being called strong was a compliment. Growing up, my family took pride in my independence and achievements– I was the apple of their eyes. The kid that parents prayed for; smart, obedient, and strong. In every family...
By Jef Ayesah F. Esquerra, 16 Grade 10 Malinao School for Philippine Craftsmen People often ask when a dream starts. Is it when you choose a course? When you pass an exam? When you imagine yourself wearing a uniform you have not yet earned? For a long time, I did not know how to answer that...
By Khen P. Julia, 17, Grade 12 Estancia National High School Friends, let me tell you something they never warn you about: You will die long before your funeral. Not in the dramatic way that earns flowers, speeches, or people dressed in black. You will die quietly, in moments that do not announce...
By Ma. Cleofe Bernardino, 23 Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Lucena City In the modern era, why are we always raised to follow a single path? Why not try it all? Does it matter if you’re different from others? As children, we are encouraged to dream big, to pursue one direction. Some...
