Biyernes, Abril 26, 2013

Serendipity

This article was published in The Bedan Herald April-June 2012 issue under the author's column, "Big Boom Theory".


Le OJT buddies reunited at TeaLeaf, BF Homes, Parañaque.

IT WAS a memorable summer episode. Instead of slipping my feet onto the warm sand and cool froth of the beach waves, I got stuck walking in and around the metropolis, passing by overshadowing skyscrapers, holding neatly a brown envelope and yes, all my hopes up in this sun-kissed adventure. This is it—this is the so-called “real world” that my professors have been talking about.


The April month was nearing its tail-end and I almost sobbed at the thought that I still didn’t have internship elsewhere. Most of my batch mates had already started their OJTs early on this summer at some of the most credible (or rather, most prestigious) media companies out there—publication offices, television networks, radio stations, PR agencies. I thought: “What’s wrong with me?” I had religiously been following JobStreet.com, emailed my resume to almost all media-related internship opportunities there were, and even did rounds of walk-in to no less than 15 companies before and after the Holy Week. I had also been strongly praying for this, and often tweeted about #POSITIVITY and #goodvibes to attract such—but unfortunately to no avail. Maybe my efforts weren’t good enough.



No, maybe God has some good reason.

It’s our “Final Walk-in” day together with batchmates/good friends Alrenz and Iris (who had been my best buddies in hunting for OJT). The sun was hellish as ever; we were then walking again in and around the city, with a brown envelope in hand which we often substituted as parasols. We printed at least five resumes for this yet another excursion. Feeling sick and tired doing several walk-ins all over the month of April, we found the resolve that this “Final Walk-in” would indeed (again, indeed) be the final walk-in. Gasps.

And so we surveyed Makati and Ortigas, survived the stifling rush hour commute, chopped through people in the MRT, ate Japanese siomai, befriended every front desk woman/guard we encountered, retouched ourselves on our ride in the elevator, and cheerfully submitted our resume—and hopes—to the HR personnel of every company we visited.

The days that came after that were days of mourning and utter frustration. There were still no calls, no texts and no emails yet from the companies we visited. Whenever I hear my cellphone beep, I would rush toward it only to know that the text message I got was just from freakin’ Globe My Rewards (and damn it, that happened many times). “Good things come to those who wait,” I kept telling myself. But man, time is gold.

Honestly that time, I really wanted to give up.

Thank God, I did not. That wouldn’t make me feel any better. That wouldn’t make the situation any better, either. My parents paid P7,820.10 for this six-unit course, which requires students to have 400 hours of internship. If I were to quit, the more I would feel being a loser. So I refused to let the cloud of uncertainty and frustrations dampen my hopes and positivity.

Finally, after some twists and turns in the episode of our waiting, and with the help of those whom I can really call “true friends,” each of us three was granted an internship opportunity somewhere. Mine was in a production house, Alrenz in an ad agency and Iris in a television network. Really, thank God for good friends.

Looking back, this OJT hunt has been such an amazing experience; a blessing in disguise for us. The hours we spent alone hunting for opportunities was one hell of a prelude to our real internship and to the real world. Tired as we may be doing walk-ins, but everything we did in that sun-drenched adventure was worth it and had been a learning experience. We became street smart (or rather, city smart). We learned how to act properly in a corporate setting. We became adept crossing the roads and riding the MRT. Our OJT hunting days also made us know that we’re still weak in making life decisions, and made us realize how really, really hard it is to find a job nowadays.

Those were also times that we realized we are blessed with true friends who would be there first to help you when your world starts to fall apart. I want to take this chance to express my enormous gratitude to CMS alumni kuya Sonny Calvento, kuya Von Gaa and Maris Bete for lending a helping hand in our search for OJT opportunities despite their busy work schedules; and to good CMS fellows Mich Demetillo, Paolo Mabagos, Kat Belarmino, Ralph Salgado, Vance Alfonso, and especially Bea Rillo, for their voluntary support and for fanning the fire of hope in me. God bless these people. From them I found the resolve to be accommodating and helpful as well to the next batch of third year CMS student in finding internship opportunities. Kuya Von was absolutely right when he texted me: “E sinu-sino din ba ang magtutulungan kundi tayu-tayo rin mga taga-Beda.”

Finally, the most important thing I realized this summer is to keep my faith in God against all odds, no matter what. My character, patience and physical and spiritual strength had been put to test during episodes of our OJT hunt; however, I made it a point to always tell myself: “Everything has its own good reason” and “Trust in God also means trust in His timing.” Indeed, God uses the ripples of trials to draw us closer to Him. If not for our internship quests, I would
not realize such these things. I would not have been a better person. It’s the universe conspiring.

It’s serendipity.

B: ¡Ánimo San Beda!


Huwebes, Abril 18, 2013

It Takes A Man And A Woman


"Trust?! Wow, big word!"

QUOTABLE QUOTES of mixed funny, bitter and tear-jerking proportions are aplenty in the phenomenal Filipino rom-com movie It Takes A Man And A Woman that I could make a score tally sheet out of Miggy and Laida's occasional word war and awkward moments while watching.

The film, the last in the A Very Special Love trilogy, is not another typical Filipino mainstream movie. Aside from the creative execution of Director Cathy Garcia-Molina, beautiful cinematography, sterling performances of the characters, and vivacious screenplay, It Takes A Man and A Woman has depth and teaches its viewers a thing or two about one of the most natural, but also one of the profoundest and hardest acts a person can ever do: to forgive.

Note: The rest of the blog contains spoilers.

The story starts two years after Miggy Montenegro (John Lloyd Cruz) and Adelaida "Laida" Magtalas (Sarah Geronimo) broke up, caused by a moment when Laida had gone back to the country from her work in New York City to visit Miggy, only to see her boyfriend kissing another woman named Belle (Isabelle Daza). Heartbroken, Laida walked out and decided to go back to the Big Apple to resume her work there as an editorial coordinator of a magazine.  

At present, Laida "version 2.0" makes a comeback to the Philippines as she was tapped by Miggy's family business to help save it from near-financial ruin, with a goal to strike a partnership deal with a big magazine firm in New York. Henceforth, she utilizes her connections and works as editor-in-chief of a new local magazine alongside Miggy, its publisher.

Laida, who proclaims is now "wiser, braver, stronger, bolder, fiercer," thought she has already moved on and that everything will be fine and professional in the office, especially with the presence of her ex-boyfriend. But the tension and bitterness seem hard to pass for Laida as she can hardly avoid to bring up her grudges through overtones and take things personal at work.

Laida cries from time to time and realizes that she still hasn't let go of her feelings for Miggy. She soon heeds the advice of her mother to forgive him, saying that nobody's perfect, that people can still change for the better and that forgiving is an act of love. Her mother (played by Irma Adlawan) must know whereof she speaks as she was a victim before of her husband's infidelity, but eventually they become together again.

As the story unfolds, Laida learns Miggy's untold stories of back-to-back failures after they broke up. Subsequently, the ex-lovers resolve to help each other out to close a deal with the magazine in NYC, patching things up and falling in love with each other again along the way. In the end, Miggy lets go of Belle and decides to marry his one and only true love, Laida.


It Takes A Man And A Woman is a giant leap from the two earlier films in the series. It is full of lessons and tear-jerking scenes that surely tug at people's heartstrings. No wonder why tickets for the film are selling like the proverbial hotcakes. Co-produced by Star Cinema and Viva films, It Takes A Man And A Woman has already earned P354 million in the box office as of April 17, placing behind Sisterakas (which earned P391 million), the highest grossing Filipino film of all time. 

The movie is feel-good and is worth the money. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially those who are in-love, those who are dealing with the same pain as Laida's, and those who continue to love even when it hurts.

P.S. I love the ending, I have spotted some former third year communication and media studies students of San Beda Alabang dancing to the tune of "Kailan" with Sarah and John Lloyd! Kitang-kita ang beauty ni Tracy Santiago! Hahaha <3

+Apart from the opening quote, here are my top 5 favorite quotes from It Takes A Man And A Woman:

1. "Kapag blooming, in-love agad?! Di ba pwedeng nagmahal noon, umasa noon, nasaktan noon, at nakapag-move on na ngayon?!"
2. "People change. Nothing stays the same forever. Change is bound to happen."
3. "It's more selos in the Philippines."
4. "Sometimes, being the best is being the least. Be good even after you make a mistake."
5. "Everyday is just a struggle to be better ... A person's best legacy is to believe in goodness and to always be a good man."

Martes, Abril 16, 2013

A Star In The Universe


MY COUSIN Jayjay, a registered nurse, once told me that I am still considered as a "fresh grad" six months after Graduation Day. Beyond that, if I still remain as an unlucky job-seeker, that's the time I shall gain the lamentable status "unemployed."

While I choose to believe the formerand bask in being suchI cannot help but already feel that of the latter. It has been three weeks since I graduated from college and I find myself as a "homeboy" (as my friend Tim Aguirre quipped of me on Twitter) doing household chores such as sweeping the floor in the morning and watering the plants during the sunset. Sometimes, I help in the operations of our tailoring and shirt printing business, where I would meticulously trim excess threads and neatly fold T-shirts for delivery. I actually enjoy doing these activities but in between, I would check my email, refresh my inbox from time to time, ardently waiting for replies from the companies to which I have submitted my resume online. More so, I would browse through new job postings in JobStreet.com and other career sites. My plan after this week is to do walk-in applications in my prospect companies. I really want to get a job because I want to start helping my parents with the finances. Aside from that, I am also much excited to apply my four-year study of communication and media into practice.

As a fresh graduate, there is this strange, overwhelming feeling that you are just like a centavo in a P2 billion money, or rather just a little star in the vast universe. I am on my own now, I tell myself, unlike in school where everything is controlled and preset, and students do have daily allowances. How I will shine bright in the cosmos relies heavily on the decisions I make and the courses of action I take today.

Since I have all the time to wait for the much-hoped-for reply from the companies where I submitted my polished CV, and with our pending summer getaway in Batangas still set for next month, I am doing all the personal things I was not able to do when I still had school to think about. Finally I have the luxury of "me" time, which I spend by watching movies, reading books and magazines, trying out random tutorials in the Internet, and posting here on my already one-and-a-half-week-old blog. I make sure that a day won't pass without me learning something new.

+SHARE:

Among the books I'm reading this summer, my two favorites are Young blood 4 and Go Negosyo: 50 Inspiring Stories of Young Entrepreneurs. Apparently, these are books centered on the insights and stories of the youth which inspire readers and add fuel to the belief in the youth as the hope of the motherland. I read an article or two from the two books every morning, and re-read them before I sleep.

I take pleasure in reading Young blood 4 (P375 in Powerbooks), a collection of well-written essays from Philippine Daily Inquirer's Young blood column, because I am somewhat inspired by its writers who wrote stories of compassion, commitment, anguish, joy, bravery, adventure, and realizations with sincerity, vividness and larger-than-life aura. As much as I enjoy reading each article, I also revel in the different writing styles and diction of the authors.


Go Negosyo, on the other hand, is a well of ideas and success stories of young Filipinos who have already reached high in their respective fields, including Mr. Edgar "Injap" Sia II of Mang Inasal whose grilled chicken fast food chain has proliferated like mushrooms in the country. Since we have a small but thriving tailoring and shirt business, I felt like behooved to buy the book (P250 in National Bookstore) because I know that I will surely learn a lot from it, especially on how to cope with failures and to strategize our family business' way to success. 

I just remember what Mama told me before: Mas mabilis yumaman sa pagne-negosyo kaysa pago-opisina. Seems legitsome of the negosyantes of my age in the Go Negosyo book are already millionaires!
***
Of course I want to focus on our business soon, but I want first to explore the field of communication and media where I can also broaden my network. As for my job-hunting spree, I am well sure that everything happens for a reason; that if I haven't received any reply in a day, it means that I am blessed with 24 hours to have quality time with my family and with myself. It is just about trusting God and His perfect timing. For the meantime, I indulge myself in this well-deserved hiatus with books, magazines, movies, blogs, T-shirts, household chores, and day-to-day learnings, keeping myself as much as possible from the bum base, while constantly finding my place in the universe.

Huwebes, Abril 11, 2013

Miyerkules, Abril 10, 2013

Martes, Abril 9, 2013

B: Joie De Vivre

Here's my good friend Nico Melencio's YOLO moment as he makes an aerial cartwheel to the waters of Lago Del Rey in CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC). | November 2011

B: Posters I Did For School Events

Media Hype: The Creative Series | September 2012

CMS T-shirt Design Contest | December 2012


Tweet Up @ San Beda College Alabang | January 2013



San Beda College Alabang Sto. Niño Festival | January 2013

Linggo, Abril 7, 2013

Against All Odds

Clad in his toga, Kevin Villanueva sits proudly and happily by his parents' grave site at San Pedro Memorial Park.

OF ALL THE FAMILY PICTURES taken during this graduation season in the country, this one stood among the rest. It's not a typical photo taken on stage, with members of the family brimming with proud smiles as the fresh grad holds his or her diplomabut a simple Instagram photo of a brave soul, clad in toga and tussled cap, sitting in serenity by his parents' grave site.

And it's one picture that has immediately become viral in cyberspace, which gathered more than 225,000 "likes" and 15,000 "shares" as of this writing, inspiring hundreds of thousands of netizens especially the youth.

Kevin Villanueva is no stranger to me as we went to the same high school (Sisters of Mary Immaculate School in San Pedro, Laguna). There, he was my sister's classmate and was my co-officer in the student council. With his charisma, positive outlook in life and many talents (he can sing, dance, act, host, and a lot more), I knew even before that Kevin would go places and would have a bright future.

Fast forward to the present, that unspoken projection has surprisingly become a reality. Aside from the growing buzz in social networking sites, several television shows and newspapers have featured Kevin's inspiring photo as well as this 21-year-old Letran IT graduate's moving life story.

Little did many know that behind Kevin's sunny disposition in life, is a sorrowful past. After reading an Inquirer article ("Young man's graduation photo by parents' grave moves netizens" 4/5/2013) have I only learnt that Kevin had already been through a lot of serious challenges as a young individual. At a tender age of 10, Kevin had to endure the loss of a mother, who, beleaguered by nervous breakdowns, committed suicide by drinking an acid solution. “She would drink cleaners and slit her wrists. I remember she would sometimes lock me inside the house,” Kevin was quoted as saying. 

Consequently, he was supported up until high school by his father, who industriously worked as an electrical engineer in a hotel in Manila, but passed away in 2009 when Kevin was still a fresh high school graduate.

With the help of his aunties, Kevin was able to hold on to life and get through college. But before, to help his "guardian angels"so to speakKevin took jobs such as hosting his friends' debut parties and working part-time at a dance studio, producing his own pocket money.

I have no idea of how emotionally heavy it was for Kevin to accept and live being an orphan at such a young age, but I salute him for being a man of strong and fine mettle despite life's challenges. His story is one that deserves to be read by everyone, especially the youth. He is one of the best examples who valued education above all--putting premium to what his parents once said that education was the best gift they could ever give him. Against all odds, he remained resilient and kept his faith in God. In the face of his parents' death, he preferred to carry on, persevere, fulfill their dreams, and continue his life journey--without the slightest idea of giving up.  

To Kevin Villanueva, congratulations on your graduation and I wish you all the best in life. Thank you a million times over for being such a great source of inspiration to all, especially us your fellow young individuals. Always keep that strong character in you, and with that I'm sure that God will bless you with more in this new chapter of your life. ;-)

Biyernes, Abril 5, 2013

Making Each Day Count




WHILE WRITING THIS, I feel like I’m trapped in the core of a whirlwind, with a mob of tasks and duties hurling past around me at a high-speed level in a dizzying upward spiral. Pressure, stress, anxiety, mathematical figures—all of them—creep inside my mind that make me want to scream and burst out in tears. But I shall not falter, I tell myself.

This is my last chance to make it all happen.

It increasingly sinks in to me. Finally, I’m down to my last semester in college and am having a sense that everything is equipped with a time bomb. There is this thinking that, as a graduating student, you sincerely want to accomplish a lot of things—in my case, both for my academics and for the student organizations I belong to—but with so little time already. Mind you, time flies so fast that before we know it, it’s already graduation day. And of course like anyone else, I do not want to graduate with regrets. I do not want to march out of this venerable institution with stones left unturned.

            “Do not count the days. Instead, make each day count.” This has been my mantra since the onset of my senior year here in San Beda Alabang. It actually adds pressure upon me because I know that it requires some serious amount of focus, discipline and sacrifice (e.g., time for Facebook and Twitter). Of course, this is easier said than done.

For several days, I had been figuring out how I could make my last few college days more worthwhile. I admit I was “lost” during that time, often talking to myself, until I attended the college Mass last Nov. 16th and heard Fr. Paul de Vera, OSB utter these three precious words: “Value your time.” When I heard that, I couldn’t help but cringe, and silently burst into tears. I cried at that moment because it dawned on me like a shaft of light from heaven, which suddenly enlightened my mind and made everything clear. But at the same time, I felt guilty. I felt so because I know deep inside that I’m not that good at what Fr. Paul said in his homily.

I easily lose my focus. I overthink without even starting a course of action. I often rant and procrastinate. I spend a lot of time on my online life. Sometimes, I let myself be overwhelmed by studies, work, and even family problems, and forget my priorities. With this kind of attitude, am I valuing my time? Am I making my college days count? Well of course, no.
           
            After reading some articles to make life more meaningful and happier, I found one useful recipe: cultivate an attitude of gratitude. One can start it with thanking God for the gift of life and for another day when one wakes up in the morning. Thanksgiving is a good thing and according to psychological studies, frequent thankfulness makes one a happier well-being. Aside from that, an attitude of gratitude radiates kindness, positivism, creativity, and humility.

            Since the time I’ve set out myself to cultivate this“attitude of gratitude,” my days have become quite happier and more bearable. I realized that I am so blessed that I am already graduating, near to fulfilling my and my parents’ dream; that I am surrounded with kind and loving friends in the College; that I have challenges I now consider as opportunities; and that I am more aware of what I have rather than what I do not have.

            Being thankful has also boosted my positivism. It has made me look at the glass half-full rather than half-empty. It helps me to see the brighter side of things when times make me depressed and hit rock bottom. Also, it ingrains in me that everything happens for a reason, and that there’s always something to be learned from a negative experience. This positivism actually helps me to achieve more goals and to have happier relationships with others.
           
Gratitude is such a great gesture of love, and therefore is really worth cultivating. It is the springboard to appreciate people and things, especially while they are still there. I hope I will be able to keep up nurturing it not just until I graduate, but for already the rest of my life.

A Universal Truth goes, “the Mind can only serve one Master, either gratitude or despair—but not both.”

This is how I will make my remaining college days happier, more meaningful and more worthwhile—by choosing and living an attitude of gratitude, one heartfelt “Thank You” at a time.

Receive my sincere thanks for reading this article.


***

This article was published in The Bedan Herald November 2012 issue under the author's column, "Big Boom Theory".

Unhappy Beginnings




“YOUR STORY may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be…So who are you Panda?” asked the Soothsayer, the aged goat character in Kung Fu Panda 2 whom Po (protagonist) mistook as a male because of her long beard.

            Hearing these inspirational words from the lovely, witty Soothsayer (who’s also an advisor/nanny to the antagonist peacock, Lord Shen) in the scene in which she rescued the injured Po gave me a sudden flashback of the times when I was still a fresh high school grad. As I saw my past unfold before my eyes, I realized that I was like Po, who also had experienced an unhappy beginning. Not because I hadn’t grown up in the care of my biological parents, but because I didn’t have such a happy beginning as far as my college life is concerned.

            Summer after I marched from high school, I was feeling really awesome. I felt empowered, excited and confident of the things I learned from my high school teachers. But at the same time, college life was still a blurry sight in the horizon because first, I didn’t have a firm decision yet on what school to enroll in; and second, I wasn’t able to pass the course choices in the two universities I looked forward to go to: UP and UST.

For the pure love of atoms, matter, energy and laboratory work I had picked BS Chemical Engineering and BS Chemistry as my first and second choices in UP. It came to me that if and when I become a chemical engineer/chemist someday, I would be able to formulate pharmaceutical/dermatological products that would be beneficial to many. I also remembered acing my Chemistry subject back in high school that all the more inspired me to pursue advanced study of matter. But sad to say, I wasn’t good enough to pass UPCAT.

I thought I had another alas in the España-based university in my pursuit of that chemical dream. BS Chemical Engineering was also my first choice in UST, and then BS Accountancy for the second. I considered taking up the latter because we have a tailoring business and would want to professionally manage its balance sheets and income statements. But unfortunately again, I didn’t pass those two courses, and instead was included in the “Academic Placement List.”

Being in that list means an applicant didn’t pass the courses he/she applied for, but still has a chance to be admitted to UST with the degree programs included in the evaluation paper given him/her. Chemistry was already a shattered dream then. And since there was BS Commerce and Business Administration available for me (among Applied Physics, Math, Music, Education and others), I decided to take it up, with a plan to do well throughout the academic year so I could shift easily to Accountancy.

After one school year being a Thomasian, I became a dean’s lister for both semesters and was even one of the students who aced our accounting subject. Well, I did my best. But as the song "Just Once" goes, I guess my best wasn’t good enough. When I went to the AMV-College of Accountancy in UST (Commerce has a separate college), I was almost in tears to see an announcement saying shifters and transferees would no longer be accepted for the next school year. I inquired at the AMV-COA office about it; it’s to accommodate the rising population of accountancy students, with freshmen as top priority. Hell, my heartfelt letter of intent was put to waste.

            I could have continued my Commerce studies, but since I really had this dream of becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), I decided to transfer to another school (despite leaving my friends in UST who have really been close to me). There came San Beda College Alabang (SBCA), the school my parents recommended for me.

I originally applied for BS Accountancy in SBCA. But after learning the result of my entrance test, I had this feeling that this course, for goodness’ sake, is not really meant for me. Again, I wasn’t able to get my desired course, this time due to limited slots. Accountancy and Information Technology courses then were not available anymore—slots were already full (perhaps taking SBCA’s second to the last entrance test became a great factor).

Haay, bad things really come in threes.

But one thing I realized by then was that, I had kept on thinking afar that I turned unmindful of the things just with me at the moment. And since I could take up other courses in SBCA, I decided to take up the course that’s close to my personality and innermost yearnings—BA Communication and Media Studies. From then on, my life has been chock-full of surprises.

Little did I know that I have passion for writing, that I have nice PR skills, that I am a live entertainer, that I have good artistry to edit pictures and videos, that I love journalism. All I must do is to maximize them. Now, I’m glad of what I’ve done so far in my three years as a Bedan. I’m proud to be an active member of the CMS family and an editor for the CAS’ official student paper, The Bedan Herald.

            Everything happens for a reason. I may not be that intelligent enough to pass major college entrance exams in the country or reach the quota set for my then-desired courses, but that doesn’t make me less of a person. Because in my own right, I can be an asset to where I am right now and hence, make my existence matter.

***

            Dragon warrior Po used his newfound “inner peace” to achieve a kung fu technique that eventually defeated Lord Shen, who in the end could not still let go of his awful past. Po told Shen: You got to let go of the stuff from past–because it just doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now. Finally, back in the Valley of Peace, Po (who chose not to be just a big fat panda, but the big fat panda) hugged foster father-goose Mr. Ping and proudly, lovingly and gratefully declared himself as the latter’s son.


***

This article was published in The Bedan Herald June 2011 issue under the author's column, "Big Boom Theory".

Huwebes, Abril 4, 2013

Once A Herald




Our family picture taken during San Beda College Alabang’s 15th Commencement Exercise on March 26, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

COLLEGE LIFE HAS been one hell of a roller coaster ride for me. It was a five-year ride; an exhilarating journey that took me to a lot of highs, lows, reverses, and detours. From the moment I transferred to the upscale grounds of San Beda College Alabang from the University of Sto. Tomas in 2009, I swore to myself that I would make my college life in SBCA a productive one—both in academics and extra-curricular activities—given that the school is way nearer our home in Laguna and therefore I could handle more work than what I could in far-off UST. After four glorious years of Ora et Labora in SBCA, I can proudly say that indeed, what a productive college life it has been!
            Of course, I would not have reached this far by myself alone. There are those people who had gone with me along the way as I journeyed towards graduation; who believed in me and supported me in all my endeavors; who taught me countless lessons that served as my inspiration to carry on; who had always been there to cheer me up during my low points and rejoice with me during times of celebration; who had been my source of guidance that has become part and parcel of my personal constitution; and whom I owe a lot for who I am now.
            First of all, I want to thank the Almighty God for the divine providence and for the never-ending love. Life has set forth many challenges ahead of us, and bearing in mind that God only gives us challenges that we can overcome makes the burden much lighter. Life doesn’t always go as planned as well—many times I had experienced disappointment, depression, rejection, confusion—but knowing that everything happens for a reason and that God has a perfect plan for all of us keeps me sane and makes hard life so much bearable. Who I am and what I have, I offer all to God.
            Secondly, I express my overflowing gratitude to my parents for their selfless love, unrelenting support, sheer hard work, helpful guidance, and full trust in me and in my dreams. Thank you Mama and Papa for pulling all stops to provide me with education, which is, as you said, the best pamana you can ever give to me. I am witness to all your sacrifices and efforts to get us through school ever since pre-school up to college. Even though our family had been faced with a lot of financial challenges, you still managed to make things alright and provide us with the things that we need. Congratulations, Ma and Pa for doing a great, great job. Words are not enough how much lucky I am to have you as my parents. I am sorry for all my shortcomings, but nevertheless I promise to patch things up and help you meet the ever-growing needs of our family now that I have already graduated from college. All my achievements are a testament to all your love and passion. Thank you so much, Mama and Papa, you are the best parents in the universe. I love you!
            To my beautiful sister, Angeli, thank you for all the random advice and acts of sweetness at home. Though we often fight over things, how little or big they may be, at the end of the day we still manage to talk things over and laugh with each other as if nothing happened. Means to say that we don’t keep grudges with each other, which is actually a good thing. I can’t wait for your “moment”—that shining moment when you, too, will make our parents proud. Sorry for everything, however in a way thanks to our little fights; without which life would have been so boring at home. I love you sister and I always appreciate the pasta you cook sometimes for merienda. Peace be with you!
             Next off, I express my sincerest gratitude to Prof. Shirley Padua, chairperson of the Communication and Media Studies department. She had been my second mother in college who had always supported me in all my endeavors, whose efforts and passion for CMS describes her of a “stage mother” kind. Thank you Ms. Padua for all the lessons I have learned from the subjects you taught us, especially Journalism and Public Relations, and for all the life lessons that cannot be learned in the four walls of the classroom. I will definitely miss the moments we spent together in the corridors, in your office, and in the Ad Congresses in Subic and CamSur, among others. Thank you so much Ma’am for helping us CMS students to be the best that we can be. We promise to be good and excellent media practitioners someday, set to humanize the entire world. CMS the best!
           To Rector-President Dom Clement Ma. H. Roque, OSB, to CAS dean Thelma Geraldine Baricaua, to vice deans Dr. Paulito Hilario and Atty. John Jacome, to prefects Prof. Ma. Adrianna Quioyo and Prof. Jean Ariola, and to the rest of the department chairpersons, thank you for being the beacon of light during our stay in the College of Arts and Sciences. Without your guidance and policies, life in the CAS would have been hard and not that harmonious. Thank you for supporting us rain or shine with all the activities we organized, and I do wish you and the entire CAS all the best in the PAASCU accreditation next school year.

In this great milestone in our lives, much credit shall also go to the professors who had mentored, honed and prepared us as we are set to enter the so-called “real world.” Thank you professors for the nuggets of wisdom and all the experiences you imparted to us that helped us understand the world and all its dimensions better. Thank you for your patience as well to all our shortcomings and kakulitaninside and outside the classroom. Your quizzes, recitations, projects, and exams may all be difficult, but we know that it was just tough love on your part. Rest assured that we will apply in real life all the lessons we learned from you. We love you all and will miss you. Kudos to your passion for education!

            I’m also grateful to having shared my college life with the non-teaching personnel in the CAS, who I always greeted with bright smile whenever I visited them at their offices or whenever I met them along the corridors of St. Bede Hall. Thank you to Mr. Joey Balasico for being our number one go-to person when we have school-related and random problems, and when we need sound advice on how we should plan our activities. Though you have ended your productive service for San Beda Alabang last January, your spirit remained alive in your small office in the Office of Student Affairs, especially for those who had really known you and had become your friends. I wish you all the best and may you find greener pastures in your new endeavor. I would also like to thank Mr. Deck Santos for all the opportunities you gave our family to expand our tailoring and shirt printing business. Thank you for your trust and confidence that we can provide San Beda Alabang with quality polo shirts and T-shirts. You are one of the kindest and funniest persons in the Bedan community and I’m pretty sure that with your bubbly personality, you can go places and reach high in life. Also, thank you to Ms. Ghail, Ms. Addie (both from OSA), Mr. Harvey (from faculty office), Ms. Tina, Ms. Tammy (from departmental office), Ms. Candy (from Dean’s Office), Kuya Ricky (a.k.a. “Ang Alamat ng CMS” from IMC), Ate Jerlet (security guard), Ms. Jacq, Ms. April (both from Accounting Office), the friendly staffers of Whoopee and their boss, Ms. Eva Ravago, and the maintenance personnel of Titleist Services Inc. (TSI) for making my college life happier for all the good things you had done for me. Thank you and I love you all!
           To the CMS family, keep the fire burning. Here’s to the many sleepless yet glorious hours we spend finishing a short story, piecing articles together as we lay-out a newspaper, meticulously completing a vector art, going to places and shooting for a video or film project, waiting for a video to finish rendering in Vegas or Premiere, writing investigative reports, brainstorming for creative ways to advertise a product, risking going up the bridge for a tray lights shot assignment, practicing our roles for a theater play, authoring a term paper understanding a media text or a communication theory, and all the demands in between of those professors who consider their minor subjects as majors. It is fun and awesome to be a CMS student and what I like most about it is the spirit of teamwork and creativity that we develop in everything that we do. To those who we will leave behind, keep the fire of CMS spirit burning. Learn from the experiences of your ates and kuyas and join competitions outside the school so that your knowledge and skills in media will go to a fast forward. To my batch mates, congratulations to us for surviving the tough curriculum of our degree program. I will never forget all the memories we shared inside and outside the classroom, especially those moments when we were united showing off our CMS spirit during Integration and Cheerleading Competition. Thank you guys for everything and I just want you to know that I’m so happy that you were my batch mates. May we become successful media practitioners in the future who are grounded with game-changing creativity, unshakeable integrity and unfaltering commitment to the truth. I will miss you guys and see you around in the media industry! Naks!


Communication and Media Studies Batch 2013 in high spirits after graduation. (c) Lorenz Roi Morales

            Finally, I express my infinite gratitude to The Bedan Herald, the publication where I spent the four most productive years of my life, the best student organization in the College of Arts and Sciences which we can truly call a family and a home. I had learned a lot as a student journalist for The Bedan Herald—on-field journalism, work ethics, professionalism, social dynamics, decision-making, leadership, among others—which I owe to the past and present members of the publication. Within the span of my stay at The Bedan Herald I had the privilege to meet and/or interview some of the big names in the country such as former President Fidel V. Ramos, Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel and Sen. Gringo Honasan, and to go to many places I never imagined myself going before. Moreover, I will surely miss the everyday life in the Publications Office or the “Pub” from early in the morning until the late hours of the night—and sometimes, until the afternoon or evening of the next day, just to make sure that every issue that we release is of high quality in terms of content and layout. I will surely miss the members of The Bedan Herald, both past and present, whom I consider as the craziest and wackiest but wisest and kindest people I had ever known in college. To those who came before me, thank you for your nuggets of wisdom and guidance that had become our inspiration to work hard and give our best for the betterment of our publication. Without your efforts before, we wouldn’t have enjoyed the rights and privileges that we have at present, or rather we wouldn’t have a paper to work for as a student journalist in the first place. To the editorial board and staff of Volumes 15, 16 and 17, thank you for the personal and professional growth you have developed in me. I know that I was not a perfect member but I thank you for giving me the opportunities and positions in which I could serve best the publication and the Bedan community. To the editorial board and staff of Volume 18, kudos to us guys for a job well done. We may have lapses in terms of our releases, but I can say that our content and creative appearance have truly taken a higher level. I express my special thanks to our editor-in-chief Marco Angelo Cabrera, to our managing editor Christine Easter Halaba and to our creative editor Giovanni Miguel Alfonso for making my last year in college and in The Bedan Herald a productive one through the plans we had executed this school year. And lastly to the editorial board and staff of Volume 19, I wish you guys all the best in bringing The Bedan Herald to a higher level. We did our best to set a standard of responsible campus journalism this volume and we do hope that you will surpass our expectations and what we have achieved. Always remember all the advice, lessons and experiences that we imparted to you so that you guys will be grounded firmly as you take on yet another exciting year of Noble Obligation. To The Bedan Herald past and present members, I love you all! I will not say goodbye because as the saying goes, “there are no goodbyes, only catch-you-laters.” So see you when I see you guys and always remember, “Once a Herald, always a Herald!”


My The Bedan Herald family. Illustration by Gian Clarete

            Congratulations to the batch 2013 graduates, or rather the “Ruby graduates” of the College of Arts and Sciences – San Beda College Alabang!

            That in all things, God may be glorified!

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The article was published as the author’s last entry in his column "Big Boom Theory" in The Bedan Herald (March 2013 issue), the official student publication of the College of Arts and Sciences – San Beda College Alabang. He was the former Associate Editor of the said publication.