boomography | Portraits [Chasing Light]

November 30th, dusk -- I was very thankful to have my college friends Kenneth, Hazel, and Jesa participate in my first ever boomography | Portraits collection. At first I thought we would just do it outside Jesa's house at Greenheights, Muntinlupa where there is a small talahiban (grassland) area. But lo and behold, we hopped into Jesa's family car -- and next thing I knew we were on our way to a nearby burol (hill)! 

And it didn't disappoint! The hill was full of dry talahiban, with its warm color palette just perfect for the shot I was envisioning. The view was a sight to behold, overseeing the cityscape of Muntinlupa. And there was even an old, picturesque tree that's just great for added allure to our photography project. Despite the thick, gray clouds hovering in the sky, the sun gave off enough golden light to illuminate our portraits at least just for a little while. Thank heavens!

So here goes my first boomography | Portraits project entitled "Chasing Light" where I used a 50 mm lens and a wide lens. Hope you like it! :)

B: Ned Stark, Game of Thrones

BW Photo Challenge

So I was "challenged" -- so to speak -- on Facebook by a friend to post a Black & White photo every day for 5 days, and nominate a person to do the same for each post. A photography enthusiast myself, I eagerly said, "Challenge Accepted!"

Day 1: Makuha Ka Sa Tingin

Day 2: Break Free

Day 3: Adiós, Patria Adorada

Day 4: Reach For The Sky

Day 5: Stay The Night

Ang Mga Yapak Ni Neil Armstrong

Exactly 44 years ago, Neil Armstrong made history as being the first man to set foot on the moon. "That's one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind," he radioed to his NASA fellows, sending worldwide cheer via TV broadcast and making it one of the most famous statements of the 20th century. 

As we commemorate this historic event today, I would like to share with you a simple Filipino article which I wrote for The Bedan Herald last year as a tribute for Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, who passed away on August 25, 2012 at the age of 82. (Note: Minor revisions applied.)

***

Ang Mga Yapak Ni Neil Armstrong

ANO KAYA ANG pakiramdam ng tumapak at maglakad sa buwan? Ano ang hitsura ng ating mundo mula sa kalayuan? Gaanong nakamamangha ang tumayo sa gitna ng kalawakan?

Ang mga katagang ito ay hindi lamang mga katanungan; sila rin ay mga kahilingan. Mga kahilingan na nais matamo at maranasan nang personal. Mga katanungang nais mahanapan ng kasagutan. Mga kahilingan at katanungan na kahit na mamana ng ilan pang henerasyon ay marahil mga kahilingan at katanungan pa rin.

Suntok sa buwan, ika nga.

At dahil tila imposible para sa mga pangkaraniwang taong tulad natin ang malanghap ang kalawakan o di kaya naman ang makatapak sa buwan, gamitin na lang natin ang ating imahinasyon.

Ang grabidad ng buwan ay sangkanim (1/6) lamang ng kabuuang grabidad ng mundo. Kung ang isang tao ay may bigat o weight na 60 kilo, ang katawan niya ay magiging 10 kilo lamang kapag siya ay nakatapak sa buwan. Dahil mas mahina ang grabidad doon kaysa sa daigdig, magkakaroon siya ng pakiramdam na tila lumulutang, at magiging mas madali ang lumundag kaysa lumakad upang makausad. Parang naglalakad sa ilalim ng swimming pool, hindi ba? At dahil mas magaan ang iyong timbang, mataas ang maaabot ng isang tao kapag siya ay lumundag mula sa malapulbong kalatagan ng buwan.

Kung tatanawin ang ating planeta ilang daang libong milya mula sa buwan, siguradong isa itong kabigha-bighaning asul na globo na nag-uumapaw sa kagandahan, katahimikan at kapayapaan. Siyempre, hindi maiiwasan ang nakapanlululang epekto ng kalawakan; ngunit hindi rin maiiwasan para sa isa na mamangha sa yumi ng ating mundo sa gitna ng kalawakan.

***

Bagma't sa imahinasyon lamang aking mapagtatanto ang mga bagay na ito, lubos kong pinasasalamatan, pinupuri at ipinagmamalaki ang unang taong nakatapak sa buwan -- si Neil Armstrong. Simula nang mapagdeskusyunan namin ang astronawtang si Armstrong noong ako ay nasa elementarya pa lamang, naging idolo ko na siya at tumatak na sa aking isipan ang kanyang nagawa para sa sangkatauhan. Sa pagtapak ni Armstrong sa buwan noong Hulyo 20, 1969, nag-iwan siya ng isang hindi matatawaran at dakilang gawa ng tao sa kasaysayan."That's one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind" -- mga salitang binitiwan ni Armstrong sa kanyang paglapag sa buwan. Mga salitang nagbigay inspirasyon sa buong mundo at magbibigay inspirasyon sa mga darating pang henerasyon. Dito napatunayan ni Armstrong na ang imposible ay magiging posible kung may katatagan, dedikasyon, pagtutulungan, at lakas ng loob sa pagtuklas ng hindi pa natutuklasan.

Sa pagyao ni Armstrong noong ika-25 ng Agosto sa edad na 82, ating sariwain ang kanyang tagumpay at kababaan ng loob. Siya man ay sikat sa buong mundo bilang unang tao sa buwan, hindi niya ito ginamit upang lumikom ng impluwensya at kapangyarihan. Bagkus ay inilayo niya ang kanyang sarili sa kinang ng kasikatan at bumalik na lamang sa kanyang minamahal na trabaho.

Tunay na isang bayani si Neil Armstrong. Hindi matatawaran ang inspirasyon na kanyang naipamahagi sa buong sangkatauhan. Ang kanyang tagumpay ay tagumpay rin natin. Dahil sa kanya ay parang nakatapak na rin tayo at nagkaroon ng koneksyon sa buwan.

Samantala, may hiling ang pamilyang Armstrong sa pagyao ng dakilang astronawta: "Honor Neil's example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a dear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

***

Salamat, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin at Michael Collins, ang pinakita niyong katapangan sa inyong misyon sa buwan ay tunay na karapat-dapat sundan.

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!

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."

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 former—and bask in being such—I 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 legit—some 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.

B: To Infinity and Beyond

B: Philippine Icons

The Philippine Eagle, with the icons of our nation on its wings. 

B: Bluer Than Blue

The view of the Taal Volcano from Tagaytay Highlands.

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

B: Serenity

Photo taken at Villa Escudero in San Pablo City, Laguna.

B: The Mad Creative Shot

My yearbook creative shot, inspired by The Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland. 

B: Carefree Days

At CamSur Watersports Comples (CWC) during the 22nd Philippine Advertising Congress. 

B: Whatever It Takes

B: Creative Outburst

B: Ink Splatter

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 diploma—but 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 speak—Kevin 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. ;-)