2019-2020-024

[2019-2020-024]

On a metaphorical love

Love is an esoteric metaphor that can be laid to secrecy or disclosure, and is differently understood by the one who knows how to decode words and actions. It remains ineffable but, in variations, we feel its presence just like how sun rays touch our lonesome soul with its invigorating feeling. It radiates to one another, may it be to our friends, family, or special someone. Indeed, the binding effect of love gives us comfort and peace of mind.

[2019-2020-024]

ACTUALIZING FAITH. On the 13th day of September, the voyadores, along with the devotees, transfer Our Lady of Peñafrancia from her shrine to the centuries-old Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. Despite the scorching heat of sun or stormy weather, the street of Naga is filled with a sea of crowd who came from different places.

[2019-2020-024]

Rhyme and reason

By PDIP

Time is a ticking bomb that needs urgency to be utilized well, so we can be able to decipher how to make our lives more meaningful and worthwhile without wasting every minute. But life offers different choices that, if we are heedless of our decisions, can either make or break our dreams. During our childhood days, our minds roamed around the possible profession that, we thought, would give us rhyme and reason in the future. Some are lucky, like Erika James R. Roxas, 21, a faculty member of senior high school unit, for having a definite path to take in life since kindergarten.

Just like anyone else, Erika was also a dreamer. Her interest in the field of education had already manifested in her springtime years. The power of imagination gave her the inner resources to creatively act out the work routines of a teacher, back then. Gone are those days because she is now living her dream. Currently, she teaches reading and writing, as well as oral communication in grade 11 classes.

There’s modesty in her gesture, softness in her voice, and her smile is as if an unseen reflection of summer rays that would radiate from one person to another. In her eyes, there is a pronouncement of innocence—one noticeable feature that draws people to her. But behind those seemingly guileless eyes, there were sacrifices, frustrations, and pains that they witnessed and bore.

Way back in her high school years in BISCAST, from first year to fourth year, she experienced being bullied by her classmates, who were also aspiring to be part of the honor list, due to competitions. That was the time when she felt as though no one was there to support her, since her classmates were too desperate enough to do actions just to sabotage her grades. But instead of cowering in disquietude, she remained undaunted amidst the trials she had gone through. Thanks to one of her teachers in fourth year high school who volunteered to help her by conducting an individual consultation and an open forum, respectively.

Before she went to college, one reason why she firmly decided to pursue teaching was because of the inspiration she got from her English teachers in high school.

“They will remind me of my skills that they like how I explain. For example, in simple reporting, then they like how I manage the group, for example, when we were given group tasks. And they would appreciate that, and they would tell me,” said Erika.  

It is for all these reasons that she recognized the power of communication and feedback that can also empower anyone. Needless to say, she has always been an achiever and a leader who is always complimented by the people around her. More than the physical beauty that she possesses, there is a remarkable, inner beauty that anyone can immediately notice. Because, despite people’s compliments and her achievements, she has remained humble. In her totality, there is a pure simplicity—nothing less, nothing more. But what makes her stand out among the rest of teachers is, of course, her own way of making students love and respect her. She is truly a simple woman oozing with a charismatic presence.

Teaching, for her, is more than a profession. It’s a never-ending cycle of questing and learning that requires passion, love, and creativity, to name a few.  These are the three main ingredients, according to Erika, that a teacher should possess to let students arrive to a breadth of learning to which they can clearly recognize and appreciate. She, in fact, does not enter her classes without wearing a smile. In doing so, she believes that she can radiate positivity every time she will temporarily forget her personal concerns before she enters the room.

“Every day is a discovery of little things that would be associated [with] love, in general,” said Erika.

In most things she does, she always seeks for simplest yet purest form of love. It doesn’t need to be something profound that would go beyond her mundane routine of day-to-day professional life. Just as simple as students who show interest in her subject is what she meant by love, because there is an indication of a transpiring respect. In fact, students’ simple greetings are deeply appreciated by Erika. Every meeting, when she asks her students to respond to her “Ola-Chica,” their cheerful faces, as they respond, make her happy, too.  

Even so, being a teacher is never an easy profession. There is less time for relaxation because of the usual demands of her calling and jurisdiction. Usually, she sleeps at 12:30 AM and wakes up as early as possible to catch up on her classes. She, like any students, would also comply with tasks and meet deadlines, as well as juggle school-related and personal-related concerns and obligations.

On the other hand, she takes teaching as a challenge since not all students are improving or learning in just one seat. It may be because they are demotivated, unready, or exhausted. Acquainting herself, therefore, with new teaching techniques is one way she can cope with her daily concerns as a teacher because, as she described it, there will always be unexpected happenings at school.

“For example, in one class, there are few students [whom] I consider as a challenge, but there’s always another day to create something new [in my strategy] in order to relate and actually deal with those concerns,” explained Erika.

Sometimes, it gets to a point when she’ll think of how her passion becomes pointless on her tiring days, but she is always reminded that there are reasons why she is doing this for a living. True to her words, she cannot accomplish every task if she herself is not inspired and empowered, so she constantly goes back to what she promised to herself: Seek for simplest yet purest form of love. She finds it in her family, in which, as the breadwinner, she still has two siblings in college that she needs to support financially; She finds it in her circle of friends that even though she lost some of them along the way, some still chose to remain and support her; And, of course, she finds it in her students, the people who push her to strive for great strides.

While it is true that teaching can also be, at times, drudging and stodgy, Erika’s life can be perked up by involving herself in the activities she enjoys. Apart from being an English teacher, she pioneered Kurit Bulawan in 2018, the official senior high school student publication of AdNU, along with the former school paper adviser, Mr. Francis P. Orasa. She is also affiliated with some organizations like the Teatro Alawangis and so much more. In this way, it’s not just in teaching where she can get inspiration, but in different aspects that she clings her heart to.  

It’s just a matter of rhyme and reason in life. These two things may be different from one another, but they both have an indispensable likeness in Erika’s life. There was an indescribable rhyme that paved the way for the consistency of her dream from childhood years to present. Similarly, her passion became her principal reason why, among all available and profitable occupations, she chose teaching as her lifetime profession. In between, however, there will always be discordance and disarray in life’s rhythmization, but Erika has always been in pursuit of the more loving option, that is, to always find for, at least, one reason to move forward each day and bring everything in harmony. This is her own simplest way to make her professional and personal time worthwhile.

[2019-2020-024]

UNFAZED. On the 21st day of February, Celestino Jose Perez, 19, advocates for a quality, non-commercial education as he opposes the three-percent tuition and other fees increase (TOFI) in Ateneo de Naga University next school year. Despite the negative impression of people to activism, Perez was still driven to deliver his speech against TOFI in front of studes and faculty.

[2019-2020-024]

HURRAH. Amidst the crowd’s surge of excitement as Julienne Auro of HU23 ramps on stage on February 21, 2020 at the Gymnasium, four of her classmates show their support through cheers and applause. Auro’s advocacy was sustainable development goal number five, gender equality, where she exhibited her fight for inclusiveness and equality through an outfit that represented LGBTQIA+ community.

[2019-2020-024]

IRIDESCENT. Sharmaine Pado of GE21 advocates for sustainable development goal number two, zero hunger, on February 21, 2020 at the Gymnasium. Pado received applause from the audience when she pulled the string of his costume, thereby revealing the peacock-style outfit with goals and social blights written on the spread and erected fan-like garment.

[2019-2020-024]

PROJECTING. Ma. Cecilia Ocampo of HU21 presents her advocacy on the right of students to accessible and free education on Friday, February 21, 2020, at the Gymnasium. She wore glittering and coruscating clothing which gave her a glamorous appearance on stage. For Ocampo, free education must not be withheld from us, since it is a right accorded to us, not a privilege.

[2019-2020-024]

Once in a lost time

By PDIP

Knowing what motivates me, from sunup to sundown, at the present time has given me soul-stirring reasons to feel and grasp the little things I once ignored, to eke out what is missing inside, to appreciate life and time beyond the bounds of my eyes, and to find myself once again.

The moment I discovered how awareness acts like a sudden gust of wind that either propels or repels someone’s disposition in life, I have found my other self by accident. Thanks to literature for gradually crafting my interest in cathartically turning wounds to words, for ditching my then-ignorant, contrived self, and for helping me realize that I’ve been dreaming for a career that best fits my parents’ heart, but not mine.

At the age of 16, I made a promise to my parents that, soon, I will pursue law because that’s the job that, I once thought, can lead my life to happiness and prosperity. Having been part of student publications, I’ve got a chance to appreciate the beauty of arguments, inquiry, and disquisition, thereby leading my heart closer to the system of rules and legality. Apart from this, this is the common profession of most of our relatives from my father’s side, so I understand how frustrating it was, on my father’s end, when I confessed that I want to be exposed more in literature and in teaching.

All throughout my high school years, I thought that the career that I will be taking somewhere in the future is fixed. But as I age, I begin to fear that, as mortal as I am, finding the things that can make me genuinely happy in this confounding world should be my priority.

There is an apprehension that if I still pursue law, I’ll be more drowned by the busy, technical world, where I can no longer delve into the philosophical and figurative context of life due to time restraints; that instead of reading literary pieces to expand my horizon and feed my soul, I’ll be digesting legal cases which can also lead to months or years of hiatus from writing; that instead of giving myself a time to enjoy with family and friends, I’ll be spending my time in legal industry, while slowly draining every ounce of my will and energy because my passion is no longer there.  

Time rotated, so did my aspiration. Of all the things I have in mind, it’s the constant, yet obscure rotation of time that puts a pressure on my 19-year-old self who, after a few months from now, shall have a definite path to take for college. It is ironic to know that my genuine ambition unravelled itself now that our graduation is already near, and my real inner drive projected beyond my parents’ expectation. And so, I asked myself: Am I going to disconsolately meander through my life?

In the middle of my spur-of-the-moment decision, I silently pondered on that question. I was able to imagine a lonely, dull journey of a man whose daily routine became monotonous as he chose the desolate road. Perhaps, he was nonchalant enough way back in his 16-year-old self, where he had so much time to think and act—so much time that he was only as though following a winding course of ambitiousness, so much time that he remained complacent amidst the dark clouds on the verge of their tears, and so much wasted time that he has misplaced himself.

Even so, despite having no respite from my anxiety brought by career uncertainty, I might still follow and respect what my parents want at the expense of my happiness. For once in a lost time, I realized that, sacrificing what my heart says for their sake is, strangely enough, love at its purest form. In doing so, there is just a need, for me, to redeem myself—my purpose and will—from this ever vague, dissonant world. I am, after all, not living in an all-or-nothing life.

[2019-2020-024]

Tibak’s outcry

Meandering through life has paved the way for an unexpected discovery for the then-14-year-old Celestino Perez. Through a whirlwind of emotion he experienced back then, he put himself at the temptations of vices, where he accidentally got addicted to liquor, prohibited drugs, and cigarettes. This was the time when purpose, for him, was nowhere to be found. Above all, this was the age where his vision was only paralleled to his foolish desires and naivety. Contrary to what he was before, his circle widened, at the age of 18, when he chose the path less traveled by. With eyes slightly opened for a naive, ambitious lad, he redeemed himself from the ever tempting peer pressure and deep-rotted insouciance. He joined activism as a form of protest against the twisted, unfair system that has been beleaguering the Philippines. This gave him the inner drive to further discover his hidden potentials, thereby making himself closer to leadership and activism. Despite the criticisms he faces and amidst the threats he encounters, what matters to him is the positive impact of activism in his life. The moment he accepted himself as a tibak--a Filipino term that refers to an activist--he discovered a new world filled with struggles, injustices, and people’s clamor. Anakbayan, the current organization he is affiliated with, gives him opportunities to immerse himself in the lives of the marginalized sectors through educational discussions on our governmental landscape, ideologies, and whatnot. It’s the Filipinos’ plight and social blights where he can get the motivation to continue his fight for peace and justice. 

[2019-2020-024]

Bounded

We, however, remain unparalleled with every fabric of reality. The status quo, similar to a turmoil or woe, urges us to never go against the current. Encroaching  fear is the principal tool of our superiors, giving us a notion that, indeed, we are powerless in the face of malignancy. And so, our land is filled with untamed cries to unbar themselves from suppression. But our fears carry us like deciduous leaves toward a certain point of extremity. We’ll have to play dice with death before we achieve our ideals and freedom. 

[2019-2020-024]

People, in the present time, are having a wide-eyed, yet one-dimensional perspective on the things that surround them. Ironically, in fiction, we give life and meaning to the various aspects  that, in reality, we are unaware of, thereby leading us to an in-depth understanding about our reality. For instance, in a crime fiction titled “Smaller and Smaller Circles,” it presents the different predicaments we face. By reading it, it puts more emphasis on the typical problems that remain unresolved and unrecognized. 

[2019-2020-024]

Ocean waves

Behind your bloodshot eyes

Stung by the salty, caustic sea

an urge to close them

has never failed to allure you 

like the ocean waves pulling your body

from your footing to its expanse

While the howling, raging wind

moves you closer to the vastness

of a dead sea drifting mem’ries 

ditched, lost, and sought 

like a flash before your bloodshot eyes 

washing away your guileless soul

drowned by this ever busy world

After all, amidst the moon’s repose

or despite the scorching heat of sun 

the sea remains as salty as our tears 

as as painful as the stinging sea 

[2019-2020-024]

Within and beyond literature

Reading fiction and poetry is figuratively tantamount to the benefits of drinking to quench our thirst for art and eating to satisfy our hunger for knowledge. Now that we are in 21st Century, we have been fed by a technical system of information. Consequently, we put ourselves inside the box of dullness, thereby decreasing our creativity. What we only think is how parallel the box should be. Fiction and poetry, therefore, break the cycle of our unimaginative sides, because they enable us to digest all human’s frailties and ideals through creative pieces. 

[2019-2020-024]

Edsa Yellow Lane

Edsa Yellow Lane

drives the drivers insane

a sigh of despair

for a cycle--unbreakable, unfair 

[2019-2020-024]

Children

Children, like fledgling birds with hungry mouths and bewildered eyes, pay heed to what the barren room tells. But the barrenness devours them. 

[2019-2020-024]

Mind’s heavy workload

Senior high school is a new world for me. The moment I set foot in Ateneo, I immediately felt how my heart pounded in my temples, as though someone had chased after me. Days passed like withering leaves, all sort of things, from my thoughts to feelings, remained unclear and made me heave in fear. All I know was how afraid I was at failing in a university where I will have to start again from scratch. But time really moved so fast like the rhythmic rise and fall of sun implies. Finally, after years of torments and tournaments--unlooked for anxities, piled-up paperworks, annoying alarm clock--graduation is near to mark the next phase of my academic venture--college life.