I always dreamed of parties after exams. Fancy study sesh at coffee tables. Meet-cutes in the university library. Running with someone in the BU oval. Falling in love. Crying together with my college friends because we can't handle life anymore. Breaking down. Getting drunk. Rinse. Repeat.
Vicente Jao III–a rising Bicolano artist from Sorsogon City, Sorsogon who ghost-sang for the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Joven Tan’s “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok ko” as the prominently multi-awarded singer Rey Valera. Despite what seemingly is a flourishing triumph now, Jao’s upbringing has not been really full of rhythm and harmony. In fact, music was his only ally during those hard times.
𝑩𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝑨𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒂𝒔𝒊, 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒐 | Behind the towering structures of Bicol University (BU), the households of Sitio Olag play tug-of-war with the BU administration in a territorial dispute that has been recurring for a few decades.
𝑩𝒚 𝑨𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒎 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆 | On the frontline of local news channels in the Philippines right now are the people who, instead of sitting in their usual spot on a jeepney’s driver seats, are on the road holding placards demanding a reconsideration of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
𝐁𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐨 | Bince, 9, from San Isidro Elementary School in Oas, topped the under-10 years old category in the recent 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand. The chess prodigy qualified for the international tournament after winning the National Youth and Schools Chess Championship in Zamboanga del Norte in September.
𝐁𝐘 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘𝐒 𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐒𝐀 𝐊𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 | You ignored me in the same manner that you ignored the periods after every sentence.
𝗕𝗬 𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗔 | 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡. 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠, 𝑤𝑒’𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑜 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.
