Ystillo Teatro

27/04/2026

The maARTEs gave us a blast last week! Now, it is time for a new set! 🎭✨

Check out the third lineup of poetry and short story submissions—to be posted daily, from April 27 (Monday) to May 01 (Friday).

April 27: 𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐖 𝐏𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐀 by Mark Joseph G. Saavedra
April 28: 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄 by A.SCTWOZEROFIVE
April 29: 𝟐𝟒 𝐏𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐒 𝐍𝐀 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆! by Reya No Sekai
April 30: 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀 𝐍𝐀 𝐍𝐆𝐀 𝐁𝐀 by Mark Joseph G. Saavedra
May 01: 𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐌 by Max_giee07

Submissions are still open for ALL Ystillo Teatro members, past and present. Refer to the previous posts for the mechanics/guidelines.

✍🏻 𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑾𝑨𝑵 𝑺𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑨
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17ZHQcNEiD/

📃 𝑽𝑶𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑬
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AWEbgd31J/

24/04/2026

“𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐁𝐎 𝐒𝐀 𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐒”
𝙼𝚊𝚡𝙶𝚒𝚎𝚎0𝟽
𝚃𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛 (𝟸0𝟸𝟻-𝟸0𝟸𝟼, 𝟷𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚖)
𝙱𝚂𝙼𝙰 𝟹-𝟸0𝟸

Lingon sa kaliwa, lingon sa kanan

Maaaring nalilito na kung saan ang patutunguhan

Hindi na alam kung ano na nga bang plano ng buhay

Sa katulad kong wala namang ibang ginawa kundi magsunog ng kilay

Oh kay raming maingay sa aking paligid at tila lahat ay abala

Napakaraming opinyon at suhestiyon ang tumatatak sa aking alaala

“Maging ganito ka”, “Maging ganyan ka”, “Maging ganon ka.”

Pero natanong ko na ba ang sarili ko, “Ano bang gusto kong maging ako?”

Minsan sa kagustuhan kong sumabay sa karera at orasan ng iba

Nakalilimutan kong iba nga pala ang tinatahak ko at tinatahak nila

Iba-iba naman kasi tayo ng panahon, ng pinagdaraanan, ng oras na nakalaan

At ang sundin kung anong sinasabi ng puso ko kaysa ng mundo ay hindi naman kasalanan

Tingala sa taas, yuko sa baba

Ako nga ba’y nakikipagkarera?

Bakit ko nga ba kailangang makipag-unahan?

Kung ito naman ay aking sariling laban?

Maaaring marami na akong nakikitang may nararating

Pupwedeng sa pag-aaral, trabaho negosyo o kung saan man na sila nakarating

Kakat’wang minsan nasasabi ko, “kailan naman kaya ako?”

Paulit-ulit na kinukumpara ang daan, sarili o proseso sa ibang tao

Ngunit kung iisipin siguro’y, kay tagal din nilang naghintay bago marating ang mga pupuntahan

Marami rin ang kanilang isinakripisyo, tiniis, at ibinuhos na hindi ko nakita, upang makarating sa inaasam-asam

Kung kaya’t habang nakatingin ako ngayon sa mga alon sa dagat kung nasaan ako

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako, ayos lang din palang tumakbo sa agos

Mag-iba ng direksyon, magpahinga, huminga at tingnan ang magandang takbo ng alon

Ang mga alon na sumasayaw, wumawagayway, at malayang kumakaway na para bang ‘di natatapos

Katulad sa mga pangarap kong maaaring sa ngayon ay malabo at parang ‘di alam kung saan tutungo

Pinagdarasal ng puso ko na nawa ay mas lalo kong matutunang maghintay at magtiwala na ang mga tinatanim ko ngayon ay tutubo at balang araw ay masasabing “sa wakas, ako naman ang narito.”

Araw-araw na tuturuan ang damdamin na kung may sariling karera ang daigdig

Meron din akong sariling daan at takbo palayo sa mga agos nito, palapit sa aking dibdib

Na ang paghihintay ko ay may rason at hindi dahil sa ako ay gustong pahirapan

Kundi dahil sa gusto Niyang marinig ko na ang mundong ibabaw na ‘to ay pwede rin palang hindi sabayan

Maaaring ang tulang ito ay hindi lang para sa paghihintay at pagtitiwala sa kung kailan ba, saan ba, paano ba, at magiging sino ba ako sa hinaharap na paparating

Kundi para na rin sa mga pangarap at hangarin na inihatid ko sa papawirin

Naaalala ko dati, nangangarap pang makita sa telebisyon, magpahayag at magserbisyo bilang manunulat ng balita o hindi kaya ay umarte sa mga serye at pelikula

Magsulat ng mga iskrip, tula at librong titimo sa damdamin ng mga mambabasa

O hindi kaya ay lumipad sa kalawakan, sa ibabaw ng mga ulap, himpapawid at kalangitan

Kung kaya’t para sa mga pangarap kong hindi na kahit kailan man nagkaroon ng katuparan,

Masaya ko kayong pinalalaya sa ibang beryson ng salitang “ako”, malayo sa unibersong ito

Salamat pa rin, dahil natuto pa ring mangarap at malaya pa ring naging parte kayo sa kung paano nabuo ang dating batang ako

At ngayon, bago ko tapusin ang tulang ito, nais ko lamang iparating sa mga babasa nito,

Una ay pwedeng magpahinga kapag napagod, pangalawa ay pwede ring hindi sumabay sa mga ingay at boses sa kinalalagyan natin dito

At posible rin palang sariwain at yakapin pa rin ang mga bersyon nating “sana” at “muntik na.”

Alin ka man sa mga iyan, mahigpit na yakap, mambabasa

Sino ka man, nasaan ka man sa sulok ng unibersong kinatatayuan natin

Palagi lang nating iisiping mahahanap din tayo lagi ng mga tao at bagay na nakalaan para sa atin

Maaari rin tayong magpahinga sa gitna ng mga ito

Dahil katulad ng agos ng alon, maaari ka rin munang mag-iba ng takbo at balikan muna ang sarili mo at mga nagpapasaya, sa’yo.

23/04/2026

“𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒”
𝚐𝚠𝙸𝙲𝙴𝚢𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚑
𝚃𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝
𝙱𝚂𝙸𝚃 𝟺-𝟸0𝟻

“𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦! 𝘐’𝘮 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦. 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶!”

I can still remember the time when I entered my first class. I was invisible. Sa unahan ako naupo, sa tabi ng pintuan. Walang naupo sa tabi ko o sa likuran ko. Wala ring nagbalak na kausapin ako.

Yet all was fine.

Come on, who doesn’t like silence and peace?

Speaking as an introvert, that was definitely my ideal every day. Hindi ko kinailangang gamitin ang social battery ko. Ibig sabihin—marami akong energy na matitira pagkauwi sa bahay. Hindi ako paplakda kaagad sa higaan.

However, despite that being an introvert’s ideal every day—

I wished not to live that.

Na-mi-miss ko ‘yong mga kaklase ko noong senior at junior high. Sure, I know that we are connected despite our distances from each other. Pero kahit na ganoon, hindi pa rin naman maiwasang ma-miss ko sila.

So, during break time, I sat under a tree and closed my eyes. Ang tahimik kong hiling ay tinangay na lamang ng hanging nagpasasayaw rin sa mga dahon.

-

A week through my quiet second year, I was hopping around three sections as an irregular student. For every subject in each section, I introduced myself using that same script.

Then, habang nakatayo ako sa labas ng classroom at naghihintay na magsialisan ‘yong mga estudyanteng nasa loob, may lumapit sa ‘kin.

“Uy! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 ba ‘yan?” He noticed the print on my shirt. It was a symbol based on a Thai series.

Ayan na nga ba’ng sinasabi ko. Dapat yata hindi iyon ang sinuot ko.

But that’s when and where it all began.

Nawala ang katahimikan ng second year ko.

As someone who finds it hard to communicate with people, hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ba akong may kumakausap na sa akin o hindi.

He introduced me to his friend, and then that friend also introduced another person. Hanggang sa naging pito na kaming magkakakilala.

Out of my three sections, only in that one did I feel… 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯. Like I am where I’m meant to be. That 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 classroom was the right place to be.

And it’s all because of that one person. Just one, who weaved the path that connected me with the whole class. We even formed a circle. We became friends.

Hindi naman maitatanggi. Ayon ay isa sa mga hirap ng pagiging irregular student.

Sa dami ng magiging section mo, hindi mawawala ‘yong feeling na 𝘰𝘶𝘵-𝘰𝘧-𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 ka sa ganito o ganyang class. Pero syempre, hindi rin mawawala ‘yong isa—or dalawang sections na hindi mo inaakalang magiging pamilya mo pala.

All it took was one person; one small conversation—and it led to hundreds of stories and thousands of laughter.

Tama nga ‘yong nadaanan kong meme sa socmed. Mga extrovert talaga ang humuhukay ng mga introvert na nakabaon sa lupa.

-

A year later, I’m still hopping around three sections—might even be four next semester. Pero, sa lahat ng school days ko, ang mga araw na may schedule ako sa section nila ang pinakahinihintay ko.

Call it corny or even cheesy—pero para sa ‘kin, ayon kasi ang mga araw na espesyal.

I will be listening to the professors with them, going to the cafeteria with them, chatting in the gazebo with them, playing card games with them, and many more things . . . with them.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺.

Minsan, napapatanong na lang ako. Kung sakaling hindi ako shiftee sa course nila, will we ever be connected? Will there be someone who would weave us a path to meet?

Maybe yes.

Maybe no.

Walang nakaaalam ng sagot.

But for all I know, I am happy being in the same circle with them.

I am happy to walk this path with them.

-

And so, I wished once again—still under the same tree and summer skies.

That for this year and many more… may all my cherished memories be carried by the Anemo Archon’s gentle wind and never let me forget them.

Na sa bawat pag-ihip ng hangin ay maalala kong may mga taong nagbigay-kulay sa aking mundo.

At nawa’y hanggang sa dulo, manatiling matibay itong taling nagbubugkos sa amin.

22/04/2026

"𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐄"
𝚉𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚑 𝙺𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚖𝚊 𝚉𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝚅. 𝙲𝚛𝚞𝚣
𝙰𝙱𝙼 𝟸0𝟹

The wound will leave a scar.
Like words that cut you deep,
they never truly fade—
they stay,
silent but permanent.

It may heal with time,
but the pain
is something
you never truly forget.

Yes, it hurts.
I don’t know what to feel.

All I want
is to accept who I really am—
the real me.

But that part is hard.
Being accepted is hard.
Is being the standard of beauty
a good thing or a bad thing?

You keep trying to fit yourself
into something you’re not,
like clothes that aren’t your size—
yet you still wear them,
forcing yourself to belong

in a generation that defines perfection.

But there is no such thing
as a perfect person.

As days go by,
many people believe
that pimples, dark skin,
imperfect skin, and messy hair
are what make someone ugly.

But the truth is,
ugly lives in the minds
of those who judge without kindness.

They are not worth fighting—
they are only reflections
of our own doubts,
whispering that we don’t belong
because of how we look.

Living in this world
can be painful.

People will tell you you’re pretty,
yet still point out your flaws.

And somehow,
those flaws
are the only things
that stay.

But maybe…
the problem was never me.

Maybe the world
just taught me
to see myself
through broken mirrors.

And now,
I am learning
to look at myself
without them.

To see my skin
as something that holds my story,
not something that needs to be fixed.

To see my flaws
as proof that I am human,
not something to hide.

And maybe,
just maybe,
I am not insecure—

I was only taught
to be.

21/04/2026

"𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒"
𝚂𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚊 𝙸𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙶. 𝚂𝚎𝚗𝚘
𝙻𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝙳𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝
𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙼 𝟺𝟷0

The afternoon sun shines softly through the classroom window as Jas sits quietly in his seat, staring at the board but not really reading anything written on it. His thoughts keep focusing somewhere else especially, to the boy sitting two rows away from him.

The boy's name is Rin.

Rin was the kind of person everyone noticed without trying. He wasn't very loud or overly friendly, but there was something calm and warm about him that made people feel at ease. He smiled often, and when he did, it felt genuine.

Jas, on the other hand, was quiet and kept to himself. He doesn't talk much except to one person.

His friend Kai.

"Hey, you're staring again," Kai whispered, leaning closer with a teasing grin.

Jas quickly looked away. "I'm not."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You've been 𝘯𝘰𝘵 staring for five minutes now."

Jas sighed. "Can you just stop?"

Kai chuckled softly but didn't push further. Unlike Jas, Kai is outgoing and confident. He talked easily with everyone and seemed to fit anywhere. But when it comes to Jas, Kai is always a little more careful and gentle.

The bell rang, breaking the quiet moment.

As students began to pack up, Rin stood and stretched slightly before turning around. His eyes met Jas for a brief second.

Jas froze.

While Rin smiled.

It was small, but was enough to make Jas’s heart race

"See?" Kai nudged him. "He smiled at you."

Jas shook his head, trying to stay calm. "He smiles at everyone."

“Not like that,” Kai said softly.

Jas didn’t respond.

The next few days passed in a similar way. Jas would steal glances at Rin, Kai would tease him, and Rin would occasionally smile or say a simple “hi.” It wasn’t much, but to Jas, it felt like everything.

One afternoon, their teacher assigned a group project.

“Jas, Rin, and Kai, you three will work together.”

Jas’s heart nearly stopped.

Kai smirked. “Well, this should be fun.”

Later that day, they met in the library. Jas sat quietly, flipping through his notes, while Kai and Rin talked about how to divide the work.

“You’re really quiet,” Rin said suddenly, looking at Jas.

Jas looked up, surprised. “Uh.. I just listen more.”

Rin smiled again. “That’s nice.”

Kai watched the two of them, his expression unreadable.

As days went by, the three of them spent more time together. Jas slowly began to open up, especially when Rin was around. Rin was patient, always listening and never rushing him.

Kai noticed everything.

He noticed how Jas’s voice softened when he talked to Rin.

How Jas laughed more.

How his eyes seemed to shine just a little brighter.

One evening, after their group meeting ended, Kai walked Jas home.

“You like him,” Kai said suddenly.

Jas stopped walking. “…Yeah.”

Kai looked ahead, his hands in his pockets. “I figured.”

Jas hesitated. “Does it bother you?”

Kai smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Why would it?”

Jas didn’t answer.

A few days later, Rin asked Jas to stay after school.

Kai noticed but didn’t say anything.

As the classroom emptied, Jas felt nervous.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

Rin shook his head. “No. I just wanted to talk.”

There was a short silence.

“I like being with you,” Rin said simply.

Jas blinked. “W-what?”

Rin smiled softly. “You’re calm. You don’t pretend. It feels easy with you.”

Jas’s face turned red. “I… I like being with you too.”

Rin stepped a little closer. “Can I ask you something?”

Jas nodded.

“Do you like me?”

Jas hesitated, but only for a second. “Yes.”

Rin’s smile grew just a little.

“I’m glad,” he said.

Before Jas could say anything else, a voice came from the door.

“Wow. Guess I’m late.”

They both turned.

Kai stood there, leaning against the doorway.

Jas’s heart dropped. “Kai…”

Kai walked in slowly, his usual playful attitude gone. “I was looking for you.”

There was a tense silence.

Kai looked at Rin, then at Jas. “So… you like him.”

Jas nodded quietly.

Kai let out a small laugh, though it sounded forced. “Yeah. I figured.”

Rin watched him carefully. “Kai…”

Kai raised a hand. “It’s fine. Really.”

But it didn’t feel fine.

Jas stepped closer. “You don’t have to pretend.”

Kai looked at him for a moment, then sighed. “Okay… maybe it’s not fine.”

Silence filled the room again.

“I like you too, Jas,” Kai said honestly.

Jas felt his chest tighten.

“I just didn’t say anything,” Kai continued, “because I thought… maybe you’d never feel the same.”

Jas didn’t know what to say.

Rin looked between them, then spoke softly. “You should choose what makes you happy.”

Jas looked at Rin, then at Kai.

Kai gave a small smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

But Jas knew it wasn’t that simple.

Days passed, and things felt different.

Jas thought a lot.

About Rin’s gentle kindness.

About Kai’s quiet care that had always been there.

Finally, one afternoon, Jas asked both of them to meet.

They stood under a tree in the school yard, the sunlight soft around them.

“I’ve been thinking,” Jas said, his voice steady but nervous.

Kai and Rin listened.

“I care about both of you,” Jas continued. “But… my feelings are different.”

He turned to Rin.

“When I’m with you, I feel calm… like everything is easy.”

Then he looked at Kai.

“But with you… it’s deeper. You’ve always been there for me, even when I didn’t notice.”

Kai’s eyes widened slightly.

Jas took a breath. “I choose you, Kai.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Kai smiled this time, it was real.

“Are you sure?” he asked softly.

Jas nodded.

Rin smiled gently. “I’m happy for you both.”

Jas looked at him. “I’m sorry.”

Rin shook his head. “Don’t be. Feelings aren’t something you can force.”

The three of them stood there quietly, but the tension had faded.

As the sun began to set, Kai reached out and lightly held Jas’s hand.

Jas didn’t pull away.

And for the first time, everything felt clear.

Not perfect.

But real.

20/04/2026

"𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐒"
𝚐𝚠𝙸𝙲𝙴𝚢𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚑
𝚃𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝
𝙱𝚂𝙸𝚃 𝟺-𝟸0𝟻

“It’s raining, it’s pouring”
A nursery rhyme is playing
The sky is dim; the clouds are heavy
The rain is falling; my feet remain steady

“There’s a rainbow always after the rain”
This song must’ve been mistaken
The rainbow it says, my eyes cannot find
Is there a reason it wants to hide?

Dear rainbow, why don’t you come out?
The rain has gone; the clouds are white
My clothes have dried; the blue sky bright
But where are you through all this light?

“Come on, let your colors burst”
Look into my eyes; trust me first
Don’t be afraid, I’ve long accepted you
“I see your true colors shining through”

Your seven colors and my single one
Coexist like rainbows and clouds above
So come and hug me, my dear friend
Our friendship will stay until the end

18/04/2026

The maARTEs' showcase this week paved the way. And now, we're getting ready for the second wave! 🎭✨

Check out next week's lineup of poetry and short story submissions—to be posted daily, from April 20 (Monday) to 24 (Friday).

April 20: 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐒 by gwICEyneth
April 21: 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 by Samantha Irish G. Seno
April 22: 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐄 by Zariah Karishma Zafirah V. Cruz
April 23: 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 by gwICEyneth
April 24: 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐁𝐎 𝐒𝐀 𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐒 by Max_giee07

Submissions are still open for ALL Ystillo Teatro members, past and present. Refer to the previous posts for the mechanics/guidelines.

✍🏻 𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑾𝑨𝑵 𝑺𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑨
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17ZHQcNEiD/

📃 𝑽𝑶𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑬
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AWEbgd31J/

17/04/2026

"𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐋"
𝚉𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚑 𝙺𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚖𝚊 𝚉𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝚅. 𝙲𝚛𝚞𝚣
𝙰𝙱𝙼 𝟸0𝟹

Habang tumatagal,
unti-unting nawawala ang batang ako—
‘yung walang takot tumawa,
‘yung hindi iniisip kung sapat ba siya.

Habang tumatagal,
natututo akong ngumiti kahit pagod na,
magtago ng sakit sa likod ng katahimikan,
at magpanggap na kaya ko pa…

Sa bawat pasang dinadala ko bago sumikat ang araw,
napapaisip ako—paano ko nga ba kinakaya ang lahat?
Dumarating ako sa puntong sagad na,
yung halos hindi ko na kaya…
pero patuloy pa rin akong lumalaban.

May kanya-kanya tayong laban na hindi nakikita,
mga sugat na hindi maipakita sa iba.
May mga kwento tayong pinipiling itago,
mga bigat na tayo lang ang may alam.

Hindi ko alam kung saan magsisimula—
o kung paano muling magsimula.

Ang hirap pala, no?
Noong bata ako, sabik akong tumanda,
akala ko madali lang ang lahat.
Pero ngayong nandito na ako…
bakit parang ang bigat-bigat na?

Ang daming responsibilidad na kailangang dalhin,
mga pasaning hindi pwedeng bitawan,
kahit gusto ko nang huminto sandali.

Kung pwede lang bumalik sa pagkabata,
babalik ako—
sa mga panahong ang tanging iniisip
ay kung paano maging masaya.

Pero hindi pala laging ganon ang daan…
habang tumatagal,
natututo tayong masaktan,
matumba,
at magpatuloy—kahit pagod na.

At siguro, habang tumatagal,
hindi naman talaga gumagaan ang buhay—
tayo lang ang natutong magdala.

Hindi nawawala ang bigat,
pero unti-unti, nasasanay ang puso,
natutong tumibay kahit paulit-ulit masaktan.

At kahit ilang beses tayong mapagod,
kahit ilang beses gustong sumuko—
pipiliin pa rin nating bumangon.

Dahil sa dulo ng lahat,
hindi man tayo katulad ng dati,
mas sugatan, mas pagod—
pero mas matatag na.

At habang tumatagal…
patuloy pa rin.

16/04/2026

"𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓" (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐 𝐨𝐟 𝟐)
𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝙵𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚊
𝙻𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝙳𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝
𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙼 𝟺𝟷0

Claudia becomes confused and tries to reason with both of them that rolling wires is not an appropriate task for a girl with a talent like hers, knowing her own worth and qualifications. But Direk Wally cuts her off, saying, "So ano? porket naka formal ka at may awards, ay pwede ka nang mag-perform in front of the camera agad-agad?" Claudia says that if it's the only way to showcase her potential—then yes.

Ate Jude explains that Claudia's talent is worthless without actual work experience. If she doesn't know how to be humble, then she'll never know the true career path she took. Claudia nods her head, apologizes, and walks toward the scattered wires. She felt embarrassed after their lecture and irritated with the wires she handles. Some of them were twisted, rusty, and wet. She struggled to roll them with her tight long sleeves, and it became hard for her to reach the wires on the floor with her trousers and heels. She looks around the other interns and observes that they have tasks that have similar difficulties as hers. That's when she slowly realized why many people were eyeing her attire. The session ended, and all the interns left home exhausted after their first day at the internship program.

Meanwhile, Claudia, feeling blue with her first day impression, could only lie in agony beside her mother. Her mother complains angrily about the reason why her clothes are covered with rust and dirt. Claudia just hugs her mother, seeking comfort. After having dinner and changing clothes, Claudia sees her mom watching an interview with Jessica Soho. She explains that her first year in the media industry was filled with struggles, but Jessica Soho didn’t complain. She took it as a challenge to herself while giving her best performance in writing. Just then, Claudia understood one thing about her job. Not everything goes the way we plan for the future, so we have to learn how to accept changes and embrace the challenges for success. So in the following days, Claudia began to intake the realities of her career, she learned how to properly work with microphones, camera angles, and lighting, video editing, and many applicable skills that she didn’t learn throughout her education.

One day, she got a big assignment in doing critical research regarding a topic to be covered by a reporter that day. Claudia gave her best in the task, knowing that it's just another assignment essential for today’s session. And during the taping period, she realized that the newscaster didn’t discuss the topic she had thought of, and her day continued while being constantly confused. Was she being played with? Were her co-workers making fun of her? Or did the directors see her effort as not good enough? Claudia sat alone, staring at nothing, but suddenly Ate Jude surprised the dazed girl with exciting news. Claudia was assigned as the news reporter for the topic she researched about, and the girl happily cheered for the big opportunity to show her actual talent in media presenting. Once again, Claudia wore formal attire to work, and she didn’t just bring her talent with her; she carried her passion, knowledge, and a blazing confidence that felt her dream within a hand's reach.

She finally got to hold a microphone, pose in front of a camera, and use her voice to grasp her dream. After her report, her eyes wandered around the cheering team of interns who assisted her in that project, and somewhere in that crowd is Direk Wally giving a cheer of approval and acknowledgement to Claudia’s effort and dedication.

16/04/2026

"𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓" (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏 𝐨𝐟 𝟐)
𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝙵𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚊
𝙻𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝙳𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝
𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙼 𝟺𝟷0

Claudia Pamintuan had always believed that her voice and mind could take her to places beyond her limits. As a student, she showcased her talent in journalism and speech competitions. She thrived on tasks that utilized her talent for writing and speaking, leading to the career decision of pursuing Multimedia and Communication Arts. She experienced many struggles in her college life, wherein she fought hard to get into the most prestigious school in the country, knowing that it would ease the difficulty of qualifying for internship programs.

She graduated from her university with flying colors and multiple recognitions for her participation in school broadcasts, journalism, and event hosting. Her own batchmates saw her as a vision of confidence, and those compliments inspired Claudia. She wasted no time after graduation and immediately inquired about available internship programs in the Media Industry. Her academic profile alone made her a standout candidate for the job, and recruiters were impressed by her qualities. This made Claudia think that attaining her dream would be easy like a breeze. Obviously, she got accepted.

Before leaving her house, Claudia's mother greeted her with such excitement, urging her to do her best and just have fun. Claudia displayed confidence; she wore formal attire, long sleeves, a blazer, trousers, and good-looking heeled shoes. As she was about to enter the gates of her work building, she realized that she was already 12 minutes late for the allotted time for intern orientation. She rushed all the way to the 3rd floor and entered with an uncontrollable pace. Claudia, feeling formal in her attire, was flabbergasted to see that her fellow interns only wore simple shirts and jeans. The facilitator mistakes her for a company staff and asks if she went to the wrong room. Claudia explains her intent and apologizes for arriving behind schedule.

The facilitator understood her reason and continued the orientation. A girl beside her, named Lyka, whispered, "Ang ganda mo sis!" Claudia leaned on Lyka to make small talk. The facilitator, who just allowed Claudia to enter without any sort of complaint, noticed their side conversation and told both of them to announce what they were talking about. Both of them stood up, and Lyka answered that she was just complimenting Claudia's attire. Claudia told her that she was confused about why the others wore simple outfits on an internship for journalism and news casting. The facilitator sighs heavily and says, "Malalaman mo mamaya".

The facilitator told everyone to leave the room to proceed to the taping area, where there is a broadcasting session for the preparation of an upcoming festival. The interns finally met Ate Jude, the assistant director of the project. She explained the flow of the session and defined the tasks that needed to be done for the interns that day. She didn't give anyone a time to introduce themselves and just started finger-pointing at each of them on their assignments. Meanwhile, Claudia, standing on the side of the crowd, wasn't pointed out. Ate Jude ended her short intro with a clap and a cheer of encouragement.

The other interns moved separately towards their assigned tasks, and so did Ate Jude. Claudia, feeling left out, immediately searched for Ate Jude to ask for a task, and after seeing her, she interrupted her conversation with the project director. Feeling already annoyed, the director "Direk Wally" asked for her concern. Claudia respectfully explains, but was cut off by Direk Wally by saying, "Ba't naman ganyan suot mo today? Prima Donna ka?" Claudia begins to stutter during her explanation. Ate Jude, feeling empathetic for the young girl, tells Direk Wally to calm down and asks Claudia to roll the scattered wires near the Exit.

15/04/2026