Category: Echoes and Experiences

Two wallets can hold the same currency and still buy two entirely different lives.

By Zyxelle Lovie E. Cruz Sa libo-libong tanawin sa loob ng paaralan, iisa lamang ang kusang pinagtutuunan ng paningin.  Kasabay ng unang kampana ang pagdagsa ng mga mag-aaral na abala sa kani-kanilang kuwentuhan at paghahanda para sa klase. Sa gitna ng ingay na bumabalot sa buong paaralan, may isang tinig na nananatiling banayad sa pandinig…

The roads sink deeper as floods rush through, not caring but not responsible. So, who ought to be blamed?

“Sapagkat walang sinuman ang magnanais na gawing basurahan ang kaniyang sariling tahanan.”

From a radiant top 12 placement in Miss Universe Philippines, to a breathtaking crown in Binibining Pilipinas, she seems to have the universe behind her back.

The mirror once reflected who we were.

Now, it reflects who we think we should become.

Before many young Filipinos learn to embrace their own faces, they are already surrounded by images telling them what needs to be changed. A clearer complexion. A different body shape. A more acceptable version of themselves. Through endless scrolling, social media has turned beauty into a standard that is constantly displayed, but rarely attainable.

Like an object, women must possess the greatest qualities. 

Picture-perfect face, tiny cinched  waist, and a pure personality—an ideal partner, a precious trophy. May it be a conscious or an unconscious desire, nonetheless shaped by the system from the very start.

All day, they munch and gobble on treats, drift away into a deep slumber, scratch the last thing you expect them to, and yet they leave a mark so deep in our hearts.

The spaces that once hummed the vibrant, innocent energy of youth have fallen into a breathless silence. 

Classrooms meant for honing young minds and basketball courts built for chasing dreams have transformed into theaters of unimaginable grief. In a flash of violence, bright futures were stolen, families were shattered, and an unyielding demand for justice now dominates the room.

Apollo 11—the first Moon landing. Was it all facts or just a ridiculous stage lie? 

The world gasped as they watched Apollo 11 depart.

On July 20, 1969, thousands of people around the world held their breath so flabbergasted; yet hoping. That day wasn’t just any other day. Something happened—something unexplainably inconceivable; human beings stepping on our night light—our Moon.