Faces

by DJULIENNE FLOR V. FOSTER photo by FRANCES MARIE G. IGNALAGA/ THE FLAME BACK IN high school, she had always readied herself with powder and a lip balm. Now, she never goes out without filling her eyebrows and adding a pop of color to her lips with lipstick. She puts on her crisp white polo shirt, black slacks, and goes out the door with a bag slung over her shoulders. Her long hair flows in the wind as her painted nails catch the attention of anyone she passes by. Loreta Arroyo walks on campus with a strut in her step and an aura of confidence; very befitting of a student leader. As the president of the UST Journalism Society, she does the duties and responsibilities that come with the position, all the while showing her truest self as a transwoman.   A woman’s rise t

by PATRICK V. MIGUEL photo by FRANCES MARIE G. IGNALAGA/ THE FLAME SEATED IN  a crowded theater,  Julius Renomeron Jr. and Johmar Damiles held their breaths. Their hearts were beating rapidly as right before their eyes, they saw the title card of their film “Heist School” appear on the big screen. Having their film premiere in the film festival once felt like a pipe dream. Now,  their dreams’ a reality.  Before becoming the award-winning director he is today,  Julius was an ordinary electronics and communication technology student. “Bago ako pumasok ng college, ang gusto kong gawin [noon] ay mostly related sa computer…. So galing ako [sa electronics and communications technology, then] nag-shift sa [informations technology] kasi [gusto kong] makapasok sa tech-industry,” he says. 

By SYRAH VIVIEN J. INOCENCIO and LORRAINE B. LAZARO BEYOND the pristine and lovely neighborhood of Blue Ridge B, Quezon City is a sanctuary for life-changing miracles: Maria Lena Buhay Memorial Foundation Inc., the country’s first oral school for the deaf. Every day, the foundation’s cherished schoolchildren with bright smiles and big ambitions are given a chance to experience the world better through a rekindling of their God-given gifts. Each day is another opportunity to maximize their potentials through the caring efforts of motivators who believe in and never give up on them. Heading the school is a teacher and a mother who embraces each child with love. Leticia Buhay talks with the students while noticeably pronouncing every single word correctly. Whenever one child is

By ROMMEL BONG R. FUERTES JR. and LORRAINE B. LAZARO ONCE MOVING to the beat of the music, Benjamin Joshua “Benjo” Gutierrez is now moving to the rhythm of his words. The former Salinggawi Dance Troupe captain used to participate in cheerdance competitions for the tiger university, but since  bagging his diploma, he found himself focusing more on a much bigger fight: a fight to let people know the harsh reality of life, which he faces through writing. “Nabuhay ako sa cheerleading; ‘yun ang bumuhay sa akin. Pero for me, tapos na ako sa phase na ‘yun. May mas [malaki] na ako na kalaban, may iba na akong ipinaglalaban,” he says. An avenue for others As a cheerleader from high school up to college, Benjo, who used to juggle his priorities and responsibilities for both his ac