Photo of the Week

NOONG ako ay bata pa, imahe mo ay siyang dinasalan. Lumuhod ako sa iyong harapan, at nanalangin para sa iyong pagdinig ng aking mumunting hiling. Maliit lamang ito na bagay — isang bagong laruan. Ayaw kasi ako bilhan ni nanay, kaya ikaw muna ang inasahan. Sa aking pananalangin, mahigpit ang paghawak sa limampu't siyam na manik at taos-puso ang pagbigkas sa mga misteryo. Ito ang itinuro sa aking gagawin sa mga panahon ng pagkadismaya. Lumipas ang mga panahon. Nakatungtong na ako ng kolehiyo sa Maynila. Kinalakihan ko na ang aking mga damit, at ang mga payo naman ni nanay ay ipinagkibit-balikat na lamang. Iba na rin ang aking hanap; hindi na mga laruan, kundi isang senyales na sumasagot kung tama nga ba ang aking napiling landas sa buhay Nagkaroon ng programa sa aming pamantasan na

MASASAYANG ingay at tawanan ang sumalubong sa akin paglabas ko ng fakultad. Daan-daang estudyante ang nakaabang at nakapila para dumaan sa arko. Tumungo ako papunta sa kanila, nagbabalak na makisingit sa makikipot na espasyo ng kanilang pila. Mayroon akong pupuntahan, at sila ay nakaharang sa daan. Sa aking pagbagtas, tanging pasintabi ang bukambibig at paghawi sa mga balakid ang aking nagawa. Pagkayamot ang sa aki'y namutawi. Ano ba talaga ang natatangi sa Arko ng mga Siglo? Isa lamang itong labi ng nakaraan na tinabang at kinupas na ng mga nakalipas na panahon. Sa paghahanap ko ng sagot ay naalala ko ang aking karanasan. Mainit nang araw na iyon. Tanda ko pa ang pagtagaktak ng aking pawis pati na rin ang pagkangawit ng braso mula sa kahahawak ng libreng payong. Isan...

It was that time of the day when the roads were scarcely bestrewed with vehicles and people - when the morning light has just manifested into the streets. He hopped onto his bicycle and proceeded to go along his usual day. As the day progressed, the peaceful streets he was appreciating were gone, much to his dismay. Of course, how could he forget the existing inconvenient conditions in this country? Before he knew it, vehicles occupied the roads to the extent that it was cramped in every corner. The rush hour was finally here. While waiting for the stoplight to turn green, he witnessed a car speeding towards the intersection, nearly crashing into another vehicle in the process. He winced internally. Once the traffic lights signaled to a go, everyone scrambled to accelerat...

AMID the crowd of supporters on that rainy day, I stood out. I was soaked from head to toe while others enthusiastically held on to their umbrellas. As I made my way in the rambunctious crowd, I heard raised voices of support for a man covered in blood, fear, and an unfathomable amount of lies; lies that were force fed on the people he has sought dominance over. These days, the truth has become a torrential rainstorm. Humanity will do everything in their power to avoid getting drenched and catching a cold. They hide under the umbrella of security— their protection against the rain of reality in order to enjoy the simplistic feeling of being ignorant. I, on the other hand, am not terrified of getting sick or damp because of the rain. I embrace the truth and I do not hide from it

SA isang magulong kalye, tahimik kong pinapanood ang mga taong dumadaan. Minamasdan ko ang kanilang pananamit at pagkilos - pati na rin ang bawat hakbang. Sinusuri ko ang kanilang mga mata para sa bahid ng interes tugon sa aking inaalok. Kaya kong tumupad ng pangarap. Mula sa aking mumunting puwesto, ibinibigay ko ang sagot sa kahilingan ng kahit sino: bata man o matanda, may pinag-aralan o wala. Nais mo bang magkaroon ng lupa? Nais mo bang baguhin ang iyong edad? Nais mo bang makapagtapos ng kolehiyo? Kaya ko itong tuparin. Sa isang iglap lamang ay mabibigyan kita ng kakayahang baguhin ang lahat. Alinmang pag-aari na gustuhin, katayuan o edad na nais marating ay magiging realidad ayon sa iyong sabi. Tiwasay kong hinihintay ang susunod na mamimili. Sandamakmak na t...

THE weather took a hard turn the moment I climbed into the seat. Despite its inconvenience, it still seemed to be perfectly-timed. On days like these, my favorite way to pass time is to observe the raindrops cutting tracks down the window pane. Silently, I wonder which one of them would reach the bottom first. In this moment, I am back to being the same ten year old child I once was. I continued to observe the racing raindrops until I caught sight of a face—my own reflection. I took notice of my features, tucked a few stray hairs behind my ear and even smiled at it in brazen admiration. As the weather grew frantic, the little drops began to collide with one another until it coalesced into larger ones. Soon enough, frenetic drops were everywhere. My reflection turned into not

ACCEPTANCE was a foreign sensation. Instead of a warm hug on a rainy day, the acceptance I longed for came with a slap on the face along with words so vile that it pierced through the remaining sanity I had. Fear slowly crawled into my consciousness; it swallowed my very being until I no longer recognized myself. I learned to bow to their every word. Akin to an object, I was programed to blend into the shadows. I put on a smile when I needed to, I pretended to like what they adored, and I copied their every move. I was always cautious because one wrong move could lead to an endless catastrophe. Pride was an unfamiliar spectacle. The first time I saw a flag adorned with the colors of the rainbow, I was struck with confusion, and yet I was also intrigued. To a larger community, i...

HE dreamt of going fast. His fantasies always had him riding at a breakneck speed. It did not matter where, whether on horse, bike, or vehicle; all he wanted was to leave his small, idyllic hometown. His mind turns to Manila and its bustling city lights and urban lifestyle. At that time, his dreams were bigger than he was, with fanciful ideas larger than his head and chimerical situations he daydreamed more elaborate than his reality. He longed for a better life so he fled. To him, Manila was the place of dreams that would serve as his starting point. However, once there, he had failed to realize that beneath the city’s glowing incandescence lay a glaring inequality. He works hard but eventually, he is forced to recognize cold reality. He wakes up at the crack of dawn to pe

HE sweeps his eyes over the vast expanse of the park before him. Lofty trees enclose its edges; lush green grass near the monument complements the bright blue sky. The wideness of the park’s space draws the pigeons in, much to the excitement of little kids and adults alike. He takes note of truant high schoolers like him sauntering around and families huddling together for a casual picnic. There were photographers scattered everywhere who made it their living to capture pictures of countless tourists in hopes of making ends meet for the day. Strangely enough, he was aware that he was standing at a place that bears witness to the history that unfolds within its corners every day. He felt like he was seeing the souls that once were. He had been standing before a massive monument

OFTENTIMES we find ourselves desperately grappling at the edges of life in buzzing fear or anticipation of whatever it plans to launch toward us; maybe, it is the other way around: we are the ones catapulted abruptly at wherever point that life deems fit. Either way, we are left in the middle of naught with nothing but ourselves to navigate through the winding paths in this cosmic grand scheme of life. What happens, though, if the path we have carefully crafted breaks at the seams and fails without warning? What happens if we wake up to another day wanting to be something, only to be somewhere else entirely? What is the next step to take? Where do we go from here? Nothing is more terrifying than feeling lost on the only road we have ever known. In this vast expanse of life, p...