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Culture Writing
I specialize in incisive articles that examine why we are the way we are and how our notions of selfhood evolve in the online sphere. (But, I can write about literally anything and anyone else too!)
Featured Article
The legend of Reading Club 2000: Mang Nanie and his treasure trove of untold stories
Esquire
The owner of Makati’s beloved community library has led a storied life. But his next chapter is only just beginning.
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Complete Collection
Features
Let's view Filipino cinema's piracy culture through a different lens | Rappler (February 2024)
Is oversharing on TikTok good for business? | Esquire (January 2024)
Why do we keep tabs on people we can't stand? | Vox (November 2023)
For better or for worse? Why Filipino women must fight for their right to divorce | Kontinentalist (September 2023)
Pang-ilan ka? On whether birth order determines the rest of your life | Esquire (June 2023)
Meet the 'Titas of BTS', a group of older women who are giving younger boy band fans a run for their money. | Insider (January 2023)
The teen magazine raised an entire generation of girls. Where is it now? | VICE (October 2022)
What to do when your dream job becomes a nightmare | Rappler (September 2022)
What's the state of Southeast Asian sci-fi? | Kontinentalist (June 2022)
What we can learn from BBM's side of TikTok | Young STAR (June 2022)
Welcome to your quantified self | i-D (May 2022)
The desensitization of Gen Z | Young STAR (April 2022)
Recruiters share why multiple internships are not always the answer | Rappler (March 2022)
Why do girls love walking red flags? | Young STAR (February 2022)
What's the point of all these singing and dancing politicians, anyway? | PhilSTAR Life (February 2022)
The fan translators behind K-pop's global success | VICE (February 2022)
What lies behind the work persona? | Rappler (January 2022)
How do we define activism in the digital age? | CNN Philippines Life (January 2022)
Imagining a police-free Philippines | Young STAR (March 2021)
The cognitive dissonance in our comfort shows | Adolescent (February 2021)
The unsubtle feminism in Subtle Asian Dating | Adolescent (October 2020)
A digital citizen’s guide to battling the infodemic | makesense Philippines (September 2020)
Why can’t we stop buying counterfeit clothing? | Lithium Magazine (September 2020)
The problem with online therapy | Lithium Magazine (July 2020)
National obsession: Tales of the homewrecker | reclamation magazine (June 2020)
National obsession: The dark side of Filipino love teams | reclamation magazine (June 2020)
Are the Filipino people truly free? | reclamation magazine (June 2020)
Opinion
Celebrities break up all the time. What makes Kathniel so different? | PhilSTAR Life (December 2023)
Solo dining isn't social suicide | PhilSTAR Life (August 2023)
How to give yourself closure for Christmas | PhilSTAR Life (December 2022)
In defense of taking photos in museums | Rappler (October 2022)
Going off-grid is a luxury few can afford | i-D (February 2022)
Stop shrouding sex education in shame | PhilSTAR Life (February 2022)
Going against the pressure to be better | PhilSTAR Life (January 2022)
Why Hollywood should stop adapting Korean media | Rappler (January 2022)
Does loving your country mean staying? | Young STAR (October 2021)
The fault is actually not in our stars | Bobblehaus (October 2021)
It's time to abolish the K-pop survival show | Bobblehaus (August 2021)
Plant parenting isn't a fad — it's our future | Young STAR (June 2021)
Young female powerhouses are people, too | Young STAR (March 2021)
There's no place online for performative body positivity | Bobblehaus (March 2021)
Public libraries are the future | Bobblehaus (December 2020)
Why the unpaid internship has got to go | Bobblehaus (October 2020)
We are not the heroes of this story | makesense Philippines (September 2020)
All-girls schools have got to start protecting their students | Ashamed (July 2020)
Why I'd rather not believe in soulmates | Uniquely Aligned (May 2020)
Personal Essays
‘Tumaba ka’: Finally making peace with gaining weight over the holidays | PhilSTAR Life (December 2022)
Notes on nothingness: What EEAAO and NASA taught me about the grand scheme of things | PhilSTAR Life (July 2022)
The friend breakups that made me who I am | Young STAR (January 2022)
Pretty privilege has always been real—but it doesn’t have to be | Young STAR (December 2021)
Seeking solace in 80s music | CNN Philippines Life (August 2021)
Everything I know about relationships, I learned from Kathniel | Young STAR (July 2021)
What happens when your ability to verbally express love gets taken away? | CNN Philippines Life (June 2021)
Here’s to never growing up | Bobblehaus (April 2021)
Growing up as a gifted child, and the rude awakening of adulthood | VICE (March 2021)
What my dad taught me about relationships | Bobblehaus (December 2020)
The truth behind the Internet’s study communities | Adolescent (October 2020)
Self-help books were my coping mechanism | Mid-heaven Magazine (August 2020)
Give basic girls a break | Lithium Magazine/Adolescent (August 2020)
Being a low-maintenance friend this quarantine | Lithium Magazine (July 2020)
An allergy to affection | Uniquely Aligned (June 2020)
My own coming-of-age, as seen in usernames | Uniquely Aligned (May 2020)
To all the boy bands I loved before | Underdog (April 2020)
Interviews and Profiles
The legend of Reading Club 2000: Mang Nanie and his treasure trove of untold stories | Esquire (February 2024)
This end-of-life doula helps the terminally ill embrace death | CNN Philippines Life (November 2023)
What's next after SB19's world tour? The P-pop group check their tarot predictions | CNN Philippines Life (September 2023)
P-pop group Alamat are set to conquer the world | Teen Vogue (January 2023)
This student-run startup is made for and by content creators | Esquire (November 2022)
Life beyond bars: Stories of hope from former prisoners | PhilSTAR Life (October 2022)
Coming of age with BINI | CNN Philippines Life (September 2022)
Student designers on the future of Filipino fashion | CNN Philippines Life (September 2022)
Fighting for mental health in the White House: Interview with Justine Bautista | Young STAR (July 2022)
88rising on that Coachella set and the community that made it happen | VICE (June 2022)
Senatorial candidates campaigning from the margins: Interview with Carmen Zubiaga | CNN Philippines Life (May 2022)
Zack Tabudlo is here for a good time and a long time | Young STAR (March 2022)
Listicles
The 10 essential River Phoenix movies | i-D (November 2023)
Every Keanu Reeves performance, ranked | i-D (March 2023)
Five Filipino romance movies to stream now | CNN Philippines Life (February 2023)
Reviews
REVIEW: The greatest problem with 'Ikaw Pa Rin Ang Pipiliin Ko' is not grooming | PhilSTAR Life (February 2024)
REVIEW: The new 'Mean Girls' film lacks the original's snark and sleaze | PhilSTAR Life (January 2024)
REVIEW: Bones and All is a cannibal love story with a whole lot of heart | PhilSTAR Life (November 2022)
The Romcom Revisited: She’s/He’s All That | Bobblehaus (February 2022)
In defense of the unlikable protagonist: A review of Frances Ha, dir. Noah Baumbach | Mid-heaven Magazine (June 2020)
The importance of telling it as it is: A review of Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay | reclamation magazine (June 2020)
Advertorials and event coverage
Shell's LIVEWire program empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs | CNN Philippines Life (November 2023)
How can we create a more equitable society for women? Insights from CNN Philippines' third women's summit | CNN Philippines Life (March 2023)
POLL: Parents and public school teachers on returning to face-to-face classes | CNN Philippines Life (November 2022)
This 'no phones allowed’ book fair brought life back into conversations | PhilSTAR Life (September 2022)
RECAP: The themed rooms at PHxMaArte 2022 | CNN Philippines Life (August 2022)
How the pandemic is changing the business mindset: Advertorial for Globe Business | CNN Philippines (June 2022)
Pio Abad’s latest exhibit is a tireless exercise in truth-telling against Marcos disinformation | PhilSTAR Life (April 2022)
The ball must bounce the same for all those who love the greatest game: Advertorial for Jordan Brand by Nike | PhilSTAR Life (March 2022)
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