Angelo De Jesus

Being a youth, I want to travel in different places with historical background that will nourish my knowledge about the past. The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception also known as Manila Cathedral, is the cathedral of Manila and basilica located in Intramuros, the historic walled city within today's modern city of Manila, Philippines. It is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, a title for the Blessed Virgin Mary, the principal patroness of the country. The cathedral serves as the episcopal see of the Archbishop of Manila.

I visited this place last year Independence Day in which the church has its open house therefore the visitors can have an access in different spots of the church that is not open in ordinary days. This is an annual activity of the cathedral for the Filipinos and other tourists to see the beauty of the church. Being an altar server, this is a very big deal for me especially when I have a chance to be on the sanctuary of the Cathedral since Pope Francis held a mass on it last 2015.

Also, we take the opportunity to be on the balcony of the church wherein you will see the Plaza Rome outside the Basilica, it was indeed a nice spot to have picture since the background are the old buildings and gives an aesthetic vibe. The only way to be on the balcony is a narrow stairs in which one man at a time in walking up or down. However, when you are on the middle of the stairs there is a hole that leads to the choir loft of the church, it was indeed a beautiful place because I have the chance to see the pipe organ while playing the tune of ‘graduation march’. I was surprised because the following is my graduation from senior high in which it gives me an excitement. Also, being on top of the choir loft you will see the overall view of the basilica that is indeed a beautiful one. 

We also visited the crypt below the main sanctuary of the church wherein you will visit there the tomb of the previous archbishops of Manila. It was very cold down there not like the cold inside the basilica because it was a closed and small room only. I was astonished when I saw the three-subject mosaic depicts the Lord’s agony on His way to Calvary, the meeting of Jesus and Mary and the Crucifixion.

Also, I have the chance to be on the ‘pulpit’ or a raised platform in a church from which the priest delivers a sermon during the old days since they don’t have microphones yet. It was also an opportunity to visit our friend priest there, Fr. Kali Llamado who is the vice rector of the cathedral in which we had a short conversation with him and invited us on December for the Marian procession.

I visited again the cathedral last December to attend the Marian Procession that includes 100 images of the Blessed Mother from different places in the Philippines. It was held every first Sunday of December of each year in which it is also my examination in University of Santo Tomas, since my exam is morning I plan to go there immediately after lunch to attend mass at 2:00PM. Also, Alfredo and I have the same time of exams and I told him my plan and he wanted to come over with me since it would be his first time to visit the cathedral. He was indeed astonished and surprised when he steps inside the basilica but after mass he went home already. I find a spot wherein I will see the procession; it was indeed a memorable day for me.

Taylor Swift released “The Man” as a fourth single from her album “Lover”. The song is about the double standards that men and women face in which men can do whatever they want with no criticisms but for women if they did something bad or good they will face criticism. Taylor is a victim of it and she stands for all the women and tells the society to have equality.

On February 27, 2020 at 7:00AM EST time she dropped a music video for that song and the world is maybe not ready for it. We did not anticipate the whole thing because Taylor introduced to us the man version of herself, its Tyler Swift’s time to shine. Swift used Tyler to point out double standards and toxic masculinity because of her experience with men. We all know that all the 6 self-written albums of Taylor were sold without her consent to a greedy man who did not know the meaning of ‘Art’.

Also, last 2009 during the Video Music Awards another man interrupt Taylor during her acceptance speech for winning best female video for her song You Belong With Me. Swift prove that men can ruin a woman especially if you are a nice and quiet girl only therefore she stated “cause if I was a man, then I’d be the man.”

Throughout the music video, Swift shows the cultural norms of a man. It begins with a shot of Tyler staring out the window from his office. His dark brown hair looks amazing, while wearing a nice suit that making vibes he is an executive or a boss. Swift’s criticism for men continues as Tyler was riding a train in which he annoyed and makes other passengers feel disgusted by spreading his legs wide while he was sitting inside and holding a cigarette.

The song’s bridge finds Tyler in a party enjoying the alcohol drinks they have and a group of men talking of their experiences with a girl. In this behaviour, Swift was pointing to a norm of men as “playboys” and treating women like an object which is not a good thing to do. But, if you are a man, nothing will criticize you.

Also, there is a scene of Tyler waking up in a room while a woman still asleep and he left the room and walked in a hallway and made high five with the hands there just like you won a game. In which, this scene clearly states the contest of men regarding sexual activities they made. That if women do that thing they will not receive high fives or cheer because it is not normal norm in our society, but for men it is just a normal thing.

Swift is indeed a legend because she produced, wrote, directed and starred in the video herself. The whole thing is well planned and very detailed especially it delivered the message for equality. There are also shady scenes that she throws regarding the feud with the man whose name is Scooter Braun who stole her songs. There is a scene that shows a wall with all of her album titles such as Red, reputation, 1989, Speak Now and Fearless and beside of it, a poster that says “Missing: If found return to Taylor Swift” and on the other side a poster of banning scooters. What a shade, huh?

When you are not a fan of Taylor you might notice that she was not there all throughout the video but you are wrong. She did a transformation to become a man and I was surprised because I did not honestly recognize her. Taylor Swift is the man. Overall the music video is completely good at all terms with the transitions of scenes and the storyline itself that gives a concrete message that can be reflected by the viewers. This is also the first ever self-directed video of Swift and she can be considered as a professional director because she nailed it.

It was four years ago when we spent a two-day trip to Cebu. I was with my church mates and our main purpose for visiting the island was to visit the Simala Shrine and the Basilica Minore of Santo Nino. It was a very tiring and unforgettable weekend for us because of the experience we had in that place.

Cebu is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Cebu City also known as ‘Queen City of the South’, the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines. When we heard the name, of this place the first thing that came to our mind is the festival that is very popular in the whole world, the Sinulog festival. It is celebrated every third Sunday of January or the feast day of the Child Jesus also known as Santo Nino.

We visit the city last September 2016. We arrived there early morning on a Saturday we went go to our hotel which it is located near the University of San Carlos. Our first itinerary there is to visit the Simala Shrine but before we did that, we ate lunch at a karinderya. I can tell you honestly that the food there is good just like the karinderyas in Manila. The food displayed at the food window goes only for Php40 each and they also offer snacks and desserts. When we went there, I ordered kare-kare in which for me it is very delicious and the meat is so tender that I could cut it with a spoon.

After lunch, the van that we rented arrived and from Cebu city, we traveled to Simala, Cebu for two hours and a half. For me, it was a good time to sleep since the van that we rented is comfortable. We arrived there at exactly 3:00PM and the place was wonderful and a sacred one where you can pray devotedly to the Lord. The church became famous due to the miracles that happened in the area made through the intercession of the Blessed Mother Mary. It is also renowned for its castle-like design that is visible from a distance, that is what I described this awesome and miraculous place. The place is extremely nice, solemn and is operated by the monks.

We were really amazed as we went inside because of the different statues of Blessed Mary which represents different culture and replicas from different areas in the Philippines. I also read some overwhelming testimonials from people who miraculously survived from their respective illnesses.

After our short visit, we went back to our hotel in Cebu City. Our plan that night is to have dinner at SM Cebu in which we will ride a jeepney to SM.  I observed that the jeepneys there have ‘jeepney code’ that can be found visibly on the front and both sides of the jeep. For us, the code that we need to ride on is ‘01K’ so that we can get to SM. Also, there is a unique term of saying ‘stop’ whenever one has reached the destination; instead of ‘para’ they say ‘lugar’ and it was amazing to hear because lugar is the Filipino translation of place. We ate dinner at a steak house inside SM and after that we played at arcade and finally went home.

Early Sunday morning, we prepared to attend mass at the Basilica Minor of Santo Nino and since our hotel is nearby, we just walked going there. Luckily, there is a procession happening that day because of the celebration of Mama Mary’s birthday. There are so many people together with their Marian images and when we reached the church the Holy Mass began.

After mass, we visited the historical Magellan’s Cross where there were old women dancing in front of the Cross while holding candles. I also offered a candle to them to include my prayers in their traditional dance prayer. I also took the opportunity to visit the original image of Santo Nino. There is actually a line of people to pay homage to the image. After our short visit, we needed to be at the airport by 12noon since our flight back to Manila is at 2PM.

Isshi Salamatin as a friend is an excellent example of friendship itself. Open-minded, genuine, strong personality and she can always be counted on to listen and provide support when needed.  Her wonderful sense of humour, adventure, and life experiences has given her the ability to see any situation in a positive sense.  Personally believing that ‘people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime’, I’ve known for a long time that Isshi is a lifetime friend.

We first met in 2018 when I was a new student in our school and she is also a new student. I was an extremely shy person and Isshi was my first friend in my new school. She allowed me to be me, but also encouraged me to let loose and open up to enjoy the virtues of life. We knew each other before the school year started and she is the one who initiated chatting with me. She is indeed a friendly and approachable person because we had a conversation even if we still do not know each other well enough yet personally. I felt so excited to be her classmate for the next two years.

She is one of the greatest friends one could ever ask for. I could never be more thankful for having her in my life. Yes she is good looking like Ariana Grande. She sings well also like her idol. Also, her words and advices really mean something. She faces different difficulties in life but she is like a stone because of her very strong personality but a unique stone because she has a very soft heart at times when I am so down, she is there advising me and helping to be strong in every day of my life. Also, she is my every day companion when going home. During our walks going to the jeepney terminal, there are times when we laugh so hard, cry so hard and vent all the negative happenings of the day. This is most especially true when I feel that there is too much work in academics. We talk about it and she reminds me every time that everything will be fine and things will be successfully done. She always motivates me to become a productive student because she indeed is a productive student. She can balance herself with her significant other and with our friendship and for me.

I have known Isshi as a friend for two years.  She has so many excellent friend qualities.  She truly is a great listener and is willing to offer honest advice if needed.  She is a lot of fun to be around and is easy-going.  She is a very caring person and is genuinely interested in what is happening in your life. I value her friendship and know that she would be there for me any time I needed someone. Some friends come and go, but I know Isshi will be a trusted friend to me always.

Honesty and sincerity are two of Isshi’s assets. Her strengths are her patience and listening skills paired with her sense of humor and a touch of class.  She will join you for a hearty laugh and shed a tear with you any time of day. Also, she has a great smile and big laugh. She is also entertaining and funny, serious and compassionate. I am so thankful because she is a very nice and lovable friend to me that I will cherish forever.

I was born in a family which is very traditional and devout Catholics in which my younger days became a memorable one. Since my mother was already working abroad while I was still an infant my father always encouraged my older siblings to attend Holy Mass every Sunday and they always brought me. Annually, every Holy Thursday is my most favorite day because we do a ‘Visita Iglesia’. This practice made me more attached to churches.

In our parish when we attend Mass every Sunday my eyes are focused on one thing and that is the ‘Bell’ which we hear every start of the mass and during consecration. My father had experienced struggles with me because when we were entering the church, I always asked him if I am allowed to touch and ring the bell but, he always told me no because I was not an altar server. Therefore, I began to have tantrums. I am very consistent to do that every Sunday whenever we attend the Holy Mass.

After many Sundays of doing that, my father was compelled to our parish priest and asks if I will be given consideration to become an altar server because I am underage. Our parish priest also noticed my behaviour every time we are in the church. He then told my father that he would allow me to be a member of the Knights of the Altar. At a very young age I was able to be at the formation in becoming an official altar server together with my guardian who is my chaperone all throughout the formation class and meetings.

My time has come to be installed and become an official part of Knights of the Altar. My heart is full of joy especially when I received my vestments in which in my younger age was my biggest achievement in life but more is yet to come.

Last 2012, I was able to be a part of the official servers to be at the Pastoral Visit of the bishop of Diocese of Antipolo in our parish and yet the preparation is not easy. We have practices and most of the time; we did it at night and I got home late knowing that I have classes the next morning. Therefore, my father told me that when serving God, you must sacrifice your time. Finally, the bishop arrived and the ceremony started and it became a successful one. The following year by the grace of God I was in the service for five years already and during our renewal of vows, I received recognition.

Five years for me is memorable but God has a bigger plan as I continue my journey as an altar server. I had a chance to serve in the big and famous church at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan during our pilgrimage. The experience there was extraordinary because it was not an ordinary small church like our parish but a very huge one.

In the last quarter of 2014, our ministry started a new beginning but the connections of all the members are still strong. We called our ministry as Altar Servers Guild but for us, we are family. I started the year 2015 elected as secretary of our guild in which I have been given the responsibility and by the guidance of my fellow servers, I was able to do my job. It was a challenging task for me, having encountered different struggles in our ministry because of some members who were not cooperative but I gave my whole heart in this work and therefore I was able to perform my responsibility. I did not wish to become part of the officers all I wanted was to become a member forever but this is not a reality because as I grow older, I must accept the fact that one day, I will become a leader to our new and young members of our guild.

We faced numerous struggles but the Lord gave us refreshment because we were able to serve in the huge church again in Laguna. We enjoyed that moment and did not expect that something was coming.

But after joy, there is sadness. Our new spiritual director has a policy that every server ages 18 and above should say farewell to the ministry and to be part of other ministries instead. I am not yet 18 years old but most of the seniors who helped me were already adults. It was very difficult for me to say goodbye to them but this is a challenge to me after many years of formation to become a good leader.

Only the two of us were left behind as senior servers and as we opened the year 2018, I was appointed to become the vice president in whom our president that time is a young member. Our spiritual director challenged me to guide our young president to become a good leader.

The following year is another achievement because I have been a server for a decade. Being an altar server is not easy because it requires sacrificing my time and giving myself to serve Him and others. I encounter many things during my journey, but I give my trust to Him and everything under His care.