riocles

01. 19. 2023

Dear Rio Fionah, 

Cheers to another year added to your age! 🤣

All I wish is for your 27th year of existence to be free from expectations, pressure, limitations, and bottled-up emotions.

I knew it was hard for you to be the Ma'am Rio or simply as Fionah, especially now as an adult. In your 27th year, you may now live by yourself without the decisions, expectations, and validation of others. 

Also, just live by your name, Rio, which means “river”. Let yourself controls the flow of your life. Always trust the process. Let yourself decide without following the sh*t norms of society and the standards of the people around you. 

This time I hope you can surpass your adulting phase. I hope you find yourself in a place where you have to chase your dreams without limitations. Don't limit yourself to the horizons of your life. Go beyond them and explore more this time.

God has better plans for you and will make them happen.

Happy Birthday!

Lovingly, 

Self 

It's been a while, ElYu.

🌊🌊🌊🌊

Pinipilit magtrabaho, hindi lamang para sa sarili ko.

Bago matulog, pinipilit na ipikit,

hindi lang ang mata kundi utak kong maraming iniisip.

Hanggang dito na lang ba ako, sa apat na sulok ng kwartong ito?

Baka hindi naman ako para sa lugar na ito, na pinipilit makibagay at sumunod lang sa agos.

Baka may iba pang plano , mga planong gusto at masaya ako.

Laging naghihintay, pero kinakaya pa naman.

Kalungkutan at kapaguran hanggang sa wala nang maramdaman.

Kailan ba ako makakaalis sa apat na sulok na kwartong ito?

2/2 (Special Part: OUR YESTERDAY’S ESCAPE; Shan X Kierra)

Lastly, OUR YESTERDAY’S ESCAPE. OYE is not a typical Wattpad romance story, especially the characters and the plot. It brought us how mental health, abuse, crimes, the justice system, and political power are issues needed to be resolved in the country. As a Wattpad reader since 2013, this is one of the best stories I can suggest to the next generation of readers. It has a realistic plot that won't make you sleep at night thinking about what will happen in the next chapters. It will make you feel laugh, cry, gigil, and kilig once you scroll every page of this story. 

LAUGH- Hindi ko talaga maiwasan matawa sa tuwing bumabanat sila Shan at Kierra and lalo na yung marites session nila Haze, Hiro and Shan. Lalo din yung pagsusungit ni Kierra towards Shan and how Shan made some jokes din. Yung Shondei ni Luna and yung lasing moments ng Univ Series Girls and Boys. LT! Yung cameos din ng ibang characters, nakakatuwa kasi kahit last story na ito, I can see to it na masaya sila together.

CRY- the flashbacks and POVs before the main characters meet. Ang sakit noong nilalahad ni Shan yung mga painful and traumatic experiences from his father. Hindi biro lumaking mag-isa and yung masasandalan mo at dapat mag-alaga sa iyo ay sinsaktan ka pa. It really affect him especially in establishing relationships and defining what is love. Sa bawat POV niya, maluluha ka at sana nandoon ka upang yakapin, at punasan mga luha niya para mawala yung takot niya noong bata hanggang paglaki niya. It left him traumatic experiences nad when his mother died. It hurts… Sobra. Then here’s Kierra who was just hoping for a love but turned nightmare because of the abuse she expereienced from Miguel. It caused her fear and trauma that led her too much pain.

Why does it cause us tears? Asa we know by reading their POVs, we felt the pain, the fear, the trauma, the discomfort, and the tears of these two characters. 

Making myself attached to their characters was the best thing I did as a reader, and that kind of being proud because I knew in the end, they bravely faced these painful experiences together with trust and love for each other.  

Ang haba pero ito talaga namukod tangi na naramdaman ko at nagawa habang binabasa ang bawat chapter lalo na sa dulo (Chapter 41-45), Ang hirap tanggapin pero alam naman natin readers na this is for their own sake and let us trust the author who wrote this beautiful love story of Shan and Kierra. :)

GIGIL- Bakit? Alam niyo na yan! Gigil sa mga pulitikong ginagamit nila ang kapangyarihan nila upang manlamang at pumatay ng kapwa nila para sa ikakabango ng pangalan nila. Nawa’y maging eye-opener ito sa atin na readers na huwag na huwag tayo magpapaapak dahil may kapit, kapangyarihan at kayamanan ang mga taong pilit tayong pinababagsak. Just like Shan, wag na wag tayo gagaya sila at magpaggamit para lang mailigtas ang sarili natin.

Nanggigil sa mga taong patuloy umaabuso sa kapwa nila, mapamilya, kaibigan, babae, lalaki, anak, asawa, kaklase, estudyante, empleyado, nobyo/nobya, LGBT… Pisikal, emosyonal at mental na pang-aabuso ay hindi dapat binabalewa at binigyan ng pansin ng nakakarami lalo na ng mga nakakataas at nakaupo.

Nakakagigil na JUSTICE SYSTEM sa Pilipinas. This story is an eye-opener on what really happens in the justice system here. May hustisya para sa mga mayayaman at walang karapatan sa mga mahihirap. Sana marami pa din abogado na hindi hindi mawawalang ng prinsipyo dahil alam nila ang tama at mali, sabi nga nina Luna at Kierra. It’s not too late and alam natin na pwede pa magbago ang sistema. Hindi man din nakikita ang kalakaran sa korte dito alam natin may natitirang pag-asa at tiwala pa tayo na maiwawaksi ang mga hindi kaaya-ayang nangyayari kapag hustisya na ang pinag-uusapan. Reading the last two chapters (Chapters 44 -45) made me realize na dapat pa din akong maniwala na may katulad ni Shan Lopez na hinding-hindi magpapabulag sa kapangyarihan at pera ng iba para lang hindi madiin at maabsuwelto sa nagawang pagkakamali. Sana may Prosecutor Ciandrei Kyle Lopez sa realidad na kung saan handang isakaripisyo ang sariling buhay at hindi natatakot sa kamatayan para maituwid ang baluktot na sistema ng pagkamit ng hustisya sa mga biktima ng krimen at masasamang pangyayari dito sa bansa. Oo,ramdam ko yung GIGIL kasi tulad din tayo nila Atty. Kaliz at Prosecutor Shan na nais magkaroon ng maayos na justice system at tuluyang mapuksa ang mga makakapangyarihan na taong iniisip lamang ang pansariling kapakanan kahit makasira ng buhay ng iba. SALUDO AKO SAYP PROSECUTOR SHAN. YOU DID IT! JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED BECAUSE OF YOUR GOAL TO LET JUSTICE REIGNED. IN YOUR LAST BREATH, YOU STILL MADE IT AND YOU PROVED TO THEM DOING THE RIGHTFUL THING OVERPOWERS EVIL PLANS AND WRONGDOINGS. 

1/2

I am an avid reader of Wattpad stories since 2013, lalo na noong panahon ng mga gangster tapos nakaEbook yung mga nababasa ko noon. Lagi ako umiiyak kapag tragic yung stories then iniiwasan ko nga basahin ang mga ganun na tragedy or hindi endgame yung mga bida.

Since my fourth-year of high school, I’m really fond of teen fiction, romance, and school themes.

But them, my preferences changed, gusto ko na yung hindi puro cliches, yung may thrill, tragic, o kaya mapapaisip ano mangyayari sa susunod na kabanata. Now, I preferred Young Adult, Mystery Thrillers, Romance, and something related about Law (pero hindi ko pinangarap maging lawyer ha.) Dahil tumatanda na din ako, naiiba na din preferences lalo na kapag series binabasa ko. It started 2020, panahon ng pandemya when I discovered University Series through Twitter. Trending eh yung SSA noon eh. I was curious, akala ko Korean Drama but it was a Wattpad Story about a flight attendant and pilot. Hindi pa tapos yung story noon eh. Then I was attached to the main characters and the plot. The story line, dialogues, and unexpected events were superb. Napapacritical review naman na ako dito, pasensya na. Nasanay lang since ang career ko ay somehow related to grammar and literature (I’m an English teacher pala, skl  and Taglish ang gagamitin ko here). Back to the story, langya napaiyak ako akala ko nasama sa plane crash si Hiro, naku wala nang pag-asa at hindi na sila endgame ni Yanna. Yun pala may patwists si author. I really love the storyline because it is realistic. Iyo ang hinahanap ko sa mga kwentong nababasa ko, English man or Filipino. Dream ko kasi maging Wattpad writer but I lack motivation and time na since alam niyo naman hectic din work ng teacher. Back to what I’m saying, reading SSA brought me to know more about Gwy’s other stories like The Rain in Espaňa and grabe din attachment ko din dito, inuulit ulit ko pa basahin lalo na it is related again sa law and especially architecture, my dream course. Nakakaiyak yung part na nagbreak sila and the reconciliation after 10 years and It’s still you. :) After TRIE, yung Chasing n the Wild naman, it is one of my happy pill stories since nandiyan si Sevi who never failed to make jokes in every chapter pero umiyak din ako sa story nila ah ni Elyse. Then, next one was the Avenue of Diamonds which I think isa sa mga masasakit na kwentong nabasa especially when Naomi was gone and grabe din iyak ko din sa story na to lalo na yung ilang taon na hindi nagkita sina Cy at Sam. Next one was the Golden Scenery of Tomorrow but to be honest, hindi ko pa tapos basahin due to its theme about best friends turned into lovers. I think I’m not yet ready to finish reading it pero within year, I will read it. I just read the first part and nakakarelate talaga ako between the friendship between Via and Arkin :).

To be continued.....

Most of them (former colleagues) have their permanent jobs, while me, still here struggling and hoping for a stable job.

I kept waiting for years but still, I'm lost.

Institute of Graduate and Professional Studies

Dagupan City, Philippines

51st Year-End Commencement Exercises

June 18, 2022

"Don't ever doubt yourself.

With your consistent effort, burning passion for learning, and unwavering faith in Him, you will overcome the hurdles and you can make it in the final stage of your academic life."

-Ma'am Rio

This day marked another milestone in my academic life. I already felt that genuine happiness again after I went onto the stage with my mother.

After one year of taking my master's degree, I finally felt satisfied and proud of myself. There's nothing more I can say here as I'm overwhelmed with the results of sleepless nights, mental breakdowns, and stressful days I experienced from the first to the last semester. Despite the hurdles I encountered, I learned a lot from the lectures, webinars, and pieces of advice from my professors. I kept in mind that it is not just I need to pass but to learn for myself and my students.

Thank you to my professors and mentors who helped me grow professionally as an educator. To my parents, siblings, nieces, nephew, relatives, friends, colleagues, and students, I hope I made you proud of me.

Lyceum-Northwestern University Institute of Graduate and Professional Studies Dagupan City, Philippines 51st Year-End Commencement Exercises June 18, 2022

"Don't ever doubt yourself. With your consistent effort, burning passion for learning,  and   unwavering faith in Him, you will overcome the hurdles and you can make it in the final stage of your academic life."

This day marked another milestone in my academic life. I already felt that genuine happiness again after I went onto the stage with my mother.

After one year of taking my master's degree, I finally felt satisfied and proud of myself. There's nothing more I can say here as I'm overwhelmed with the results of sleepless nights, mental breakdowns, and stressful days I experienced from the first to the last semester. Despite the hurdles I encountered, I learned a lot from the lectures, webinars, and pieces of advice from my professors. I kept in mind that it is not just I need to pass but to learn for myself and my students.

Thank you to my professors and mentors who helped me grow professionally as an educator. To my parents, siblings, nieces, nephew, relatives, friends, colleagues, and students, I hope I made you proud of me.

With your consistent effort, burning passion for learning, and unwavering faith in Him, you will overcome the hurdles and you can make it in the final stage of your academic life."

-Ma'am Rio

Happy Graduation!

RIO FIONAH A. LOPEZ

Master in Education, Major in English (Language Teaching)

Lyceum-Northwestern University

Dagupan City, Philippines

Happy Easter Sunday! It's been a year when I went to church and attend a Holy Mass. It felt so good to fill and nourish one's spirit with God's words and love. 🙏🙂🕊