#adroits

            Family is something we all have in common, it is our humble beginning. This is where we meet the first people. This is where we first learn, and this is also where we have our first experiences. Speaking of experience, I, for one, have a set of my very own.

            Family day. A fun filled event that happens only once a year. A day where families get together and feast on colorful and delicious Filipino cuisine. The ceilings are decorated with cellophane and streamers of all the colors of the rainbow creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere. Students prepare dance numbers or song numbers to present in front of all the parents in an effort to show them how much they love them. Comes the part where all the students perform a class number then they give their letters of appreciation to the their parents.

             In the midst of all this joy and happiness, I try to scan the premises for my parents. Guess what? They aren’t here again. Nothing new here. I’m always alone on family days. It makes me thinks if I should be sad that they aren’t here again or okay because I’m practically used to it. Henceforth, the distance has grown between us. I have come to a point wherein I lack the care for their personal affairs.

             Family is simply a minuscule version of a country. They are both communities, the only difference is the people included. In my experience, a lesson has been taught. It is that everything begins within the family, from how you walk all the way to how you treat people. If within the family you feel alone, what more in a country?

             Therefore, a healthy family is the key to a successful country. For our country, we must do our best to keep our families united. Family counseling should be inputted in our social system. We must not allow the technological barrier hinder us from communicating with each other. We must always show love and compassion to the family members. Family is always the first priority.

          The country where 7,107 islands are located, the green country rich in natural resources, the land of smiles, Philippines, may be called as a “third world” country, but the Philippines has a lot to offer. Different aspects such as the economy, business, the agriculture and fishing industries, as well as the locally made products clearly shows that our country has something to hold out and be proud of.

          As years pass by, the Philippines is experiencing many substantial problems. Corruption, poverty, poor education system, and the heavy traffic are some of the top problems that our country is facing today. Heavy traffic is one of the everyday events that the Filipino people are encountering. Whether you are a respectable politician, a famous celebrity, a wealthy businessman, a scrupulous student, or just a regular commuter, no one is free from meeting this unpleasant situation. Lined up vehicles during rush hour, sometimes on a rainy night, with the drivers honking their horns will turn the whole place in a chaos. In a public vehicle, passengers are crammed making the place hot and steamy, along with the stench of mixed sweat from the day’s work. Pollution from all the transportations also adds up. And what make it worse are accidents that can happen anytime and can cause gridlock for hours. Being stuck in a traffic jam is something that we were not looking forward to.

          People say that traffic congestion is nothing compared to the more consequential and critical problems that the Philippines is experiencing right now. Unbeknownst to them, heavy traffic is becoming more serious as months pass by.

          Aside from the troublesome and miserable juncture that the Filipinos are facing, our economy is also greatly affected by this complication. First, delivering goods, especially the perishable ones, or receiving raw materials is time sensitive. Delays affect schedules and production and it has a direct impact on market demand. Second, lost revenues of public transportations are also an issue here. Because of the perpetual traffic, their trips are highly affected, decreasing their incomes. Third, the increased temperature during traffic jams can damage the engine of the vehicles. Lastly, higher fuel bills also contribute to the many difficulties brought by this perennial traffic situation.

          On a positive note, our government is taking actions regarding the said problem. New laws are being passed and with the new administration, people can only hope for changes and what is best. The desire to change all sounds very noble. Change starts from ourselves so discipline is what we should possess to make this work.

          In this country where problems are rampant and solutions never to come up at the right moment, this fresh outlook on life shown by our government and the people is a big improvement. It is encouraging to see that people are finally taking action. There is hope for us yet – change truly is coming.

          Every nation is a place full of hope and inspiration. Hope comes from our faith in ourselves, the government, and our fellow countrymen. In the place where we stay, in the country where we live, problems and difficulties are faced by us. This is where all struggles comes in. This is how the country is challenged. This is what keeps us united as one.

          Flip a coin. According to the laws of probability, there’s a 50% chance you will get heads, but there’s also a 50% chance that you’ll get tails. So where do you draw the line? When faced with a difficult situation, we tend to weigh the pros and cons. However, when push comes to shove, it seems like we can always count on that dichotomy to get us through. So go ahead, flip a coin – see where it takes you.

          Heads. A bust of a national hero meticulously indented on the perfectly curvilinear currency is boasted right before our eyes. They are the symbols of great bravery and keen intellect, but they also symbolize immense suffering. These heroes have a lot of blood on their hands. In fact, maybe too much.

          Imagine the battlefield. The starless sky was casket-black and brooding. Even the clouds seemed morose. Gelid hands clasped every kind of weapon as the heroes gazed upon the horizon. The malevolent wind howled past the warriors every which way, as if trying to express its own confusion at the sudden ceasefire. One minute bullets were raining down in a never-ending bombardment, and the next, nothing. The smell of blood, sweat, and fear hung heavily in the air. Bodies started piling up and our heroes began to think that maybe they aren’t heroes after all.

          Nowadays, people don’t believe in grey areas. One must be completely right to get the attention of the public, or one must be completely wrong to be branded evil. This is why the Filipinos have a lot of enemies. We are strong-willed, but that same fighting spirit is what gets us in trouble.

          We are fighting a war within each other, and a war within ourselves. We rally against our government. We argue with people we don’t know. Because we believe that they are morally bad, we tend to neglect all the good that they have done.

          Tails. A mountain, looming in the distance. Above it a glowing medallion in the sky, proudly illuminating everything below it. Once upon a time, a simple life was enough. We never asked for more, but times have changed. It’s time for us to rise to the occasion; we are not simple, and we never have been. We stand tall and proud, and we work hard so that we can rise above.

          The Philippines is an inherently unjust society. Upward mobility is difficult, if not impossible here; if you have been born into a poor social class, then chances are that the conditions of Filipino society will force you to stay there for a very long time. Many Filipinos may have been born into circumstances not of their liking, but they have the mentality and resourcefulness to rise above it. We are a resilient group; we can endure.

           In this country, you have to take your chances, because you will never know what to expect. There is some good, there is some bad, but being here is a surreal experience in itself. So go ahead, flip a coin. You might not know where it’ll land, but you might be surprised to see where you go next.

          Beauty, confidence, compassion, kindness; Pia Wurtzbach is the epitome of perfection. As I boringly swiped through my iPad looking for worthy reads, an article came and it immediately caught my attention. The deemed sexiest women alive, Jessy Mendiola, was boasting about herself and was giving out unintended body-shaming remarks to Pia but what captured me was not Jessy’s statements but rather how Pia gracefully handled the situation. What she saw was plainly a girl who was ecstatic to be given the recognition.

          The humble Pia is always a lady anyone can look up to. Her words always paint an ideal picture - a picture of people blithely living in harmony, a picture of a world where people accept differences and acknowledge each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Confidently beautiful with a heart; she really is living up to her words. A strong woman she is indeed. Working with organizations that willingly help those unfortunate people who have been enduring pain, she sets a good example to the youth. Just recently, Pia went to Ecuador send help to the victims of the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the country and to request for even a little bit of donations for the victims. She appeals to everyone’s hearts with her smile. Her smile that can influence thousands of people and the gentle look of warmth on her face that sends hope to all that get a glimpse of it are her best features.

           Pia has been fabulously slaying everything. All over the internet her videos have spread and each one is a reminder of how much a genuine sweetheart she is under all that strong woman. Her compassion goes a long way. Her helping hand is always there to help those in need and she faces all challenges with a cheeky smirk of self-confidence. It’s unquestionable why her beautiful face has captured everyone’s hearts. I’ve been updated on her life through social media and I can truly say that she’s one hell of a person.

           However, a few weeks back, posts of hatred and opposition filled the once colorful wall of my timeline and the perfect serenity is now lost. People have been freely sharing their reactions on the rapid killings happening and I personally am not a supporter myself. The thought of blood covering the streets of our country disgusts me every time I think of it and I always pity the poor souls of the family of the victim. I can’t bear to think of how the loved ones would feel. I appreciate their smart use of freedom of speech, same goes to the supporters, but I’m really baffled with some of the comments telling the innocent protesters to be brutally victimized by rape or murder.

            We are all still part of one community and I still have hope that one day we will live in a world where there are no discrepancies and all are together in peace. Even if we are all standing for our own beliefs, we should still consider the consequences of our words. Be considerate of others. As Plato once said, “Be kind for everyone is fighting a hard battle.”

          The dim lighting of a slightly shallow body of water creates an aura of fear. It makes the heart beat faster not because of excitement but because of danger lying ahead. Seeing floating dark green lilypads and mosses around, the marsh is a place of hidden truths. It is a place of mystery where if you walk around, there would be misery. Old trees with brittle barks would tell you of the greatest fall of innocent life who only came to stroll but received an unjust death toll.

          The Philippine swamp is a place of biodiversity ruled by crocodiles who feed on the riches of the many. Crocodiles shed empty tears. While they feed on their prey, they weep a little not to mourn for the dead but to simply lubricate their eyes. They would show a superficial sympathy while they are causing a great number of casualties. The lives of people are sucked out  little by little while the powerful enjoy luxury they gained for themselves.

          The marsh is the hunting ground of crocodiles and the sad truth is we all live in their hunting ground. The sound of crickets chirping in the night builds the fearsome mood of an ongoing hunting. Owls would watch, with eyes wide open, the victim torn apart piece by piece by the greedy predator. The firefly would give light to everyone but wouldn’t even dare to fight back. The moon outshines all things beneath it but even they couldn’t do what is right.

          Their hunting ground will not always be  a hunting ground. Swamps have low value compared to fields and woodlands; this is because swamps aren’t great options for human activities to take place. Farmers would usually drain swamps next to their field so that they can use the land to plant more crops and bear much fruit. This would destroy the swamp but in the process, new life will emerge, a beginning for those that lived under fear.

          Corruption in the Philippines is a serious matter. Millenials might think that there is no hope, but there is hope; we just fail to see it. We are expecting radical changes in the government in the coming years hoping that corruption will end. Most of us might be confused for these fast changes but why not stand with it. Hand in hand, we can be the light that would scare away all crocs in this swamp and together we can transform it to a land of evergreen.

ESMCOD4: Phan's vae being loud as always

I shot this video at E-Series Maximus when Phan were playing a match, and one of their players, vae, was being loud as he was throughout the entire tournament.

So a few days ago I've officially rejoined the working in the e-sports world. I was forced to quit Fnatic because I did not have enough time to do my job properly, due to my studies. Once I quit I noticed I fell in a gap mainly consisting of being bored and wondering what I could do in e-sports again.

I have been a fan of Seanza, Owner & Founder of Adroits eSports Limited, a company which hosts e-sports events, due to his enormous amount of passion for e-sports and the work he puts in. So I decided to contact him and see if I could be of help. One thing led to another and here I am: the new Operations Manager of Adroits.

My main tasks will be in marketing, searching for new partners to support our events. So far we have some cool things coming up, such as the launch of our website! I've also been talking to some people to work on cool stuff for the future. Stay tuned for more of that!