givethandyoushallreceiveth

[givethandyoushallreceiveth]

Through Iana's Lens (cutest)!!!

[givethandyoushallreceiveth]

TWO TWISTED CROWNS | BOOK REVIEW

This is one of the best sequel I’ve ever read, Honestly, I loved this so much that it did not disappoint considering how great One Dark Window was.

Learning more about the Shepherd King was exciting as it was told in such a captivating way. It wasn’t somebody simply narrating, but it was somebody telling through showing. Instead of somebody talking, it was being shown to Elspeth and the readers at the same time. I kind of predicted the connection between the Yew’s and Taxus’.

I did not like Ione in book 1 but I liked her a little better especially the romance between her and Elm. Did I like the author’s choice to center and put the main focus on Elm and Ione instead of Ravyn and Elspeth? NO. Did I devour it? Yes.

With that, the ending was disappointing because I felt that the focus on Ravyn and Elspeth got lost. Elm and Ione can kill Hauth for all I care. But uniting the deck? Should be Ravyn and Elspeth’s. The wedding scene in the epilogue? Should be Ravyn’ and Elspeth’s. WE DIDN’T EVEN GET A REUNION FOR F*** SAKE. Yep they end up together but the scene where Nightmare was gone and Ravyn was the first person to welcome Elspeth was not there. Man went through so much for her and yearned so much for her, and we deserve to see them reunite.

THIS SERIES IS STILL GOING TO MY FAVE SERIES PILE THOUGH. 4.75 but 5/5 reading experience for entire series.

[givethandyoushallreceiveth]

9TH MINDANAO INTERVARSITY POST-TOURNAMENT SPEECH

My fingers were so close to grabbing that Judge Award, but it slipped just beyond my grasp. Yet, instead of feeling disheartened—as the usual giv would—I found myself even more motivated to do better next time.

Joining MIV was a constant back-and-forth of:

"G, apil ko."

"Ayaw nalang kay basi dili ko kaabot sa duty pagka Monday."

"Okay, I’ll go to Cagayan—bahala na, mag-extension duty ko."

"Ayaw nalang diay kay wala ko sa excuse letter, basi dili ko sugtan sa akong clinical instructor."

But looking back, I’m so glad I decided to go.

At first, my only goal was to break as a judge. But as the rounds progressed, I became more driven—not just to break, but to make every OA and every deliberation count. This tournament taught me so much just by listening to other judges explain their decisions. I gained new perspectives on evaluating arguments and responses, making the experience even more fulfilling.

Beyond the competition, what truly made MIV worth every penny—and what will always make it worth every penny (hello, extension duty!)—was experiencing it with adv. From post-round discussions to brain-rot moments between rounds and in our hotel rooms, these are the memories I’ll always treasure.

This isn’t the end of my judge era (dili sa ko mubalik ug debate). See you in the next tourney!

[givethandyoushallreceiveth]

Women's Month cannot end without a throwback to a written article I wrote (which dare I say, remains one of my well-written works)

May it be representing the country with their statuesque beauty, leading platoons and carrying guns, or participating in policy-making, the modern Filipina has transcended boundaries worth celebrating. But despite these successes, it is undeniable that Filipina has been systematically oppressed and objectified by the patriarchy throughout history. Every Filipina has been subject to “mas kaya namin mga lalake to” or the “babae ka lang, anong alam mo sa pagpapatakbo ng bansa?” or the ever popular, “kababae mong tao, ganyan ang suot mo” and all the other phrases meant to discredit every Filipina’s victory. As we celebrate the economic, political, and sociocultural victories of women this National Women’s month, let us all take a look back at Filipina women all throughout different points of Philippine History in hopes of reclaiming the “babae ka lang” to “Babae Ako!”.

PRE-COLONIAL WOMEN

Times were promising for the Pre-Colonial Filipinas, as most of the communities were egalitarian in nature. Men treated their wives as partners, not slaves, and both shared roles in and outside their homes. There was even evidence that women went to war with their husbands. Moreover, class and legitimacy were a determinant of inheritance, meaning that female children could inherit property as much as males (Alcantara, 1994).

A prominent figure during this time was ancient Filipinas who held leadership roles, the babaylans. They were revered as powerful icons, almost as influential as the male leaders called datus. The babaylan play a prominent personality due to their knowledge and expertise in culture, religion, medicine, and all kinds of theoretical knowledge about the phenomenon of nature, man, and God (L. Cotejar, 2018). She was a shaman and an influential leader grounded in most of life's different spheres (A. Miclat-Cacayan, 2018). The babaylan has five archetypes: the Warrior, the Teacher, the Healer, the Sage, and the Priestess (P. Daly, n.d.). This implies that women were held in higher regard for the significant cultural and spiritual role that babaylans had. They were viewed as equal to men and were privileged to pursue self-actualization of their values and worth as women of their time. COLONIAL WOMEN

The arrival of colonizers in their clad-iron armors, large boats, and advanced weaponry did not prepare the pre-existing communities because colonizers were not benevolent to the natives, especially the women. The liberties and suffrage they experienced before were eroded when the Spaniards set foot in the archipelago, and the Filipina identity further regressed (Cotejar, 2018).

The downfall of the Philippine foremothers came when Spaniards viewed the babaylans as their formidable rivals and a hindrance to spreading Catholicism. This ruined their reputation, and they became known as women who did demonic activities, enemies of the church, and were deplorable in the eyes of God (Cotejar, 2018); which then led to their persecution and death.

Education for women was centered around preparing them for their primary social functions as a spouse, mothers, homemakers, or in religious community life (Camacho, 2007). During this time, a fictional yet notable figure was Maria Clara, the heroine in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, a perfect example of what Filipinas were like during that time.

The coming of Americans created opportunities for women to earn college degrees and participate in businesses. Women were employed in managerial positions as heads of business firms in different trades, previously dominated by men (Peralta, 2015). This increased literacy levels and allowed daughters of low-income families to break away from the traditional gender roles established by the Spaniards. During the American regime, the prioritization of education enabled women to show their presence and role in society.

The coming of Americans created opportunities for women to earn college degrees and participate in businesses. Women were employed in managerial positions as heads of business firms in different trades, previously dominated by men (Peralta, 2015). This increased literacy levels and allowed daughters of low-income families to break away from the traditional gender roles established by the Spaniards. During the American regime, the prioritization of education enabled women to show their presence and role in society.

The coming of Americans created opportunities for women to earn college degrees and participate in businesses. Women were employed in managerial positions as heads of business firms in different trades, previously dominated by men (Peralta, 2015). This increased literacy levels and allowed daughters of low-income families to break away from the traditional gender roles established by the Spaniards. During the American regime, the prioritization of education enabled women to show their presence and role in society.

WOMEN IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES

The modern-day Philippines takes pride in its history of having female leaders. We’ve had two previous female presidents and vice presidents and 3,580 elected female government officials. These numbers are still unproportioned to the males holding positions, thus we need to foster female leaders in quantity (numbers) and quality (real representation). Now, Philippines ranks 19th out of 146 countries in the Global Gap Index, scoring 0.783 (Global Gender Gap Report 2022, n.d.). These era gave birth to countless powerful and influential women like Hidilyn Diaz from Zamboanga City, Mindanao won the first olympic gold medal for the Philippines in weightlifting and is also a member of the Philippine Air Force. Catriona Magnayon Gray carried the flag and brought 104 Million Filipinos in the Miss Universe Stage, winning the country’s 4th crown. Leni Robredo, was the 14th Vice President of the Philippines, and despite her loss in the 2022 elections, she turned her attention establishing “Angat Buhay” which aims to alleviate the struggles of the poor by championing good health, education, food security, and disaster risk response. Apo Whang-Odd Ogay, known as the oldest tattoo artist, has the world flocking to her village in Kalinga wanting to get tattoos traditionally.

FINAL THOUGHTS These collective experiences show that women did not have it easy all throughout history. But we’ve seen that some women did not let patriarchy stop them from making their mark, whether culturally, economically, politically, or socially. May these women remind us that every Filipina can raise our flag and make a mark despite these hindrances. Let this be a reason that we must celebrate our femininity this National Women’s Month and start re-claiming the phrase “Babae ka lang” to “Babae Ako!”

[givethandyoushallreceiveth]

One Dark Window | Book Review

It took me so long to get into this as I started this last year, but the moment I did and the story begins to unfold, I can barely put it down.

A girl hiding a ‘fever’ she’s had for 11 years in a kingdom where ‘infected magic is bad and a Captain of the king’s soldiers (Destriers) whose task is to capture and punish those who are infected meets. Elspeth thought she’s fucked when actually the Captain, Ravyn, harbors the same secret and is committing high treason to save his younger brother and they must do so by uniting the Providence Card. Damn, was I hooked.

Another secret of Elspeth that she ends up hiding from Ravyn? A monster lives in her mind, one she’s absorbed from touching the Nightmare Card. (relatable, we all have a monster in our mind.

The magic system in this book was so immersive and the characters make it more likeable. I read for the romance subplot but I was not disappointed by the gothic fantasy feels and world-building this book gives. A book within a book. The found family trope in this was so good, and I wished we had more of it (I loved the breakfast scene and the banter between Elm and Jespyr and their moments together as a family as a whole). And I hate Hauth, not a fan of Ione too (Elspeth’s cousin who uses a Maiden Card but becomes a cold Barbie-- she was a bland character for me).

Romance was more of a subplot, but the crumbs of romance between Elspeth and Ravyn makes me want more. Even though romance was a subplot, I can absolutely feel the attraction and love that bloomed between the two characters. Along with the yearning, chef’s kiss. Like others, I find the unnecessary Y used in the names of the characters. And the TREES, (took me so long to realize that this was their curse word for the book, lol). Still one of my faves though.

Rating: 4.75.

[givethandyoushallreceiveth]

Part of Your World | Book Review

An ER doctor pressured to keep her family legacy meets small-town honorary mayor, wood-worker, and hot carpenter. They both live drastically different lives but they fit so well together but only in Wakan.

I first met Daniel and Alexis in Just for the Summer and I wished I read this sooner. I actually enjoyed it better than JFTS.

“I-don’t-fit-in-your-world-and-you-don’t-fit-in-mine” trope is not new, but this is one of the books where I can say that it is done greatly and told beautifully. Its the way how its explicitly stated and shown not just in social-class, but in multi-faceted ways that they are different. Its not just “i’m rich, you’re not” but its

“my parents, my legacy, my friends, my job

and its logistics” that you really can agree

and its not just a shallow conflict between the

author throws in. .

The third-act break up where Daniel went to the hospital sent me crying. I was that hurt and heartbroken for him. He is an acts of service + quality time + words of affirmation kind of guy, I love him so much. I also relate on so many levels with Alexis.

“But the funny thing was, even though I didn’t fit into her life, she fit into mine.”

I also love the ending where they live together in each other’s world, both compromised.

This is going to my favorites pile!