Started: 04/27/2021 Ended: 08/24/2021 Ang hirap palang tumanda. Ang hirap magbayad ng bills. Ang hirap suportahan ng pamilyang akala ay isang milyon ang suweldo mo. Ang hirap ngumiti sa nanay na mataas ang tingin sa'yo pero hindi ka kayang ipagtanggol. Ang hirap tabihan sa hapagkainan ng tatay na pinag-uubusan mo ng pera pero hindi ka maalala. Ang hirap mag-abot ng tulong sa kapatid na baon sa utang. Ang hirap intindihin ng hipag na nakakapagpa-rebond pa kahit kapos na kapos na. Ang hirap pakisamahan ng bunsong halos ilahad ang mga palad tuwing makikita ka. Ang hirap ngitian ng mga taong tanong nang tanong kung bakit hindi ka pa nakakapag-asawa. Ang hirap humarap sa mundong isasampal sa'yo na mag-isa ka. Tulong, bigay, utang. Isang iling mo lang, madamot ka na. Kasama mo sila kapag may maibibigay ka, pero hindi mo sila mahahanap kapag wala na. Ikaw ang kakayod, sila ang tutuka. Ikaw ang iiyak sa pagod, sila ang magtatamasa. Iyon ang summary ng buhay ko. Sobra-sobra ang naririnig na paghingi, kulang na kulang ang naririnig na pasasalamat. Sobra-sobra ang pagpapasensya, kulang na kulang ang natatanggap na pagpapahalaga. Sobra-sobra ang binabayaran, kulang na kulang sa kasiyahan. Kaya nang dumating sa buhay ko ang nag-iisang lalaking hindi ako nakita bilang naglalakad na alkansya, ang nag-iisang lalaking nakinig sa mahabang listahan ko ng problema, ang nag-iisang lalaking nagbigay sa akin ng kakaibang saya, ipinangako ko sa sarili na sa gitna ng hirap ng pagtanda, magtitiis ako basta't siya ang kasama. Kahit pa ang kapalit noon ay pagtalikod sa minahal na pamilya. Kahit pa ang kapalit noon ay paglaban sa mundong pinatatakbo ng kapangyarihan at pera. Kahit pa ang kapalit noon ay ang pagdurusa't pag-iisa. Siya ang ginhawa, pahinga, at kasiyahan ko. Dumating man ang araw na tanaw ko na ang dulo. Dumating man ang araw na wala na kaming sagot sa lahat ng bakit at paano. Dumating man ang araw na pareho na kaming talo.

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Isabelle Dizon was perfect. A straight A business course student, a sensible lady, a responsible daughter any parent would wished for. But she felt something lacking. She often felt she was living to her parents idea of what she should be, and she started to doubt if that was what she really wanted. As her uncertainty and longing continued, she met a group of people from a poorly funded, nearly dissolved, university organization. A group of six university students who taught her the value of friendship, the courage that comes with pursuing her dreams, and the importance of living in the moment and creating Something Spectacular. Something Spectacular written by: april_avery Genre: Teen Fiction

When an unlikely group comprising of a photographer, writer, musician, artist, and poet band together for a documentary film project, anything can happen. Even the impossible. ***** College student Molly Lazuli's dream was always to become a writer. But since her parents never supported that calling, she worked towards an Engineering degree instead. When she winds up in a Humanities course, she is befriended by a fellow classmate, Cole Manzano, who convinces her to team up with him on creating a major project for the finals. Together, they recruit other members: John Garnet Sucgang, who also happens to be Molly's secret crush who is also a painter; Jasper Tupas, a gay actor and poet; and Alexa, a moody musician. Together the group embarks on a journey that not only has them creating a documentary of their lives' triumphs and tragedies, but also makes them realize the true meaning of friendship, acceptance, and what it takes to make their dreams come true. #Wattys2019 Winner Filipino Readers Choice Award 2022 Winner (Young Adult Category) DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

WATTY'S SHORTLIST 2023 Stuck in the never-ending responsibilities as one of the breadwinners of the family, Calisse Abigail Guillermo, an Iska from UP Manila, seeks to find true comfort between drinking and smoking. But she never does. Her desire to find consolation in everything is not found within the consumption of toxins. When she meets fellow smoker Chance Luy, a UP med student, in the bustling street of Pedro Gil, she thanks the heavens for a chance to meet him. Chance is your worn-out med student who is stingy. As they ponder about life, would they find solace as they share a moment of smoke?

sometimes you have to die in order for you to live.

When lethargic university lecturer, Theo Gomez, meets an enigmatic and mysterious woman one night, he never expects his life to change forever. Yet, when Juniper asks him the haunting question "Will you cry when I die?" he is drawn into a passionate and transformative journey with her. As Juniper reveals that she got only a month to live, she asks Theo to be her companion and share in the joys and pains of her remaining days. As the bond between them deepens, Theo must confront his own fears of love and loss, and ultimately decide whether he is willing to risk his heart to love again. Published under PSICOM Publishing Inc.

wattys 2020 winner • mystery/thriller ━━━━━━━━━ Everyone thinks she is dead. Even I thought so, too. While the town spoke of her dead name, Amethyst Cambray is actually alive, and she is asking for my help. ━━━━━━━━