Pinoyliterature Stories

Sa malamig na lungsod ng Baguio, isang batang babae at ang kanyang lolo ang magkasamang humaharap sa araw-araw na buhay. Walang yaman. Walang kasiguraduhan. Tanging pagmamahal, sakripisyo, at pananatili. Isang kwento ng pamilya, pagkawala, at kung paanong ang tahimik na pagmamahal ay nagiging lakas para magpatuloy, kahit masakit.

In the hollowed-out carcass of NexusLink, once a titan of Philippine innovation, the silence is deafening. Javier Suarez, a veteran IT Manager, stands among the dark monitors and stripped desks of a company declared bankrupt. His final task is grim: archive the digital remains of a legacy that promised community but delivered betrayal. But as the servers spin their final cycles, a discordant note emerges-a "glitch" in the HR records from the Maharlika era. This tiny anomaly is the thread that unravels a tapestry of systemic cruelty. Partnering with tech wizard Kevin Ramos, Javier digs deeper, uncovering Project Phoenix: a calculated, digital purge. The investigation leads them to Bianca Ramirez, a former HR manager haunted by "resignation quotas," and Katherine Dela Vega, who describes a workplace where falling ill was a fireable offense. They discover the "Buried Bandwidth"-the collective, silenced voices of employees like Miguel, a technician discarded after surviving COVID-19, and others whose careers were ended through "Performance Improvement Plans" used as execution docks. The trail leads to the CEO, Grace Lim. In a final confrontation, Javier doesn't find a mustache-twirling villain, but a woman hollowed out by the "invisible hand of the market" and the cutthroat pressures of the Chosun-ha era. She chose survival over souls, weaponizing clauses like "loss of trust and confidence" to silence dissent and avoid the legal fallout of illegal terminations. Refusing to let these stories be deleted, Javier, Kevin, and Bianca weave the data into a narrative of moral justice. They present their findings to a national oversight committee, sparking a public reckoning that vibrates across the Philippines. The "Buried Bandwidth" finally finds its frequency. Javier emerges from the wreckage not as a victim, but as a leader for a prestigious Multi-Billion Group, tasked with architecting a future where empathy is the primary operating system.

Was there a lifetime waiting for us in a world where I was yours?" They say the reimagined version of a song is longer, slower, and carries the weight of years. Our story is exactly like that. For eight years, I played the role of the "safe" best friend. I was her anchor, her sanctuary, and her greatest lie. I chose silence to save our friendship, not realizing that my silence was the very thing that would end us. Now, as the church bells ring and she walks toward a future that doesn't include me, I'm left haunted by a single question...If I had been brave on that rooftop years ago, would it be me standing at the altar today? A story of bitter smiles, rooftop secrets, and the "what ifs" that stay with us forever.

Miguel Azral is a creature of legend born into a world that fears him. As an Aswang, he is defined by the shadows of his nature, but as an autistic youth, he is defined by his struggle to navigate a society that demands he be someone he is not. Banished to the fringes, Miguel is recruited by two enigmatic mentors who promise him the truth about his powers-and his potential. But these aren't just any mentors; they are variants of himself from across the veil of reality. They offer him a path to acceptance, a chance to become the savior his world desperately needs. As Miguel traverses the landscape of Burnham City, he finds his true strength not in solitude, but in a band of outcasts-friends who mirror his own neurodivergence and his own "monstrous" heritage. Together, they form an unbreakable bond in the face of relentless discrimination and bullying. But as Miguel rises to become a martyr-figure for the marginalized, he discovers a chilling truth that makes him question his mentor's own allegiance. In a world of shifting allegiances, can a "monster" who refuses to conform lead a revolution? Or will the weight of being a savior be the one thing that finally breaks him?

Loving is a hunger that no mouth can satisfy but yours. To love you is to consume you.