#BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy: What to read, see, and listen to

#BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy is the official hashtag for an online campaign spearheaded by author Edgar Calabia Samar (Janus Silang), who objective was to promote Filipino-authored pieces of literature. This happens in the month of August, which is also Buwan ng Wika or National Language Month. I was made aware of this campaign last year, and since then, I’ve been making a conscious effort to consume as many Filipino-authored books, movies, songs, and musicals/plays. If you’re looking for a #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy-related media, here are some suggestions:

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Review | Full House Theater Company’s Ang Huling El Bimbo

As Rak of Aegis enjoyed a couple of successful runs, Sa Wakas returned with a vengeance and Ako si Josephine had its initial run. It kept me wondering how much longer I had to wait till someone picked up The Eraserheads’ rich discography and turned it into a blockbuster of a musical.

Not for long, said the universe.

Because in January 2018, posters asking “Kamukha mo ba si Paraluman?” and “Magaling ka bang sumayaw, mapa-boogie man o cha-cha?” (with a font and color scheme mimicking The Eraserheads’ first album cover) littered my Facebook feed, and in millennial-speak, FAM, I WAS SHOOKETH. I messaged my theatre-going buddies and in a few minutes decided we would buy tickets immediately when they started selling. (We did wait a few weeks in reality, because funds. Tickets at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater ain’t cheap, fam.)

And finally — last night, my high school barkada and I went on a trip down memory lane, together with Hector, Emman, Anthony, and Joy. And the music that was the soundtrack to many of our high school ups and downs.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.
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#RomanceClass Author Take Three | Meet-Cute Edition

Welcome once again to the #RomanceClass Take Three Project, where I give #romanceclass readers and authors a monthly prompt/question and ask them to list down and briefly discuss their top three answers. This month’s topic was influenced by our most recent event, How to Meet-Cute, where we were treated to live readings of meet-cutes from soon-to-be-published books. (How exciting!)

I asked a couple of #romanceclass authors about their favorite meet-cutes from #romanceclass books they’ve read, and the results are in — check them out! (Links provided for those of you who haven’t yet read the books but wanna give them a try. They’re available on Amazon!)

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#RomanceClass Reader Take Three | Meet-Cute Edition

Welcome to the #RomanceClass Take Three Project, where I give #romanceclass readers and authors a monthly prompt/question and ask them to list down and briefly discuss their top three answers. This July, we had a pop-up event at Pegi Waffles, San Juan that focused on meet-cutes — AKA that thing where the MC and LI meet for the first time and give you your first dose of feels — and I thought what better way to kick off this project than to talk about just that!

For this first Take Three Project post, three avid readers tell us their three favorite #romanceclass meet-cutes. Check in and see if they’re your favorites too! (In case you haven’t yet read the books being mentioned, I’ve included links so you can check them out on our website: romanceclassbooks.com.)

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