Author: Janelle Lorzano

After teaching for 37 years, Teacher Delfin decided to retire from his work at the Philippine Science High School in May 2021. Raised by his parents who are both teachers, Teacher Delfin is used to answering random questions from them. “My father was like this: Learning was part of our daily life. Minsan dadaan ka lang sa tapat niya, nag babasa siya ng diaryo. “San ka pupunta?” “Lalaro po ako,” “Teka muna. Can you tell me, sagot ka muna 6 times 8?” Syempre you answer diba. O kaya ‘yung… questions like that. “Capital ng Florida?” Tapos ‘yung mommy ko naman…

This man worked for Tropical Hut for 46 years. When the local fast food chain went viral on social media, Daddy Antonio and his family decided to visit his former workplace last Father’s Day. “For ten years, sa Shaw Boulevard branch, doon siya nag-work as a manager. Mandalas naman kami dun, tapos from time to time nangangamusta siya sa mga crew members doon, tapos nung Sunday, after the mass, nag-decide kami kumain dun for dinner. And, nakita namin na ang daming tao talaga, totoong maraming orders din. And, nakakatuwa lang makita na biglang sumigla ‘yung vibe nung branch na ‘yun,”…

This 24-year-old pet owner has been rescuing stray cats since she was in grade one. Now, she has at least 52 cats living with her in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. “Passion ko na po siya talaga since nung bata pa ako. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na ‘yun nga kapag may kapabilidad na akong magalaga ng maraming cats, pupulutin at aampunin ko silang lahat,” cat lover Sheena Leigh Cabuyaban told The Philippine STAR. Growing up, Sheena used to adopt stray cats from her elementary school. Her family initially started with three adopted cats until they started multiplying each day. In…

Can you remember the last time you wrote a letter to your future self? Back in high school, this woman from Batangas wrote a letter to her future self. Just like any other student, she wanted to finish college and marry the love of her life. But before she got married in 2021, she accidentally found the letter again and realized that all of her wishes came true except for one—to have a baby boy. The last list in her letter was a little bit of a challenge. Several doctors said that Elyssah Janne Venegas Gomez had a 10% chance…

This overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has been traveling all over the world. He already visited Germany, London, Egypt, Dubai, Monaco, Barcelona and Rome as part of his job as a private nurse for a royal family in Saudi Arabia. Apart from traveling from one country to another, Salvador Palma Esguerra Jr. has also tried several luxury food items. Salvador left the Philippines in 2017, hoping to provide a better future for his family. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa Panginoon na binigyan ako ng ganitong employer na mabait sinasama ako sa iba’t ibang lugar gaya ng Germany, London, Egypt, Dubai, Monaco, Barcelona, Rome…

This mother from Batangas City recently lost her pet cat, Sky. “Kita ko’y nasa likod na ‘yun at paikot ikot,” Nanay Fhelly can be heard saying in the video while crying her heart out. She was so heartbroken after learning that her pet disappeared from their home. Nanay Fhelly even posted a picture of her cat and offered a P1,000 reward. One day, someone reached out to them saying they found her cat, but they were asking for a P5,000 reward. She was excited to be reunited with Sky. Then a white van pulled up in front of their house.…

“If you impressed your Filipino mom, you are out for something good. You have to make sure it passed a Filipino mom test, because Filipino moms will tell you the truth.” A “Filipino mom test” helped a 39-year-old Filipino-American on his journey towards success. Jake Deleon was born in the Philippines but raised in New Jersey. When he was two years old, his family decided to migrate to the United States in hopes of a better future. “Growing up, they used to cook Filipino food all the time. My earliest memory is just helping my mom and my grandmom make…

“OFW po siya sa Saudi for more than 15 years, and within those years we never had a chance to surprise or regaluhan siya tuwing birthday or Father’s Day.” This was the main reason why JL Quiambao decided to surprise her father last June 4, ahead of the Father’s Day celebration. Daddy Joey thought that they would just casually eat at a mall. Little did he know that his children prepared a special gift for him. When he opened his bag, he noticed a box inside — a brand new iPhone 12. “Ano to anak? Bakit may iPhone?” Daddy Joey…

Sometimes, blessings show up in unrecognizable disguises. A man is a living example to that testament. Romualdo Nabor IV landed his dream job at ABS-CBN right after his graduation in 2011. He had been working for the company for 10 years. Until one day, the company announced that he was one of the thousands of employees included in the retrenchment program due to the company’s shutdown. He couldn’t believe it. That in one blink, his future could become unclear and uncertain. “Actually medyo mabigat, until now parang naiiyak pa din ako pag naalalaa ko. Nung time na nagkaroom kami ng…

Studying is not an easy journey, especially when you have to juggle it with work. But this 21 -year-old student-entrepreneur proved that hard work and perseverance are pillars to turning her dreams into realities. Raliane Gail Perez started selling desserts in school before the COVID-19 pandemic started. “Nagstart ako [maging] student entrepreneur when I first discovered the dessert po na natikman ko sa tita ko. And sabi bakit hindi natin ito ibenta since since mukang papatok naman siya,” she recalled. “Nagstart ako magtinda, ang customer ko lang nun ‘yung group of friends ko lang. Then pag katapos ng class nag…