JPIA Maharlikha

𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐢

With all life's mysteries and illimitable intricacies,
Therein lies an unfeigned beauty only few could see
With all its felicities and grievous miseries,
It is but a series of dichotomy, shall we all agree?

Do not slumber in grief nor harp in reverie
Let the bygone rests in its grave
It matters not if expectations went awry
Live with zeal and gusto albeit afraid

Notice how ravishing the world is
To stay forlorn is evidently intolerable
Wherefore gaze not into a desolate abyss
Move beyond what is deemed improbable

To forestall difficulty is to repress success
Defeat might smolder our aspirations,
Fiasco might put us in endless toil and distress
Still and all, do not yield against inhibitions

Pain breed lessons and lessons breed pain
We may not forthwith behold its paramount glory,
Nor fathom the profundity of what it might contain
So long as we endure, ours is the light, ours is the victory!

Written by: Jayson Arquisola
Photo by: Adrian John Paculguen

𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭

Every once in a while -in the most random times-like making a well-made club sandwich, buying a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frappuccino and requesting an extra 2 pumps of cinnamon dolce in Starbucks, praying in Jaro Cathedral or even answering my accounting tests, I think of you. I think of how we could have been something if we pushed things a little bit more. The thought of we were just an almost shatters my heart. I think of all the what ifs and what we could have been. What if we could have been a little bit braver? What if we defied all the odds just like what that saying said? What if we tried?

I know you thought of us as an experience, fling in the simplest term, an addition to your conversation starter in the near future. You walked away like it was nothing, turning your back as if everything--my birthday, those sunset dates, the scarf-disappeared and turned into mere wishes, faded promises and blurry reminiscence. Now I question myself, am I not the girl he's willing to take the risk for?

Many people passed through, treating me more than you did. Trying to match what we had but our time together is unmatched. It doesn't hurt anymore and I know I don't have the power to reverse the irreversible but it's still here- the regret, the countless what ifs, dead butterflies, irregular heartbeats and an unfinished chapter.

We never happened but I still keep you in me like an old souvenir sitting quietly inside my pocket. If we were to cross paths again, I hope I had forgiven you when that time comes. Maybe love was not meant for us to fill in to--but to have it with the feeling of a sunrise coming through. It is meant for us to meet in the sunset where the sun converge goodbyes. What hurts the most are the memories we didn't make. I could only wish we happened. I could only wish there was something I could call "us". I could only wish we loved each other enough. So tell me, how could I forget the things that almost happened?

Written by: Princess Blancia
Illustration by: Phraniele Javing

𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠

Isang umaga, nagising ako sa kalagitna'an ng aking mahimbing na pagakakatulog, Wala man ingay o kahit ano pero gising na gising na ang diwa ko. Bumangon ako't naghanda ng umagahan, d ko alam ngunit noong araw nayon ay ramdam ko ang saya at sigla, yung tipong walang pagod at wala akong iniisip na gawaing di pa tapos. Marami akong gustong gawin din noong araw na yun, isa na dun ang mag shopping at gumala kung saan-saan buong maghapon.

Ngunit, habang nagpaplano ako at akma ng hahanap ng susuutin napansin kong may nakahiga sa aking k**a, isang babae, mahaba ang buhok at may kagandahan ngunit kitang-kita sa mukha ang kapaguran at pag'aalala unti-unti ko siyang nilapitan at napansin ko wt aking ikinagulat ang babae na yon ay ako pala!

Napagtanto ko rin na ako'y nanaginip lang pala, nananaginip na magkaroon ng umagang kay ganda na walang iniisip na mga gawain na tatapusin pa. Napagtanto ko ring wala palang karapatan ang nga accounting student na gumising ng masigla at masaya lalo ng gumala dahil sa tambak na gawain sa eskwela. Oh kay sarap mabuhay sa panaginip lang.

Written by: Mae Jane Casten
Illustration by: Maria Clovel Mosaso

𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐱

Dancing on the cadence of the life set
Rigid movements, without missing a beat
“You’re destined for greatness, it is your birthright”
A candle held most dear, a promise that shined brightly

Bespoke kismet, the gifted one
Arrogance and pride, flying too close to the sun
The title set ablaze with glory
The gifted one was left scarred, left to bury

Where are the praises?
The songs of legends?
The fortune of the one who will be the greatest?
Forgotten in a ditch, a candle that burned too brightly too quickly

Rekindling anew, a flame true to oneself
Skin bears the emblem of the chains forsaken
From the debris of what is left of that the world has taken
From the ashes, it will rise again

Written by: Fenella Faye Borce
Photo by: Adrian John Paculguen

𝑳𝒊𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒎 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏.

𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅, 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔.

𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑳𝒊𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚’𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅.

Heads up JPIANs, three days before bukang-liwayway manifests. It is yet again another year where JPIAN houses of yellow, blue, and red clash for might, wits, and talents.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧?

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨

Kasama kita sa isang sulok na kwadrado.
Suot ang mga ngiting dating meron tayo
Apat na sulok, puno ng mga alaalang ginto,
Na sa pagpikit ng mga matang ito,
Malinaw parin ang ating kwento.

Siguro nga'y ang litrato ay hindi alaala
Kundi isang nakakapangilabot na sumpa
Nilason ako ng mga mak**andag mong salita
At eto akong nagawa ring magpakatanga,
Kahit ang saya ay di na kapani-paniwala.

Sana sa pagpunit ko ng larawan
Sumabay lahat ng aking kahibangan
Lahat ng pighati'y malimutan
At sa dulo'y matunton ko ang kaligayahan.

Written by: Mae Jane Casten
Illustration by: Mary Jane Mospa

𝐒𝐚 𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐰𝐚𝐧

Sa iyong panibagong paglalakbay,
Giliw huwag mo sanang makalimutan,
Na minsan tayong naglakad sa ilalim ng buwan,
Kahit na umuulan.

Kahit ano mang unos ang dumaan,
May ikaw at ako tayong kinapitan,
Yung tayo na nagbigay lakas,
Sa pagmamahalang akala natin ay wala ng wakas.

Ngunit sadyang mapagbiro itong si tadhana,
Yung birong hindi nakakatuwa,
O nakakatawa,
Eto yung birong, sa akin ay nagpaluha ng sobra.

Ngunit ngayon ay tanggap ko na,
Na may mga taong pinagtagpo, ngunit hindi pala tinadhana
Kaya kahit saan ka man naroroon, hiling ko'y sana ako pa rin ay iyong maalala,
Sa tuwing may ulan at may buwan kang nakikita.

Written by: Romel Patingan
Photo by: Adrian Paculguen

Into the threshold of a new journey.

It may be a hackneyed utterance and a well-worn statement, but those wise men who once graced this transient world would have never propounded any contention nor acrimony whatsoever that art is truly an unequivocal representation of one’s thoughts, percipience and inner feelings. The long-awaited moment has finally come to its maturation. Individuals having been endowed with stupefying aptitudes are once again united into a concerted endeavor of displaying their latent adroitness in the resplendent arena of dexterity and creativity.

With the aid of our paintbrushes, we will indubitably evince ingenuity like those of the masterpieces of Vincent Van Gogh. With the rapier wit manifested through our pens, we will certainly unveil literary pieces like those of Daniel Defoe. Once we commence, we will never be restrained. The torch of imagination that is in each of us which will surely put the world in awe.

The flair for arts of those great men in the olden days would not truly materialize without nurturing guidance and supervision. There must be something that nudged them to reach the fullest extent of their potential. This is the raison d'être of MaharLikha, a creative team established upon the resolution of unveiling the talents and skills among JPIANs. It serves as a conducive avenue for students to ignite and keep aflame their knack and passion for arts, which would consequently pave the way for them to exhibit their truest and most genuine selves.

The new chapter is set to unfold – a new beginning is ready to be told!

Layout by: Mary Jane Mospa, JPIA Maharlikha
Caption by: Jayson Arquisola, JPIA Maharlikha

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧

Don't marry a poor man
Even if you love each other.
Yes, love is for everyone,
But it doesn't bring food on the table

Don't marry a poor man
No, don't you dare
The future of your children are at stake.
He may be a good father, but not a good provider.

Don't marry a poor man
Even he has the good character and intentions
For the mind doesn't work properly
if hunger takes over.

Children have a lot of dreams
but pitiful are those whose father is poor.
Because not all of them are academically inclined enough
to have sponsors nor scholarships.

Yes, it is wrong to judge, but why is a man poor?
Not a baby, a child or a teenager. Man.
How can a man be poor?
Simple, contented life.
No dream, no plan, no savings
Just happy of what he has now.

To marry not a poor doesn't mean marry only rich men.
Marry a man who is prepared.
Prepared to provide,
Prepared to sacrifice,
Prepared to not make his children feel guilty to be born in the world.
Has a plan for his sons and daughters to live happily (if not comfortably.)
To make his wife not worry tommorow, and tommorow after that, and tommorow after that.

Don't marry a poor man, not because he is poor.
But because he is not ready to have a family.

Written by: Gerick L. Patigado
Illustration by: Andrhea Oropio

𝐏𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐭

Pikit, pitik, sa sobrang sikip
Yung pusong nagmahal
Ngayo'y puno ng pait

Pikit, sikip, nais itangis
Yung aking nararamdaman
Na minsan ay kay tamis

Pikit, kinig, sa pusong nahagpis
Tahan na at antayin
Ang tamang pag-ibig na nais.

Written by: Romel T. Patingan
Illustration by: Phraniele P. Javing

𝐈𝐤𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐤𝐨

Naaalala mo pa ba yung mga katagang
"Aantayin kita, aantayin mo ko"
Kahit gaano man katagal
Magtatagumpay pa rin yung ikaw at ako

Yung ikaw na bumuo sa aking pagkatao
At yung ako, na sa buhay mo'y komompleto
Ngunit ngayon ang ikaw ay meron nang bago
Habang si ako, naririto pa rin, nag-aantay sa iyo

Written by: Romel T. Patingan
Illustration by: Phraniele P. Javing

𝗡𝗢

Teardrops streamed down my face as I see my grades unveil after clicking the subject’s name.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏 - 𝟐.𝟐𝟓

I speak loudly in my mind. I can’t help but silently burst into tears.

“Shift ka na lang bala?”

“Basi indi ni para sa akon?”

“Accountancy gid man gusto mo nga course haw?”

Swallowed into the darkness of these thoughts, I questioned myself “Should I just give up?”

“Attorney Jane?”

The word attorney snapped me back to reality. This graduation photo surely brought me back to my college days.

“Mr. Rivera is here.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

I stepped out of my office and before I completely close the door, I took a simple glimpse to the nameplate on my table.

Atty. Jane M. De Leon, CPA. It reads.

The answer is not always a “yes”, sometimes you just really have to say “no”.

Written by: Mary Jane Mospa
Illustration by: Maria Clovel Mosaso

Pagbati JPIANs! Are you getting those ML and CODM rankings high up while enjoying the holiday right now? Excellent. But have you ever wondered why are we even celebrating National Heroes Day?

Is National Heroes Day just a mere holiday?

Following the tumultuous history and struggle for freedom of our country, countless people are named heroes.

National Heroes Day primarily celebrates the people who turned the tide of Philippine History, from unshackling the country from the Spanish rule to securing their independence from the United States.

One of the renowned heroes of our country, Dr. Jose Rizal (José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda) has been widely praised for his outstanding contributions in the Philippine Revolt against the Spanish Regime.

Dr. Jose Rizal's famous works Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo ignited the flame of patriotism inside the Filipinos during that time through his use of words that captured and opened the minds of his fellow countrymen from the social injustices and corruption of the Spanish Government.

His book's lessons and aspirations for the future generations lived on. His infamous quotation, "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan" continues to serve as a global understatement for the Filipino youth. It exemplifies the rich history, promising present and bright future foretoken to us.

In celebration of National Heroes Day, here is a question for you!

"To whom did Jose Rizal wrote an invisible love letter?"

By commenting your answer below, you can get a chance to win 100 pesos load or Gcash. So think, think, think!

Thank God for this holiday while staying safe JPIANs!

Photo by: Adrian Paculguen
Caption/Trivia by: Princess Blancia