UPLB ALIVErary BOOKS

The UPLB ALIVErary Books is designed to create safe spaces, meaningful dialogues, make a difference and empower communities. It is a place where real people are on loan to readers.

A place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.

A place where it focus on one’s strengths, skills and talents through its ALIVErary Sessions!

#CreateSafeSpaces
#MeaningfulDialogues
#MakeADifference
#EmpowerCommunities

Witness as you read a book about someone's journey towards becoming a leader amidst of the challenges he encountered. It is not how people judged you but how you make the best out of it that defines you as a person and as a leader.

"The year is 2008. I'm in the middle of a gruesome battle with anxiety and depression. Desperate for some direction, I bring myself to a confessional. “Father, how do I know what God’s will for me is?” I ask the priest. “You talk to him,” the priest instructs me, “but not without telling Him what it is you want. Negotiate, so that you end up with both your wills.” At this, I tilt my head and raise my eyebrows. Eleven years later, I find that I’ve taken this advice to heart. From making sense of being sexually abused as a child to my decision to straddle the sciences and humanities, I have ended up exactly where I am because of the countless negotiations I've made. Most of them were thought-out, some of them unconsidered, but all of them necessary."

Physical abuse and threatening is a nightmare, especially if it happens in a place where we are supposed to be secure. How I broke free, reclaimed my dignity, and reconstructed my life is the content of the pages of my book. I found a reason to love again and rediscovered peace.

Do you think you're honorable? How about excellent? Open a book about what it means to be a UP student and what does it takes to carry our identity eveywhere and anywhere you go.

Fears. This book talks about all kinds of fear, feeling fear, facing fear, overcoming fear and the lack of feeling it. Aside from that, this book discusses about the belief that we are not alone whether we like it or not, through the good and bad. More importantly, this book loves to share about the thought that we, humans, no matter our color, background, status, achievements, etc in life, are more the same than we are different.

What else can you do when you have major depressive disorder? Care for your seven pets, go to work, marathon RuPaul's Drag Race and loads of other stuff! Careful, though. You shouldn't put too much work on yourself, though. Listen as I go on about how life can still be all bubbles and butterflies! Spoiler alert: it's not.

Losing a beloved person is too much painful for me. Overcoming grief was not an easy journey. But time healed my pain. I got up and freed myself from sorrow and grief. How I survived is the story of my life.

Being a little woman, I encountered trials, challenges and most of all, self doubts. “Will I get a job after graduation?” “Will I be able to do the tasks at work?” Despite my size, it was faith that has been my source of strength to overcome the difficult circumstances in life.

Having one's family is often regarded as a blessing and good luck. But what if you have two families? Two pairs of parents, two homes? What if you are an only child and at the same time, one of nine? While adoption has been given a kinder look these days, the question persists for an adopted child to wonder about her/his roots. My journey has been about realizing the many possible and real answers to that question and in doing so, obtaining a sense of belonging and acceptance of the real person within.

Being a Mindanaoan, I often hear statements that "Mindanao is dangerous" because of the Marawi conflict and other attacks. Also, our Muslim brothers also face the same stereotypes of being "terrorists" and Indigenous people as "illiterate", and I want to represent them and spread awareness on who they really are. I want to represent Mindanao as a "Land of diversity".

 

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