I am Janine Monica D. Villaroman.

I hail from a small city in the heart

of Cordillera, Baguio City. I have been spending the quarantine in this cold,
safe space, contemplating about how life has changed since the pandemic;
but so far, coping. It’s a bittersweet thought. I miss the old normal.

I graduated from the University of the Philippines Baguio with a

degree in Communication. I am into film, writing, and music. It’s actually
the path that I initially envisioned to take. Right after college, I wanted to
take a break from studying and enter the media industry to gain experience
and put my learning to good use. I have started this stint when I was in my
third year, when I applied as an intern for Kidlat Tahimik, a National Artist
for Film who is based in the Cordillera. I met several writers and film
makers who were really passionate about their craft, so much so that they
inspired me to find my way in the same industry. However, because of
certain circumstances, I just found myself standing before Justice Rodolfo
Ponferrada, delivering my first ever failed recitation in law school.
Sometimes I ponder why I chose law school when I could be sitting in a
small coffee shop anywhere in the country, or in the world, sipping coffee,
and writing scripts, but oftentimes, I just snap out of my reverie and realize
that I have a ton of reading to do. Luckily, I’m still here in the battle,
striving to win. I know it’s still a long way to go, but I’m just glad I’m
halfway there – then maybe, just maybe, I could pursue film in the future
again.

Whenever I get burnt out from the workload of law school, I turn to
music. I love listening to Ben&Ben, Eraserheads, The Beatles, and several
other artists. Sometimes I listen to classical music too when I need to re-
center my focus. I also play the guitar, ukulele, and kalimba to calm my
nerves especially during this pandemic. Playing these instruments became
a part of my de-stressing ritual because admit it – the pandemic has
brought everyone a lot of negative things, and we need to look for our own
outlets.
 If I would name one positive thing that resulted from this pandemic,
that would be shifting to healthy living. Because I live in Baguio, fruits and
vegetables are very cheap, and sometimes these are given away to
residents because transporting them is a hassle. I started preparing meals
and salads for the family, specifically for my mom and my dad, who are
both immunocompromised and are very vulnerable to the virus. We
started to turn to urban gardening, and it has been fun, because we have
been picking our herbs from pots and adding them to our meals. I also
exercise everyday with my dog, running and biking around the compound.
These have kept me sane, not to mention the movies and series that I have
binged watched. Thank you Lord for Netflix.

Now that classes have started, I’m trying to develop a good habit that
would be beneficial for me. It’s actually more difficult, because of several
factors that contribute to my study habits and my mental wellbeing, but I’ll
try and make it work.