VQ SCREENING WORKSHOP

LW – E (Poetry)

BLINDSPOT
By Jumer Palacio

In the dark cold night, a tiny red light flashes,

Blinked and turned, its sight on a man that rushes,
Breathing heavily, white smoke coming out while uttering random speeches,
Thought of being chased by someone, feeling of danger approaches.

He tightly gripped the plastic, his hands are sweaty

For it reveals a white substance within, there’s uncertainty,
Attempted to look back, a shadow of another man forms from a distance,
Ready to exert force in his legs, then a bump! It took away his chance.

Sharp sting in his head, disoriented in the contact,

Slowly opened his eyes, and dazed, doesn’t know how to react,
When a mechanical invention to kill, presented right between his eyes,
Feeling cold, in just one human finger on the trigger, his fate lies.

Conversations began; dark figures encircled the man,

What to say? What to do? When you are pointed by a gun,
Several seconds passed, a shadow appeared in order to check the substance
Within the plastic, a pack of white rice caused them disturbance.

Bewildered, thought of becoming a laughing stock appeared,

Disappointed and desperate, in the alley, a loud noise screamed
Blood flows down like time being taken away from the innocent man,
While before the crowd began to form, the dark figures started to plan.

Blue and red lights blinked, white lights flickered,

Despair, gossips, made-up stories and distrust uncovered,
All are witnessed above, by an electronic device displaying a tiny red light
But soon faded and vanished, now motionless in the middle of the night.
VQ SCREENING WORKSHOP

LW – E (Short Story)

IMMATURE
By Jumer Palacio

“You have a notification.” A display box appeared on the screen.

“What is it this time?” Maria annoyingly asked herself.

She thought of the other posts which her friends tagged her about their bragging of their
new bags, outfits, haircuts, romantic get away with bae and even their meal three times a day.

“How annoying! Do they really need to tag me to every post that they make?” She asked
with disbelief.

She wondered how the world full of insecurity can become peaceful again with these
immature millennials who are maniacs in social media sites together with social climbers.

Not trying to destroy her mood, she decided to check the notification and begin to scream
to find out that her crush liked her photo.
VQ SCREENING WORKSHOP

LW – F (Short Story)

NATATAGONG TALENTO
Ni Jumer Palacio

Nagdaan ang ilang oras, hindi pa rin tapos si Juan upang tapusin ang resume niya upang
ipasa sa papasukang trabaho.

“Ano kaya ilalagay ko dito sa skills?” tanong niya sa kaniyang sarili. Simula pa lang ng
mag-aral si Juan ay nakita na niya ang talento niya sa paggamit ng computer at pagbibilang ng
pera ngunit hindi ito sapat upang siguradong matanggap sa trabaho. Umisip siya ng mga bagay
na sa tingin niya ay siya lamang ang nakagagawa.

Sa katunayan, mayroon at maraming natatagong talento si Juan. Kaya niyang maglinis ng

bahay ng nakaupo lang. Maglaba ng nakahiga at maghugas habang naglalaro sa cellphone. Kaya
niya ring magluto ng pagkain habang nanonood ng telebisyon. Tama, kaya niya. Maraming
salamat sa nanay niya.
VQ SCREENING WORKSHOP

LW – F (Poetry)

TUMBANG PRESO
Ni Jumer Palacio

Suot-suot ang tsinelas,

Mabilis na lumabas
Upang bumili ng lata ng sardinas.

Sa aking pagtayo,
Sa tapat ng tindahan
Ako ay tinaya.

Daplis at sugat,
ang natamo sa paglalaro
Ito nga ba’y isang laro lamang?

Ngunit may mali,

Bakit ako nataya?
Hindi pa naman ako bumabato.

Pilit akong pinagtaya,

Ngunit hindi ako binigyan ng pag-asa
At naburog dahil walang sapat na kakayahan.

Kaya aking napagtanto,

Dalawang bagay, inosente o hindi,
Itutumba o magiging preso.
VQ SCREENING WORKSHOP

LW – E (Essay)

FAINT SMILE
By Jumer Palacio

I am ready to go after seconds in eating breakfast, minutes in preparing myself, and hours
for taking a shower. I am late, as usual; I got my backpack inside the cabinet full of dirty clothes,
and hurried down the ladder while seeing my mom ironing my other uniforms. She stared at me
blankly. I really don’t understand her sometimes.

I am out. I am free. I can go wherever and do whatever I want.

Simple choices destroy future. I choose not to take cigarettes and beer when I am together
with my friends. What am I doing being friends with these guys? I choose not to go to malls and
computer shops during my school hours and choose to take my school seriously.

Life is serious. You can’t play with your life and expect good things to come. Students
being pregnant at the age of 14, some affiliated with gangs and fraternities end up getting hurt,
and others who have the most time in malls and computer shops now have the most time to finish
up school. Disbelief yet I truly recognized their existence in the reality.

I am tired. I decided to sleep. A day has passed and another will definitely be there.

I am ready to go after hours of battling myself to go to school. I am late, again; I got my

backpack inside the cabinet with once full of dirty clothes, now they’re clean and neatly
arranged. While I realized someone tidied up my room, I am amazed. I hurried down the ladder
while seeing my mom in her daily routine. With a little effort before I opened the door, I said
“Ma, punta na kong school!” Mesmerized, she dazed at me and in her face, painted a faint smile
on her lips.
VQ SCREENING WORKSHOP

LW – F (Essay)

NAPAG-IWANAN NG PANAHON
Ni Jumer Palacio

Huminto sa pag-aaral ang iba sa atin.

Nakaranas ng iba’t ibang suliranin o hindi naman ay nakasira ng tiwala ng ibang tao.
Naglakas loob na sumabak ulit upang tamuhin ang pinapangarap na kurso at maibalik ang tiwala
ng minamahal sa buhay. Oo, huminto tayo sa pag-aaral, ngunit hindi tumigil ang ating
pakikipagbaka sa buhay.

Nadagdagan ang taon ng iba sa atin sa pag-aaral.

Nagtrabaho, nagkasakit, o sadyang mali ang desisyon kaya naudlot ang sanang natapos
ng yugto ng ating buhay. Hindi mo na pwedeng kunin muli ito? Nadagdagan ang taon mo sa pag-
aaral ngunit nabawasan naman ang maling desisyon na gagawin mo sa hinaharap.

Kinukutya dahil walang kaalaman at angking katalinuhan.

Katalinuhan lamang ba ang magdidikta kung gaano ka kagaling? Kung lahat ay matalino,
bakit pa may nagtuturo? Nagsimula rin naman ang maalam sa wala at lumaki ang ulo nang
nagkalaman. Maituturo ang mga bagay na dapat matutunan ngunit hindi natin matatamo ang
magandang asal kung tayo’y hindi magpapakababa.

Hindi mahalaga kung huminto, tumigil, o kinuktya ka sa pag-aaral.

May kaniya-kaniya tayong panahon ng pag-unlad. Hindi naman lahat ng nagtapos ay

nagtatrabaho na. Hindi naman lahat ng magaling ay mataas na ang posisyon. Sulitin mo ang oras,
at piliin mo ang mga desisyon mo. Huwag magmadali dahil laging may naghihintay sa taong
mapagtiis at handang gawin ang lahat makamit lang ang kaniyang pangarap.