Angela Atienza's Blog, page 2
August 21, 2025
August 16, 2025
How to Be Single in the Philippines Without Becoming a Community Tragedy
How to Be Single in the Philippines Without Becoming a Community Tragedy
Writer: Angela Atienza
Genre: Satire
Category: Nonfiction
Language: English (Taglish)
There are few things more suspicious to a Filipino than a person who chooses to be alone, in a country where even ghosts are said to stick around because “sayang naman ‘yung lamay,” solitude is treated as both a moral failing and a medical condition.
In the Philippines, being single is like living in a fishbowl. A lot of aunts have too much fre...
July 29, 2025
The Last Trip
The Last Trip
Writer: Angela Atienza
Genre: Horror
Category: Short Story
Language: English
They were four bodies strung too tightly with caffeine and the wreckage of not sleeping. They were packed into an old Toyota Vios that smelled of old sweat, stale cola, and greasy snacks from the gas station. The seats got hot from being in contact for a long time. Their arms and legs were drooping from being tired. After a week of constant mental stress, their voices were dull from the kind of tiredness that ...
July 25, 2025
How to Bury a Man Who’s Not Dead
How to Bury a Man Who’s Not Dead
Writer: Angela Atienza
Genre: Satire
Category: Nonfiction
Language: English
Let’s talk about ghosting.
Not the literal kind. Though frankly, if your crush died tragically and began haunting you with complete sentences, at least you’d be getting some communication. No, we’re talking about the 21st-century dating epidemic where someone you’ve emotionally invested in suddenly disappears with all the elegance of a missed GCash transfer.
One day, you’re sending each other ...
Manual sa Paghahanap ng Jowa sa Panahon ng 5/6 at Fake News
Manual sa Paghahanap ng Jowa sa Panahon ng 5/6 at Fake News
Writer: Angela Atienza
Genre: Satire
Category: Nonfiction
Language: Filipino (Taglish)
Chapter 1: Orientation para sa mga Umiibig Pero Walang Panggastos
Unang tanong: Bakit gusto mong magka-jowa?
A. Para may kasama sa sine B. Para may ka-share sa rent C. Para hindi na ako tanungin ni Tita Baby kung kailan ako mag-aasawa D. Dahil kahit fake news ang gobyerno, gusto ko ng totoo sa buhay koKung sinagot mo ang D, congrats! May pag-asa ka pang hin...
How to Survive Philippine Family Reunions Without Committing Murder
How to Survive Philippine Family Reunions Without Committing Murder
Writer: Angela Atienza
Genre: Satire
Category: Article
Language: English (Taglish)
There are three universal truths in the Filipino experience:
You will die.You will pay taxes.You will be emotionally waterboarded at a family reunion.Let’s get one thing straight: Filipino family reunions are not “wholesome bonding experiences.” They are tribal rituals disguised as potlucks. They are Hunger Games with lumpia. A blood sport where the st...
June 7, 2025
The Waiting One on Bayanan Bridge
The Waiting One on Bayanan Bridge
Writer: Angela Atienza
Genre: Horror
Category: Short Story
Language: English (Taglish)
There’s an old overpass in Muntinlupa, Bayanan area, the kind of place people drive by without really seeing. Two lanes, rusted steel railings, faded paint. It connects the bustling national road to an older subdivision, one you’d barely notice unless you lived nearby. But the locals–they know. They discuss what happens there after midnight. And no one with sense dares to cross ...
