Malditang Librarian

From my trip to Singapore last April 2019 was a year of changes and endings. I finished my thesis for my graduate degree and finally graduated my Master's in Library and Information Science. I started my Master's in June 2016. I completed it in three years. Though I admit I feel nothing about it and at the time of graduation I just wanted it to be over! The thesis was the most challenging part of it but I learned a lot about research from it. Next year, I hope to start my own research projects. My contract for my last library job ended. I worked for one year in SEAFDEC AQD Library and Data Bank and I am glad to have worked in one of the best libraries here. My job was digitizing books which is a new thing that I never studied in library school. The contract was only for a year, and though I learned a lot it's time to move on. I managed to lose weight and started a healthier lifestyle. I have always struggled with my weight and one of my new year's resolutions...

Photo credit: Deco's La Paz Facebook page When one thinks of Iloilo City and food, one immediately thinks of the famous batchoy. When I think of batchoy I think of home - noodles in bone broth with meats and drizzled with crunchy chicharon , best served with steaming puto or pandesal. Batchoy is truly the Ilonggo's classic comfort food. Deco's La Paz Batchoy is one of the first batchoy restaurants in Iloilo City and has been nicknamed "The Father of All Batchoys". They recently re-opened their Valeria branch last December 18 with a new design - where customers can see how the batchoy is prepared before serving. It resembles the set-up of a Japanese ramen house but with an Ilonggo twist. They also have an Instagrammable wall with art depicting Ilonggo culture, perfect for picture-taking for both tourists and locals. This is their second branch which features this unique design, the first was in Deco's Robinsons Place Jaro branch. Since Iloilo City i...

Full Title: Fire + water + bombs: Disaster management among academic libraries in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Philippines Authors: Daryl L. Superio, Ethelyn M. Abaday, Mary Grace H. Oliveros, Allana S. Delgado (that's me, Malditang Librarian), Vince Ervin V. Palcullo, Joy F. Geromiano Published in: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 41 (Elsevier) Citation: Superio, D. L., Abaday, E. M., Oliveros, M. G. H., Delgado, A. S., Palcullo, V. E. V., & Geromiano, J. F. (2019). Fire + water + bombs: Disaster management among academic libraries in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Philippines. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 41, 101311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101311 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10862/3517 Abstract:  The academic libraries in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Philippines are vulnerable to disasters. In the last ten years, the majority of the 13 respondent libraries have sustained at least one disaster that may have been caused by ...

I just finished my graduate degree last month. While I'm happy about finishing it, there's the dread. The fear of success - now that I have an MLIS, I feel like there's more expected of me. Since there are few librarians in the country, sometimes I feel like having a Master's makes others expect that you are now able to manage a library. I know that I'm not for that, I'd rather work in something specific, like Cataloging. People are not my strength. Though, don't get me wrong, I'm glad about graduating and I worked hard for it but I'm here again, doubting myself. Of course, I took a graduate degree for obvious reasons - career advancement, job opportunities for higher salaries, and the accomplishment of having the degree. But the real story behind it was I needed to have a reason to quit from my first job in Manila. I worked in a good organization, though the boss and me didn't get along. There came a point that I hated waking up and going ...

Joker. Anyone familiar with superheroes knows one of Batman's most formidable enemies and one of the most iconic and recognizable villains in media. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight  is one of my favorite movies, which features the critically acclaimed portrayal of Joker by the late Heath Ledger. As an antagonist, the Joker of The Dark Knight is nihilistic, anarchic, and mysterious. To me, Ledger's Joker was scary because he doesn't have any rhyme and reason to his actions - as he claims to be an "agent of chaos." In The Dark Knight , there was a suspenseful clash between Batman and the Joker. You won't find that in this version of Joker. When I heard of a new Joker movie and saw the trailer, I was anticipating the movie. We're used to big-budget movies from the Marvel and DC universe, with their advanced effects and film technology. I admit that sometimes, the premise of these movies can be quite ridiculous (Infinity Stones?) but they are als...

I just graduated my MLIS (Master in Library and Information Science) degree this month. It took me more than a year to finish my thesis, a requirement for graduation. There were many revisions and overhauls before the final product. It was also one of the most challenging things I have written. I took my MLIS in Central Philippine University, Iloilo City, where I also had my bachelor's degree in LIS in 2014. I started in June 2016, so it took me more than three years to complete it. In the Philippines, an MLIS is often a requirement for librarian jobs especially for state universities and colleges or SUCs. A graduate degree may be necessary for promotions, school accreditations, and career advancement. Having an MLIS degree opens more opportunities for librarians. Many who work in libraries and may not have studied Library Science as an undergraduate may opt to take a Master's degree to qualify to take the licensure examination to become an official registered librarian in...

[Note: This blog post is quite late and the hype for this movie has died down. This movie review has been sitting on my drafts for a while. I've been quite busy these past few months because I was working on my graduate thesis. My thesis is finished and submitted, so now I have more time to focus on this blog and write.] Hello, Love, Goodbye is a Filipino movie starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, produced by Star Cinema and directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina. It was shown in theaters around August 2019.  I have read a lot of positive reviews for this movie, and it's also a cinema blockbuster that earned millions when it was showing. I was curious and wanted to see if it was worth the hype. I was not disappointed! This is the first time that stars from the two top rival TV networks in the Philippines (ABS-CBN and GMA) teamed up for a movie. Both Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo are halves of very popular “love teams” in the Philippine show business. Alden R...