In the City of Quezon City, an old woman with ragged clothes approached Editha R. Huelgas and her husband, Nestor M. Huelgas. She offered fortune telling services for five pesos only. It seemed like fun and was cheap, so they decided to try it out. The old woman foretold the birth of a daughter in our family. My parents laughed out loud as they were approaching their 40’s, and seemed ridiculous. Strangely, the old woman smiled and looked them both in the eyes. My mother and father froze because of the reaction of the woman, and laughed awkwardly. Oh boy.. My father should’ve worn a condom. They would have never thought I would be born on the cold night of October 14, 2005, at Veterans Medical Center.
Hello! My name is Izzah Faye Precious R. Huelgas. As a child, I really had a hard time writing my name. For a 3 year old, three words seemed like a hundred, so when I got tired and frustrated for the first time! I ripped my practice paper and started crying. Complaining about how long my name is. Guess what happened? My mother chased me down with a clothes hanger. I was bawling my eyes out while running around the house until my father came and lifted me to protect me from my mom. After the ordeal, I ate dinner peacefully with my family. Hesitant to approach her, I hid behind my father’s back. She held my hand and pulled me closer. I sat on her lap as she brushed my hair with her fingers. She explained that my name consists of 3 words, since I am the 3rd child in the family. Secondly, my name “Izzah” was derived from the Filipino word “Isa” meaning one. I am the only daughter of our family. They were told that ”Faye” means faith and fate. Lastly, “Precious” came from Miss International 2005, Precious Lara Quigaman. To this day, the spanking still stings and I never did it again.
I have two siblings protecting me and loving me in their own little ways. We live in a small but warm home. My father used to be an operator on the jeepneys we owned, but he now helps my mother with our mini-eatery.My childhood was fun. It was filled with a lot of great memories. Just like typical children, I loved to play patintero, langit' lupa, tumbang preso and there was also a time when I got addicted to biking while basking under the sun. After playing, I would watch the afternoon telenovelas with a cup of cold orange juice to quench my thirst.
I started school at Mines Elementary School. I was there from kindergarten to Grade 3. Growing up, I could see my troubled brother struggling with his academics. My parents would set him as an example of what not to be. Since then I have had a great sense of responsibility with my academics. I was a bright child. I could read and comprehend English at an early age and did well at school, but my teachers would say otherwise. They would describe me as a child who is in her own world. I really didn't talk much or make friends at school. My mom learned about this and she signed me up for girl scouts in hopes of me making new friends. It was fun camping, learning the ways of girl scouts, and attending extracurricular events, but friendships were not my thing. When I was at school, my classmates would forcibly take my food. I was hesitant about it, but every time they did it they would call me their friend. My mom noticed I was getting thinner as the days went by and asked me about it. She was shocked and was determined to put me into a better school.
In 2014,I was transferred to a private school, St. Mary's College as a Grade 4 student. It was a big adjustment for my parents and I. The tuition fees were quite steep and the conditions of the school were quite different from the previous school I attended. Like usual children, they were curious about the new kid. The kids in this school were very wealthy, unlike me who came from a poor background. I kept it a secret until I graduated. Nevertheless, I made lots of friends at this school. I also did better academically the following year (2015-2016) after the adjustment. My stay there was fun. We have plays, festive performances, and even carnival rides every single year! During our foundation day a ferris wheel dressed in different colors would be built on the quadrangle. The ride was fun and exhilarating. The ferris wheel was different from the others that would go slow and steady. This one would go round and round as fast as it could. I could still feel the cold breeze hitting warm cheeks, as we screamed at the top of our lungs.
Just as fun it was, my relationship with my parents began to waver. To afford my tuition fees, they worked almost 24/7. My mother also began selling other goods besides cookies, like blouses, dresses, and shirts. My father began selling our jeepneys and helped my mother with her business. There would be times my brother was the one who was attending events and getting my card from school, and sometimes no one would attend. I continued at St. Mary's College until I graduated from elementary school in 2017.
We couldn't afford the continuous rise in fees, so I transferred to the Affordable Private Education Center (APEC Schools), in 2017. There is one particular subject called Life Labs. It encouraged us to find problems in our society and solve them. That subject helped me in public speaking and making friends. It required us to present our topics to the class, survey other people, and innovate. I was once voted as the representative of our class for a pageant of "Buwan Ng Wika". I told my mother about it and we bought my costume. When the day came my adviser told me if there wasn't someone coming for me. I shook my head because I knew they were too busy for me. We never won, but it was a unique experience.
I became a grade 8 student in 2018. I was voted as the class president as a joke and won , but it weighed heavily on me. In my mind, I had to be a role model to my classmates. We were previously known as the most hated class in our school. For me, the mistake of the class would be my mistake. I became uptight with myself and my classmates. I further drove my friends away from me. It was sad, like I was alone on top of the world. I lost some friends, but I am grateful for those who stayed.
2019 came, oh how fast the time came that I became a Grade 9 student. I healed and became a better person. I was assigned to lead our class to make a costume representing the people of Batanes. I developed my leadership skills because of that, but also I realized the weight of being a leader. The pressure and stress they bear is something admirable. How they put on the mask for the team while they suffer, because the whole team depends on them. They needed to be strong.
We approached 2020 with high hopes. Feng shui experts said that it was the year of business and in general, a lucky year. Well… They were wrong about that. We were overjoyed when there was an announcement of a class suspension for two whole weeks, but it turned into years. I really struggled coping with the pandemic, especially when we got infected with the deadly virus. A lot of issues came to light. Luckily, because of the lockdown, I fixed my relationship with my parents. Time flew by and “Online class” was introduced. I managed to love the studies of social sciences, we learned about governance and it was the reason I became a Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) student shortly after. I was one step closer to becoming a senior high student. It was hard, but I managed to graduate Junior High School in 2021.
I transferred to New Era University (NEU) in 2021. I studied there because my brother was an alumni at the school and it is 20 mins away from my house just in case face-to-face classes are implemented. It was tough, since I was the only one who took HUMSS in our friend group, but I’m glad I did. I managed to meet amazing people, who I can improve with. I managed to become more independent, to take charge of myself.
We are now in the year 2022. I am turning 17 soon! My life had its ups and downs, but it was a very fun and fulfilling experience. I am glad that I never gave up and could taste the pain, love, and laughs life has.
It is nice to reminisce about Saturday mornings watching Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, The Secret World of Arrietty, and many more with a cup of warm Milo on the side. The feeling of starting a new journey with every story brings nothing but peace, excitement, and satisfaction to our minds. Studio Ghibli has changed the childhoods of many people around the world with their magnificent and beautiful array of stories. Have you ever wondered how these colorful animations were made into reality and the man behind its curtains?
On January 5 1941, a master was born in the land of the rising sun, Japan. Hayao Miyazaki was the second son among his three siblings. His father is Katsuji Miyazaki, the owner of Miyazaki Airplane. The company manufactured airplane parts for World War II. Hayao described his relationship with his father as cold and distant. Yoshiko Miyazaki is his mother. She had a great influence on Miyazaki’s works, where women were portrayed as strong and independent like she was. She often questioned socially accepted norms and battled with her illness for nine years.
When he was a child, he felt like an outcast. He was told that he would not live past 20, because of his digestive problems. They later moved to Kanuma in 1945 due to the city-bombing. In 1947 he started school as an elementary student in Utsunomiya as an evacuee. This was also the year his mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis and battled with it until 1955. After he finished third grade, they moved back to Tokyo, where he finished his primary education at Omiya Elementary School.
He continued his education at Omiya Junior High School. During this time, manga rose in popularity. He dreamt of becoming a manga artist. He could not draw faces, but he did excellently at drawing airplanes, tanks, etc. He destroyed his earlier works. For Hayao, they were a replica of another artist's style, hindering his growth as an artist. When he was a Senior High Schooler, he discovered his love for the film after seeing the first colored animated Japanese film “The Tale of the White Serpent”
In 1956, he entered Gakushuin University where he majored in Political Science and economics. Throughout his college days, he joined a club named “Children's literature research club”.It was the closest thing to comics. They read and discussed European books and comics. This influenced his early works that incorporated European settings. Finally, in 1963, he graduated from college.
In the same year, he landed a job at “Toei Animation” as an in-between artist. Three months later, he got involved in the labor union and led the fight against social injustice. When 1964 came, he became the chief secretary of Toei's labor union. In the same year, he dated his coworker, Akemi Ota, who became his wife in October of 1965.
He worked as the chief animator, concept artist, and scene designer on “The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun ” in 1965. His approach to animation was largely influenced as he worked with his mentor, Yasuo Ōtsuka during the production of this film. Another mentee was under Yasuo Ōtsuka’s wing, who is the director of the same film; Isao Takahata.
Mangas and countless adaptations were made during his career with Toei Animation until he left in August 1971. He was hired at A-Studio where he continued to work with Takahata until June 1973, when he moved to Zuiyō Eizō, which is now known as Nippon Animation (1975). After 5 years (1979), he left Nippon Animation for Telecom Animation Film, where he directed and trained its employees.
Ideas were developed to adapt the comic “Rowlf ” written by Richard Corben. During this time he was interviewed by the editorial staff of Animage, where he showed his outlines and sketches and saw potential in Hayao’s work. The "Warring States Demon Castle” and the adaptation of the comic “Rowlf” were proposed but rejected. Despite that, they have come to an agreement for Hayao’s work to be published but not made into a film. It was titled “Nausicaa the valley of the wind” (Feb 1982-March 1994). He drew each chapter with a pencil, and printed it with monochrome ink for the magazine. He later resigned in 1982.
Hayao was encouraged to work on Film Adaptation, which he initially refused, but then he changed his mind on the condition that he can direct. He chose “Nausicaa the valley of the wind”.He had difficulties with the screenplay as the manga only had 16 chapters. The mercury poisoning in Minamata bay inspired Hayao for the film to portray strong female characters that fight for the environment. It was released to the public on March 11, 1984, where it grossed ¥1.48 billion at the box office.
In June 1985, along with 3 other people, Hayao Mizaki founded “Studio Ghibli”. From 1986 to 1989, he directed 3 out of 4 films that the studio published at this time, including ” Laputa: Castle in the sky” (1986), ” My Neighbor Totoro” (April 1988), “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (July 1989). His works during this time were largely influenced by European settings.
Not until the 1990’s the Japanese elements slowly incorporated in his work because of the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990. Studio Ghibli signed an agreement with Disney to distribute its films internationally in 1996. The following year, his film “Princess Mononoke” (1967), slowly gained popularity globally. In 2001, when he released “Spirited Away”, he won the Academy Award for the “best-animated feature”. In 2006, the international media Time magazine voted him one of the “Asian Heroes” of the past 60 years because of his contribution to the animated film industry.
In 2013, the “Wind rises” was released as well as the announcement of his retirement was released to the public. When he was 74 years old, he received the Academy’s Honorary Award (2014). By this time the public had accepted the retirement of the master, but he announced in 2016 that he was directing another animated film titled “How Do You Live?”.It was revealed that the 17 mins of the film had only been made and wouldn't be released before 2022.
Amazingly, a master like him can’t stop creating. He said in an interview that he doesn’t watch his movies more than twice as he notices its flaws and regrets not striving for perfection. He believed that we should always seek for improvements and become the better version of ourselves. Even though he tried to retire many times, he couldn't help but create. As a young child, he witnessed the horrors of war. It became his motivation and his will to live, to put a smile on peoples faces with the colorful touch of emotions through his work. Creation that will shape future generations to come.
Elijah taps his heel against the floor as love awaits his door. When a shadow suddenly hovered above his figure that women adore. He looked up and saw a young woman with rosy cheeks and a blinding smile. She waved at him, and then he stood up immediately and almost fell. Is it because of the spell? The woman chuckled at his gesture as Elijah smiled shyly while scratching his head. He pushed back her chair and sat across the table.
They quickly stole a glance of one another and, when their eyes met, butterflies filled their head. He got a pen and paper to put out the words inside his head. He gave the woman the paper and It said: “You look gorgeous”. The woman put her hair behind her ears to make her blush disappear, yet to no avail, it did not go anywhere near. The woman looked into his dark brown eyes and signed ” Just looking at you makes me smile” with a smile no one could put a price on.