Photos by Angel Pua
Last March 28, Edukasyon.ph held a one-day talk series, inviting over various personalities to talk about the self and the internet here at MINT. The speakers were TV host and former volleyball player Gretchen Ho; Edukasyon.ph CEO and founder Henry Motte-Muñoz; doctor and mental health advocate Dr. Gia Sison; and hiphop artist Quest.
GRETCHEN HO
TV host and former volleyball player
TV host and former volleyball player Gretchen Ho shared insights about the rampant misinformation currently happening on the internet. As a TV personality, she is advocating for people to develop a critical mind in dealing with information from the internet, especially in discerning which news articles are fake.
One practical tip to combat misinformation is to use Checkology.org, a website dedicated to check the sources of the claims in a seemingly compromised article found on the internet. She also shared practical knowledge on how to spot errors or misquotes. She emphasized that sources should always be properly cited. W
HENRY MOTTE-MUÑOZ
Edukasyon.ph Founder and CEO
Edukasyon.ph CEO and founder, Henry Motte-Muñoz talked about how to maximize the internet for better access to higher education and to improve one’s career opportunities. He began his talk about how there are well-known universities that offer their programs online. Nowadays, one can already earn their diploma on any two-year program or take electives for an added boost in the skillset area.
Given the advent of improved internet, he stressed how choice play an important factor if you’re building your resume online. Information about various industries can now be accessed at the tip of a finger—with accessible websites, companies making profiles at every social media platform, and the one-stop site of LinkedIn. “It’s important to know what you want to pursue, and you can start with finding companies that hire your seniors,” he said. “From there, try to observe what kind of positions do they hold in the company and study it.” W
DR. GIA SISON
Medical doctor and mental health advocate
Gia Sison is an Occupational medical doctor and a breast cancer survivor known for her comforting presence as a Twitter personality. Her account, @giasison, is a go-to source for anyone who is troubled about life or is seeking advice before a big decision.
As a mental health advocate, she gave a 13-pointer talk on how to achieve mental wellness, especially in the midst of a toxic online life. This includes being aware of one’s self— your capabilities, as well as your limitations. Sison stressed how life can really knock someone off their path, but the resilience must come within. “Keep yourself,” she shared. “No matter how much the world tries to bombard you with something bad, whether it’s as trivial as being stuck in traffic when you’re running late, or as major as losing a family member, you still have you to keep you on your feet. You can still be strong. W
QUEST
Recording artist
Quest’s journey as a thriving recording artist today is nothing but inspirational. His talk revolved on the hardships he went through when he was just starting out. Quest recalled his life as a starting musician— from creating songs that was hard to put out, to the bad habits he picked up as he was peddling his music gig by gig.
Nonetheless, he came to a point where he decided he had to change his ways. He recalled feeling that his passion had turned into frustration when he failed to put his music out there. He was disheartened many times when his musical career was stalled by events of his own doing. One instance was when he missed his chance of being the lead vocal for South Border, a popular R&B band that rose to fame during the 2000s, as he was undergoing rehabilitation that time. But still, both as a warning and as a story of hope, Quest continued to persevere and lived to tell his tale that is both engaging and inspiring. W