3 Local Podcast Episodes that Will Keep You Going

Now that we’re in ECQ: Season Three, many are again forced to relive the discomfort of isolation. Without interaction with other beings aside from our families and unable to experience moments out of everyday routines, some can’t help but feel that they are stuck in a rut that slowly consumes every bit of spark left in them. If only we can all be as productive as Taylor Swift during this time, we wouldn’t be as anxious as we are about where life will take us once restrictions are permanently out of our track.

But life, as it is more trivial than ever, continues to happen and it is inevitably draining a great number of people. There’s a scene from Wes Anderson’s 2001 film, The Royal Tenenbaums, where Royal tells his ex-wife Etheline that he’s never met a woman with as much grit, fire, and guts as her. What exactly does that description look like and can it be a reality within a time of extreme adversity? Whether you are looking for comfort from others’ words or just need to feel less alone, these podcast episodes will show you what it means to have grit, fire, and guts, and challenge you not to let the fire within die while waiting until you are ready to set yourself ablaze.

1. Go Hard Girls: Nesthy Petecio Knocks Down Barriers

Go Hard Girls puts the spotlight on Filipina athletes who share the recognition they have received to uplift women in sports. In 2020, Ceej Tantengco talked to Nesthy Petecio, who was then fresh from her victory at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 

“Buo ‘yung loob ko,” Petecio bravely recounts how she faced a full-grown male opponent publicly at just 11 years old and the result ended up in her favor. But at the dawn of Nesthy’s career, she was swallowed by darkness. 

After China’s Yin Junhua won via a split decision at the 2018 SEA Games in Jakarta, Nesthy had to beat a greater enemy – depression. She fought it with the support of her family and team. Unbeknownst to everyone, she would become the first Filipino to win a medal at the Olympics for boxing in 2021. 

Nesthy’s healing comes as a reminder that you don’t always have to appear strong. You are allowed to get emotional as long as you don’t let your thirst for a sense of fulfillment vanish whenever you don’t get the result you are hoping for. 

2. Paano Ba 'To: Legends Only — Karen Davila

Bianca Gonzalez, an outspoken woman herself, examines questions that millennials and Gen Zs grapple with today through her podcast, Paano Ba ‘To. In her mini series, entitled Legends Only, she searches for responses to “what makes a legend?” The series piloted with an interview with none other than one of the most iconic figures in modern Philippine journalism, Karen Davila. 

She shares her journey, from being a daughter who strove to help her parents make ends meet to rising from the unwarranted hate she gets for simply doing her job. She does not guarantee that following the exact path she took is the superior way for the youth to attain their ideal selves, and even acknowledges the differences between her generation and ours. 

One point that she does make clear in the latter part of the podcast is for everyone to live their life with meaning. As if it were a command, she asserts: “don’t be a waste of space.” Hold on to the dream but if it does not come to you, no matter how much you work for it, find the courage to walk into another door and trust that you will find your place in this universe.

3. Wake Up With Jim & Saab: Through the Lens of Leni Robredo

Before podcasts were in the local scene’s loop, Jim Bacarro and Saab Magalona made waves with their pioneer series, Wake Up with Jim & Saab. Their channel gives a light-hearted spin to anecdotes that resonate with their “pod kids,” such as heartbreak and daily stressors, making their listeners feel like they are part of their “barkada.” 

Once in a while, they also invite guests to give thoughts on various topics. To commemorate International Women’s Month this year, they conversed with Vice President Leni Robredo to speak her truths on being a mother, wife, public servant, and — to many people’s hearts — a “superwoman.” 

Despite the praises she gets for her service, trolls abound on her feed, burying the minority who believe in her genuine desire to lead. VP Leni states that she chooses to swim against the current while immersed in a sea of bloodshed and hypocrisy, because her goal to see a better country overshadows her personal interests as a politician. 

She remains as the last woman standing because of her belief that the grass can only be greener where you till the land. You can always flee, but if you don’t take up the responsibility to uphold what is right and wait a while as you toil, you might just miss the fruit before it blooms.

Read: 5 Underrated Superheroines Every Girl Should Know About

━━ Written By Melissa Tan 
━━  Still from “Lost in Translation”

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