“Gets mo ba?”

Moving to a new environment with unfamiliar people, culture, and language drives a person to undergo adjustments to fit in, especially in the presence of language barriers and cultural differences. The fear of being misunderstood and judged generates massive anxiety and lowers self-esteem. How do you overcome miscommunication in the midst of language barriers and stereotypes? In today’s episode, join Cendy and Eli in their talk about the challenges they have encountered as a non-native Tagalog speaker, their thoughts on media’s portrayal of ‘heavy-accented probinsyanos’, and what is hoped to realize in the Us vs.ThemFilipino mentality. Eliezer or “Eli” Valencia of Negros Oriental is a transfer student from UP Visayas and now a sophomore in UP Los Baños taking up BS Food Science and Technology. Tagalog being their third language, their continuous adjustment to the new community with the unversed language reveals the difficulties encountered in their stay.