My Friends Photo Album

'Dungaw' Boys

2005-03-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

Having their workstations situated by the window, these studs developed the penchant to gaze out the window every time there's a beautiful "sight" outside in the streets of the corporate neighborhood where the building housing Diwa Scholastic Press Inc. is located, earning them the notorious tag Dungaw Boys.

Dungaw is a Filipino word (a verb) which, in English, means "to gaze out the window."

My friends and former officemates Agapito "Aga" Toledano, Michael "Mike" Pasetes, El Dosado, and Aris Villaronte, in the picture below, were members of the so-called Dungaw Boys of Diwa's SEM-Editorial Department.

During my employment at Diwa (2000–2003), Aga was our department's messenger, Mike and El were illustrators, and Aris was a layout artist.

Mike, a fellow action-figure collector, illustrated most of the characters I conceptualized for my original fantasy novel Visionata Grandiosa, which to this day is yet to be finished.

A professional artist, El has an impressive portfolio which includes a great number of oil paintings of engkanto ('Philippine mythical beings'). If I didn't leave the country, El and I would have been coauthors of the Engkanto book I am finishing. He was my illustrator for Magica, one of the scholastic magazines I used to handle at Diwa as an editor.

2005-03-13T23:40:00.000-08:00

Photo taken in mid-2003, prior to my departure to Canada, at the pantry of Diwa Scholastic Press Inc., in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines, where I last worked: My friends and former officemates Agapito "Aga" Toledano, Michael "Mike" Pasetes, El Dosado, and Aris Villaronte.

DSPI's SEM Editors, 2003

2005-03-13T23:23:00.000-08:00

Scholastic Enhancement Materials (SEM) are the supplementary high-school and elementary magazines published by Diwa Scholastic Press Inc., Philippines:

Bato Balani: Science & Technology for High School
Salaguinto: Science & Technology for Elementary
Magica: English Grammar & Literature for High School
Abracadabra: English Grammar & Literature for Elementary
Tatsulok: Mathematics for High School
Mathalino: Mathematics for Elementary
Tambuli: Filipino for High School
Kaluskos: Filipino for Elementary
Damayan: Cultural & Social Studies for High School
Alitaptap: Cultural & Social Studies for Elementary
Buhawi: Physical Education, Health, Music & Arts for High School
Hagibis: Physical Education, Health, Music & Arts for Elementary
Batingaw: Values Education for High School
Punla: Values Education for Elementary

Below are some of my fellow SEM editors during my time at Diwa's Editorial Department (2000–2003):

Cristopher "Bopip" Creo, Loriedith "Lorie" Meneses, Jayge William Salvan, Elline "Line" Perey, and Gina Lagramada.

Bopip was the editor of Alitaptap; Lorie, of Kaluskos and Tambuli, Jayge, Salaguinto; Line, Mathalino; and Gina, Tatsulok.

I used to handle Bato Balani, Abracadabra, and Magica.

2005-03-13T23:22:00.000-08:00

Photo taken in mid-2003, prior to my departure to Canada, at the SEM-Editorial Department of Diwa Scholastic Press Inc., in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines: Cristopher "Bopip" Creo, Loriedith "Lorie" Meneses, Jayge William Salvan, Elline "Line" Perey, and Gina Lagramada