For example, there's even an official translation of Elden Ring in Thai, which is not expected, usually, it is with Japanese, Chinese, and Korean amongst German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese as the top contenders for localization. But if there was a Filipino localization team for translating Elden Ring into Tagalog, there would be challenges for key terms heavily tied to the lore, how would they convey "Tarnished" in Tagalog (not Taglish) as in coming up with an actual word for it?
For instance, referencing the original Japanese: 褪せ人 ("Nalalabong Tao") & Italian version: "Senzaluce" ("Walang Illaw") they have to change the wordings and be creative with adapting terms for the player in their country to understand it the way its meant to be intended, it to suit their audience while it still communicates a tone equivalent of the English "Tarnished", so in their case it works in their way. To put it, how would you translate "Tarnished" in Tagalog within the context referring to the player?
Erdtree in Japanese is known as 黄金樹 ("Gintong Puno") as it is a portmanteau of 黄金 ("Ginto") and 樹 ("Puno") so that already conveys that it is talking about the Erdtree, the same applies to Miquella's Haligtree (JP: ミケラの聖樹 & IT: "Sacro Albero di Miquella") as the kanji 聖 ("Banal") is used here, in conjunction with 樹, so it'll be coined as 聖樹 ("Banal na Puno") which connotates Haligtree. How would this also be localized into Tagalog while preserving the meaning?
Especially with Melina's line when you first meet her, she states: "I offer you an accord." but that saying connotates an agreement, status, or recognition, so it means that she is seeking, you as the Tarnished under the pretense of completing her objective. How would a Filipino translator localize that line of dialog in Tagalog while also bearing the same meaning?

Side note: in English, this makes for some comedy, as "Accord" is also an existing car type, so there's bound to be memes about this, how are you going to localize that meme in Tagalog while making Filipinos laugh, basically localizing that sense of humor while keeping the joke funny without loosing its meaning, Filipinos should also get that meme when localized.

The same applies to Japanese 黄金律 (lit: "Ginintuang Batas") how are you going to adaptively translate the word "Golden Order" in Tagalog within the confines of Elden Ring lore? The definition: a set of beliefs which is a set of beliefs surrounding the Greater Will*, an outer god who enforces their decisions through a vassal known as the Two Fingers*.

*Two Fingers: they act as a destiny to the demi-gods, a path which they must take. They are the main manfestation of the greater will in the game other than Elden Beast. (How are you going to translate this word in Tagalog? - Remember, not literally! Instead an adaptive translation.)
*Also, how are you going to translate "greater will" in Tagalog in this context? as it connotates a deeper definition than a general one. The 'greater will' is what ruled the Lands Between prior to the 'shattering'
*The lands between is that it's connected between all lands, as the name suggests.
*Shattering - a term that is defined as the war between demigods and the smashing of the Elden ring.

A Filipino translator will need to play the game first in Japanese or English to fully understand the lore and content, other specific terms like "shattering" & "the Lands Between" may stump Filipino translators at first if localizing it for the Filipino player base, as they have to be creative when conveying that in Tagalog, as you want positive feedback in return, while the meaning is preserved:

• If the Filipino translator is smart enough to come up with an equivalent for both terms while the Tagalog translation stays faithful to the game's lore and theme, then the player base will be very impressed that a Pinoy managed to translate that part during the cutscene accurately while they are reading the Tagalog subtitles, as Elden Ring only has English dub.
• If a Filipino translator went out of their way to adaptively translate the names of spells, weapons, talismans, and boss remembrances (along with their descriptions and special effects) the reaction from the Pinoy player base would be like: "Wow! Ang galing ng pagsasalin! Paano nila nagawang isalin ang lahat ng iyon nang tumpak sa Tagalog?"

Also, when it comes to translating the UI of the game itself, how will Filipino translators adaptively localize the names of bosses, locations & regions, weapons, spells, etc.? Including the attributes and stats attached to your character:
EG. Player's stats:

日本語 (オリジナル)	English release (Official)	Versione ufficiale in italiano
レベル	(Character) Level	Livello
生命力	Vitality (HP)	Vitalità
精神力	Mind (FP)	Mente
持久力	Endurance (Stamina)	Tempra
筋力	Strength	Forza
技量	Dexterity	Destrezza
知力	Intelligence	Intelligenza
信仰	Faith	Fede
神秘	Arcane	Arcano

How would you acurately translate them into Tagalog (not Taglish) while maintaining their overall meaning (also fitting into the available space within the HUD of the game's UI) and the meanings connoate your the characters stats towards Filipino players? (which the translation is adaptive, not translated literally by word.)

EG. Bosses:

日本語 (オリジナル)	English release (Official)	Versione ufficiale in italiano
百智卿ギデオン	Gideon, the All Knowing	Gideon l'Onniscente
爛れた樹霊	Ulcerated Tree Spirit	Spirito arboreo ulcerato
星砕きのラダーン	Starscourge Radahn	Radhan il Flagello celeste
黄金律、ラダゴン	Radagon of the Golden Order	Radagon dell'Ordine Aureo
忌み鬼、マルギット	Margit, the Fell Omen	Margit il Presagio Implacabile
忌み王、モーゴッド	Morgot, the Omen King	Morgott, Re Presagio
接ぎ木のゴドリック	Godrick, the grafted	Godrick l'Innestato
冒涜の君主、ライカード	Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy	Rykard, Signore della Blasfemia

How would you adaptively (not literally) translate boss names and titles into Tagalog (not Taglish) while giving Filipino players a 'badass' vibe by reading the boss names upon their first encounter, their reaction is along the lines of "Wow! That's a cool name they gave [boss]!" You want to impress them based on how it is translated, not disappoint them.

EG. Spells & Incantations:

日本語 (オリジナル)	English release (Official)	Versione ufficiale in italiano
彗星アズール	Comet Azur	Cometa di Azur
創星雨	Founding Rain of Stars	Pioggia di Stelle Primordiali
ラニの暗月	Ranni's Dark Moon	Luna Nera di Ranni
アデューラの月の剣	Adula's Moonblade	Lama Lunare di Adula
黒き剣	Black Blade	Lama Nera
黄金樹の回復	Erdtree Heal	Cura dell'Albero Madre
坩堝の諸相・尾	Aspects of the Crucible: Tail	Forma del Crogiolo: Coda
古竜の雷撃	Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike	Attacco Folgorante dei Draghi Antichi

How would you adaptively (not literally) translate spell or incantation names into Tagalog (not Taglish) while giving Filipino players a 'that sounds cool' vibe by reading the name of the spell or incantation they obtained, their reaction is along the lines of "That's sounds sick! I wanna use that!" You want to impress them based on how it is translated, not disappoint them.

EG. Locations:

日本語 (オリジナル)	English release (Official)	Versione ufficiale in italiano
巨人たちの山嶺	Mountaintop of the Giants	Montagne dei Giganti Ovest
崩れゆくファルムアズラ	Crumbling Farum Azula	Farum Azula in Frantumi
王都ローデイル	Leyndell, Royal Capital	Leyndell, La Capitale Reale
深き根の底	Deeprot Depths	Abisso tra le Radici
啜り泣きの半島	Weeping Peninsula	Penisola del pianto
永遠の都、ノクローン	Nokron, Eternal City	Nokron, Città Eterna
腐れ湖	Lake of Rot	Lago Putrescente
忌み捨ての地下	Subterranean Shunning-Grounds	Abissi Dimenticati

How would you adaptively (not literally) translate the names of locations and areas within Elden Ring into Tagalog (not Taglish) while giving Filipino players a 'that's awesome' vibe by reading the name of where they are, their reaction is along the lines of "The name perfectly matches where I am" You want to impress them based on how it is translated, not disappoint them.

As you can see, a Filipino translator will have to not only speak Tagalog at a native level, would also need extensive knowledge of the fantasy genre in general, like playing other RPGs or Souls-like titles to have a full understanding of the types of jargon they use, eg. HP, FP / Mana, Stamina. I mean, translators of other languages can localize Elden Ring, like German or Thai for example, they have their localization team that can adaptively translate the game. So, a Filipino translator will have to be creative with their wordings upon localizing Elden Ring into Tagalog.
A Filipino who would translate the game into Tagalog would have to be very well versed in fantasy, as Elden Ring is heavily dependent on this theme, the translator will need to localize the words into Tagalog while connotating a fantastical and "Lord of the Rings" vibe that also brings intrigue to Filipino players the same way how Harry Potter hooked fans of Non-English speaking backgrounds, and it was a massive hit globally, as translators have to be creative upon localizing the books into their respective languages while they still preserve their meanings.
The result should be like this:

• The overall Tagalog text for names of locations, spells, weapons & etc. should be concise so that it won't tire Filipino players who are reading it, the subtitles should also be consistent with the dialog spoken, as their wordings perfectly reflect and connotate what is being said in English. (It's the only dub available.)
• "The translation is impressive! It's so good as if Bandi Namco or From Software themselves hired a Filipino team to localize Elden Ring, seriously! The Tagalog text is translated perfectly, and the meanings match! The names of everything in the game flow super well! I don't know how in the hell they have to come up with unique wordings, but it fits!"

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

Hello A'tin! Thank you for your support with the recent initiatives we've launched. We want to share some subreddit updates and discuss future activities with everyone!
First off, happy 4.2K subscribers! Thank you for your passion and support for SB19. Let's keep spreading the love for our favorite group and making this subreddit even more awesome!

The English-only chat channel is here!

We've launched a poll of interest for an English only chat given that we have A'tin from different parts of the globe. We heard you! If you are an A'tin who does not speak Filipino/Tagalog, feel free to join this chat group: https://www.reddit.com/sb19/s/nZmKrIpNLW . Now, you can connect with fellow fans from all over the world in a language we all share!

Introducing: Meme Mondays

We all know how effortlessly funny SB19 and A'tin can be. Ever come across a hilarious moment in a video, picture, or meme of the boys and wanted to share it with everyone? We got you, fam! Starting next week, join us for Meme Mondays here at SB19's subreddit. Start your week right by laughing with your fellow A'tin!

Pre-concert Megathread

SB19's Pagtatag finale is just around the corner! To help you with your concert questions, we'll launch a megathread pre-concert. Whether you're seeking advice on concert guidelines, transportation, live streaming or simply want to share your excitement, this megathread is for you!
Thank you for keeping this subreddit active. Let's keep the conversations going!
Always in the zone,
SB19 Modteam

I really don't know if under pa ba to ng tinawatag na girl's instincts/kutob o I am too much overthinking lang. I have a bf and there's a girl na mostly reactors sa mga shared posts nya and vice versa, minsan naka public posts si girl and saw may bf reacts to some of her posts. Si girl ay old classmate nya.
It became a habit na I am stalking them, especially kay girl kung what's new and check if my bf reacts to it. Funny lang last time I saw her post about doing exercise and my bf reacted ng heart. Then next day nung nag-date kami ni bf, sinegway ko lang about that exercise. Unintentionally, after ko makauwi sa bahay namin, I checked her profile again and browsed yung post ni girl and look how the universe is giving me a sign lol. Yung unang kita ko sa post nya naka react bf ko don, after ko lang ikwento about that exercise is tinanggal na nya yung react nya sa post ni girl.
Ano to beh, nakakutob ka bang nang-sstalk ako kasi ang perfect lang ng timing talaga hahahhahha actually, di lang yan napansin ko e. Gulat ako biglang naging fan sya ng isang kpop girl group, upon investigating lahat ng nalalaman nyang kpop girl group is fave nung girl hahahahahhaha ambot talaga, e wala naman syang friends na mahilig sa kpop especially girl group. Biglaan lang talaga sya naging fan, I was shocked nung sinabi nya yon. Palaisipan sakin pano sya nagka interest bigla don ahahha is it may ibang nag introduce (na tumutugma sa music taste ni girl e lol) o bigla lang narinig halimbawa sa YouTube yung songs nila and nagustuhan to (lol trust issue rises up)
Parang meron akog malaking puzzle na sinosolve e, tas unti-unti malapit ko ng mabuo lol.
Idk what category is this e. Pero kulang pa kasi ako evidence to prove if may something lang. Or is it a girl's instincts or just being oa and overthinking lang talaga. Lalo di naman namin hawak acc ng isat-isa cos I respect privacy. I don't want to open it up pa sa kanya, basta ako I gave him obvious hints na yung gf nya is kapatid si detective conan, charaught.

Pls read my post before messaging .
Just to state, I'm Greek living in Greece. I'm not in PH and don't speak Tagalog,only some words and phrases. I'm interested in making new friends,as I had some good ones in the past, and I got interested in ur culture, people, language country etc. But I'm here for other reasons today.
Can someone stay on call with me? It can be on discord ?
I'm going through hell with my illnesses relapsing the past months and specially weeks and other events happening,and currently I'm in such distress and pain ,exhausted, in agony stress anxiety and loneliness and more 😞
For now I promise u that Im fighting with all I can and I'm safe,I just would like a kind soul being there for me through this. A friend who's gonna support and also find distraction to and relax with even for a few moments and find peace with.
to hear a voice and feel like someone is there for me
A safe space and someone who's understanding ,calm,empathetic,my safe space, funny,friendly,talkative,comforting,positive soul ,not stigmatized ,patient and kind,empathetic towards psychiatric illnesses,other health issues,trauma and crisis and chill in general
also prayers are so needed and appreciated 🙏🏻😞
If u're a fellow Christian,can we pray together or read the bible or can u send me some bible verses ?
if u can cheer me up,or play an instrument or sing to me,
watch cartoons or ghibli,movies together online,
talk about something ,pets,traveling,nature,food,cultures,languages,
send memes or find something comforting and funny.. I'd appreciate u and it all so much!
Also I'd like if u could stay with me till I sleep or rest even if we don't talk and stay in silence in each other's presence
I just really really need this more than anything . I'm sorry if I end up crying or breaking down but it's all too much and I need someone .
I'm fighting with all I got , and taking it one min at a time .. I'm barely hanging on,and I'd like a soul being there even if it's on the other side of the phone and world. 😞
Can someone be my comfort and company?
I'm all alone and I don't wanna be alone. I just want someone ,a friend u know..
I'd appreciate a friend to be there and talk ,have calls ,distraction from this all and life , and company,a safe space ..a company so I'm not alone In all this.
I don't know who even reads all this, but also I'd appreciate it if u could u tell me something nice,something comforting that's going to fill my wounds and soul with hope and light ?
something hopeful and that there's still kindness,life,hope in this world and love and humanity? Or anything amazing that happened to you or about ur pets or a stranger u met randomly ,or a song or movie ? Anything funny,memes,Anything I really need it.

So I'm down to my last 3 sessions in driving school, so far every instructor has commented that I'm eligible to take a real license already.
Funny ngaun pa lang talaga ako mag aaral mag drive...despite having owned a couple of vehicles already...
Pero down to the story, I was practicing along the semi uphill roads in Makati. It is a maneuver where I used the hand brakes instead of the foot brake to keep the car from sliding backwards while I prepare the clutch and the gas to move forward.
Medyo awkward at first pero mas safe sya na approach pag steep ang kalsada during a full stop ... Anyway na kuwa ko nmn agad after ilang tries...
Btw manual pinag aaralan ko since I'm sure mapapa drive din ako Ng iBang sasakyan if NASA probinsya ako...di eto issue sa mga automatic na sasakyan...
Ang laftrip na part?? Dahil sobrang init at traffic, which is good if nag dadriving lessons ka Kasi need mo ma experience ang bumper to bumper Na traffic...
may mga kamote na nag super Saiyan kaka busina sakin Kasi di Sila maka singit... Eh ako nmn na super chill Kasi swerte ko bagong vios Pina drive sakin at ang lakas Ng Aircon... Nag pa inosente at tinodo ko kabagalan tas dinikit ko pa sa mga bus pra Wala Sila ma singitan...
Im practicing my spacing din Kasi, trying to test the limits on how much space I can squeeze.
On top of that, nag practice din ako Ng changing lane(in bumper to bumper traffic hahah)
At nag iistop agad sa yellow light kahit maaga pa.. just to stir more shit.. hahaha
Ung instructor ko was just vibing and chilling while keeping his foot brake on standby...tamang kwentuhan lang kami...
But that all changed when the kamote nation attacked...
May naka singit na Isang kamote Kasi habang naka full stop sa red light. super pilit singit nya Kasi halos mag tukod na sya sa paa nya...
Nung katabi nya na Ang front seats namin, narinig namin ni instructor ang pag mumura nya sakin saying " Bobo wag ka na mag drive"
Napatawa na lang ako, Wala eh, laking dota sa compshop so sesame street na lang Yan sakin.
No bigdeal nmn, kaya ka nga nag bayad Ng driving school para makapag drive ka with an expert with their own brakes on the passenger seat on a car with big signs saying "keep distance, student driver"
But my instructor was having none of it.
Sinampal nya ang busina, binaba ang bintana at pinag mumura ang kamote hahahahaa...
"Bobo ka? Nakikita mong driving school eto?? "
"Ayan oh" sabay hampas sa painted label sign saying "student driver, keep distance"
"nakakabasa ka ba??? Lagyan ko Yan Tagalog at bisaya sa susunod na pintura".
"Tangina mo, Ikaw etong nag lalane cut tas mag mamarunong ka pa!".
Wala naman response at sinara na ni instructor ang bintana. Nag deadmahan na Lang kami Ng kamote Hanggang nag green light at nauna na siya.
Pinang uusapan nalang namin ni DI about yun Pero naabutan nnmn namin sya sa osmena.
Nung Nakita sya ni DI sinabihan nya ako Ng "boss, tabihan mo nga un may hihirit lang ako"
So binilisan ko Ang takbo para makalapit kami Kay kamote ... Obedient submissive student here lmao hahaha
Nung nakatabi na namin habang umaandar, binaba ni instructor uli ang bintana at sumigaw.
"Kamote!!! may voucher ako pang 50%off kesa dumaan ka pa sa fixer mag driving lessons ka na din"
At aun, nag tawanan na lang kami Hanggang matapos ang session hahaha.
Review ko Kay DI?? 10/10 sa customer service hahahah

hello there.. so l've been single for quite some time now and i think i'm finally ready to put myself out there again. looking for someone who's serious about being in a relationship and ready to commit someone i can introduce my mom to hoping you're the greenest flag out of the dozens of red flags out there... I'm not the best with tagalog so i'd prefer if you can speak english w/ me A+++ if you are: 5'8 + 24 - 28 y.o light skinned, someone who works out and takes good care of themselves, can cook, hygienic, funny, mentally and emotionally stable, can hold any conversation, constant.. honestly just a man who's genuinely nice and has good intentions haha,
little things about me: easy on the eyes, i'm pretty... period. light-medium skin tone, 157cm, i'm working already and i'm into music looove traveling i'm from the green school (i prefer someone from the big 4 as well, just so we're in the same wavelength, not a must tho... just have common sense)

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

Yeah, there’s the Duterte family, but I think it’s highly possible that they are already “training” others to run in our local elections.
Just watched Alice Guo’s vlog. She speaks as if she formally learned Tagalog just recently. She doesn’t even sound like a Kapampangan at all. Kapampangans who speak Tagalog have a certain tone. Tapos yung vlog niya sobrang scripted ng interactions niya. V propaganda ang dating.
Possible rin na from now on, they’ll train someone who looks and talks more like a Filipino.
Funny, everything reminds me of Bag Man on Netflix which is based on a true story in a local town in the Ph.

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

Hello! Lol sorry I’m not a good writer but here it goes… Napanood namin yung Tiktok series ni AlyssaLauren where her friends would set her up with 50 blind dates. Naisip namin na gayahin for our bestfriend since she’s always busy to go on online dating apps or just go out in general to meet guys. She’s open to it and was kind of excited since di na niya pagdadaanan yung awkward texting phase. Hopefully, we can also find candidates here and may ma-meet na siya sa 10 guys we would set her up with.
baka may single guys here who would want to apply for it rin? Or baka you have single guys friends na gusto niyo rin tulungan ☺️
About you - DECENT - SINGLE - CLEAN - 32y/o or older (up to 37/38 siguro pwede) - may career - nice - funny - tall
About our bestfriend - 31y/o - very pretty - toned body (does weight training and recently been into running) - 5”2 - into anime - loves cooking - loves reading - has a very good career - hirap sa tagalog 😅 - she’s very nice but at first she looks mataray
we can message naman here or sa telegram. just dm me ☺️

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

Hi, looking for a team or looking forward to create a team that's not so overly competitive and serious. I want it to be like we're just all friends playing a game but ofc we would play and communicate as a team but like I said I don't want it to be "overly-competitive" like you're in a major. I'm 16 can speak English but it isn't my first language as I'm Filipino (Tagalog), 650 hours playtime on cs, 5,000 elo at the time I'm posting this, willing to learn new knowledge, respectful if you respect me too, Used to trashtalks but I personally don't do stuffs like it cz I just like to listen to them it's funny, honestly nervous to play with randoms that I personally don't know but this is the time I gathered confidence to find a team and hoping that it would go as planned.
Steam; https://steamcommunity.com/id/TWICEmina23/
Unfortunately I don't play FACEIT and any other 3rd party matches.

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

Posting here again as a dayo from CdO. And I've been staying here for a vacation since holy week. It is my second time visiting here and I found it really funny and confusing at the same time sa language na ginagamit ninyo daris Davao.
My SO is a dabawenya, and when she's talking to other people, ga-tagalog siya. Pero kay kaybaw man siya na bisaya jud ko kay purely bisaya man mis CdO, ga-bisaya jud siya nako. Pero inig mag commute naman ko dari or going out padung city, diha akong struggle kay makadungog ko may ga-tagalog, naa puy uban ga-bisaya. So, unsa man jud? Lainan man gud ko mag-"conyo" sad (Bisaya+Tagalog) kay murag cringe gud paminawun kay di ko anad ba. Hihihi.

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

may nakita akong post dito and sa comments, it talked about how snob ppl are to sb19 compared sa bini.
tapos the op said, its the group dynamic. bini has such an average girl friend group that everyone can easily relate to without cringing. The kanal humor is there too.
meanwhile, sb19 is not very average boy friend group, mas makukumpara mo yung group dynamic nila sa kpop. nanuod ako ng sb19 funny moments. andaming nagdisagree sa op but i can see their point. sb19 doesnt have the usual kanal humor, maybe stell has but its so different in a way? watching their funny moments feels like watching a kpop group speaking in tagalog. their very funny, especially stell but ppl who finds them entertainingare the ones that are usually kpop fans na or ppop fans na.. so hindi talaga sa masa.
mas natural talaga yung kanal humor ng bini. thats why sikat sila ngayon sa lgbtq community especially gay people.
im not saying this to hate on other groups na close naman talaga but the way they show their friend group dynamic infront of the camera is different. i just want improvement kase may mga ibang ppop groups that tries it way too hard when all they have to do is chill lang .
talking about sb19 and bini is like eat bulaga vs showtime humor. kung gets nyo, gets nyo. mas pasok yung showtime host’s group dynamic sa masa kaysa sa eat bulaga pero it doesnt mean not entertaining yung eat bulaga.

Feel free to share your weird, funny, or creepy dreams in this community. Please try to use tagalog/english in writing para naman maenjoy ng lahat. Have fun! 💖

If wa mo kita sa news kay puro range999 pa diris Cebu, naay nag viral nga muslim nga singer nga usa sa iyang song kay cover sa usa ka international artist pero gi tagalog. Nag create ug legal action ang international artist. Funny lang kay ang mga fans sa muslim gi swarm ang socials nya adto nag hasik ng lagim. Murag fans pud ni Range ba nga mu support gihapon sa ilang idol bisan sayup. Mga pinoy jud! hahaha

Fourteen years ago, I just arrived in Manila to start my journey as a fresh grad. I am from a quiet part of Mindanao, mainly speaking Cebuano and Ilonggo.
Just like most "probinsyanos" out there, the first place I went to was the Mall of Asia. MOA Arena and nearby condos were barely finished at that time, overpasses around it hadn't been built yet, and interiors were still quite spacious. I was fascinated by how expansive the mall was, the number of selections you have if you wanted to buy something, and the BPO offices residing INSIDE the mall. Where I came from, malls only had retailers as tenants.
Three days after settling down to my new metropolitan life, armed with courage and a plain resume printed from the Netopia MOA branch itself, tried my luck applying to Teleperformance. Upon entering their building, I was quickly escorted to the testing area to start their typing test. There were seven or eight steps in their hiring process back then.
I was extremely patient and even remembered finishing as many steps as I could so I could return home with a job offer on the same day. Unfortunately, I had to schedule my final interview for the next day as the hiring manager already left. Isip ko, it's alright, at least I got more time to prepare. After all, it's the final step and I cannot afford to mess it up.
Come the next day, I arrived quite early. I think I was the first one he interviewed. The usual questions, why apply for a call center job even though I am a BSN grad, any work-related experiences, and some situational stuff like how to handle an irate customer, etc. When it was all said and done, these are the feedback points he gave me:

1. That I have an "accent".
2. That I have no relevant work experience and "it's all just about nursing" (his actual words).

I was in complete shock at what he said. Although another recruitment personnel on one of the previous interview steps noted my accent, she said that it's something a language trainer could help me and be better at as time goes on. As for the second bullet, I don't understand what he's expecting. I was a fresh grad and nursing students couldn't even work part-time (university rules and schedule conflicts) while studying. I also had a scholarship that I needed to prioritize above anything else.
I wasn't able to defend myself. I texted my brother right after I got the "failed" slip at napaupo nalang ako sa isang bench sa baba. The sun was already out, and the humid seaside air started to feel warmer. I remember being insulted rather than feeling bad for failing the interview. When my brother picked me up, he probably saw how devastated I was, then coaxed me to have a nice breakfast somewhere in Makati. Sabi niya, it will make me feel better if we leave MOA at once.
After having my fill, I shared what happened to my brother. He was very understanding and told me to try again. I went through job ads in the newspaper, and guess what, I got accepted into another BPO company the next day, also in MOA. :)
I now have a business of my own and left the BPO industry a long time ago, but that experience somehow left a mark on me. I am reminded of it whenever I find myself on occasions where being able to speak different dialects proved to be beneficial to our business as it helps build a more solid and genuine connection with stakeholders. Minsan nagugulat nalang sila why I speak their language because whenever we have regional events, I am always being introduced as part of the delegates from Manila. And the funny part is that my colleagues are also being caught off-guard, they never realized I came from Mindanao kasi I am also fluent in Tagalog without any noticeable accent.
To the hiring manager who failed my interview back then, I want you to know that your insults to my heritage and downplaying of my nursing background (medical missions I volunteered to, community programs I spearheaded, being a Nightingale clinical candidate, a consistent dean's lister, a government scholar, and a board passer eventually) were unacceptable. Sana bago mo ininsulto ang accent ko, naisip mo lang muna bakit ako may scholarship in the first place. Our family income was just PHP 90 per day and we lived on the outskirts of our city, do you honestly think I could learn "American accent" without easy access to cable and internet?
Still, you redirected my path to another opportunity where my "perceived flaws" are currently being valued. I may not be where I want to be just yet but all the companies I've been with helped me shape the skills and resilient attitude I have now. For that, I am thankful to you.