# data[].attributes.body
I am John Perkin Abrantes. I am currently a student in MMCM taking BSEMC. I wouldn't consider myself fully in tune with the current state of Philippine Popular Culture. However, there are a few things that pique my interest. Firstly, there's music. Music is a core part of our identity as a people. A lot of music comes from local artists expressing themselves and connecting with the souls of the people that hear them--it's a wonderful experience. Then there are festivals all over the Philippines. My favourite is Kadayawan, not only because it is local to Davao, but also because of the car-related activities that come about because of it. Speaking of car-related activities, it may not be the most popular but Philippine car culture also interests me. I met plenty of incredible people because of my love for cars. Then we have food. Filipinos love food and so do I. Having traveled around the Philippines since I was young allowed me the special privilege of tasting different cuisines where they originated from. Lastly, movies and TV. While the majority of the movies we watch are imported like the MCU or even Barbenheimer, our local scene has slowly and surely been improving, especially the story and how it makes you feel as an audience.

# data[].attributes.body
Its really quite difficult to relay my passion for cars. The majority of people just treat them like tools. While objectively, they are. There is so much more to it than getting from point A to point B. Having the satisfaction of hitting apexes of corners or just cruising with your buddies help make the world a little more bearable. Everyone that is into cars has a different story and every one of them is interesting to listen to. Its part of a journey that only ends when they decide is over.

# data[].attributes.body
From a semiotics perspective, cars resemble freedom, and to a certain extent money. Now on how it creates change, I will have to base it on my personal experience. The moment I was able to drive changed my life. It literally felt like freedom was achieved. Like I was now able to just do anything. Socially speaking, it was kind of a status symbol for other people. People discriminated against people by basically rich-shaming anyone with a car.

This did not stop people from flaunting their cars. In fact, it was seen as an affirmation that they made it. Those who discriminate only do so because of jealousy. On the freedom side of things, it allowed people to travel more freely in and out of the city. Those with a passion for cars such as myself would go to gatherings called car meets and share experiences. All things considered, it has a net positive effect on our culture.