Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I cannot possibly imagine the hardships you have been through, but I know that it required immense strength, courage, and determination to keep fighting. Your story is so inspiring, and it truly allowed me to see how destructive drugs are in one’s life. However, I am most moved by how you managed to conquer all the challenges and low points in your life, and how you used your experience to dedicate yourself to helping others. Your story is one that I will remember and keep at heart. May God be with you in these difficult times, and may He continue to protect and strengthen you in your journey.

- Kamille Tiu

I admire your bravery for overcoming all the challenges in life. I love your statement “Everything happens for a reason.”; because those challenges and struggles will eventually lead us to our purpose. Moses you are the living proof that we can overcome every obstacle. Keep thriving, God bless! 

- Aries Panganiban

I know it’s hard for you to share this part of your life, and I’m honored and thankful to be one of the people who got the chance to hear your story. You are brave to be able to stand up on your own after being disowned by your family, and it is their loss, not yours. They lost a son that is brave enough to be an inspiration to others. You are the embodiment of the line—HIV is not the endgame. Your transparency and dedication to teach others makes me see a whole lot of other perspective in life. You made me value and nurture my life more and I thank you for that.

I hope that this pandemic has been manageable for you, and I hope your medications and eye-drop expenses are still manageable. He is with you in every step that you take, guiding and protecting you.

Hugs,

Arabella Chong 🤍 

Thank you for taking the time to share your journey and experiences with us. It was very brave of you to share your personal story with so many people and I truly admire you with that. I appreciate you. Thank you for bringing awareness to all of us. I hope you are doing well, and may God continue to bless you.

-lovelots-

Hope you’re currently safe and well. 

Sincerest thanks for sharing your personal story and insights with us. Your genuine concern for us, youth, has certainly achieved its purpose of awakening our consciousness regarding drugs, HIV, and other relevant topics. I suppose that you’re one of the best inspirations.

With everything you have offered to our society, please also remember that you are more than enough. May God continue to bless you!

- Francesca Mikaela Chao

I thank you for being brave enough to share your story with all of us. To teach us a lesson from your experience for us to be able to reflect and learn from and apply it in our day to day life. It gave us hope that our hardships will eventually pay off. I hope you will continue to be an inspiration to future generations. Wishing for your well-being.

Sincerely,

Sean Raphael S. Abella

I admire your courage in overcoming all the challenges you had to face. Thank you for sharing your journey and educating us on the gravity of peer pressure and drug use. I look up to your strong sense of faith and deep connection with God. Wishing you all the love and happiness in the world <3 

Sincerely, 

Samantha Protacio

Thank you for your courage to talk about your experience and it is difficult to be able to open up about a personal topic. The topic in itself has been shunned and often not talked about, due to how our culture behaves. You have given out a perspective that is inspiring as you shed light and awareness that gives a lesson that we can live out in our day to day life. The opportunity to change for the better and to bounce back in order to become a voice for the people who are marginalized. It is admiring and I wish you the best. 

Stay safe and God bless.

Moses,

I'm glad I had the opportunity to witness your eye-opening story. Remember that we appreciate you, and even more so that you were brave enough to share your experience despite the possibility of being misunderstood and judged. Thank you for shedding light on us, Ateneans, about your condition and raising awareness among the youth. Having to hear about how you struggle with your situation on a daily basis but still choose to be an amplified voice for others who are going through the same thing as you made me realize how courageous and strong-willed you are. Please know that you are not alone in your advocacy; I am one of the many who silently supports you.

Thank you once more for taking the time to share your story with us. I can't imagine how difficult your life must be, but you continue to strive with each passing day. Please continue to be a source of inspiration for many people. Thank you very much. I wish you the best of luck in life because you deserve it.

Hugs,

Juls

First of all, I would just like to say Thank you so much for having the courage strength to share your story with not just me, but with all the other people who had the great opportunity of listening to you. I think you are a very admirable person, the amount of strength and willpower to overcome drugs and being able to turn your life around for the better is unreal. I don’t know what I would do if I was in a similar position but I think I have a good idea from listening to your story.

I hope you are still continuing to do well especially throughout the current pandemic. I will do my best to be more careful from now on, to not succumb to peer pressure or my own weaknesses and to make sure that I will remain hopeful even through tough times. Like you, I will try to have more faith that God will take care of me and guide me if ever I stray from the right path. I hope your voice reaches more people, especially those going through drug related problems and I wish they may be as inspired as I was when hearing you.

Best wishes,

Basti

I hope that this message finds you well and that you are safe during this time of COVID. I would like to thank you for sharing your story despite the challenges and adversities you've encountered. It must not have been easy so I applaud you for your openness. The amount of courage and strength you've shown is admirable, and your talk has truly touched me. Listening to you today reminded me that we are fully capable of overcoming any challenges that come our way, no matter the difficulty.

I have learned a lot from your story and it allowed me to reflect on myself and my own choices. I would also like to thank you for not only sharing the physical affects of your recovery but the emotional aspects as well. This reminded me that recovery is not a linear process but rather a journey of its own.

I wish you happiness and good health for all your years to come. God bless!

- Anna Isabella Rodriguez

I am very glad to have witness your story and your existence. I admire your courage and strength to empower young individuals like us and to impart worthwhile wisdom within our lives. I know it must have been hard for you to face the adversities and set backs of life on your own, but without a doubt you ought to proceed amongst the difficulty and judgements. You are so strong for not giving up and for finding gratitude even at your lowest points. I have so much respect for you because you view struggles as part of growth and you have nurtured your potential to serve and see life with beauty and compassion. You chose to give inspiration and have shed the light to many. I am sure it will be truly helpful for all of us as we search for our life’s trajectory. You did so well. We are all proud of your journey and I’m so happy that your experiences have been the source of strength for others to continue and most importantly, learn how it is to actually live. 

Your story doesn’t end in a single narrative for it will continuously transpire in our hearts as we dive into creating own chapters. It will be a constant reminder for us to be strong and brave enough to face our fears and keep our heads up high in the course of life. 

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to know you! Keep on doing what makes you happy! You have survived the past challenges and I know you will too in the future. Indeed, you are a living testimony of God’s grace and love. I am proud to say that Moses is an epitome of bravery and resiliency. Continue to do what you love and live your life purposefully like what you’re doing now. All the best! 

- Cailou

 

I greatly appreciate that you shared your story with us. I am astounded by your experience and I can't even imagine how hard it has been for you. I would like you to know that you are doing really great. I hope to deliver my love and support in this journey of yours. If I could give you a hug, I definitely would.

Thank you for giving us strength, Moses. You have been such an inspiration to many people, including me. I have learned from your life story not to give up no matter how hard it gets. You are the epitome of strength and redemption. I have learned to be aware of my decisions moving forward and to surround myself with people who can truly provide support and guidance.

I pray that God continues to give you strength, courage, and resilience in fighting this battle and touching others' lives. I'm truly wishing the best for you.

Sincerely Yours, 
Regine Sison

MESSAGE:

Hello po!

I just wanted to say thank you for opening up and being brave enough to approach such a delicate topic and share your story.

I'm also sorry that you had to go through all that alone. I cannot fathom how challenging your situation has been for you, and I want you to know that I am not judging you for your choices and experiences. Rather, I admire you for your courage and faith in God, for your dependence on Him, and for your experience of His salvation. 

I hope that you continue to do good to yourself and to others, maintain and strengthen your relationship with God, and serve and live out God's purpose for you.

Thank you once again and I hope that God may keep you safe and bless you always.

Wishing you all the best,
Elia Polintan

Words cannot describe how thankful I am that you shared your experience with everyone. What you are doing is not easy. To be openly vulnerable and willing to share your hardships with absolute strangers is difficult. These are the kinds of stories we push aside so that they may never see the light of day. To most people, experiences like these are considered as something shameful and negative. Yet despite that, you still gathered your courage to share your story. Because of that, you have inspired numerous people. I’m sure that you must have also prevented someone from falling into addiction as well. 

I am grateful that despite everything you went through, you still had faith in God. You are a perfect embodiment of God’s love. You remind us that we can get through anything in life because of Him. He saves us, as well as, redirects us away from complete suffering. 

You showed us that just because life had a tough start, doesn’t mean that life will end badly as well. All humans make bad choices, but you remind us that we have the power to reverse those and make good choices too. At the end of the day, we have the ability to turn our life around and help others. 

I have always sympathized with those who have had experiences with addiction and HIV. But after watching your video, I am now able to empathize with them. Your story allows us to view life through your eyes and perspectives. Because of this, we are able to have a deeper understanding of the effects of drugs and HIV. Thank you so much for this. 

I sincerely hope that after the pandemic is over, we would all be able to meet you in person. As a result of what you went through, your relationships with your loved ones have been damaged. Please know that you are not alone and that we are all supporting you. We are your family too. 

Always take care of yourself and don’t stop doing what you are doing! You are saving so much lives. You are a symbol of hope! 

Sincerely, 

Toni. 

 

First of all, I want to salute you for the courage and strength to share your experiences to the world. I know this was very hard for you to do but, what you did is absolutely not in vain. It has given an impact not just to me, but to so many others as well. You are a catalyst for motivation since you assured us that it is okay to create mistakes because there is always light at the end of the tunnel. You inspire us to be resilient – what can we make out of our wrong doings and how to recover from it. 

 

I hope you know that I sympathize with you, and I am sorry that you carried all that burden alone. I hope you know that so many of us are here to support you and your advocacy for drugs and HIV. To be a part of your movement, I will also encourage others to take care of themselves and to give them the support they need – especially those who have similar experiences as you. 

 

I hope you are doing well now, and I am more than glad to see you thriving after all the turbulence in your life. Just know that you are so blessed, and that God is always with you. Stay safe Moses!

Please know that I admire you for properly advocating and inspiring others that having HIV is not a death sentence. Not everyone sees it that way, especially those who don’t see any life anymore after hearing that kind of news. I appreciate how you tell your audience to focus on studying, to refrain from making the wrong decisions, and being mindful about one’s actions speaks so much to me. How you changed your life shows how dedicated you are to being better for yourself and other people. With your story, I learned that hardships and challenges would come our way, but it’s important to have faith in yourself and faith in Him. The moment you reached out to Him for guidance, for repenting, at that moment and forward, you were never alone. 

Thank you for believing in yourself and for sharing your story with us. May you continue to strengthen your relationship with Him, and may your journey into becoming the best version of yourself continue to grow and flourish. I’ll make sure to include you in my prayers; stay safe, and May God bless you always!

Sending hugs, 
Zy

I hope you are well during this pandemic. It's a bit saddening that I could not listen to you and your story in person, but I am glad that I was able to listen to your story even if it was online. Thank you so much for sharing your story! I know it took a lot of courage and bravery to share one's life story. I greatly admire your courage to share your past and I can't even imagine how hard it was for you. Thank you for sharing your kind words and sharing to us the reality of the consequences one will experience as a result of the choices they make. You and your story inspired me to always strive and choose good over bad, but to also acknowledge that it is okay to have bad times, for it will help with growth as a person. It must have been hard to admit and accept that you have HIV, moreover continuing life with the sickness. But you were able to continue living and strive to achieve to become the better version of yourself. I am greatly inspired by this and I learned from you that it is never the end and that there is always a reason to continue living. It may not look like it now, but God is doing wonders for His plan to make us prosper and live a happy life. You inspired me to focus on my studies and continue with my education, for it is very important in my life. It has been hard these days, as it is the middle of the semester and we are nearing to the end of our first semester as college students. There were times when I wanted to give up, but your story inspired me to continue and focus on my studies as it is very important. You taught me that God is always here and He works wonders for us to continue living. 

Thank you, for your time and story. It has taught us freshman numerous lessons to continue and strive to live our best lives. I hope that you are doing well amidst the pandemic. Thank you so much for existing for you inspire so many people to live on like you did! Always take care of yourself and do whatever makes you happy! Continue inspiring others with your story like you did for me and the fellow Ateneo community.

With much love, 
Moira

I cannot thank you enough for sharing your story with us to help raise awareness of the dangers of substance and drug abuse and as well as unprotected sex. The courage you mustered up and the effort it took you to become a voice for people who have suffered the same experience will not go to waste, I am sure that you have already influenced many students to be more cautious with their actions and lifted up their spirits despite whatever they are going through. I really hope to see you in Ateneo soon. Please take care and continue staying strong!

Thanks for telling us your story and sharing yourself as a voice for many people who may be experiencing the same thing as you. Your presence is a testimony of God’s power and grace; you saying to keep faith in God was the things that struck me the most. The thought of you reaching out to your parents to find comfort, only to be rejected and left behind by the very family you thought would be there for you in these difficult times, pained me. Yet you mentioned in the video that you are here, that you are still going and battling. I believe that this is what matters most, and you are incredibly inspirational and courageous for that. 

Thank you for living out a purposeful life. I just know you are saving and touching the lives of so many people, including mine. Above anything else, nothing compares to serving people as you serve God. In these difficult times, I hope you are doing great and keeping safe. Truly, not everything is lost as long as we keep faith in God and we do our part. Again, thank you for your great wisdom!

- Gab

Thank you so much for having the courage to share your story with us and for being so authentic. Being vulnerable to pain brought about by struggles can be very hard, yet you did so anyway in an effort to encourage others including myself that may be in similar environments or going through similar circumstances. The way you overcame these struggles, particularly the negative repercussions on both your health and relationships, and still maintained your strong faith in God, and how you now tell these stories for others, are so inspiring. You've helped me realise how important it is to look to God amidst challenges, and to be conscious now, especially at our young age when we’re exposed to many temptations. 

Hello Moses!

Thank you for telling us your story. I can’t imagine how hard it was to share this part of your life with us which is why I admire your bravery.  You were also able to show us that there will always be hope and light even in the darkest moments of our lives - you were such an inspiration.  Other than that, your narrative reminded me of how grave the effects of drugs are on one's life that is why every decision that we make matters - every decision that we make is vital.  

I hope you’re doing well and safe during this pandemic. 

I want to start off by saying how proud I am of you for being able to overcome all the adversities you have faced. Even if it may have seemed like there was no more hope, you persevered and did not give up on your life. Instead of letting your challenges hinder you from living the best of your life, you used them to inspire the youth by courageously sharing the struggles you encountered with drugs and HIV. 

I particularly admired how you drew your strength from God. He really is there for us no matter what, and He will provide for our needs and sustain us no matter how restless we may be. Because of your great trust and faith in Him, you understood that everything happens for a reason and you responded accordingly to His will.

Thank you for sharing your story with us and for touching many lives. Your message is greatly valued, especially in the lives of teenagers as we do not know much about the realities of the world. I hope that you may continue to take care of yourself, and to bring hope and awareness to the people who need them the most.

May God continue to bless your good heart. Take care and stay safe always!

Yours Truly,
Danielle

I would like to start by thanking you for having the courage to share your story with us. I am so proud that you were able to overcome your trials as well as inform and encourage others to join your advocacy. Being this vulnerable and open isn’t easy but I just want you to know you have touched so many lives, mine included. Despite the challenges that you faced physically, mentally, and spiritually, you continued to persevere and inspire. Alleviating the stigma that surrounds substance use and HIV is not an easy task but through your faith, you were able to break barriers and remain strong-willed. I admire how you continued to help others and seek God despite everything you have gone through. I just know that the impact of your testimony will continue to grow and teach others to be sensitive to the consequences of their decisions. 

We are rooting for you, Moses! May God bless you the same way that you have blessed us. Stay safe always! <3

Through your sharing (along with the other contents of this module), I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the adversities drugs, HIV, and the like, could cast upon a person exposed to these. I was reminded that it is definitely not easy to escape from the onset of the effects these bring as compared to how it may be to build a dependence on these. 

I would like to sincerely thank you for opening up to everyone and sharing your personal experiences with us, despite them being sensitive topics— this is indeed a safe space free of judgment. Thank you for persevering and continuing to fight today— you are truly inspirational, especially for us young adults, as we tend to be curious about trying things unfamiliar to our minds and bodies which may be detrimental to our health in the long-run. Your strength, courage, and faith in God for prevailing through and overcoming all the hardships were what touched me the most as I was reminded to never lose hope no matter how tough things may get. With this, I hope that you continue to lead a life towards the righteous and healthy path. We are all very proud of you for what you have done thus far and we are here standing alongside you.

Not everyone can say that they have been vulnerably honest, let alone in front of a crowd. However, you continue to stand before us, share your story, and motivate us to go about life with a goal-oriented mindset. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being the voice that we all needed to hear. I hope you are aware that by being a powerful spokesperson, you have changed the lives of countless people, and that is something that I am left in awe and amazement by. Just as you have courageously imparted your words of wisdom towards us, I would like to extend my hand and show you that I support you and wish you the best as you unravel the next few chapters of your life. I stand with you and I will echo your voice as I aspire for and work towards a better society - and in doing so, I will remember the day you changed my life.

I will never forget the words you shared with me today and I will always remember to be grateful for the time, effort, and admirable honesty that you showed through a simple yet impactful video. Once again thank you. For being God’s messenger of light. For sharing a chapter of your life. For inspiring me. For changing the lives of others.  

- Jia

 

Thank you so much for having the courage to tell us about your life story. It indeed was a challenging journey for you, but I'm genuinely happy how you've chosen to motivate and help many people, especially teens, even after all the struggles you've encountered. You've inspired me so much to always instill bravery and hope in myself, and I thank you for always taking the time to help not just me but also the youth and the people around you.

 

You've highlighted how one's disaster isn't the end nor our "death sentence." As human beings, we sometimes fail and be misguided. However, what's important is how we stand up after we've been knocked out, how we rise again after our fall, and how we shall find hope in every problem there is. Every time we commit mistakes, acceptance is an essential part of acknowledging problems so that we may be able to face these and overcome them.

I'm proud of you, and I'm grateful for how you've taught us to be more responsible with our actions. As a person who's still growing and finding purpose in this life, I'd always take your life story with me to guide me in how I make decisions and choices. I hope to see you soon po, so that I may be able to thank you in person and tell you how much I admire your courage and faith in the Lord. 

May God Bless you always. Stay safe and Take Care!

-Marianne <33

I hope everything is going well for you. Thank you for entrusting us with your stories, even though sharing them almost probably involved revisiting difficult emotions and situations that would have been easier to avoid. I appreciate you sharing with us how strongly your personal drug-related experiences have driven you to help others. We feel a strong obligation to use the experiences and ideas you offered to inspire and educate others.

I'm delighted you were able to regain your strength and fight again. Remember that your history does not define you. Your present is what defines you as a person. A person with morals and values who advocates for drug and HIV awareness. More than that, you are a person who understands your value as well as the worth of countless other people who are going through the same thing. I pledge to never give up on individuals in need of assistance and to never condemn someone based on their past. Recovery is possible, and so is breaking the stigma.

We can only rely on God to give us the strength we need to face whatever happens next. I'm hoping for your recovery.

Sincerely,
Elyza Joy

Even though it is hard, thank you so much for having the courage to share your story with us. I want to give you a virtual pat on the back, knowing all the hardships you surpassed and experienced in your life. It wasn’t a smooth ride, yet, here you are fighting, and that’s what matters the most.

I hope you know that sharing your story was an eye-opener, especially for us younger generation, to explore and be curious about the right things rather than the bad. Moreover, thank you for using your voice to break the stigma about HIV and educate more people about it, especially since it is often a topic the society is afraid to touch on.

To end, I want you to know that even though some people may judge you because of your story, there are certainly a lot more people who support and value you. You’ve done so well! Always take care, Moses!

- Sam

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I admire how brave you were for putting your story out there to send us, freshies, a message about making the right decisions in life. It really was an eye opener for me because I understand how easy it can be for us to fall into peer pressure. But aside from that, you taught us that we aren't defined by our mistakes. It’s also inspiring to hear how you turned this experience around and found God and part of yourself in the process (as you translated it to helping other people). I wish you the best and I hope that you continue to spread this kind of goodness to everyone around you.

I hope you're feeling great right now! Thank you for sharing your experience with us; I appreciate your bravery in opening up with us. Your trust and passion to help us be aware of what our decisions might lead to is truly inspiring as you aim to be of help to us, despite your experiences being very personal. With this, you have shown us how peer pressure and drugs truly affect us and how we should control ourselves and not give in easily in these situations. You also showed us to not give up in challenging situations, and that there's always a time for us to change our ways and be better. Being a survivor and fighter is something to be proud of, as you've reached this far and continued to be brave with your everyday battles. Wishing you all the best! Take care always.

- Kaylyn Fan

 

I admire and greatly appreciate your strength and courage to speak up on your experiences. Your story has become a voice for everyone, encouraging them to stand up and advocate for such an important topic. I would like to sincerely express my gratitude for not only sharing your story, but also for sharing words of encouragement and advice for those experiencing similar struggles. You continue to open this significant topic, a reminder for us to support those who are having a hard time. I would like you to know that I am here to listen when you speak, offering my support and encouragement as you continue life. A lot of us here in Ateneo are moved by your words, and I think I speak for a lot when I say that we don't (and will never) judge you. You inspire me to stand up for my own beliefs and advocacies, to  never give up despite the adversities. Thank you for your bright influence in my life, Moses. 

 -------------------

Dear Moses,

I admire your courage in sharing your story with us, despite the possibility of having undesirable judgments; from diverse sets of people and diverging walks of life. I want to express my sincere gratitude because you opened our perception on the broad-ranging horizon of prevailing issues in our society which undeniably affects the masses, transpiring burden and suffering within their shoulders. You’re such an inspiration to us – the depiction of your transformation from nadir moments to your developing phases anchored on faith amplify our adherence to how God can change us from the clouds of darkness and misery.

May you continue to pursue your endeavors in life, helping and promoting awareness to people concerning drugs and HIV; without you knowing it, it changed numerous lives.

-Naths :)

What actually saddened me was how people close to you chose to not help you cure this illness because it is an illness that should not be brushed off. I'm thankful that you have survived that obstacle in life and found your purpose in sharing your knowledge about this issue to people like us. Continue to being an inspiration to others !! You are loved and worth it <33 

Thank you for being a beacon of hope for teenagers or even other people that is going through something like that. Thank you for reminding us that we are capable of overcoming our past mistakes and that asking for help is really important. I hope you are doing well <33 

Best wishes, 
E

I want to thank you for going the extra mile in sharing your story with us. I understand that it takes great courage and transparency to willingly do so, especially to a community of people who you have not met even once. With that, always remember po that you serve as an inspiration to several people, including myself. We look up to you because you assure us that there is hope amidst seemingly impossible situations. I will forever be grateful for that. ♥︎

I wish you all the best as you continue to journey towards complete healing. You are a source of strength, motivation, and empowerment, and you deserve to have those instilled in your life as well.

Again, thank you so much, Kuya Moses!

Thank you for mustering up the courage to share your testimony to us as a reminder that there is always hope for every one of us, no matter how hopeless everything may seem. Instead of being ashamed of your experiences, I admire you for being able to turn your life story into a testimony that can inspire others. It is difficult to open up about topics such as addiction, HIV, and sickness, but it is even more difficult to choose to be vulnerable enough to disclose such experiences. I am amazed at how your experiences paved the way for your faith in God to grow stronger when most people would have most likely backed out at the chance to build a stronger relationship with Him. The most significant lesson that I picked up from you is to keep the faith because even when all odds seem to be stacked up against us, God’s plan will always prevail for the better.

Thank you once again for being an inspiration!

I hope that you are doing well. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with us. It takes great courage to not only revisit the past, but also open up and share your story with others. I am inspired by your story and how you were able to turn your life around. You are not defined by your past and you are more than what you have been through. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been at the time, but you managed to show strength and bravery throughout it all. 

Thank you so much for using your voice to share your story and experiences with students like me. I have learned that I should not let my peers pressure me into using drugs. Your perseverance in everything that you have been through has reminded me to find the courage and motivation to persevere despite times when I feel like I am at my lowest. I have learned that there is always hope to turn things around for the better and that if we work hard enough, we can eventually find our way back to a healthy life and path. Furthermore, I realized that temporary satisfaction or bliss is not worth the consequences of drug abuse. Your story has informed me of the effects of drugs and I am grateful because it has reminded me that I have control over my life and actions, and that I should not give into temptations that may come along the way. I’ve gained so much new insights from your talk. I hope you know how many people you’ve helped with your story and I hope that you are doing better now. Stay strong and I hope that you continue to share your story with others, help spread awareness about drug use and HIV. God Bless and stay safe!

- Julienne

Nais ko pong ipahatid na hinahanga ko po ang iyong lakas na loob na ibahagi ang inyong matinding pinagdaanan upang kami ay umilag sa droga at ihalaga ang aming edukasyon. 

Mula sa inyong kwento, aking natutunan na kailangan ipalibutan ang sarili ng mga taong may mabuting impluwensya na di maghihikayat nga droga dahil ito ay makapinsala sa pagkakahatolan. Ang droga ay isang salot dahil nakakasira ito ng buhay kahit may pansamantalang kasiyahan. Mahalaga ang kontrol at paghalaga sa sarili upang inyong mabigay rin ito sa inyong minamahal.

Muli, salamat po sa iyong pagbahagi ng mga nangyari sa inyong buhay upang may matutunan kami tungkol sa droga bilang salot ng lipunan. Sana po kayo ngayon ay namumuhay kasama ang inyong mga mahal sa buhay na higit pang nagbibigay ng pagmamahal at suporta. 

Hiling ko po sayo ang pinakamabuti sa buhay.

Respectfully yours,

Christine Eliana S. Atoy

Key Insight: While taking drugs would provide someone temporary happiness and relaxation, its negative effects totally outweigh these temporary pleasures. It seems that “taking drugs” is a gateway to other vices and would totally result to the deterioration of one’s body. 

Letter to Kuya Moses:

Hi Kuya Moses, 

I know it was extremely difficult for you to share your experiences and to open up your whole self to strangers you haven’t even met yet, like me. This is why I commend your valor and courage to share your story and to use it to educate us and to veer us to the right direction. 

I am not going to pretend that I know what you are experiencing since I do not. But despite this, I would like to commend you for continuously fighting. Your story is an inspiration not only to people with HIV but to everyone who has heard it. Your story shows how with determination and perseverance, a person can turn his life around and become better. 

Ultimately, your story have really inspired me, and I am thankful for having heard it. It really inspired me to not only become a determined and persevering person, but it has also reminded that God is always with us not matter what. He will always be there when no else is there for us. 

Again, thank you for sharing your story, and I hope I can see you after this pandemic. 

Keep inspiring people!! 

-Gabby Salvador

Key Insight: While taking drugs would provide someone temporary happiness and relaxation, its negative effects totally outweigh these temporary pleasures. It seems that “taking drugs” is a gateway to other vices and would totally result to the deterioration of one’s body. 

Letter to Kuya Moses:

Hi Kuya Moses, 

I know it was extremely difficult for you to share your experiences and to open up your whole self to strangers you haven’t even met yet, like me. This is why I commend your valor and courage to share your story and to use it to educate us and to veer us to the right direction. 

I am not going to pretend that I know what you are experiencing since I do not. But despite this, I would like to commend you for continuously fighting. Your story is an inspiration not only to people with HIV but to everyone who has heard it. Your story shows how with determination and perseverance, a person can turn his life around and become better. 

Ultimately, your story have really inspired me, and I am thankful for having heard it. It really inspired me to not only become a determined and persevering person, but it has also reminded that God is always with us not matter what. He will always be there when no else is there for us. 

Again, thank you for sharing your story, and I hope I can see you after this pandemic. 

Keep inspiring people!! 

-Gabby Salvador

Thank you for sharing your story with us freshies. I admire your strength and bravery for opening up so that we may be enlightened more about drugs and their adverse short and long term effects on people. It is amazing how you were able to use your challenging journey as a way to inform others including myself. Because of you, we are more aware of what to do when presented with a challenge that is drugs and other damaging habits. As an individual who is now becoming more exposed and open to the world, your tips and advice have been very helpful. You made me realize that I always have a choice in life, and drugs will never be the answer to the problems I face. I hope you continue to be the beacon of hope and light to others, and I wish you all the best. Thank you once again! Stay safe always!

Dear Moses,

I hope you are safe and well during these times. Thank you for sharing with us your story. It must have been difficult to open up about all that has happened to you but I admire your courage to do so. Listening to you talk about your hardships in life made me reflect on some of the choices I’ve made and be more aware and careful of future decisions. I am happy and proud that you realized that you needed to take control of your life more and turn it around. It tells us that it is never too late to go back on the right path. You are truly an inspiration.  

God bless you!

Sincerely, 

Angelina Perez

Hello po, Kuya Moses! Una sa lahat po, maraming maraming salamat sa pagbahagi ng iyong kuwento sa amin. I know it takes a lot of courage to share your story every time you do, so it means a lot to us to hear your story. I personally learned a lot, not just about drugs and HIV, but about life in general. Your story showed me that mistakes, dark times, and challenges are part of life, but we cannot let it bring us down forever. We cannot change the past, but we can own up to our mistakes to make it right. Thank you po for reminding me of the importance of making choices - that this ability to make one is a gift not to be abused. 

I hope you are doing okay during this pandemic and I also hope that we will be able to meet soon! You are doing great with your path of helping others after everything you have been through. You are making a good change in this world and I hope you know that po. I cannot wait po to hear from you in the future, especially with your advocacy, and plans. Ingat po kayo palagi, God bless po! Kapit po tayo sa Kanya!

 

I hope that you are safe and doing well right now. I’d like to say thank you for sharing your story with us. I know that it must’ve been difficult for you to open up and share your story which is why I admire you for your strength and resilience. While listening to your story, there is one significant insight that really stuck with me and that was when you talked about how we always have two choices which is to do good or to do bad. You said that if we are to choose, we must always choose to do the right thing. This is an important reminder to everyone, especially to us young adults, to always assess our options and weigh our decisions carefully. We must always put ourselves first and make decisions that will benefit our well-being. This is important since before we can truly help the people around us, we need to help ourselves first. 

 

Thank you for raising awareness about these kinds of issues, your story has truly been enlightening, and rest assured that I will carry these learnings with me. I hope that you get to inspire and motivate more people through your life story. I will pray for you and your continuous healing. May God continue to bless you, Kuya Moses! Take care po! :)

 
- Cheska Rivero

Hanga po ako sa katatagang naipamalas ninyo upang mag-open up sa amin. Hindi ito madali. Madalas nakaliligtaan ng lipunan na hindi lamang mga numero o data ang mga biktima ng substance abuse at people living with HIV and AIDS. Sa likod ng stigma at kawalan ng acceptance na nararanasan nila, ay mga kwento ng kapighatian, at ang nakalakip na lakas ng loob na nalilinang ng mga pagsubok na ito.

Higit sa pagiging inspirasyon upang kami’y magpatuloy sa kabila ng mga nakaraang pagkakamali, isa pong paalala ang inyong mga karanasan upang pagbutihin namin ang aming pag-aaral sa pag-asang makaaambag kami sa pagpapabuti ng buhay ng mga nasa laylayan. Nagsisilbi po kayong dahilan upang patuloy kaming makibaka laban sa hindi makatwirang war on drugs na pumapatay ng mga pangalawang pagkakataon upang ang mga biktima ay makapagsimula muli.

Isa po kayong patunay na we are not who we were, but who we choose to be in the present, and who we aspire to be in the future.

Taos-puso po kaming nagpapasalamat sa pagbabahagi ninyo ng inyong talambuhay. Nawa’y ipagpatuloy ninyo po ang inyong hanagaring makapagpalaganap ng inyong adbokasiya at mga kaalaman lalo na sa aming kabataan. Masaya po ako na naging makabuluhan ang iyong paglalakbay sa mundong ito. 

Ika nga, live not a happy life, but a meaningful one. :>>

Ingat po lagi,

Mag-aaral ng 1 BS Psychology

First of all, I admire your courage in sharing your story with us. I know it is not easy to share what you have experienced with all of us, but I’m very thankful for sharing an important life lesson. Through your testimony, I was able to appreciate my life more and learned to always make the right choices. I am also amazed by your ability to be an advocate to help those who are in need. I pray that you will always be guided and strengthened by the Lord. Thank you po again, and may you stay safe always!

- Nicole Loquinario

 Kuya Moses,

It probably took a lot of courage to share something very personal and for that, we really really thank you for sharing your story with us. While listening to your story, I can’t help but feel sad about all the hardships you have experienced. However, knowing that you were able to turn your life around gives me and certainly other people strength and inspiration to keep on moving.

Please do continue to inspire people with your story.

Thank you again and God Bless always.

-Kiana 

Sa panahon ngayon ng pandemya, sana’y nasa mabuting kalagayan ka, maging sa pisikal, at emosyonal na aspeto. Hindi madali ang mabuhay sa ganitong panahaon, lalo na’t mahirap makipag-ugnay sa ibang tao dahil sa pisikal na pagdidistansya. Pinasasalamatan din kita para sa pagkakataong mapakinggan ang iyong mga karanasan.

Una sa lahat, hangang hanga po ako sa iyong lakas na ibahagi ang iyong kwento. Hindi madali ang magbahagi ng sariling kwento tulad ng iyo sa maraming tao, kahit gaano man karaming beses na ito naibahagi. 

Natural lang sa kabataan ang maging kuryoso at mag-eksperimento sa iba’t ibang karanasan, ngunit mahalagang alamin ang hangganan. Malaking bahagi sa buhay ng mga tinedyer ang mga kaibigan at barkada, kaya madaling maimpluwensiyahan ang mga ito. Kahit na ilang beses na ito naituro sa amin ng mga magulang at guro, iba pa rin ang epekto ng makarinig ng totoong karanasan kung saan naging malaking problema ang impluwensiya ng mga ganitong “kaibigan”. Mapalad ako dahil nakahanap ako ng mabubuting kaibigan na naging mabuting impluwensiya sa akin, pero alam kong maraming iba na hindi kasing palad ko. Lahat ng ginagawa natin ngayon ay may kahihinatnan, kaya dapat laging pag-isipan nang mabuti kung ano ang dapat gawin sa halip na hayaan ang sarili na maapektuhan nang basta-basta lang.

Ang mga ganitong karanasan ay hindi nangyayari basta-basta lang; palaging mayroong pinagsimulan ang mga ito. Kahit ang maliit na bagay ay posibleng lumaki nang lumaki hanggang sa hindi na maiwasan ang problema. Dahil sa pakonti-konting paglala ng sitwasyon, minsan hindi natin namamalayan kung gaano katindi ang sitwasyon. Mahalagang sa simula pa lamang ay tugunan na ang mga ganitong sitwasyon at matutong tumanggi at umalis sa mga mapahamak na sitwasyon.

Isa pang mahalagang aral na nakuha ko mula sa iyo ang pagbibigay-halaga sa kasalukuyan sa halip na maiwan sa nakaraan. Natural lang sa tao ang magkamali, basta’t alalahaning matuto mula sa mga ganitong pagkakamali. Dapat matutunan nating ipatawad ang ating mga sarili para sa mga pagkakamali sa nakaraan, at pagtangkaing magmabuti.

Tulad ng kung paano ka naging inspirasyon at motibasyon namin upang maging pinakamabuting bersyon ng sarili, sana’y kami rin ay lumaki at gumaling upang maging motibasyon para sa iba na maging mabuti rin. Muli, pinasasalamatan kita dahil sa iyong lakas-loob na magbahagi ng iyong mga karanasan upang may matutunan kami. Hindi man tayo magkakilala, sana’y alam mo na ang iyong mga salita ay nakaabot sa marami, at patuloy naming dadalhin ang iyong mga aral sa aming pang-araw-araw na buhay.

- Justine

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and imparting valuable lessons to us. It takes courage to share your past with others. I truly admire how you continue to be strong and resilient despite the problems and tragedies that you have gone through. Your story and how you were able to turn your life around inspire and motivate me to be hopeful, albeit in uncertainty. The insights that I have gained from you will forever be imprinted in my mind. I hope that you are doing better right now. I also hope that you continue to inspire and educate others about drug use and HIV. Stay strong and safe always!

First of all, thank you for sharing your story with us! It must have been especially hard during the beginning of the journey since life was not in your favor, but with everything, you still chose to continue and face all the challenges which I find admirable. On the other hand, openly saying your life experiences take another ounce of courage which I am extremely grateful for. You not only inspire a lot of individuals, but you are also actively partaking in breaking down the stigma that comes with the topic. Moreover, I think you are both physically and mentally strong for having undergone everything and still come out stronger than ever and ready to help others.  Hearing you talk about your life story was super heartwarming as I could feel the sincerity of your advice to us. The fact that you are doing this talk with freshmen every year just shows how you want us to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them. 

Thank you for reminding me that if there is the option to choose good, then always choose it. However, you also reminded me that if we do end up making bad choices, we should first learn to accept them and grow from there. Everything in our life happens for a reason and since we cannot turn back time, we should just do better for our future self. Again, I would like to thank you for sharing your story with us and I hope you can continue to inspire many more. 

Always stay safe and will be rooting for your happiness!

- Chloe :))

I am so deeply moved by your story. I just want to thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Because of it, you helped us freshies steel our resolve when it comes to vices or sa mga "tukso". We're privileged enough to be able to have a talk like this. I hope you can share your stories to people/children in the urban poor areas so that they're educated on what will happen if they abuse these drugs. Because of you, I now believe that there's a second chance in making your life better. I wish you the best of luck in life.

I salute your bravery for conquering the toughest years of your life and for sharing your story with us po. With this, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the wake-up call especially during this time of the pandemic where we are more prone to give in to temptations. I hope that things would be better for you po for the next years. Laban lang!

-Mich

Maraming salamat po sa pagbabahagi ng iyong karunungan na ipinakita mo sa iyong payo at kwento. Gusto ko pong malaman ninyo na ikaw ay isang inspirasyon sa marami. Ang iyong testimony ay nagpakita na ikaw ay may makabuluhang purpose at nagpapasalamat po ako na ginagamit niyo ang iyong boses upang makatulong sa iba. Gusto ko pong sabihin na sobrang taas ng aking respeto para sayo. Alam ko pong hindi naging madali ang iyong mga karanasan, ngunit ipinapakita ninyo na mahalagahang panghawakan ang ating pananampalataya. Pinapatunayan mo po bawat araw na may kakayahan tayong makahanap ng motibasyon. Taos puso akong humahanga sayo dahil nakikita ko po na ang pagmamahal ng Diyos sayo ay ibinabahagi mo sa bawat taong nakakasalubong mo. 

Sa pamamagitan ng iyong kwento, naalala ko na mahalagang magpatuloy lamang upang hanapin ang aking purpose at panghawakan ang aking pananampalataya. 

Nagpapasalamat at humahanga sa inyo, Alessandra

Thank you for sharing your experiences about how drugs really affected you in the long run. I admire your bravery and that it really is an eye opener for me to never take drugs, no matter the reason. This made me realize that the effects of drugs really isn’t what one may suffer directly in the future, but there is an interlink of other diseases as well that may come. I know that it has been hard for you throughout the years to live normally and recover from drugs and HIV. Despite these hardships, you were still able to fight back and have faith with God which really served as an inspiration for me to have courage and face my problems. Apart from this, I have really learned a lot from your life sharing experiences. Firstly, I have learned that through your life story, it served as living proof for me that drugs can really mess up your life if one uses it. It is really important for one to decide not for the pleasure of others but for yourself. Specifically, peer pressure really is one of the common factors that may force one to take and enforce bad habits towards oneself. Therefore, it is important for one to be aware and mindful of their decision makings because every action has consequences. Secondly, I also learned that drugs does not only affect you in the physical level, but also can affect and break your relationships with other people e.g. family, friends, etc. You may not believe this now, but as a wise man once said, life is the greatest teacher. Lastly, I learned that suffering one’s long term for the sake of short term benefits really is the worst possible option one can do for themselves. Particularly, continuously taking drugs may give you pleasure for a short time, but as time passes by, you will suffer it’s long term horrendous effects. Overall, I admire you sharing your experiences and that it really helps bring awareness towards us freshmen to really consider and analyze the choices we make and to never insist on taking drugs. I hope that you would stay safe as well and keep on battling the problems you face!

Sincerely yours,

Antoine Carl Go

I admire you for sharing such a personal issue, for it takes a lot of questioning and, more importantly, strength to educate and show us, the young generation, what must be avoided. Also, I like how you constantly see the bright side of everything and never give up trying to improve yourself. Continue to inspire many others, and thank you for reminding us that no matter how wrong a person is, he or she can always change and do what is good for themselves and for the society.

- Mico

Note:

Hello po Kuya Moses, thanks for being brave enough to share your story with all of us. I know that you’re in a better situation right now, but in case your past haunts you, it would be advisable to read the letters of encouragement that I and my fellow freshmen posted on this padlet wall. It’s nice of you to have a very optimistic view on life; indeed, I would say that it was worth it for God to preserve you because of what you are doing today. I hope you have been or will be able to surround yourself with a community that will accept you despite your differences (HIV, drugs, LGBT). I hope that that community will be able to give you the support you need to open yourself and continue being a productive member of society. Finally, I wish you good luck on reconnecting with your parents and future health issues that you may have.

Thank you so much for courageously sharing such personal experiences with us. Truly, it takes bravery to retell these stories and I admire you for having the strength to do so. 

Through your testimony, I have felt much hope – I believe that would be my greatest takeaway from this. As we go through life, our everyday decisions all count towards the future, and with this in mind, we should strive to do good, as you’ve mentioned, not only for ourselves but for others as well. Inevitably though, there may be times where we choose undesirable paths; after all, we are human and are bound to make mistakes. However, that is not the end of the road. At times, these mistakes may have irreversible effects, but through perseverance and a strong belief in God, we may still be able to pick ourselves up again and move forward with much hope and courage welling in our hearts.

Truly, your story has inspired me so much, and I know it has also touched the hearts of so many more. I hope that you may continue to spread inspiration and hope to those around you and that you may stay safe & healthy. Once again, thank you so much for imparting this testimony to us. May God bless you always!

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us; your courage and openness inspire me. It's very inspiring, and I'm so glad you've made it this far to share your story with us, freshmen.

After listening to your story, I saw that you are a manifestation that people have the ability to entirely change their course in life and be given a second opportunity. No one can say that making substantial changes in one's life is easy, but when one realizes that one can, it boosts one's self-confidence to do so in the future. Knowing that change is possible motivates persons in recovery to work on all of their other character flaws that make their lives difficult. Moreover, I get to see more of the importance of the integration of drug abuse prevention into the school curriculum.

Your story also reminds me of the parable of the Prodigal Son. No matter how far we wander from our Heavenly Father or how much we waste His gifts, He is always pleased when we return to Him. Unconditional love awaits our return to His loving arms, where he embraces us with wide-open arms

Hoping you find strength with each new day!

- Karl Dimaculangan

I would like to thank you for your courage and willingness to share your story. I personally feel anxious and uncomfortable opening up and telling people about even the most mundane details of my life, so I truly admire you for providing us with the opportunity to learn from your eye-opening encounters with drug addiction, stigmatized diseases like HIV, loss, and recovery. 

If there’s one insight that I gained from listening to you, it can be summarized through one of your speech lines: “Do good not only for yourself, but most importantly, [do good] to other people, to your neighbor.” I’ve realized that immersing oneself in vices does not only have detrimental effects on one’s health but also weakens relationships, destroys goals and dreams, and muddles one’s purpose in life. Despite this, the learned lesson gives me hope; with a desire to better oneself and essentially be a good individual, there will always be a second chance to grow and surpass trials. Developing a mindset that simultaneously focuses on self-care and others’ wellbeing, as well as fostering determination, faith in God, and optimism, will allow us to make wiser decisions and set the right priorities. 

Thank you once again for everything, Kuya Moses! I hope that you continue to inspire the youth for many years to come. God bless you! 

Sincerely, 
Jana

I have nothing but respect for your bravery as you share your life story. Despite your journey and struggles in life, you still looked at the brighter and positive side of your life that yielded into who you are now, much stronger than ever. 

Hearing your life story is really inspiring, which is why my biggest takeaway from your video is hope. No doubt, challenges and struggles in life really discourage us. Experiencing the lowest moment in my life shouldn’t be the end, but rather serve as a stepping stone for a better life, and that’s made possible through hope. I realized that giving up shouldn’t be an option. Kuya Moses, you inspired me in ways of perseverance and with that, thank you for opening my eyes that there is so much more to life. 

I hope that you stay healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. May you continue to inspire other people, especially kids like us who are mostly exposed with these bad deeds. 

God Bless!

I have nothing but immense admiration and respect for your courage to share your story. Words can’t comprehend how glad I am that you’re doing well right now. I find it really inspiring that despite everything that you have been through you chose to persevere and fight through it all. Your story made me realize that our faith in God can help us overcome any situation. 

Continue to use your voice to inspire and uplift others. Wishing you all the best po. Stay Safe and God Bless!

Alam ko pong hindi naging madali ang pagbabahagi sa iyong mga napagdaanan pagka't ipinaaalala po nito ang mga araw na ang mundo’y nandidilim. Subalit ay salamat po dahil iyo pa ring ibinahagi itong parte ng buhay nyo. Sa halip na mawalan ng pag-asa ika'y bumangon at patuloy na bumabangon at dahil dito ako po'y humahanga sa inyo. Kahit na walang suporta sa pamilya kinaya mong harapin ang mga hamon ng Diyos para sa iyo. Ika'y isang huwaran ng katapangan. Hinahanggan ko ang iyong paniniwala at pananampalataya sa panginoon sa kabila ng mga hirap na iyong napagdaanan. Sa iyong mga naikwentong naging kalagayan nyo, tumatak po sa akin ay iyong hindi nyo pa kayang tanggapin ang iyong maaaring kalagayan sa panahong iyon, marami saatin ang nakararanas nito at sa iyong pagbabahagi alam ko pong marami ang nakiramdam sa iyo. Mahirap tanggapin na mayroon kang bagay na “”hindi normal”  ika nga pero sa kabila nito ikaw ay narito sa harap namin at ibinahahagi ang iyong nakaraang nakapagbubukas mata.  Ipagdadasal ko po na koya’y manatiling ligtas at na kayo’y manatiling masigla sa harap ng kinabukasang walang kasiguraduhan. Maraming salamat po sa pagkakataong ibinigay nyo saamin na maintindihan at maunawaan ang iyong kuwentong nakalulukso ng damdamin. Patuloy po kayong maging huwaran ng katapangan at katatagan. 

- Selena

Before anything else, I hope you are doing well in the current crisis that we are currently experiencing, the COVID-19 pandemic.

I would like to commend you for your courage to speak up and talk about your story. All that you have gone through – from drugs to HIV – is very difficult to ingest because of the struggles that they entail, but despite all that, you were able to stand up and muster the courage to talk about your struggles. For that, I salute you and you surely were able to inspire all of us to have the courage to face our struggles today. Hearing your story, I was enlightened as to how we, the youth, are vulnerable to the use of illegal drugs. We are at risk of committing actions that might lead to undesirable ramifications. But despite the mistakes and rejections, your story reminded us that we can still start a better life and there are still people who will provide shelter for us and will help us grow. However, the most important thing that I was able to learn from your story is how God, as the center of our lives, provides us hope and courage to help not only ourselves but also other people. I was elated that you highlighted God in your story, because He is truly our savior. Indeed, God can turn a bad thing into something purposeful and meaningful. He is always with us; all we need to do is recognize His presence in our hearts. I am glad that you were able to find Him in your life, and based on your story, He has truly helped you overcome the challenges you have faced.

Again, I commend, respect, and admire you for your courage to share your story with us. Thank you very much and stay safe!


-Cyrus <3

The most significant learning that I gained is that drug use involves a personal dimension wherein it can be promulgated through negative influence of relationships such as peer pressure from friends, as seen in the case of Kuya Moses. This dimension is also evident in the negative repercussions of drug use on the personal health of Kuya Moses. Specifically, he encountered behavioral and health issues wherein his body was longing for drugs and his judgement was impaired; in line with this, drug use also led to his exposure to unprotected sex which then resulted to him being infected with HIV. In addition, the societal issue involving the stigma regarding the indirect consequences of drug use, such as HIV, is also highlighted; this was seen when Kuya Moses was disowned by his family. 

As a societal response to the behavioral and societal issues surrounding drug use, education about its negative effects is essential wherein the information that would be learned should also be shared with other people. Concretely, education about drug use can be acquired through attending seminars about it and inviting other people to also join. Consequently, increasing awareness about the negative effects of drug use can then be done through engaging in social media posts that tackle the issues and information about drug use; another possible way is through everyday conversations if opportunity allows it and being a positive influence and example to others. 

Dear Kuya Moses,

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share with us your experiences.  I will surely keep in mind the lessons and insights that I have gained from you. May you also continue to be an inspiration to other people. God Bless you po! :)) 

I learned a lot after viewing the video. First, life might take us down a variety of paths, but as we progress, we can find the proper path as long as we trust in ourselves and have faith. Second, not all bad judgments and wrongdoings have long-term negative consequences, but it does happen. If we can avoid doing it, it will be for the better of ourselves and everyone else. Third, whenever we feel we can't move forward or can't see the light on our way outside, it's okay to fall down and start over. Fourth, peer pressure is not a definite path. That is why we must be especially cautious and mature in our decisions.

Finally, I thought the entire thing was very helpful, especially for people who were unfamiliar with these topics. It permits individuals to grasp it better by keeping their minds open. Thank you for distributing this kind of knowledge in order to educate more people.

I wish you all the best in the future. Fightingg!!

Thank you for sharing your story with all of us. You are truly an inspiration to all of us, as you continue to prove that you are more than your struggles and hardships and that there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.

I learned a lot when I heard your story. It was something eye-opening to me and it served as a reminder for me to be cautious of my actions. Peer pressure is very relevant especially in our generation today where everyone wants to fit into other people’s standards. It may be a hard choice to stay away from people who encourage these bad behaviors, but I will always remember to keep your pieces of advice in mind whenever I have to make these decisions later on. I also learned a lot about perseverance and keeping my faith strong in times of hardship. Sometimes it seems impossible to overcome our problems, but here you are, a living example of what it means to conquer your problems, stand up, and fight again.

Continue to stay strong and use your story to raise awareness about HIV and drug use, especially to the youth. I hope you are doing well and I wish you all the best po! God bless always!

Thank you for deciding to impart your wisdom to us. I feel deeply moved and grateful for having the opportunity to listen to your story. Considering the stigma surrounding HIV and drug abuse, only God knows all the hardships you must have been through. It takes an insurmountable amount of courage to speak up about such subject matters, and yet here you are, living your new life trying to help people realize that they always have a choice, and most importantly, that they have to make the right choice, particularly when it comes to things that can bring about drastic changes to their lives.

Your story has made me realize that we, humans, are so much more than the mistakes we make. There may have been things we’ve done that we can no longer undo, but rather than just giving up, we can always choose to change and learn from our mistakes. And along the journey of finding hope and light, we must remember that we are not alone and that we are always accompanied by God wherever we go. 

Thank you again for sharing your story with us. I wish more people can hear your story because it truly is inspiring and eye-opening. May we also find our true purpose in life along with the struggles we overcome.

First of all, I would like to commend your bravery for sharing your story with us. It must have been hard choosing to do so, being aware of the possibility of being judged. Knowing the society we are living in, we still have a long way to go in terms of discussions about drug addiction, HIV, and LGBTQIA+. People experiencing these and belonging to this sector are still heavily scrutinized these days, but you chose to contribute to the discussion by sharing your story. For that alone, I already admire you, and I am sure that many of my fellow freshmen also do. 

As a teenager, it is true that we are curious about a lot of things. But living life to the fullest does not mean experiencing them all, even the life-threatening ones. Your story served as an eye-opener to many teenagers, especially those who may be tempted to try illegal drugs. In response, I promise to heed your advice and focus on my studies, to think very hard about the consequences before trying anything. I will not fail you, Kuya. 

I am sorry that you had to experience those, especially the part with your parents. On the other hand, I am glad that you are now doing better and that you now have a good relationship with God. I hope that this stability continues for you despite the many challenges that the pandemic and life in general have brought about. 

Some people may have judged you but I am not one of them. I accept you for who you are, because you are more than the sum of your mistakes. Please continue inspiring the youth to make the right choices. 

Sincerely, 

Danielle Durian

First and foremost, I want to show my appreciation for having the bravery to share and inspire individuals like myself to avoid falling into the trap of substance abuse. I understand how difficult it is to disclose something so personal, but you mustered the courage to do so in order to serve as a beacon to others. When I watched your video, I couldn't help but notice a sense of struggle and sadness, though I also noticed a ray of optimism in the way you narrated your tale. I hope you can keep this spirit alive. 

Because you chose to share your experience to teach us, one life, among many others, have been saved.

Thank you so much!

Sincerely, Reese

Thank you for sharing with us your story! I know this is not an easy task to do so I admire you for being brave and strong. I figured I could learn from your attitude -- soldiering on with life. I personally liked that your closeness with God helped in your journey with HIV and drugs. Like you, I also believe that faith in God combined with strong determination can lead us to conquer any situation that we encounter. Aside from your admirable outlook on life, I also learned a lot about the effects of drugs on a more personal level. It not only affects our health but also our social relationships. Your talk was definitely an eye-opener and inspiring for me. I hope that you will always be safe and healthy, especially during this pandemic, so that you may be able to help and be an inspiration to more youths like me. God bless you always!

Sincerely, 

Angel

- Our own choices can make ripples to society

- Drugs modifies our body to look for these substances

- Drugs impairs judgment and only allows you to look for happiness despite the repercussions 

- Drugs may lead to other diseases such as HIV due to the actions done when someone is taking drugs

- There are people who help: medical workers and NGOs that help people with HIV to rebuild their lives emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.

- Bad events are not death sentences if you can turn these into learning experiences or into good things. You may find your purpose or help others along the way

- Say no to drugs and focus on education that will empower us to do good things for others and for ourselves.

Note to Kuya Moses:

Dear Kuya Moses, 

Thank you for courageously sharing your story to us so that we may learn the valuable life lessons you have gained from your hardships and experiences. I’d like to say that it is because of people like you, who are able to share their stories, that topics like these are less stigmatized and are able to open discussions on how to help people suffering from these diseases. We have not only learned about the negative effects of drugs but also on how to become a better human being by being open to the experiences of others. Through these we are able to utilize our strengths and opportunities to help our communities become a better place. I aspire to fulfill and find my purpose in life just like you po Kuya Moses. Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely, 

Ninna Rivera

- Our own choices can make ripples to society

- Drugs modifies our body to look for these substances

- Drugs impairs judgment and only allows you to look for happiness despite the repercussions 

- Drugs may lead to other diseases such as HIV due to the actions done when someone is taking drugs

- There are people who help: medical workers and NGOs that help people with HIV to rebuild their lives emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.

- Bad events are not death sentences if you can turn these into learning experiences or into good things. You may find your purpose or help others along the way

- Say no to drugs and focus on education that will empower us to do good things for others and for ourselves.

Note to Kuya Moses:

Dear Kuya Moses, 

Thank you for courageously sharing your story to us so that we may learn the valuable life lessons you have gained from your hardships and experiences. I’d like to say that it is because of people like you, who are able to share their stories, that topics like these are less stigmatized and are able to open discussions on how to help people suffering from these diseases. We have not only learned about the negative effects of drugs but also on how to become a better human being by being open to the experiences of others. Through these we are able to utilize our strengths and opportunities to help our communities become a better place. I aspire to fulfill and find my purpose in life just like you po Kuya Moses. Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely, 

Ninna Rivera

-        The more we experience life and listen to other people’s testimonies, the more we are aware of our world and aware of the decisions we have made and we are going to make. It’s important to be open-minded and to continually expose ourselves to unfamiliar situations. The more we know about the world, the better we can navigate through it. Before, not a lot of Filipinos were aware about drugs because there wasn’t a lot of information about it. Now, society is pushing awareness about drugs and the youth is educated about its dangers. What I might think is cool, hip, or an opportunity might actually be dangerous. 

-        Life is a process and we are part of that process. None of us are perfect beings, and a lot of the times we will regress in our journey towards self-improvement. What is important is that we continue to work on ourselves despite the odds stacked against us. When Moses survived the ward, he took is as a wake-up call to change his life for the better. Even when we think we’ve achieved a lot already, there will always be room for improvement. The harder we strive to improve ourselves, the more we can contribute to society and help the less fortunate. 

Message for Kuya Moses:
Thank you for sharing your story with us. It was very brave of you to come out and help educate us, especially with all the judgement you received from your family and from society. It’s from people like you who share their stories and testimonies that I have become aware of the consequences of taking drugs. By sharing awareness of the dangers of drugs, you greatly prevent other people from going through what you went through when you weren’t aware you. You also help change the youth’s perspective on drugs from something that is cool and hip to what it really is: a danger. 

There is strength in everything you do. Every step of your journey to get to where you are now requires courage—from choosing to get tested for HIV to speaking in front of crowds of students to spread awareness. I have so much admiration for you, and I hope that through our messages you can feel that we are all proud of you. 

Helping yourself through the challenges was already a difficult task, yet you still found the strength and care in you to use what you’ve learned from your experiences to help others. Your voice has reached thousands, and I am grateful to be one of the people who heard and learned from your story. Your words are so important in destigmatizing conversations about drugs and HIV.

One of the things you said that stuck with me the most is how “HIV is not a death sentence.” No one should be defined by their illness, and there is always hope for a life after diagnosis. I realized that support, whether it be through meeting others living with HIV or hearing someone talk about HIV in a conference, is such an important factor in making people feel seen and heard so that they have the courage to fight.  

People like you motivate me not only to take better care of myself, but also to be aware of the struggles others go through and know how I can offer my support. Thank you for using your voice for good, and I wish you all the best. <3

 

Sincerely, 

Helen

Thank you so much for sharing your story! What you did is truly admirable and I salute you for your bravery, because not all of us have the courage to tell our obstacles that are very personal and close to our hearts. Your experience is very moving and has inspired many of us (if not all) to become better individuals. It has taught us the importance of believing in ourselves despite the hardships we may encounter.  I also want to thank you for telling us the importance of HIV and drug awareness. I hope that your message will continue to inspire and move others, and may God bless you!

Sincerely, 
Richelle

Hello po, Kuya Moses!

Una sa lahat, salamat po sa inyong tiwala at lakas para maibahagi ang iyong kwento. Hindi po biro ang inyong pagdaanan at nakikiramay ako sa hirap na inyong naranasanan. Isa ka pong inspirasyon at patunay na kahit gaano kahirap ang buhay, sa tulong ng Diyos kayang-kaya pa rin natin magbago. Nakita ko po sa inyong testimony kung gaano kalaki ang negatibong epekto ng droga sa inyong buhay at ito ay nagsilbing paalala saakin sa mga masasamang epekto nito. Marami na rin po akong narinig at nakilala na sumubok ng droga at dahil dito nawalan sila ng mga kapamilya, kaibigan, at maraming opportunidad sa buhay. Kayo po ang mga nagpapaalala saamin na hindi droga ang solusyon sa mga problema at hindi katumbas ng sakit na madudulot nito sa mahabang panahon ang masayang pakiramdam na makukuha sa mga sandaling ginagamit ito. Sana'y patuloy niyo po turuan ang mga tao tungkol sa HIV dahil napakaraming kabataan din ay kulang sa impormasyon pagdating dito. Hanga po ako sa inyong kagustuhan tumulong sa ibang mga tao at tuluyan po kayo sana'y biyayaan at gabayan ng Panginoon. Salamat po sa inyong mga payo at sana'y magkita po tayo pagkatapos ng pandemya. Ingat po kayo lagi at sana tandaan niyo po na ang ating mga pagkakamali ay hindi dumidikta sa ating pagkatao. Buong buo ang pagmamahal saatin ng Panginoon, kaya't tayo'y lumaban!

- Stef

I hope you are well, staying safe and healthy. I'm grateful that you have shared your story with us. As a private individual I know it's hard to even open up these kinds of problems to people who you don’t know. Because of that I applaud your courageousness to share with us your personal experience. I believe that this talk has been an eye-opener to each and everyone of us on the effect of drugs short term and long term. Thank you po Kuya Moses ulit and always stay safe.

First of all, I would like to thank you for your bravery in sharing your story with us. It may not have been easy for you to open up publicly, but you still did to make the youth more aware of the grave consequences of using drugs. I learned that we should not intake drugs, whether it be for fun or because we are forced to do so. We should be able to make our own choices independently and not be pressured by other people. We should always instill in ourselves to keep our faith in God because He is always there to guide and care for us in our whole journey. He may not be present with us, but He is with us in spirit. I truly admire how you continued to fight despite all the challenges you faced and are still currently facing, such as testing positive for HIV, being abandoned by your parents to this date, and having to put on eye drops every time your eyes get dry. I am grateful for your sharing even through the screen since I was able to witness the severe effects of consuming drugs, and it serves as a wake-up call to the youth not to waste their life on drugs but to live a happy and fulfilled life instead. I hope you continue to spread your message across to various communities and impact more individuals with your story. Continue to stay as an inspiration. God Bless always. 

Sincerely, 
Vanessa 

✰ It's only natural for teenagers to be curious and explore, but we have to be mindful of our choices. 

✰ It's important for us to educate ourselves before we engage in activities that can develop into reckless and risky behaviors.

✰ We must take a moment to think about the repercussions of our actions so that we don’t give in to negative peer pressure.

✰ Harmful substances, such as drugs, can impair our judgement, negatively affect our health, and strain our relationships with others.

✰ A person is not solely defined by their struggles. We must seek to understand the experiences and struggles of people instead of making unsolicited judgements about them. 

✰ Have strong faith in God and the determination to do what is right. 

Hi, Moses! You are such a courageous and inspiring person. It struck me when you mentioned that you were exposing your life, your face, and your voice on television interviews to show people that there is life after HIV. It must be so challenging to come out to the world with your story and your struggle, but thank you for sharing your life and raising awareness of your experiences to help so many people. Your story is worth sharing, and I hope you know that listening to your story not only benefits people living with HIV, but also students like me. I celebrate your second life, and we must continue to thank God that you still exist! ◡̈︎ Right now, I hope that you’re safe, happy, and hydrated. Virtual hugs (with consent) to you! Laban lang, Moses ♡

Sincerely,

Tina 

First and foremost I would like to thank you for your bravery in sharing your story about how drugs have affected your life. I know it was not easy to open up to the world about your past with drug usage but I admire your willingness to do it despite the possible judgement of others just so you could prevent people from going down that path. Initially I thought that this would just be a simple talk about why drugs are so detrimental to one’s health in general but I was shocked to see how big an impact it can make to one’s life once you allow it to take over. I also would like to commend you for your bravery when you got tested for HIV. I know this is not something easy to accept but I think it is very remarkable how you choose to accept it and take accountability for your own actions. I was also very glad to hear that despite the difficulties that you experience with HIV, you were able to discover an organization that was able to give you a home with those who share the same experiences as you and were able to guide you. I truly believe that this situation was a manifestation of God’s generosity in giving you a second chance in life. I am also glad that you were able to use this situation and turn it into something positive by extending hope to others that there is still life after HIV. I really believe that you are the epitome of the saying that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Once again I would like to thank you for trusting us and allowing yourself to become vulnerable in order to give us the best advice. God is really powerful and I know that he will continue to guide you as you continue to face the different highs and lows in life. Keep your faith on and continue to be a light to others.  

- Crissan Isabelle C. Morales 

Stay safe and Godspeed!

💞

To begin, I want to express my appreciation for sharing your story so honestly and openly. I'm sure this experience of yours was quite difficult, as was sharing such a personal story with so many of us. You are extremely courageous and strong, and for that I sincerely admire you and extend my heartfelt gratitude.I am honored to have been able to listen to both you and your story, gaining valuable lessons from you. I was very inspired by your perseverance and determination to overcome the obstacles you face in life. As it did with me, this journey of yours has the potential to inspire and transform a large number of individuals who are currently in a position similar to yours in the past. It acts as a motivational reminder that humans are capable of change and that, if they so choose, they will discover the light and hope at the end of a dark tunnel. 

I hope you're doing well at the moment and wish you all the best in life! May you continue on this path, inspiring everyone around you.

Once again, thank you for sharing and I wish you more blessings from God! Stay safe!

-Danielle

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to share your story with us. I understand that talking about your experience is difficult for you, but you used it as an opportunity to teach us, the youth, a lesson.

Despite the fact that you had to go through a difficult path, I admire your determination to put your foot down and turn your life around. I also admire how you never forgot to express gratitude to God for providing you with the opportunity to live a better life.

Finally, thank you for your advice on how we should prioritize our education in order to learn how to distinguish between good and bad. This will serve as motivation for me to study harder for other people, especially myself.

Again, thank you Kuya Moses! May God bless you always.

What I learned is that it is very important to surround yourself with people who will encourage you to choose the good and be aware of the decisions we make as teenagers. Also, although we have had choices that resulted to negative effects in our life, there is still time for us to change for the better and find our purpose. 

Thank you so much po for sharing your story with us. I hope you know that we are very proud of you and we see how strong and brave you are despite everything you’ve experienced. Thank you rin po educating us more about drugs and HIV, especially now na maraming stigma. Ingat po kayo palagi at sana patuloy niyo pong gamitin ang boses niyo para makatulong pa sa marami pang tao. :>

Thank you for sharing your story. After hearing your experiences and struggles with drugs, I realized that we must think about our actions and choices because these have consequences. I also realized that we should surround ourselves with people who care about us and encourage us to do and be our best. Ultimately, I realized how important it is to stay hopeful and never give up. You have been through so much, but you were able to overcome all the hardships and challenges through faith. I hope you continue sharing your story and inspiring more people to keep going and strengthen their faith.  Again, thank you and I wish you nothing but the best. Stay safe and may God bless you always!  

I admire you for your courage and willingness to share your personal issues. Thank you for giving your advice on how to avoid repeating the same mistakes and keep ourselves focused on our studies. What truly inspired me is how you are able to confront the stigma surrounding HIV and drugs, and help people realize that they have the choice to bring radical changes to their own lives. 

Your story reminded me that people, especially at my age, are susceptible to peer pressure and thus vulnerable to making the wrong choices. I can relate this to how I feel now as a college freshman, still trying to fit into a new group of students coming from different high school backgrounds. I don’t really have a lot of familiar faces among my blockmates, so I may find myself being pushed hard to make a choice I would probably regret. Your message is poignant because there would always exist possibilities of me doing things I wouldn’t even imagine myself doing. I’ll be sure to take your message to heart so that I would not transform into someone completely unrecognizable from my past self or put aside the values that have been inculcated in me just so I can feel belonged. Pondering on your message also serves as a wake-up call to me considering how mainstream media has not been accurately disclosing about the lasting effects of drugs and the importance of resisting peer pressure. At the same time, it hurts to see that members of the LGBT community and those suffering from HIV are being ostracized instead of being provided the necessary support to help them live normal lives and blend in with society. 

Thanks to your inspiring talk, I no longer have the desire to even experiment. It has occurred to me that drugs have a snowballing effect because huge problems would start off small. One minute I am taking alcohol, and the next minute I would resort to more dangerous ones like crystal meth. Moreover, it is through your sharing that I truly see how drugs would make me feel good in the very short term, but they would aggravate my problems in the long term. I see that drugs make me feel good and forget my issues for a brief moment, but the next moment I wake up, I realize that my life is utterly ruined. It is truly my own choice to avoid messing my life up, and I thank you for guiding me to that realization. Drugs and peer pressure seem like two different issues but they do go hand in hand to a considerable extent. Thanks for highlighting these points in your talk. 

Thank you again for sharing your story with us. It strengthens my resolve for self-awareness and willpower as I navigate this new journey and sort myself out in a rightful manner. You have opened my eyes to the harsh realities out there and why I should consciously make a stand in my personal decisions and actions. 

I want to let you know that you are not alone in your struggles because we are the society of people who would support your good causes and embrace our individual differences. Please stay strong even in the most difficult times. God bless you always! 

Sincerely yours, 

Richwynn Ong

I truly admire your courage and strength in sharing with us some of the most vulnerable experiences of your life. Thank you so much for your advice and I will try my best to apply them to my current lifestyle. Your persistence in removing the stigma surrounding HIV and drugs as well as mending your relationship with God is immensely admirable. Your talk gave me so much insight as to how I can improve my mindset and outlook on such issues. I, too, hope that I can strengthen my faith amidst the problems I face. 

It must have been difficult for you to be be perceived differently due to things that are out of your control and I commend you for your perseverance! I hope you are able to find peace with this and that you are also aware that many will support you along your journey.

Once again, thank you so much for sharing your story and I hope you continue to inspire others. You have a great life ahead of you and I wish you all the best. God bless!

In our country, both AIDS and drug abuse are very stigmatized cases that survivors would rarely be given the support and help they need to get back up. For that, I'm hoping my gratitude reaches you for speaking up about it and reinforcing, or if not making some realize, the fact that both cases aren't reasons to deny someone of humane treatment. That, having AIDS and abusing drugs is hard as it is, but much more if no one would be willing to help you.

After all that you have shared with us, it dawned upon me how external factors that may influence us would always be there, but at the end of the day, it is us who hold full responsibility for the choices we make—and of our lives. We must remember that in any positive or negative situation and every small or big decision, it is all up to us to decide whether we'll choose what's good or bad for us. And like how we uphold choosing the more loving option for others, we must also apply it to ourselves. But if we encounter rough paths along the way, we should remember that failures and mistakes aren't enough to end us. Ultimately, we must always chase improvement; we can pause, but we must never stop.

To end this, I'd like to commend your courage and openness to relive a very disheartening experience in your life. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to look back to that, and I appreciate how generous you are to share this experience with us to inspire and show us how to fight for ourselves.

Thank you so much, Kuya Moses! I hope you remain happy, safe, and healthy!

— Yvonne

After listening to your talk, I like how courageous you are in sharing your life story with us and how motivated you are in dedicating your life to warning us about the danger of drugs. Although it is the first time I met you, I am amazed by how strong you are to rebuild your life from the bottom up after having it ruined by drugs; and after listening to your story, I would like to share which insights from your story struck me the most. 
First, your story made me realize how important it is to have the right people in your life. Your experience with drugs is tragic since it is a product of unfortunate circumstances. You were with the wrong people and the wrong time in life, which has made all of that happen. But after meeting the right set of people along with personal motivation, you were able to recover and live a new life. That showed me how powerful the people are around us in shaping our lives and how crucial it is to surround yourself with the right kind of people. That motivated me to cherish the people I have around me and to strive to find the right people to be with.

Second, your story is a perfect example of the fact that what happens in your life doesn't define your success, but instead the way you respond to the happenings in your life does define it. Seeing how you didn't give up while having all those problems is a tale that gives hope to even the most troubled and for that, I admire your resolve. this means that I have to work harder to be successful in life and not rely on what I already have right now. 

For all that you have done, you are an amazing man that is trying to make the world a better place. One day, I hope to meet you in person for learning more about your success story. Please stay strong and stay safe.

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing private information on your life and talking about your experiences. It has really made me reflect on how I treat myself and the actions we commit as young adults. We need to be aware of the consequences of our actions as when we grow older, it sticks with us both mentally and physically. It has opened my eyes to the many problems our society has today. I am honored to hear your story. It has motivated me to continue to be the best person I can be. I hope that you continue to stay strong, educate people, and continue to touch the lives of others. 

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for your time and willingness to share your experience. It has been an eye-opener to the reality of life that everyone, especially the youth of today, should know. I was moved by your willingness to accept and know your mistakes, determination to correct your ways, and dedication in telling your story to others. Despite going through experiences that ultimately changed your life, you strived to go back to the right path, changing for the better and educating others about your story.

Your experience should not alone be treated as a cautionary tale by our generation and the generations to come. It should also be perceived as a ray of hope to those who were also astray and experienced the same hardships as you. It should be treated as a spark of light for them, giving them assurance that it is never too late to change and set things right.

May you continue to bring enlightenment to the youth and be a beacon of hope for those who need light. 

First of all, I would take this opportunity to express my appreciation through a simple thank you! Thank you for sharing with us your personal experience on the matter of drugs which is prominent and important to talk about especially towards us college students! Thank you for mustering the courage to do something that results in you thinking about the “not-so-bright” times in the past. But with these not-so-good experiences comes valuable (maybe even life-changing) learning points that can potentially turn or our lives around or maybe help others in need. 

 

With that being said, Kuya Moses, I would like to say that your story was eye-opening and this helped me be more aware of the matter of drugs ranging from the factors behind the consumption of drugs to the acute and chronic effects when they are already consumed. Honestly, I was on edge when I heard about your story, especially the moment when you were HIV positive and just by hearing that, I know that it was a tough time. I learned that once we realize our mistakes, we can truly turn things around if we have the determination to do what is right. Alongside your strong faith in God, you did just that Kuya Moses! 

 

I, as well as all of us freshmen, are thankful for your determination to ensure that people won’t go down this dark path that drugs can potentially bring to a person through mustering the courage to tell your story throughout the nation. Hearing your story, I am now more aware of the concept of drugs and this helps me become a better support system to peers, friends, and loved ones who consumes these substances. 

 

Once again, thank you Kuya Moses for being a part of making this world a better and safer place! :D

 

Sincerely and God bless you, 

Nikkos

Your story of overcoming all the hardships you’ve experienced is very inspiring, and I admire how you chose to share these struggles with us freshmen. A true display of strength and resolve. I cannot fathom the difficulties you had gone through, from undergoing the effects of drug use, to testing positive for HIV, and losing support from family. However, I am wholeheartedly grateful that you managed to plow through all of this with a firm faith in the Lord, and have eventually emerged into an advocate for helping those with similar struggles and spreading awareness to the mass.

Through your journey, you allowed us to understand the consequences of destructive drugs and have encouraged us to be more wise with our life choices, or at least live for ‘good’ and not for the ‘bad.’ Rest assured that I, and surely the rest of us students, will not have your message wither away in vain and will instead follow your life advice and promptly see you as a great inspiration. 

I pray that despite the trials of life that the Lord will continue to grant you strength and more blessings to persevere along the way. Thank you, once again, Kuya Moses!

Thank you so much for the great amount of courage you had to let us know about your past experiences. Doing so, you gave us an idea of how we can turn our lives for the better and conquer all the challenges with the right goals and mindset. It was more than heartbreaking to see what you have gone through in your life and I applaud you for informing us freshmen about this and allowing us to understand your situation.

From your talk, I learned that it is important to not dwell on your past mistakes and decisions, rather use these as a reminder to do better and improve oneself. Moreover, we shouldn’t let ourselves into peer pressure and remember the consequences once we experiment and get into drugs. 

That said, I would like to thank you for informing us and I hope that you will continue to advocate for these causes and make the right decisions. You have inspired me to always strive for the best and to keep going despite the problems we experience.

Please know kuya, that I will continue to remain proud of you and that I hope that you will continue to be filled with strength. 

Stay safe. 

Best regards,

Gabrielle ubiadas

With God, there is always a silver lining no matter what life throws at you. We are given the autonomy to decipher right from wrong, and as an Atenean we must always embody the teachings of God as a guide in our morality. 

To: Kuya Moses

Alam ko pong hindi madaling desisyon ang paglantad ninyo ng inyong pagkatao at kuwento, pero lubos po akong nagpapasalamat sa pagbahagi ng inyong buhay sa amin. Malaki po itong tulong sa paghubog sa aming pagkatao bilang isang estudyante ng Ateneo. Nawa po ay marami pang tao ang mabighani sa kwento ng inyong buhay, magsilbing mabuting ehemplo, at gaya ng inyong handog sa amin ay makapagbigay liwanag.

Ang inyo pong kalusugan ay aming isasama sa aming dasal sapagkat, amin pong hinahangaan ang inyong kalakasan na mapagtagumpayan ang paglaban para sa inyong buhay nang hindi nawawala ang tiwala sa Panginoon. Muli, maraming salamat po at sana'y marami pang biyaya ang dumating sa inyong buhay. Pagpapala!

Trans:
I know it wasn’t easy for you to expose your identity and story but I am very much thankful that you still pushed through. Your life learnings are a big help in shaping our identity as Atenean freshmen. I hope that more people will be moved upon hearing your story and from there be guided to have a more informed choice with you serving as a good example (after every struggle you have overcome). 

Please know that your health will always be in our prayers. For we admire your strength in triumphing your life struggles and having the will to fight for your life while not forsaking your line with God. Again, thank you very much and may more blessings come your way. Godspeed!

Thank you po Kuya Moses for sharing your story with us. It shows the harsh side of reality, but with it you were also able to present to us how God’s grace and your personal actions paved a new path for you amidst the struggles. I hope you know that many people are proud of you because of the courage you provided in sharing your wisdom gained from a personal experience. You started with seeking a community that can help you overcome your struggles, and later gave back by being the support that a community needs as well. There is beauty in your redemption, and I hope you are always reminded of this. God bless po! 

Sincerely,
Kat

To start this off, I want to extend my gratitude towards you for being brave and talking about your life experiences. I cannot imagine how you mustered up that courage, but I am glad you found your calling and turned your life around amidst that massive challenge. I want to say that your story is both an eye-opener and an inspiration for teenagers like me. 

I have gained several valuable insights from what you shared that I know I will remember up until I am an adult. First, I realized how much harmful substances could negatively affect a person not just physically but also mentally, emotionally, and socially; so, it is essential for us to be educated of such things for us to be mindful of our actions and decisions. Moreover, I comprehended that picking the wrong decision could set off a series of events that would inevitably result in our misery, so we need to consider what might happen in the near and extended future. Additionally, I learned that I should involve myself with peers with similar life goals and will not influence me to try something I know I should not. Then, I grasped that there was still hope for seemingly impossible situations when you said that "...there is life after HIV. This is not a death sentence." In line with this, I know that the Lord always has something in store for us, so our faith should never wither. Furthermore, I understood that a person's circumstances do not define them entirely; hence, instead of making hasty judgments on people, we must seek to understand their experiences and hardships. Lastly, I recognized just how lucky I am to experience quality education when you emphasized that we should focus on our studies, so I will not take this opportunity for granted.

Kuya Moses, you proved that once someone hits rock bottom, there is no way but up. I am happy that you found your purpose, and I hope you will continue your pursuits while inspiring the people you meet along the way. I wish you all the best things in life, and I will include you in my prayers. Again, thank you so much! Please keep safe, and God bless you! :))

Best regards,

Reine

To me, your story could have gone one of two ways: let a bad experience define you, or use it to further yourself as a person. It was delightful that you chose the latter as this is the harder path to undertake. I was enlightened and realized that in the end, all you truly have is yourself for anything and everything. We are responsible for ourselves and you made me realize that what happens to us is not our fault. It only becomes our fault when we stay in that same position. You are an inspiration to me and many more individuals. I hope the next person gets inspired just as much as me.

Wishing you the best!