mikaela de castro ˚✧₊˳✧༚

i'm mika! i'm a second year asian studies major at the university of santo tomas.

i'm also a student-journalist—writer and blogs editor from tomasinoweb, the premier multimedia publication of ust.

i'm also a contributor from rappler and was a former digital communications intern. find my works here as i philosophize the academia, culture, politics, literature, film, among the like! (๑･̑◡･̑๑)

💌 shoot me a message or meme at:

mikastrawberries@gmail.com
mikaelagabrielle.decastro.ab@ust.edu.ph

📷 catch my digital diary and ramblings on books, notes, reels, and bylines on the gram:

TomasinoWeb  —

  1. More than literotica: Why fanfiction is still a valid genre
  2. March 2022 brings out an embattled game of chess
  3. February 2022 paints a messy yet truthful canvas
  4. Sharing a birthday with Valentine's day: Is love a one-day pass?
  5. Ghosters and their untouched, delivered-zoned messages
  6. A tale of orientalism: Western media’s obsession with the dark side of K-pop
  7. 8 books about flawed, relatable women under the chronic millennial condition
  8. The long-drawn-out PNP feud
  9. Community pantries send ripples nationwide
  10. 2021's unforgettable K-drama characters
  11. TOMCAT jazzes it up with ‘Tunog Tomasino: Wonder in Rhythm’
  12. Let your unfiltered feelings flow with ‘The Purple Project’
  13. “Magdoktor ka nga!”: How intellectual discrimination and stereotypes belittle our career endeavors
  14. For male validation, I downplayed my femininity and individuality
  15. Put a finger down if you’ve played these Y8 Games
  16. Oras na ba para tumayo laban sa Pinoybaiting?
  17. Reaching the finish line of July 2021’s stormy month
  18. I romanticised overstudying and overworking—it was a sham
  19. EXPLAINER: A trouble-free guide on registering to vote
  20. The pot of mold at the end of June 2021’s rainbow
  21. 10 underrated KPOP groups worth listening to
  22. [REVIEW] Trese’s imperfect yet spellbinding, twisting adventure on folklore and citycore
  23. 'Tiis ganda': When filters capitalize over our imperfections
  24. What is your aesthetic?
  25. How 'Attack on Titan' revolves around the compromise of freedom and revolution
  26. #TWenty — Widespread implementation of online learning
  27. December 2020: Silent nights, cry for me
  28. How 'Haikyuu' teaches flightless birds how to fly
  29. How 'Baon Royale!' deconstructed the status quo of our childhood

Rappler —

  1. [New School] When will schools stop telling us to reflect on the pandemic over and over?
  2. Play of the Week: Movies and TV shows for your ‘SOUR’ sentiments
  3. [WATCH] A year of distance learning: You just had to be there
  4. LIST: Celebrate World Earth Day with these environmental shows and movies
  5. 9 timeless Barbie movies that embrace empowerment
  6. Filipinos debate: 500 years of Christianity of centuries of colonization?
  7. Google Doodle pays tribute to Filipino suffragist Rosa Sevilla de Alvero

Pauliworld  —

A refreshing and reflective analysis of Filipino and Western horror
The philosophy of Avatar the Last Airbender: Redemption arcs done right
The glamorization of anti-intellectualism in Filipino media, literature, and cinema
OH HEY, FOR BEST VIEWING, YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR PHONE