Stories of town explorations.
As a millennial who also committed many social media mistakes during its early days, I consider my previous blunder callouts as baptism of fire to the world of virtual reality.
• [...] we millennials were the babies when this digital revolution of networking happened. Like an innocent child, our posts were genuine and authentic.
• After 17 years from this moment, the church became even more prominent with scientific conservation applied.
• I couldn’t remember who owned the digicam I used, but I’m sure I never owned a digital camera in 2008. However, I’ve already gravitated to digicams back then. I knew that I already had an innate interest in this phenomenon called blogging now.
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA, ILOCOS SUR, PHILIPPINES
2008 is almost two decades ago. As a millennial who transitioned from the analogue to the digital era, I know the feeling of being at the crossroads of these two eras. I created my Facebook profile in 2008; but prior to that, I already had a Friendster account in 2004. Back to the future, I’m now writing this 2008 story from my 2025 standpoint.
► My thoughts as a millennial: 2008 versus 2025
The mere thought that this story happened 17 years ago is saturating my current mood now with nostalgia. 2008 was already a part of the digital era when we, millennials, documented our daily lives genuinely in digital formats. At the dawn of the digital revolution and information technology, we’ve just bid farewell to our scented stationeries, Sterling notebooks for our journals, and—at times—Cattleya notes.
The dawn of social media was as genuine as our written diaries. It became toxic, though, at a point in time; but I think that social media also had its own learning curve. It was a process.
Social media is a virtual community that is self-regulating through community feedback. Like an actual community (like a barangay, a town, or a city), social media community matured through the years of trial and error—gatekeeping what’s best for the virtual community. But of course, our online community also had its darkest days. It’s just that, we millennials were the babies when this digital revolution of networking happened. Like an innocent child, our posts were genuine and authentic until we got consumed by our egos through constant validation and Dopamine rewards for the likes and shares. Truth to be told, I also became a part of this toxicity and trend. At that time, social media was relatively new, so I'd say I also underwent the trial-and-error period.
Social media superstars were born until the landscape changed. It became a commercial platform—and it has always been (from subtle then to more profound now)—in exchange of our attention and engagements. As a millennial who also committed many social media mistakes during its early days, I consider my previous blunder callouts as baptism of fire to the world of virtual reality.
 |
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I took this photo in 2008, and I originally uploaded it on Friendster. My Friendster account back then was an extension of my stint as a campus journalist who wrote feature stories. Friendster used to be a platform for my feature journalism and some random personal stuff. |
After all, social media is beautiful and inspirational when utilized for the right reasons.
► The 2008 memories of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
In 2008, I was able to save some photos I took in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. I originally uploaded these photos on Friendster. When Facebook became the trend, I reuploaded them into Facebook. This story happened on 2008-December-29, 2 days before the new year (2009). At that time, I joined my churchmates in a community engagement. I was 20 years old then. I just passed my board exam in nursing at that time. I still got a lot of time to join church activities at that time because I was still unemployed.
I couldn’t remember who owned the digicam I used, but I’m sure I never owned a digital camera in 2008. However, I’ve already gravitated to digicams back then. I knew that I already had an innate interest in this phenomenon called blogging now. Back then, I just wanted to take photos of places and experiences so that I could share them to my Friendster account.
On our way to Vigan, we had a side trip in Santa Maria. We visited some church friends in an inland barangay. I went up the hill and took a selfie. Atop the hill, the view of the Ilocos rice fields dominated the frame.
 |
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I climbed the hill and took a selfie as a remembrance for this 2008 experience. This is Edmar, when he was 20 years old. That brown jacket I used is originally owned by my grandmother which I asked from her. I still have that jacket with me in 2025. |
 |
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • This is the view from the top of the hill, a 2008-ish vibe. |
 |
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I also took a photo of the barangay road. Potholes and cracks filled the one-lane road. The road seemed like if would lead us to the foothills of the mountains of Ilocos if we followed the path. |
At that time, this church—a UNESCO heritage site—was not yet as celebrated as it is today.
 |
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • This is the 2008-ish version of the famed Santa Maria Church. After 17 years from this moment, the church became even more prominent with scientific conservation applied. |
 |
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I took this photo as we crossed the Santa Maria Bridge. This became my last frame as we exited the town at dusk. |
LATEST STORIES COVERING ILOCOS
via the ▼ MANILA NORTH ROAD
🇵🇭 LUZON ISLAND • Manila North Road/MacArthur Highway: Local Guide + Review
This is a travel blog feature, local travel guide, review, and curation dedicated to the Manila North Road as a subject matter..I managed to take a photo of the mountainous landscape of ▼ ILOCOS SUR
LATEST STORIES COVERING ILOCOS SUR
at dusk.I have countless memories of Santa Maria even as a child, but this 2008 memory was captured in photos. Back to the future (2025), I'm rekindling these memories as part of my digital diaries now.
► Realtime Ending Thoughts
It's 09:02 AM of 2025-January-26 as I write this realtime ender. I'm writing this blog now here in Cotabato inside our paternal ancestral house. It's Sunday, and it seems inviting to have a quick ride around. However, my nocturnal self is telling me I need to sleep now because I haven't slept yet overnight.
 |
🇵🇭 KABACAN • It's a realtime photo-ender in our ancestral house in Cotabato. |
LATEST STORIES COVERING SANTA MARIA • SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW
MORE BLOGS YOU MIGHT LIKE. SEE TABS BELOW.
▼ ILOCOS SUR
▼ SPECIAL FEATURES
▼ FEATURE POSTS
S
LI
C
T
M
V
P
B
SC
IS
UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
2025-January-26:
• This post was published.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.
