Wildlights

In this episode of Wildlights , we sit down with Ralph Anthony Galvez and Christian Jayce Pasibe to uncover the story behind Palitaw — a moving Filipino play that explores family sacrifice, OFW realities, migration, grief, and the emotional tension between leaving, returning, and staying. From the growing Filipino theater scene in Dubai to the deeply personal experiences that inspired the play, th...

In this special Wildlights episode, we step into the emerald glow of Wicked: For Good for a deep, character-by-character reflection on the musical that refuses simple heroes and villains. Joined by my friends Irene Domingo and Nono Guiao , we unpack the inner worlds of Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Madame Morrible, Boq, Nessarose and the Wizard , looking beyond plot and spectacle into the emotional, mo...

The life of an OFW is anything but easy. Between the demands of work, adapting to a new culture, staying connected with loved ones, and carving out time for personal passions, it’s no wonder many feel burnt out—or even give up. But my guest today is built differently. Meet Mary Joy Cruz , better known as Host Mayumi —a woman whose presence lights up every room and every event she hosts. She’s not...

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant future — it’s here, and it’s reshaping almost every aspect of our lives. In this episode of Wildlights, we dive deep into how AI is transforming the way we search for jobs, redefining learning in the academe, and even influencing how we build and sustain personal relationships. But beyond the technology itself, we ask the bigger questions: How is AI i...

We are now at the start of 2025, and are probably curious to know what this year has in store for us. And while we can never be sure, perhaps, the stars can? In this episode I speak with one of my good friends, Christian Dale Espartero. Christian, aside from being an architect, faculty member, is also my go-to tarot reader. From time to time, whenever I have personal problems in work or love life,...

For 2024, my hashtag was #FaithFrequency2024. It was the year I chose to have faith in myself, and in my ability to achieve any goal I put my mind and heart into. I came into 2024 with at least this mindset, but I came out of it with so much more. In this episode, I talk about my craziest airport experience and what #FaithFrequency2024 made me realize even more. Follow Wildlights on Instagram @wil...

For one to be able to practice architecture in the Philippines, one would have to take a licensure examination. In Dubai, this exam is held once every year, and this year I, together with my other aspirants, took it and thankfully passed this exam, making us now registered and licensed architects. However, one of my closest friends and my guest for today, Ar. Nono Guiao, not only passed this exam,...

The good part about any conversation with my friend Cedie Duller, is that it is often the perfect balance between chill and insightful. As a screenwriter and director, Cedie has experience and insight especially when it comes to mental health that I know can be of value especially to young adults. In this episode of Burning Questions, he and I sat for a quick drink and talked about life as an OFW,...

So every year instead of coming up with new years resolutions I come up with a hashtag I use as a guide for the year. I do this because it’s easier to make decisions this way. This year my hashtag was #Thrive2023. I wanted this year to be the year of rewarding myself after a really taxing 2022. Of course this year had its set of challenges, and #Thrive2023 really had to test my emotional and menta...

I have wanted Shaila Rebortera to be on Wildlights ever since I concepted this podcast in my mind. We have been friends for over a decade and witnessing her journey from when we were young until the beauty queen she is now always leaves me inspired and I’m sure you will find it the same as well. With the challenges she has faced this year on top of her recent announcement of her daughter Amelia, h...

My conversation with Jam Buynay was surprisingly insightful. You see she grew up in the Philippines and Thailand and so I had so much fun asking her about growing up as a third culture kid, her family background, her work both in communications and as a social media content creator, and even her being an introvert. However perhaps what struck me most about our conversation is how values of family...

Snow Halud has been my friend since 2013 and one thing I love about her is that she is and has always been unafraid of taking risks and adventures. One of the most freespirited people I know, she has been working for Qatar Airways and has traveled parts of the world and has met tons of people but what strikes me most about Snow is that she is not afraid, but EAGER to experience and embrace the thi...

One thing I love about talking about love , is that whatever age, gender, or race you identify as, you have an idea of what it is. Imagine as a child you had an idea of what it means to be in love, and today as an adult you probably have made the distinction of what real love and fake love looks like! This is the reason why I brought in my uni philosophy professor, Ma’am Duane Allyson Pancho, to j...

I have known Ryan Banks for quite some time now, and I can say is that he’s probably the easiest person to get to know and to befriend. He also happens to be an architect and designer from Cebu now based here in Dubai since 2007, with features from Filipino magazines Ilustrado and Expat Media, noting his work for renowned brands such as Google, Microsoft, and most recently, Cartier. What fascinate...

In this episode, I sit down with Gwyneth Vasquez who is the valedictorian of Ateneo de Davao University Batch of 2023. Last June, Gwen's commencement speech trended on Tiktok and Facebook, which allowed many to think and be aware of the privilege we share as she narrated her fieldwork and friendship with Weweng, who hails from the indigenous community of the Tagakolu in Malita, Southern Mindan...

In this episode, I spoke with one of the most independent women I know, Mae Bornillo. She moved to Dubai at the age of 21, worked for corporate, before she decided that corporate was NOT a fit for her, and that coaching more suited her skill set and her goals. At 28, she now operates her coaching business at full steam hosts her own podcast The Scale on Socials Podcast, which you guys should check...

In this episode, I bring in my sister Therese Reyes, and we had a Q&A session following my poll from Instagram. (You guys can follow me @alexcvi and the podcast @wildlightspod) The questions ranged from topics including sex and controversial conversations, lowering standards for anybody, definitions of success, my life's personal hurdles, and even career questions. If you guys have any mor...

In this special episode, I spoke with the best manifester I know, my mom MJ Reyes. We had a candid conversation about her ability to manifest specific things in her life, from her college days to her experience as a working adult who needed to support for her family. My mom is the most positive person I know, and I wanted to give all the Wildlights a glimpse into her person and her wisdom, as I ha...

In this episode, I sat down with my longtime friend, JC Santos. We have been friends since high school, and in this episode, we talked about everything that we have learned since then. One thing that ties our narratives together is the ability to acknowledge our weaknesses and address them as a strategy for growth. We talk about our work experiences and challenges that ultimately show that working...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Reil Benedict Obinque. Reil and I talked about a LOT of things. For instance, we talked about Math and meditation. We talked about his teaching experiences - the challenges and the rewards. We talked about his experience as a Law School student. But mostly, we talked about how essential it is to spend me time to make progressive life choices.

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Reymond Pepito, a marketing consultant currently based in Melbourne who has had professional experience in communication both in professional and sociocultural settings. We talked about listening to our friends, relationships, professional peers, and even to those who don’t have a voice on their own.

In this episode, I spoke with Ren Galeno, who is an epitome and melting pot of creative ideas. The conversation recalled her childhood and our college years (including her fondness for commuting), her current comic work, and the seemingly effortless process she undertakes in generating creative ideas.

In this episode, I invited my friend Christian Medina, a host and social media content creator, to share his thoughts on online trusting in an age where information online can easily be manipulated. This conversation tackled online dating, fake news, real life connections, and being loyal to principle instead of people.

In this episode, I interview my cousin Angel Bello, on the causes and effects of Milestone Anxiety among millennials and Gen-Z’s. Our conversation revolved around her experiences of not being where one should be, the significance of social media in this discussion, and the ability to turn this feeling of anxiety into acts of love.

In this episode, I hold a conversation with Ariane Serrano, one of my good architect friends. She has had significant experience in dealing with high-stress environments, perhaps why I consider her one of the most stoic people I know. The conversation explored the progress of our interests for personal development as well as the imperfect road one has to take to master his/her emotions.