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Some photos of our visit to Paete, Laguna ( The Philippines’ Woodcarving Capital) some months back.
Kape Kesada at Paete, Laguna
My sis, checking out the Guestbook
My son, Io with nanny Jona outside Kape Kesada
Me and my son, Io under the hot sun
Leaving My Thoughts on the Guestbook
I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.
I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.
I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.
On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.
HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.
By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.
While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.
“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.
On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.
For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.
A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.
Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.
Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.
For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com
RJMarmol.com 
7 responses to “Some Paete Photos”
Hey RJ … awesome pictures :)
Your son looks very energetic !
Hope you are feeling better. (re: Twitter)
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that’s a great place. I really love art galleries.
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@victor
i’m glad you liked it..oh, yes, my son is really energetic, that’s an understatement :) i’m not feeling any better, though, i’m afraid.. i’ll see if i will in the coming days..thanks for minding victor.. btw, i enjoy reading you twitter updates.. :)
@angelo
hey, angelo dude! :) thanks for dropping by again.. :) it’s a small place but really nice and homey..coffee is also good..try to visit there some time, it’s quite far, though, took me over 3 hours to get there (no traffic jam) and i’m from calamba.. :)
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well, I can’t though, I’m from Malabon and it will take me 5-7 hours specially if there’s traffic jam. hehe..
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aw, malabon’s too far from paete.. :) i’m sure there are other art galleries close to your area.. :) in the the fast-paced world of the internet-ruled industry you’re in, a visit to an art gallery will surely both be refreshing and inspiring.. :)
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yeah.. too far to commute. Well, I really don’t know if there’s an art gallery in my area except in the malls. seeing you and your son happy makes me wonder what kind of place is that.. hmm.. I really love arts and that’s why I am thinking of visiting that place.. well, I will put it on my map. LoL. good luck to you and your son. always update us.
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:) thanks angelo…let me know when you get to visit one in the future..or better still blog about it.. :)
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