RJMarmol.com

Give Me More Of This, Please.

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Oh, finally! Good news. Although technically, there isn’t any law yet, the mere fact that lawmakers are talking about it (amidst issues of BJE, SONA, EVAT, Meralco, Sulpicio, 2010 pre-election campaigns and all others) is worth commending. Well, what do you know, we can get something good out of this house after all. And if you think that all I do is bitch all day and find fault in the government and the society in general, well, you’re wrong. If all I write and comment about are negativities and rants, it’s just that no good news has come my way. So anyway, let’s talk about this somewhat good news (i say somewhat because there’s no law yet, it’s still in the “all-plan-and-talk” stage).

They are proposing that medicines purchased by senior citizens be exempted from VAT. This is one of the best news I’ve heard so far and I hope to see development regarding this. As you know, although senior citizens enjoy 20% discount on medicines, 12% VAT seem to almost cancel it out. And the best way to make this discount effective and truly felt is to remove VAT altogether.

My mother has Type 2 diabetes plus hypertension — killer combination right? and has been on medication for a few years now. And maintenance medicines don’t come cheap, you know. Incidentally, my father died of stroke — a diabetic and hypertensive himself. So although I’m trying very hard to veer away from that fate — as that makes me automatically predisposed to diabetes and hypertension, any news about medicines getting cheaper is good news to me (hoping of course, that if I ever catch that, I’ll be a senior citizen already).

So, what else can I say? More of this type of news, please.

At least, give us a break from the monotony of politics and inflation that has been our usual fare. We can only take so much. Give us a diversion sometimes. But a good one, please. Like this.

Give us more of this to make us see that there is future for the country. Slow and small progress is better than none at all. And I think many Filipinos would agree with me on that.

● About Me
Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera Marmol aka RJ Marmol profile picture

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.

Music

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.

Books

Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur

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.

Contact

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

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