RJMarmol.com – Since 2008.

It's Manny for Manny

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Manny Pacquiao
Image via Wikipedia

From now on, it’s not just name, fame and “rags to riches” story they have in common. If we are to believe that the essence of party politics is alive and relevant in this country, then boxing living legend Manny Pacquiao‘s decision to join Senator Manny Villar‘s Nacionalista Party shows that they now share the same core political beliefs as well — not that Pacquiao has anything to show for in terms of politics at this time of course. That is another matter. Although this didn’t come entirely as a surprise as there were talks circulating regarding Manny Pacquiao’s possible endorsement of Senator Manny Villar as his bet for the 2010 presidential elections, it makes you wonder why the pride of GenSan (running as congressman in the lone district of Saranggani provice, his wife’s home province) chose to ally himself with the Nacionalista Party instead of his “madam president’s” Lakas-Kampi-CMD where he would’ve been treated to another hero’s welcome. Sorry Gibo, Manny prefers “sipag at tiyaga” over “galing at talino” — at least, as a slogan for the elections — possibly because he knows by heart and by experience that skill comes from diligence.

I wonder what his adopted father DENR secretary and former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, a stalwart of the Liberal Party (today’s party of choice) and the folks at Lakas-Kampi-CMD have to say about this.

As for Manny (Pacquiao), I think he chose to ally himself with Manny (Villar’s) party as his way of staying true to his core beliefs of “sipag at tiyaga” — the slogan Villar is widely known for.

Two Mannys who went from nobody to somebody — Villar, a shrimp vendor in his youth was elected Congressman, Speaker of the House, Senator and Senate President — Pacquiao, a humble boxer in Gensan to TIME’s “people who mattered” list in 2009 — would cement the validity and charm of the old belief that anything is possible for those who dare believe and strive to hit the jackpot — not out of pure luck, mind you, but out of sheer determination and talent.

A self-made billionaire businessman and a multimillionaire boxer in one political party is a testament that one’s destiny and dream doesn’t end with a fat bank account. The best in the business and the best in sports have merged in an altogether different territory that is even more challenging.

The question now is not whether they will win. It is whether they will live up to the accomplishments they have made in their respective fields using a political yardstick and whether politics would be the ultimate crowning glory of their accomplishments or the beginning of their downfall.

That question is best answered by them through their conscience and by the people through their votes.

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● 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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