A Story: Miguel's Wake-Up Call

Miguel, 19, lived for the neon-drenched nights of Osmeña Boulevard. His life was a cycle of late-night shifts at a call center, followed by "rewarding" himself with rounds of Red Horse beer, cigarettes, and casual hookups. It was the typical "work hard, play hard" script for many Cebuano youth. He started noticing a constant cottony feeling in his mouth and a white, cottage-cheese-like coating on his tongue that wouldn't brush off. He blamed the beer and cigarettes, dismissing it as "bunga" (thrush) that would go away.