This 11-year-old student still believes in handwritten letters and the power of human connection
In an age of instant messaging, emojis, IG stories and quick snaps, an 11-year-old proved that handwritten words still carry a special kind of charm.
Alvonzo Leandro “Avo” Arandia, a graduating Grade 6 student from Elizabeth Seton School South, recently emerged as the National Letter-Writing Competition organized by Philippine Postal Corporation, eventually representing the Philippines in the 55th International Writing Competition for Young People by the Universal Postal Union.
Asked to write a letter to a friend, he addressed his letter to his cousin, Dionel, who lives in Pampanga. From there, Arandia pondered on stories shared by his grandmother, Lola Ida, about simpler, tech-free times in the 90's.
"They didn’t have 'glowing rectangles' to keep them entertained. She said that my Mom and her siblings stayed outside all day, only coming home when the streetlights came on," he shared.
Arandia expressed his amazement at spider battles, a classic pastime in the country, albeit now rare in the digital age.
"Have you ever tried that? Apparently, back then, kids didn’t hunt for rare skins in a game. They literally climbed trees to find their 'fighters,'" he told Dionel in the letter.
But the heart of Arandia's winning piece a realization that is increasingly rare in the digital era: the importance of genuine human connection—in line with PHLPost's theme.
"Lola Aida’s stories reminded me that the most enduring bonds are not forged over a Wi-Fi connection. In our case, I think what is essential is not found in a high-definition screen or a fiber-optic cable. It is found in the quiet moments of being present. It is the kind of presence that God intended when He made humans social beings," Arandia wrote.
In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, Arandia shared that he still prefers to live in the natural, offline world. “I think it’s very important to have human relationships, not online, just in person. You can form better memories.”
Despite belonging to a mostly online-raised Generation Alpha, Arandia said he enjoys formal writing and even writes birthday letters for his parents.
"I actually make very formal letters and emails po," he added.
This love for writing, may have run in the family as his his grandfather is a former journalist while her grandmother is known for handwritten love letters.
Arandia's mother Kate, meanwhile, shared that the entry was almost unsubmitted amid the young writer's many school activities and exams. But thanks to the encouragement and training from his English teacher and coach, Ms. Russele Royo, he completed the piece in just two days.
"It was very last minute so we weren't even expecting an award," she shared. "We weren't expecting anything until the school confirmed it."
She added that her son's knack for writing, despite being a math achiever, is a natural passion worth commending.
"Telling stories to other people, and like, pouring your heart out into a letter, it's something I don't think that you could teach him. And I'm really, really so proud of him for that," she said.
Arandia's work will be submitted for the UPU competition, where an international jury evaluates and selects top three winners and up to five special mentions.