Pagbutlak

As the humid days of the first week have passed by along with the echoes of back to back orientation and opening exercises, the mountains you’ve yet to climb are worth revisiting the ocean you’ve all traversed with its waves you stood up to. Let this ground you to your purpose and guide you to where you are yet to come.

For the freshmen of UP Visayas, the seas they braved were not measured only in miles, but in sacrifices, anxieties, faith, and persistence.

Each journey, no matter how turbulent or calm, carried you here—sa baybayin ng UPV. 

Hence, the question begs for our doe eyed and curious freshmen: “Gaano kalawak ang dagat na tinawid mo para masilayan ang baybayin ng UPV?”

We’ve all been there. The excitement. The thrill. The enthusiasm for that 7 am class. That roommate who never wakes up at their alarm. That very first Friday at Bangs. 

No one will ever forget what they did their freshman year. 

Have your anchors sunk into the seabed and your sails hastened as you gear to this perceived oasis?  Where everything is possible and the only thing that stops you from exploring UPV’S lushness is the ambiguity of raindrops? 

For Junich, the word “dagat” was both literal and metaphorical. From Palawan, she crossed seas to arrive at UPV, but the deeper crossing was in the countless rejections she endured. A manual appeal passer, she was thrown back by the tides again and again, her boat abandoned by storms of denial. Yet she did not stop. Guided by hope—by the shimmers of Mother Bulan that tethers even those in the roughest of waters and thunderous of storms—she appealed, tried again, and held on. And when UP finally welcomed her, every rejection became proof of her persistence. Her sea never spat her out; it tested and prepared her for what was to come.

Waves came early and in the smallest of forms for Estella. While her roommates arrived steadily with their Form 5s, she stumbled over a missing detail—a forgotten dash in a date during the chaos of enrollment. It was a minor crack, yet in the eyes of a freshman stepping into UPV for the first time, it felt like a tidal wave threatening to sink her boat. In the end, she overcame it, learning that even small mistakes can ripple loudly across the waters of new beginnings.

The stars and the waves do not always lead where we expect them to. Coming from UP High School in Iloilo, Julia’s sails were raised high and her North Star shone bright, pointing to a course she had long desired. Yet, when the tides shifted, another gleam appeared on the horizon—one she did not initially choose but was entrusted to her. Now, guided by waves she once feared, Julia realizes that redirection does not mean failure. Perhaps it is this very sea—the one she resisted—that will carve her brilliance and make her shine differently from the rest.

Imagine a shore where all boats have already sailed, and you stand deserted, salt stinging your lips, your heart bracing for disappointment. This was Francis’ reality—until one boat returned, carrying the last seat in Chemical Engineering. It was not expected, but it fit perfectly, as though the sea itself had reserved it for him. Now, as he hikes the steep mountains of SoTech, he carries both hope and worry. The seas ahead are heavy, the waves threatening burnout. Yet deep down, Francis knows: this one boat was always meant for him.

No dream is realized, and no sea is conquered without sacrifice. Amaleah knows this well. As a student-athlete and pageant contender, she carried the weight of multiple worlds. At times, it felt as though her boat had sunk and she was left swimming against the current. Yet with every stroke, her passion and grit carried her closer to long awaited glistening shores. For her, prioritizing did not mean losing—it meant choosing to transform, to shed one self in order to become another. And in this surrender, discovering a strength she never thought she had was all worth it.

It seemed like the waves of UPV were painted with hues that mirror belonging to Timothy. From Antique, he had long dreamed of sailing toward UP’s horizon, carrying with him lessons that education should not be confined to paragraphs in a textbook but situated to the realities of the Filipino community. He manifested, prayed, and worked hard until the tides aligned in his favor. Now, surrounded by peers whom he thinks have synonymous ideals and perspectives in traversing the intricacies of both college and life, he feels at home. His sails are sharpened with purpose, aiming not just for distant lands but for a life anchored in his community.

While many fellow Iskolars prepared by burying themselves in books and endless reviewers, Czarenne charted a different map towards preparing for UPCAT in mind . She admits she did not spend sleepless nights memorizing notes; instead, she placed her trust in prayers, superstitions, and quiet faith. Her sails, though lighter, carried her far enough to reach the promised green landscapes of Sta. Cloveria. For her, it was not about outstudying others but about surrendering to the tides of destiny—proof that sometimes, the sea rewards those who simply trust its currents.

Now, standing on this shore, the waves behind them turn into memories—of sleepless nights, of prayers whispered, of sacrifices made, and of tides that nearly pulled them under.

It’s not just about stories of distance but of different intensities of struggles towards a promised unknown; it’s not about the vastness but also the depth of the varying colors the ocean these individuals have either deliberately swam or sailed into. It is a collective determination that shaped each freshman’s heart and soul as they slowly become their yet to be’s amidst everyday uncertainties.

But one thing is certain. 

Each storm carried them closer, each current reshaped them.

As they gaze at the horizon of UPV, they know this is only the beginning—another vast, deep, and colorful sea waiting to be crossed. This is a land where their multidimensional lives overlap with the realities of the people. UPV will become yet another ocean they have to conquer not by themselves but hand in hand.

So, treasure the moment while it lasts; make memories that you will sometimes regret but would not forget; take risks and be not afraid to use up all your chances; shout your truth in all caps; and create lasting bonds with people that will help you rebuild your broken helms and weave your worn-out sails.

Wherever the tides take you, what matters is that you show up. Not only for yourself but for the people you aim to uplift, empower, and serve.

Because the voyage does not end with our own arrival. Beyond the seas each of us has crossed, we are reminded of the many who were never allowed to set sail, whose boats were broken before they could begin. Boats struck by storms, overturned by force, or anchored by circumstances beyond their will. In the many mass actions these freshmen will witness in the university, the winds they carry will reveal themselves to be not only for their own journey, but for the masses who remain at the margins. Greater storms await, but together we can forge a vessel vast and sturdy enough to carry many more toward the shores of the Filipino people’s genuine liberation.

Sapagkat sa bawat bagong along dumarating, itanong muli sa sarili: “Gaano kalawak ang dagat na tinatawid mo ngayon—at para kanino ka tumatawid?”