A letter from Jul 10, 2023

Hi Ven! How are you? How was your last school year at UPLB? Do you remember writing this on July 10, 2023? Yes, it was you, a 20-year-old man who had always dreamed of wearing that ‘sablay’ you saw your friends wearing. Do you still remember asking your closest dorm mate, ”How does it feel wearing that thing?” and she said, “I feel like everything has been paid off, and so will you!” You wore the widest smile and replied, “When will that be?” It wasn’t easy for you because at that moment, you received a failed (5) mark on your technical elective course. But then, you promised yourself that when the time comes to retake that course, you will aim for an ‘uno liner’ mark. One thing I remember is that you still passed that semester even if you were not satisfied with what happened. But as you write this today, I just want to remind you that perhaps you were at your lowest point at this time, and everything you have always prayed for has been achieved. You worked hard for it, and you’re wearing that ’sablay’ because you deserve it. I’m happy that even at your lowest moments, you didn’t hold back your tears. You let them fall. I’m happy that today I am reminding you of this because you’ve grown! You have completed a 4-year degree course. See? I knew you could do it. Now that it’s all done, what’s your plan? Rest? Will you pursue an MS degree? Whatever it may be, I will always be proud of you. This 20-year-old man will always be by your side. Just keep holding your peace high above so you can conquer. You have many more experiences to go through, many more things to learn and discover. Now, I just want you to be happy because you now have your ’sablay ng tagumpay’. Cheers, development communicator na pogi! You still have a long way to go, but you’ve come a long way!