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REAL LIFE KNOWS NO FREEDOM












GOING BACK TO MY ALMA MATER REMINDS ME OF THE FREEDOM I ENJOYED AND THE FREEDOM I NEVER HAD


I’ve gone back to Baguio City last April 2. I went there for our department retreat. On the first day, I went out with Charles and Kevin (my Korean students) to visit some places around the city. It was Charles’ second time to be in Baguio and Kevin’s first time. We went to UP Baguio (my Alma Mater), Baguio Convention Center, Mines View Park and Burnham Park.


UP Baguio is physically very much different now compared with what it was years ago when I was still studying. It’s already autonomous. When I was studying, it was UP College Baguio. It was then under the administration of UP Diliman – parang extension campus ang UPCB then. But now, autonomous na. As such, it has its own Chancellor and of course, budget. With autonomy, I think UP Baguio was able to make itself more established. Dati, BA Mass Communication belonged to the department of Humanities and Communication. But now, College of Arts and Communication (CAC) na. There are now many modern buildings. And when we went there, the library was being renovated. None of these happened when it was still under the Diliman campus. Now I realized that autonomy is a big deal. I remember, when I was in school, we were already pushing for autonomy of UPCB. Without autonomy, wala talagang improvement. I guess it was because the UP system would definitely prioritize improving on the mother campus – Diliman – instead of extending the budget to the extension campuses.


It’s good to go back to the Alma Mater, esp. if you’re proud of your school. When I went there with my students, I thought, 11 years ago, I have never even imagined myself going back to my Alma Mater with my own students. I didn’t even think that I would be in the teaching profession. Seeing OBLE and the campus reminded me of the four most important years of my life – my college life. Those four years witnessed how I “evolved.” Most of what I believe now were shaped when I was in college. Iba kasi ang college sa UP. I had all the freedom any student could ever wanted – walang rules, walang parents (but my mom of course was providing financial support), walang nagre-remind (except for my dormmates, boardmates, blockmates, and close friends) kung ano ang mali at tama. The thing is, after four years of freedom came the real life.

Real life knows no freedom.

Life at work is full of limitations that I have no control of. Most of the time I have to struggle, esp. if I have to make a decision between what the company believes in and what I personally believe in. Most of the time, hindi nagma-match ang personal ideologies ko with the company’s. But hey, I survived the most difficult times and still making it.


Life as a mom leaves not much room for freedom. While my kids are young, my freedom to do as I please is not an option. The choice is bound on making the best for my kids, not really for myself. Maybe not yet now—But again, I love being a mom of three wonderful kids – Cha, Stef and Danie. I would always be willing to give up any freedom there is in this world just for them.








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