If La Salle taught me how the world works,
UP (Diliman) teaches who it should work for.
The transition is jarring.
Physically, the school itself can fit four colleges inside it.
You even need to ride a jeep just to transfer from one building to another.
From suits and heels to slippers and conviction.
Form cordon bleu meal to busog meal A (if you know, you know).
From “what’s your org?” to “what’s your stand?”
In Diliman, no one cares who your parents are.
They care about what you believe in. And if you can defend it.
It’s a different kind of elite.
I remember my professor jokingly saying on Day 1: Where did you graduate from?
A classmate said, “Ateneo.”
And the professor replied, “What’s that? There are only two schools in the Philippines. UP Diliman and the Others.”
Everyone laughed.
But beneath the humor was a truth.
This place carries its own kind of pride.
Not of wealth, but of wisdom.
An elite mentality not of privilege, but of excellence.
“Your term paper in Adamson? That’s just a short quiz.”
They weren’t joking.
Your school’s cum laudes?
Your student council president?
They’re just mortals IF placed in UP.
IF. As chances are, they didn't clear the UPCAT.
The level difference is huge.
Valedictorians are everywhere.
The average IQ? Way above average.
This school produced senators and presidents.
Masters of craft.
National artists and scientists.
Subject matter experts.
Scholastic giants who changed the way the country thinks.
Here, brilliance isn’t loud.
It’s built on rigor.
UP is teaching me that intelligence isn’t a trophy.
It’s a tool. And it’s meant to serve.
The people beside me aren’t just classmates.
They’re future lawmakers, journalists, scientists, and public servants.
Holders of prestigious offices in national government you’ll read about years from now.
They remind me that knowledge has weight.
Every opportunity carries an obligation to give back.
UP is teaching me to speak truth.
More importantly, to listen to it, even when it hurts.
As I continue this journey, I’m learning that while Taft trained me to excel, Diliman is teaching me to exist for something bigger than myself.
UP Fight.