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Words and Art by: Gabriel Estrera and Alyssa Seane Plata
For the first time in more than 2 years, Ikot jeepneys are making the rounds again, sidewalks are being cleared of moss, and the UP Diliman campus is brimming with life. Overwhelmed freshmen and seniors alike are scrambling from building to building as they rush to their classes on a scorching hot afternoon. Yet at the heart of the hustle and bustle of onsite activities, one thing has become unequivocally clear—the UP Diliman community has embraced this new normal with open arms.
In line with Memorandum No. 2022-171 of the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA), all undergraduate courses are required to return to regular protocols and shift back to the onsite set-up. In fact, the OVPAA declared that “at least 50%” of classes must be implemented in a face-to-face “learning-centered context” for this semester, signaling the slow yet certain end to the pandemic.
With new policies set in place, classrooms ready to be filled up, and professors prepared to welcome an eclectic student body, a single question comes to mind—How exactly is the UP Diliman community faring after two years of being deprived of the school campus?
Beginnings and Endings
As seniors brace for the end of their college days and freshmen welcome a new chapter in their lives, their lived experiences could not be any more different. However, in a post-pandemic UP, they have more in common than expected.
Iris Dipalac, a freshman from the College of Science, discovered a reinvigorated sense of independence in her journey back to the campus. As a permanent resident of Calamba, Laguna, Dipalac had to adjust to living away from her family all while braving the rigors of college life.
“Coming back to F2F, I had to move far from home and start living near the campus. I've begun living more independently as I learn to be more accountable for the time and money I spend every day,” she said in an interview with our team.