𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐳𝐞

𝐵𝑦: 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑒 𝑆. 𝑌𝑢

𝐵𝑖𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑔 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙

𝐵𝑖𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑔 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐷𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

“𝐈𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐧𝐚, 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐧𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩-𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧.”

I should blame this on Ben & Ben's song, "Pagtingin," which played softly in the background, urging me to capture these fleeting emotions on paper.

Wait, no. It was the crushing weight of unfinished tasks, the end-of-school-year separation anxiety, and the storm of frustration hormones at their peak, or so I thought. It was not a spontaneous whim but the culmination of relentless dedication, meticulous preparation, and unwavering passion.

I sat at the SM Butuan Event Center, the lone figure in a Paper Pulp shirt, feeling a potent blend of honor and intimidation. Surrounded by brilliant minds and seasoned winners, I felt like an outsider, even an intruder in their world of excellence.

The moment was overwhelming. My initial instinct was to leave the venue to escape the disappointment and the pressure. But I stayed, thinking of my Bislig City National High School, the efforts of our editorial staff, and all the sacrifices we made.

The sacrifices ranged from countless nights spent working tirelessly, pleading for parental permission to stay late at school, to sleepless nights fueled by a shared dream of creating something extraordinary—our kind of extraordinary.

I was there not just for myself but for everyone who had poured their heart and time into our school paper. So, I stayed.

As the awarding progressed, the waiting became unbearable. Ma'am Liza Pellazar, a co-teacher, sat beside me, but her presence and the comfort of my phone and earphones provided little solace. Each announcement felt like a blow to my fragile hope. With every passing moment, my urge to leave intensified. Hearing the applause for the winners was a bitter reminder of the challenges we had faced. I kept telling myself, "Let’s leave now!"

Then, in a surreal blur, I heard it: "Paper Pulp." My reaction was indescribable—vague, mixed—but I was sure of one thing: I SMILED. At that moment, the validation of our hard work and sleepless nights made it all worth it.

Just hours ago, I kept telling my God, “𝐼𝑠𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑... 𝑜𝑛𝑒-𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑎 𝑗𝑢𝑑 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑.” My God didn’t disappoint.

All self-doubt, criticism, and fear of failure ebbed away at that moment. Our dedication was recognized—a powerful reminder of what we could achieve when we were prepared and gave our all. Just as love is profound and meaningful when one is ready and fully committed, so is success.

Our journey to the Regional Schools Press Conference was not a mere attempt. It was a wholehearted endeavor. The phrase, "Iibig lang kapag handa na," perfectly sums up our experience. We succeeded because we prepared, we were passionate, and we persisted.

Through the first gaze of our achievement, our first time was a sight to behold.

Dalaygon ka Lord!