12 Aug 2023, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna.  Just like any other UP student, I am not a UPCAT passer and failed to be reconsidered, and yes, I’ve been rejected twice in this course and in this university. But I do really love and want this Forestry course, “sabi ko nga sasarili ko, kung kaya ko lang ipagpilitan ang sarili ko sa course at pamantasan na ito gagawan ko” so here is my story.

I’ve always wanted to take Forestry as my profession, It started when I was in Senior Highschool when I did an immersion at the SBMA ecology center and did surveys/interviews at the CBFM areas in the forest of Subic. There I realized that this is the kind of job that I want to do.

Knowing the excellence and great accomplishments of CFNR, UPLB, I immediately decided to take the UPCAT, with BS Forestry as my first choice. However, I was not able to pass the admission test for some reason, I guess my preparations are not enough, or maybe luck is just not on my side. But that did not stop me from pursuing my dream course at my dream school. I exhausted my second chance by applying for Reconsideration. I do remember that I personally did go to our post office to get my UP letter containing my UPG, at ako narin mismo ang naghatid sa iba pang letter sa school namin (kasi nakatambak lang doon yung letter na para bang natabunan na) para lang makaabot ako sa date ng reconsideration interview, and so the date comes. I travel from my home province a night before, at 11 pm to be exact, for the reconsideration interview, because if I took the earliest trip that I could on the same day, I would arrive late in Los Banos. I arrived at Cubao, around 2 am, and from there I took a bus to Los Baños and arrived at Olivarez around 3:45. I had breakfast at a local fast food chain around the junction, and from there, I rode a jeepney and got off around the “never-ending bridge” and found myself walking in a long and relatively dark and steep road up to the CFNR campus, at 4 am, hoping that I will be reconsidered in this course. I arrived at the admin building gate around 4:30 am, and there I decided to take a rest while waiting. I got surprised when I heard a voice, “Boy, boy, Anong ginagawa mo diyan? Bakit diyan ka natutulog?” it was the University Police, and it was already 7:30 am. I immediately answered, “Sorry sir, I am one of the students who are applying to be reconsidered.” He let me stay there, resting until the right time. Around 8 am, people started to come, and the line was piling up, Lucky for me, I was the first person in line and so the interview happened… Unfortunately, for the second time, I did not qualify. I got really sad and heartbroken.

But that did not stop me from wanting to achieve my goal, which is to enroll in a forestry degree, so I tried applying to another university/college. Mag e-enroll na ako sa university nayon, when I learned that the CFNR has a Certificate program for Forestry. and I thought “Third time’s a charm” so I grabbed that opportunity. Once again, I arrived at the CFNR grounds at 4 am and wait for the two examinations (written and field exams) to start. Well, I guess losing hope is not an option, because finally I got admitted and was able to enroll in my dream course at my dream university and the rest is history.

Main inspiration for this course

Moreover, My main inspiration in choosing this course comes from the quote of one of my professors, “Forests are important, Foresters are relevant”, which resonated with me deeply. This quote made me realize the significant role that foresters play in preserving and managing our natural resources. It motivated me to pursue a career in this field, as I am passionate about contributing to the conservation and sustainable management of forests for future generations and particularly in restoring and rehabilitating degraded areas. Also, with climate change on light, and deliberately altering the weather patterns around the world, foresters and other related courses, jobs, and advocacies are needed more than ever, we need more champions that will take care of our forest since it is a source of life.

My experience during college

During my undergraduate years, I did engage in extracurricular activities not because I wanted to have something to do but because I felt the passion and the urge to help my fellow scholars, especially in their academics. So, I became a Vice Chairperson at the CFNR freshie student council during my freshman years, an OCG-Peer Tutor under the Alay Turo Program of the UPLB Office of Counseling and Guidance, and an LRC-Peer Tutor in the Learning Resource Center, UPLB. There I was able to serve more or less 100 UPLB/CFNR students with regard to their academics and subjects like SFI 100, FRM 92, and FBS 21. It makes me happy whenever I can share my knowledge or help someone with what I know, and what makes me happy the most is when my tutees pass their subjects and exams or when my tutees learn something from me. Moreover, I also served as an educator for Nature Tourism (ENT) in the Makiling Botanic Garden where I was able to give an educational and guided tour to different groups of people, locally and internationally.

Moreover, unlike other students in the college, I was one of the lucky students who had the opportunity to work with the researchers of the college in doing fieldwork and projects about forestry outside the school (More like a part-time job). My past forestry working experience includes doing projects and research about the diversity and tree carbon potentials and sequestrations in the mining sites of Zambales. In doing so, I have learned different concepts and skills that I cannot learn from the four sides of a classroom, and no doubt this becomes my advantage since I did enhance and polish my technical forestry-related skills. I have also learned the value of a strong work ethic and gained the ability to work well in a team since you cannot survey a forest on your own. I have also learned that you should always give back or share your blessings with others, particularly those who help you to complete your projects. Most importantly always be good to your peers, and always show respect, know the word “pakikisama” because that life skill will always help you along the way.

How I met FEED

I was introduced to FEED by my adviser Professor Ike Tolentino, a long time FEED advisor. It was the time when we are looking for thesis support for my research in the UPLQLG, and since FEED has been a partner of the University of the Philippine Los Baños Laguna-Quezon Land Grant (LQLG) and has been making workshops, and tree planting activities for the ultimate goal of reforestation and biodiversity conservation thus since my research topic focuses on the enhancement of forest restoration using native tree species in LQLG and will generate vital information about the carbon potentials of the restoration sites in the LQLG our goals are aligned.
And so, I did apply for the scholarship and got accepted. I am greatly thankful for this Thesis Grant and support funds. Without it, I would be unable to fund and complete the necessary analysis for my thesis. My achievements are also your wins!

What am I doing now after graduation?

I will serve as a teaching associate at the IRNR, CFNR, and UPLB while taking up my master’s and reviewing for the board exam in October 2023. And I do want to engage myself in the academe. I want to flourish young minds while producing research that can advance the science of forestry and do extension services. I want to pass my acquired skills to my students and as much as possible, share all the knowledge I have and communicate everything that I have learned.

Also, as a teaching associate, I want to widen my knowledge in the concepts and practical application of forest restoration and rehabilitation by learning advanced silviculture, forest influence, and forest resource management. By immersing myself in advanced subjects, I can develop a comprehensive understanding of these courses and effectively teach them to future students. I also inspire to engage in collaborative projects with fellow researchers and professionals in the field, aiming to address pressing environmental issues and develop innovative solutions.

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