The train meant for you will never pass you. The train meant for you will stop in front of you for as long as you’re not entering it.

As students, after a buoyant and restorative sabbatical break from the previous school year, we are often suffused with anticipation of a school year that awaits us, with mood boards freshly pressed from the printer and bucket lists brimming with boxes yet to be checked as a new school year unfolds before us.

I yearn that maybe, just maybe, leaders could be more aware of what’s going on in their country because they miss out on people working overseas. Not just OFWs but also other nationalities and people, they never know that someone might be waiting for them to return home safely. 

Kaya sa usaping ito, ang paninindigan ay malinaw: ang batas ay para sa tao, sa katarungan, at hustisya. Pagpapalaya ito sa taong nilulupig ng asawa nitong nabulag na ng kasalanan kung kaya’t hindi na kabanalan ang nananaig sa pagsasama.

Sometimes, a beautiful street with the usual noise of everyday life can be unusual. Because in just a snap, grounds began to tremble beneath people’s feet, turning ordinary moments into scenes of fear and uncertainty.

Success should be seen not only in report cards, but also in the development of responsible, compassionate, and capable individuals. No grade is worth losing yourself for. The pursuit of excellence should inspire us to grow, not convince us that we are only as valuable as the numbers printed on a report card.