Favorite Places 1 - UP Diliman

UP Diliman's welcoming trees.

I was born and raised in Baguio, and most of my travel experience before graduating from college was mostly in the Cordillera - where even if the roads seem totally dangerous, I was with family and relatives. And I felt safe. Oh, our high school class had a field trip to Zambales - a few years after Mt. Pinatubo erupted - and I brought home two lahar rocks as a souvenir - I still have them, gathering dust on the divider that my father made - but still there.

Anyway, the first time I was in (UP) Diliman, was probably when I needed to get my transcript of records, just before graduation. I was with college friends and it wasn't so bad. I do not remember having memories of fear, but then I don't remember much.

The next time I was there was summer of 1999 - for summer classes - at the college of Education. I was to become part of the second batch of volunteer teachers under the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod - Gurong Pahinungod Program, and the summer classes was part of our training. I guess for many of us who were there, it was a life - changing summer. I was blessed being there with the people I was with. Diliman became for me a friend as well. I relished every corner that I discovered. I delighted in the welcoming trees that seemed to give me a warm hug evertime the jeep enters the campus. I eventually, considered it home.

I remember how Diliman became my safe haven after that, when I didn't go home and instead chose to work in Manila. I would take the hour-long commute after work, to get from Sta. Mesa, Manila where I was teaching, just so I could have 30 minutes of quiet in the Diliman grounds.

Until now, almost a decade after, it is still one of my favorite places.