Hi !!
It has been six years ago since the government of the Philippines started its "K to 12 Program" which aims to add Grades 11 and 12 or the all known " Senior High school". According to Department of Education, it is implemented, aside from it is the most quality period of time for learning, 12 years of learning under basic education can meet the global and profession standards and the Philippines is among the only three countries in the world including Angola and Djibouti which has a ten-year pre-university cycle.
This phenomenon marks effects in the universities such as ours. Two years of a very low number of freshmen. In the University of the Philippines Los Baños, the normal rate of freshmen is 2000+ but freshmen in 2016 is only 61. Loss of freshmen with in the span of two years makes significant changes in the university. The population is decreased and the subjects usually taken by freshmen and sophomores decreased their number of sections and the number of students reduced remarkably resulting to decrease in difficulty in taking units for this subjects.
Loss of freshmens also felt by the student organizations inside the campus. The large part of the recruits were get from sophomores. The two year no freshmen means two year no new sophomores. As a consideration, Office of Student Affairs make the allowed minimum members in the organizations down to ten.
All of these happenings make our org so excited ending the long term drought of freshies. Until last sunday, five students from LVCC which is five of our six identified which have interest in our organization. They need to find dorms or apartments in which they can stay during the semester because they are from afar. As we see their message were so excited and feeling honored to assist them in searching. Fortunately I was vacant and have a lot of time that day so I presented to. Im so excited, the feeling of meeting with new kaBreads is such a feeling of happiness is peculiar. Then finally it happened the next morning, they arrive in LB :)))) woohhh !!!
from left to right: Sis Kyla, Sis Christine, Sis Pollyana, Bro Ervinry, and Bro Echo
It was a hot monday noon when they arrive in LB, sweats are dripping in my head. I am not a dormer but I am the one who left because Sis Allizon which is my fellow KaBread gone due to an exam to attend. Wooh since I was not a dormer its my first time to search for dorms and apartments so its the first time that I feel the feeling of searching dorms. We walk around the campus and outside. In six of us, only one bring umbrella. So we walk and traverse the hot summer weather but we have fun despite of the heat. In the middle of the heat, short rain interrupted . We saw the road and notice a white smoke emerging from it because raindrops evaporate because the asphalt is so hot.
Then as we walk searching dorms here and there , within and outside the campus , we talk to each other knowing each other, their experiences , their ideal or preferred kind of apartment etc. Fortunately we found some apartments fitting their criteria and they achieve some of their goals of going to LB. but the most important thing is we meet at all.
The timing of their arrival makes me happy in the middle of the most hectic days of the semester. Now is the period of the sem in our University in which a lot of papers, exams and requirements are all in compacted and required to submit in this short period of time in two weeks. This is the time where students were so busy and stressed or focused and so worried about their acads.
Im so grateful to have you guys :) In the middle of weeks of difficulties in acads, there is a day that inspires me and makes me happy. So very excited to welcome you and be kaBRead in UPLB. In the University orgs conduct processes and after the finals, they welcoming the new recruits , spending a lot of time for their process and reporting , make pubmats and share them in facebook. But this organization and God willing you will too is an organization that you never regret joining. Yes, other orgs have a reasons and for their existence but this organization is created to a purpose to benefit not only in this world. If there are students or recruits that im honored to serve of It you guys :) . The feeling of Leap of Blood and Leap of faith is the one can explain it all why. Good Luck in your academe in UPLB soon God willing :)
Refferences: ( http://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12/faq )
(uplb.edu.ph/component/k2/577-uplb-welcomes-new-freshmen)