by Leo Almonte, MDC
It’s this time of the year when WVSU conducts its College Admission Test (CAT). As early as seven in the morning, droves of examinees started to converge at the entrances of WVSU along Luna Street, causing medium-to-heavy traffic in the vicinity.
Walking inside the campus, the examinees exuded a silent and determined aura, like gladiators stepping into an arena. For most of them, enrolling at WVSU is their first giant step toward their life-long goals. The students know: they are going through the proverbial eye of the needle. WVSU (Main Campus) will only accept 1,500+ from the 10,300+ applicants.
The examinees came from the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, and other regions, including Mindanao. Walking through the corridor of Quezon Hall, the students are dead quiet, and nothing seems to exist but their test papers. Taking the test while in their zone, I could almost hear their heartbeats during that never-wracking moment.
I observed a late student running through the campus toward the New Academic Building. He stopped for a while, took deep breaths, looked up at the sky, and made several signs of the cross before proceeding to the testing room.
So much is at stake, especially for those parents who cannot afford to send their children to college. Such an awareness adds to the pressure of taking the CAT since making it to WVSU is a life-changing milestone. Outside the university, relatives wait patiently under the sun amidst the smoke and noise of passing vehicles.
I saw mothers standing on the sidewalks, looking at the university buildings from a distance as if whispering prayers for their children while they took the examination. Fathers were ready to hand over their “baon” to their kids as soon as they exited the gate.
We say “sana all” with a mixed tinge of hope, regret, and even envy when we experience social and economic disparities or personal shortcomings.
If only the university could accept more applicants but limited resources hold it back. Yet, WVSU is never stagnant. It continues to pave a road map towards expansion so more students can benefit from its academic services.
We can all work to create a future where fewer Filipinos are saying “sana all” because more of us are accomplishing our goals and achieving what we want in life. So, when the result of the WVSU CAT is out, I still say (not with regret) but with hope -: SANA ALL.