The start of the academic year 2025-2026 at Mindoro State University-Bongabong Campus is always filled with new faces and stories. But among the hundreds of students who joined the New Students and Parents Orientation on August 1, 2025, two stood out not just because of where they came from, but because of what they carry with them: hope, courage, and dreams bigger than themselves.
Alwina Yaktay, from San Roque, Bulalacao, is one of three Indigenous People (IP) students currently enrolled at MinSU Bongabong. She is a proud member of the Hanunuo Mangyan Tribe and a first-year student under the Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics.
“May mga kakilala na nagpupush na dito mag-aral at nakikita ko ang kanilang progress kung gaano sila ka-skilled at libre,” she shared.
Alwina said MinSU was her first choice. “Sabi ko nga, kung hindi ako matatanggap dito, baka hindi na ako makakapag-aral pa,” she added. Her family has gone through a lot. She is the second of three siblings. Her father passed away in March 2024, and since then, her mother has worked as an on-call laborer to support them.
To help her mother, Alwina took on work during the vacation break so they could pay for school-related expenses.
“Determinado ako na mag-aral. Ang pagpasok kong ito ay mako-consider ko rin na bigger step para mabawasan ang tingin ng ibang tao sa isang Indigenous People na katulad ko.”
She admits the road ahead won’t be easy. But she is firm in her goal. “Pangarap kong maging teacher at i-build ko ang sarili at pamilya ko gayundin ay maging huge example sa kagaya naming katutubo na lumabas sa comfort zone.”
