The first question was “Are you ready for college?”

The room was silent, and only a few students raised a hand. Some were shy, but most were unsure of where they would be in college or if it was even an option for them. 

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Ugnayan ng Pahinungod reached a total of 507 high school students during this year’s implementation of the Affirmative Action Program (AAP) in Bukidnon from 22 to 26 June 2026. For many of these students, the decision whether they will continue to college is influenced by circumstances beyond the classroom. Physical distance from colleges and universities is just one of the many barriers they have to bridge. Financial constraints, as well as limited access to information and the internet, are some of the factors that make entering higher education uncertain for them long before they even apply for college admission. Many of them also mentioned that they will not pursue college because they feel unprepared. 

To offer some remedy to their feelings of unreadiness and uncertainty, the UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod conducted AAP’s UP Admission Orientation and the College Admission Test Simulation for five high schools in Bukidnon–Dalwangan National High School, Guihean Integrated School, Santiago Integrated School, Capinonan National High School, and Kibongkog Integrated School. Most of the participants came from indigenous groups across Bukidnon, where economic realities and geographic locations can limit educational opportunities. Hence, more than the goal of encouraging the students to pursue education in the University of the Philippines (UP), this initiative aims to introduce students to consider college as an attainable goal. 

The session conducted in each school is divided into two parts. The first session is designed to increase access to information, where facilitators introduced the University of the Philippines and the constituent units, their degree programs, and a list of available scholarships. The Pahinungod staff also provided an overview of the university’s admission process–highlighting the opportunity to choose two UP campuses and different degree programs for college. The second part is a mock examination that aims to familiarize students with the exam structure, protocols, and guidelines to reduce anxiety and help build confidence as they prepare for entrance examinations. 

Expanding Reach and Impact through Partnership

While this is not the first time that the UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod collaborated with DepEd schools in Northern Mindanao, it is the office’s first time to focus on IP-dominated schools and focus on Bukidnon. Several schools across Northern Mindanao previously worked with UPOU Pahinungod in the implementation of the Online Bridge Program and E-Guro, among other Pahinungod programs. 

This time around, the conduct of AAP in Bukidnon was closely coordinated with the Provincial Government of Bukidnon and the Department of Education Divisions of Malaybalay and Bukidnon. These collaborations aim to ensure that every effort reaches the intended participants and will yield meaningful response to the complex educational realities on the ground. By working closely with the local government and educational institutions, the UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod was able to identify priority schools, coordinate efficiently with the school administrators, and effectively deliver the program to target schools. 

More importantly, this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to address the issue of limited access to information and opportunities that significantly influence students’ decisions about their future. Through this collective effort, the program hopes to reach more students, especially those from disadvantaged and underserved communities. 

Introducing Opportunities and Possibilities

Through the Affirmative Action Program, the students were introduced to the possibility that some students had never seriously considered pursuing a college degree. In every unsure look from the students, what followed was the beginning of awareness that the opportunities to pursue college and to attend the University of the Philippines are open to them. There are spaces in colleges and universities waiting for them. 

However, there is so much to be done–from doubling the effort to promote these opportunities to schools located in geographically distant areas to reserving slots dedicated to students belonging to IP communities; perhaps by then the game will start to be fair for all students. 

If the goal of AAP and UP is to have a more inclusive admissions process, institutions must collaborate to ensure that no student has to expend a great deal of effort just to consider pursuing college. A student from the city who has access to all resources and information is just as important as a student residing in the mountainous areas of Bukidnon, and both should believe that they are. If UP is truly a national university that serves the people, then all students must believe that there is a future that extends beyond the limits of circumstance. 

This program recognizes that readiness to college does not always begin with certainty but with awareness of opportunities, of paths they never see, and of universities like UP that remain true to its mission of serving the underserved.

Written by: Iarra Mae D. de Silva and Naomi Jean Unlayao