Rene Principe, BS Applied Physics graduate from UP Diliman. Image: Facebook/Rene Principe/KLIK Studio
Clad in the University of the Philippines鈥� (UP) signature sablay and barong, sporting dyed silver hair and makeup, UP Diliman cum laude graduate Rene Principe declared that 鈥渃ontrary to popular belief, dyeing your hair is not a hindrance to success, but poverty is.鈥�
Principe, who finished his Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics, narrated his journey from eating restaurant leftovers to becoming a degree holder from the country鈥檚 top state university, as per his Facebook page last Saturday, July 25. Not only did he earn his degree with honors, he also gets to represent the LGBTQ+ community in the field of science.
Principe was one of the 2,892 candidates for graduation who earned their college degrees during the university鈥檚 first virtual commencement exercises on July 26. The graduating batch of 2020 had 28 summa cum laudes, 302 magna cum laudes and 683 cum laudes, according to DZUP鈥檚 on the same day.
Principe clarified that while his success should be celebrated, it should also make others face the 鈥渆nraging鈥� truth about the education system.
鈥淚 refuse to glorify the extreme poverty that I went through,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause the same poverty that everyone might think inspired me to make it all the way is the same poverty which hinders millions of Filipinos access to quality education.鈥�
鈥榃补濒补苍驳-飞补濒补鈥�
At 8 years old, Principe dreamed of becoming an astronaut as a means to escape this world.
He recalled how it used to be painful to see his classmates enjoy fresh food during lunch while he had to make do with a reheated, half-eaten chicken drumstick from people he do not know.
鈥淲e just migrated to Cagayan de Oro after we lost our home in Compostella Valley from [a] fire. We鈥檙e left with nothing, as in WALANG-WALA (nothing at all),鈥� he said. 鈥淓ducation was our only way out of extreme poverty but even that was hard.鈥�
Fast forward to his college life, Principe got in the university and initially studied Physics, then eventually shifted to Applied Physics, because 鈥渢hat鈥檚 the closest I鈥檒l ever be to studying ASTRONOMY.鈥�
Principe also acknowledged how fortunate he was to have support 鈥減ouring [from] all directions.鈥�
鈥淚 dedicate this victory wholeheartedly to every single Filipino to whom I owe my UP education, and for that I vow to serve this nation with my utmost honor and excellence,鈥� he said.
On 鈥榞lorifying poverty鈥�
鈥淚 refuse to be labeled as the cream of the crop, because I believe Filipinos should stand beside me in this victory, not behind me,鈥� Principe explained.
He said he disagrees with the notion that attaining a college degree should be as hard as 鈥減assing through the eye of a needle.鈥�
鈥淚 believe with all my heart that education is a right, not a privilege,鈥� he stressed.
鈥淚 refuse to believe that poverty is NOT a hindrance to success because it is, my victory is an exception but it is not the norm,鈥� Principe added. At the same time, he also refuses to 鈥渂elieve that life is inherently UNFAIR because it shouldn鈥檛 be.鈥�
The UP graduate then highlighted the 鈥渋nequality鈥� maintained by the 鈥渞uling class鈥� which makes the 鈥渢he rich much richer and the poor much poorer.鈥� Principe credited his university for opening his eyes and teaching him that learning is not confined within the four corners of a classroom.
鈥淟et the inaccessibility of our healthcare enrage you. Let the expensiveness of education enrage you鈥�,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat rage is valid because it is rooted from your empathy towards the oppressed and the underprivileged.鈥�
鈥楺ueer in Science鈥�
Principe disclosed that growing up, he did not have any role model to look up to as a queer individual.
鈥淭here ain鈥檛 no queer astronauts or queer versions of Einstein, not that I know of,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hardly knew any Filipino scientists too.鈥�
The LGBTQ+ community is often 鈥渃aged inside a box of what we can achieve and what we鈥檙e capable of,鈥� he noted.聽 He also described how the LGBTQ+ community is viewed by some people as only relevant for 鈥渢heir entertainment,鈥� while pursuing other fields is 鈥渏ust pure abomination.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 always proud of how our community dominated the entertainment industry and so, let my victory be a symbol that we the LGBTQ+ community has always had something to contribute to the science community too,鈥� he said.
After graduating, Principe will be pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in Physics at the university. He will also be working as a junior faculty in its National Institute of Physics this coming semester. JB
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