08/10/2026
๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ก | ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ
This prestigious, well-known university was once a dream I could never let go of. The torch, the quality of its education, even its iconic color, I had those in my bucket list as a child, dreaming that one day, Iโd be proud to step foot in such a place.
But my dream as a child comes as a faded water color when compared to a child in Palestine. They dream of riding a bicycle, having birthday cakes, and devastating as it seems, many dream of just being happy.
With all that we can hope, we should not wish for any more oppression that a child from Palestine has endured its entire life. However, this hope comes creeping in, crippled, to the doors of Bicol University (BU) as the catastrophic news of Dana Kursh, the Ambassador of the States of Israel to the Philippines steps foot in an academia that houses students who protest against Israel's violence on October 7, at the Bicol University International Office.
Unlike the many visitors this university has let in, this persona may be welcomed warmly, maybe with open arms by the administration, but know that the sun blazed hotter than it normally is as students explicitly share their enraged sentiments. BU has always been flooded with public opinions about its system and controversies. Today, it shouts three words: This is unacceptable.
One may dare to say that there are two things unacceptable in the university that day: first, it is the fact that BU, despite proudly calling itself a university for humanity, welcomes a representative of the Israeli government, whose military actions in Gaza and policies in the occupied Palestinian territories have generated widespread international condemnation; and two, Dana Kursh herself.
Somewhere in Gaza, a child sits cautiously as it rests its fragile body from continuous bloodshed and tears of pain and suffering. This is more than enough reason for us to be angry and protest. As I write this article, bombs in Gaza await a damned hand for it to detonate, families resume their struggle to make it through the night, and dreams, like many from children, continue to be burned down to ashes.
As of October of 2026, the situation remains unresolved. Israel still controls roughly two-thirds of Gaza, while Israeli military activity and Palestinian deaths have continued despite the agreed ceasefire in October of 2025. Since then, 1,432 deaths have been recorded, 5,026 people injured, and 82% of Gaza's structure has been damaged.
These statistics are more than just numbers, these are realities that families and innocent people have faced under the genocide of Israel.
It is easy to argue that Dana Kurshโs courtesy visit as a way to discuss possible partnerships and programs is one of many progressive moves the academia can pursue to sustain its motive to serve the public with its prestigious teachings. Connections will be built, the university receives its part, then what? Are the students of BU supposed to thank Israel for funding a program while a child in Gaza scrapes food from cans? If the university truly expects quality and character from its learners, leading by example justifies its expectation.
Among the four pillars of Bicol University: scholarship, leadership, character, and service, backed with many values taught by its skilled educators, what part in genocide did the University President think that welcoming an Israel Ambassador is a great idea, considering the the universityโs unending motive to send forth well-educated students?
When I was a child, I dreamed of walking through the hallway of this university. I dreamed of the torch, the education, the colors, and the pride that came with finally becoming part of an institution I once saw as extraordinary.
Perhaps the child I was simply wanted to belong to something great. But greatness, I have learned, cannot only be measured by the partnerships we build, the names we welcome, or the programs we establish. It must also be measured by the things we refuse to overlook.
Somewhere in Palestine, a child may still be dreaming of a bicycle. Another may be waiting for a birthday cake. Another may simply be wishing to wake up tomorrow without having to fear whether tomorrow will come.
On October 7, 2026, a simple welcome possibly became the greatest disrespect anyone can ever give to a starving child, at least here in BU where for a moment in time, values and respect were set aside for a mere partnership. | ๐ท๐ช๐ข ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐๐ณ. ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต
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