Beach Escape in UP Miag-ao

You want to take a break from your homework, school projects or even from your professor? Most students chill in hangout places for booze or rest under a shade of a tree. City ones go to malls and watch the latest movie flick or get some ice cold treat from the nearest vendors inside the campus.

Now what can the students in UP Miag-ao do? They can simply head to the beach that’s located beside their campus.

November 28, 2010
University of the Philippines – Visayas – Miag-ao Campus

UP Oble Miagao
Oble on the side

It was a Sunday afternoon, a long weekend because of the Monday being a holiday. We just finished checking out the Miag-ao church (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) when Julie, Edwin’s friend and former classmate, took us on a short tour of their campus in this part of the Visayas.

miagao sea
feeling Oble on another

The thought of a body of water that was so accessible was enough for me to shed some clothes and hurriedly take a dip in the salty sea.

UP Visayas
missing letters

It was an unexpected tour, but it was good that we were given a backdrop of her routine in this rural campus. She’s happy with her student life that’s far from the city. No need to go to malls and other commercial places to entertain herself. She likes it as it’s more peaceful.

Miagao
Julie sharing her story

Not too foreign with the lifestyle, I related when I shared some insights on my time in Dumaguete City. Trees are abound and you can feel the slow pace of the environment which works to a pupil’s advantage, depending on how one sees it.

creepy green
imagine walking at night. awooo!

Diwata ng Dagat
“What’s UP Miagao’s specialty?” I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was asking for their school delicacy.
“Fisheries and Marine Science is our focus area” was Julie’s reply, indicating she understood what I meant.

The statue of the Diwata ng Dagat (Fairy of the Sea/Goddess of the Sea) symbolizes the aim of the campus as a center of excellence for fisheries and aquatic resources.

up miag-ao

Diwata ng Dagat statue in front of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

We were about to wrap the tour when she mentioned about going to the beach which made me wonder how it looked like.

UP Miagao beach
stairs leading to the beach

Going through pathways and about a hundred steps down some stairs, I wondered if she was ever afraid especially during night time. When there aren’t many people around and it’s only the darkness that accompanies her on her way to the dorm. “It’s just a matter of getting used to the environment.” she said.

up miagao entrance
wooden door and some roofing sheets as fences

We asked permission from the guard on duty if we could walk outside. We were let out and I saw the beach that Julie was referring to.

A few guys were waving and signaling me to take a snap of them with my camera. I later found out that these were students of the campus who decided to chill and spend their time in the water.

beach UP
“Put it on Facebook!” I heard one of them say.

It was nothing grand, but the fact that there’s a place where you can enjoy and release stress brought about by school activities, is a privilege that makes the students here lucky. I pictured myself in their shoes and made me wonder how it would be like to spend the remaining years of college here.

sunset miagao
calm water

Picnics and alcohol drinks amidst the calm surrounding and if the odds are favorable, you might get a sunset too. Having great company is the cherry on top and makes a perfect combination of school memories that can surely be recalled during future reunions.

miagao beach
I started to enjoy myself – that didn’t sound right. hehe.

The beach was clean which made it all the more enticing. We didn’t have much time left so I ran to the water and swam. It was a tiring day and this was a nice finishing touch before we headed back to reality.

talking at UP

Julie and Edwin – former classmates in UP Cebu

Julie was satisfied watching us swim so we savored the remaining minutes left. We put on our clothes and and went back to the road so we could wait for a bus to the city. The sun was still setting but we had to go.

UP sunset
last look at the beach and the trees

True enough, these UP Miag-ao students are fortunate to have nature at their side for those moments where you want to just let things be. How many stories were told and are waiting to be told about their experiences with this beach? These are memories that will be encrypted every student’s mind for the years to come.

————

Off-topic: Just wanted to post a picture as this blog entry was getting too serious. hehe. I met a goat on our way back to the campus when we used another route. It seemed friendly and Edwin showed me how to hold it’s horns. I found out that it was harmless and just wanted to have a partner to play with. Unfortunately, we ran out of time.

goat UP
on the left corner…


Enter your email address to subscribe for updates.
 
Please don't forget to confirm your subscription by checking your Inbox.



soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Now based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and working to earn a living, he takes time to enjoy the city and travel during weekends.
For updates, Like his page on Facebook or Follow him on Twitter.
For questions, advertising, and other concerns, shoot an email to ed@soloflighted.com.


21 thoughts on “Beach Escape in UP Miag-ao”

  1. Parang ang saya mag-aral dyan ah. Kapag nasstress ka na, you can go to the beach anytime and have your own quiet time at the sea 😀
    Nung una akala ko this entry is about the UP-MSI ng Visayas. I saw a sign somewhere in Guimaras. Sa Luzon, nasa Bolinao, Pangasinan ang UP-MSI ng Diliman. Hehe la lang 😛 Were u guys able to go there during your trip to Guimaras?
    Love the last pic. I can think of a hundred captions that i can put there lolz 😀

    Reply
  2. @mica: or pwede rin kang mag emo-emo dun. hehe. but yeah. i think this is the UP MSI ng visayas. hehe. nope kulang lang kasi panahon namin sa guimaras. last pic ka jan. haha. isang daang captions talaga ha? hehe

    Reply
  3. pakulitan talaga ng mga caption to— yung tipong me huling tanaw pa sa mga tress—parang aksintahan lang? wag ka ed—tignan mo latest post ni Mica….parang chinachallenge ka sa pakulitan ng caption.hahaha

    Reply
  4. @anton: haha. i saw mica's post! i'm loving this challenge. hehehe.

    @clarence: mao! cool kaayo ang beach sa?

    @cedric: mukhang masaya kasi simple lang ang tripping. 😀

    Reply
  5. I've been here almost 15 years ago. Forgot the name but not the place. I wish to go back again in this place and if that time comes I would gladly say I'm home.

    Reply
  6. Waaaahhh!!! Dearest Alma mater! Republika kang Miami!!! Paiyakin ba naman ako ni @Edcel nito, hehe! I miss my home that I called for four years. I miss the smell of freshly cut grass and the gemelina fruits and the sea and the carabaos and manok and overcrowded trikes…the simple life i had, now I miss dearly. 

    Reply
  7. BTW, sa mga taga-Miami, chillax and booze either sa OHMS (inuman na may Grotto ng Birheng Maria sa taas) or sa Casa Monteclaro o di kaya sa plaza or beach. Talaba and dinners namin sa Domings or Hilltop. Pag walang pasok, lalakad kami sa umaga or hapon sa fields, lalo na sa mga taga-dorm. Tinapay at Sari-Sari Breadstore, Burger sa Burger Machine, bili ng groceries sa Gargar, Green Ribbon and Tienda…
    And the best part of all, kung piyesta sa Miagao, pwede kaming makikain!!! Hehe! 😀

    Reply
    • @berniemack: wow, dito ka pala nagcollege? I bet you have so many memories here. Julie gave us a tour and it was really refreshing to have a campus this big. very scary rin nga at night! ehehe. pero ansaya tignan na ang simple ng lugar. the best part definitely is the beach! thanks bernie! 😀

      Reply
  8. I'm proud to say that I'm a graduate of UP Visayas (Miagao Campus). I'm lucky to have lived in a  boarding house  located a few meters from the beach. It's like a fence separates  the two. It's a perfect escape from the urban life.
    Anyway, I forgot how I came to know this blog of yours Ed, but I'm truly grateful for the tips, because I  dream to be a backpacker  one day. Like you, I'm in a BPO company, and I wanted to travel to different places especially Cambodia. You are such an ispiration. God bless!

    Reply
  9. I am a frequent visitor of your blog and I was surprised to find this post. Julie is a good friend of mine and kuya Edwin was my classmate in pol sci practicum in UP Cebu last summer. UP Miagao is a really great place. We can swim topless in the beach at night or go to class in pajamas. =))

    Reply
  10. WOW.. I'm not sure how I ended up in your blog… but this particular one made me nostalgic.
    I spent three semesters in this UP Miag-ao campus, experienced both dorm and the boarding house near the beach. Then, I transferred to the city for the accounting degree. 
    Thanks for the photos… brings back a train of memories. 
    With this campus… I learned how to be ME 🙂
     
     

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Edcel Cancel reply