We are beyond pleased to present the #OktObra2024 compilation — a fruitful collaboration among our cartoonists, staff writers, and layout artists. Each artwork and literary piece offers a glimpse into our creative perspectives, whether reflecting on our relatable student lives or addressing the country's most pressing social issues. This compilation not only showcases our creativity, but also serves as a reminder that art and words are powerful tools for evoking emotions and sparking important conversations.
Our heartfelt thanks go to our cartoonists and staff writers, whose contributions made this endeavor possible.
To the audience of OktObra, we thank you for your support — we made this for you, and in turn, you made it your own. Here’s to more — bridging gaps, reinforcing the truth.
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ART BY ANDREI VILLANUEVA
WRITTEN BY GIAN HENESSY SARAGPON
DAY 01
The hiker hikes for the purpose of hiking, To traverse the path of thorns and stones, He'll look too far and he'll lose sight of what's behind, Or he'll look too far back and he'll lose sight of what's upfront.
The hiker has no control over what lies ahead or even what's behind, For the only thing he can control is the sight he sees before his very eyes, So buckl e up and get ready for fun, Since the hiker's hike has only just begun.
ART BY REN ESTEVES
FRANTIC KEYS
Exams are forks on the road, Going one way may prove right, And left may prove to be correct, But time won't stop, so hurry to the end.
A drop of liquid slides down the head, Frantic clicking, pressing, humming with dread, With every breath, error returns in the end What is it? Oh, wrong keys pressed!
Symbols seem to mesh with every misstep Tok! Time ticks to reach the end
Ding! In time of need, an idea slipped, Is it the answer? No! But...
Right! That's the solution. Never forget!
WRITTEN BY CHRISTEL JOY GADINGAN
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ART BY ROUIZE ARMAND PANCHO
kumusta ka?
Isang tanong na napakahirap bigyan ng kasagutan.
Ok lang, saks, goods naman.
Sana nga ganun talaga.
Ngunit tao lang din, napapagod, nawawalan ng gana, nauupos.
Napapagod
DAY 03
Sa paulit-ulit na sitwasyon na hindi magawang bigyan ng solusyon, tila ba nasa iisang gulong na patuloy lamang umiikot sa gitna ng kawalan.
Nawawalan ng gana
Sa mga bagay na dati namang nagbibigay saya, sa pangarap na dati'y nagbibigay sigla, at sa sarili na hindi na magawang unawain pa. Nauupos.
Na tila ba kandila na kapag hindi kinitil ang apoy na patuloy na tumutunaw dito ay untiunting luluha, lalambot at tutumba.
Hanggang kailan ba lolokohin ang sarili na kaya pa? Hanggang kailan magpapanggap na ayos lang?
Kung maari lang
Kung kaya lang
Nais ko na lang maglaho na ako lamang ang makakaalam.
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ART BY IVAN LOUIS ARNOBIT
WRITTEN BY CAMILLE MASA-AO
DAY 04
The Fake I Wish For
Yesterday, I was just scrolling through my phone, trying to ease the burnout from the exam week that had just hit.
Re-yaaaal or fa-keeeeh?
The cakes on my screen looked so real, you couldn’t even tell which ones were edible and which weren’t.
So why can’t this two-digit score be fa-keh too?
Re-yaaaaaal tired
Re-yaaaaaal effort
Re-yaaaaaal critical thinking I really tried.
‘Fake’ is usually a disappointing word, but this time, I wish it’s what I see right now— a fa-keeeh piece of edible paper, ready to be laid on a cake and forgotten.
ART BY REYMARIZZE BERME
Pagpupugay
WRITTEN
BY
JAHN LEE
Sa silid-aralang puno ng plano’t guhit, Kayong mga guro, sa amin ay umaalalay, Sa bawat konsepto, teorya’t limit, Sa bawat sukat, sipi ng tamang lalim at taas.
Kayo ang humahabi ng aming talino, Sa bakal, kongkreto, at haliging bato, Sa mga plano’t disenyo ng mundo, Na sa inyong gabay, lumilinya nang tuwid at buo.
Ang inyong tinig ay gabay na gabay, Sa mga eksaktong detalye’t teknikal, Bawat hakbang at kalkulasyong taglay, Ay nagpapatibay ng aming pangarap na banal.
Sa gitna ng problemang kumplikado’t malalim, Kayo ang ilaw na nagbibigay-linaw, Hinuhubog kami na maging handa’t taimtim, Sa hinaharap, kayo ang aming tanglaw.
Salamat sa inyong tiyaga’t gabay, Sa bawat araw ng pagsusumikap, Kayo ang aming tulay sa tagumpay, Mga guro, sa inyo ang aming galak.
Ang tulang ito ay nagpupugay sa dedikasyon at sipag ng mga college instructors sa larangan ng engineering at architecture, na patuloy na naghuhubog ng mga bagong propesyonal na magiging haligi ng ating mga komunidad. Maligayang araw ng mga guro!
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ART BY VERNON JOHN OTOMAN
Taingang Kawali
Sa gitna ng mundong magulo’t mabilis umusad, Mata’y nakapikit, sa ingay ay bingi, Taingang kawali sa lahat ng humihiyaw, Umaasa na sana, pansamantalang makahinga mula sa mga sigaw.
Sa dami ng deadlines at bigat ng pangarap, Nakahanap ng kanlungan sa katahimikan, Ang mga matang nakasara'y hindi nais sumuko, Kundi nais na pansamantalang makahinga sa mundong magulo.
Hindi niyo ba ramdam ang hirap ng bawat hakbang?
Sa bawat paghinga, tila ba may kulang, Kung kaya’t taingang kawali na lamang sa kritisismo, Ang tanging sagot ng kaluluwang nais sumigaw at tumakbo.
Sa ilalim ng mata na pikit at taingang tahimik, Naroon ang sigaw ng pusong balisa't nagpipilit, Hindi lahat ng ‘di nakikinig ay manhid o walang pakiramdam, Baka tulad niyo rin, pagod lang at walang ibang alam.
all eyes are peeling my skin. in every corner, i think my soul is being judged. do others think my life has been embarrassing? at gunpoint, have they put upon me all of the world's grudge?
subtle glances make me feel vulnerable as if they see my inner scars, maybe ridiculing my capability or how i am a failure and all. scrutinizing eyes make me think i have strayed from my box way too far, reminding me that i should not ever open my towering walls.
i walk the corridors as fast as i can, so i could escape the bustle that is drowning my feeble confidence. they may be thinking i look awkward against the backdrop of everyone, so i avert my gaze while i save my peace's remaining innocence.
it is easier to just run than face their searing stares; it is way easier to keep your mouth shut than announce your weaknesses, for everything i say or do may be used against me, stripping me bare. and that is why i take no one as company nor guest.
in this rotten society, it is near impossible to find a place of solace among people. so for now, i say it is better to keep to my own, be a friend of my own—just on my own. for i am scared of everyone.
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ART BY ANDREI VILLANUEVA
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ART BY ROUIZE ARMAND PANCHO
"In the middle of my deep sleep, my eyes were awakened by horrible dreams. I tried to move my paralyzed body but it refused to obey. I tried to breathe, but I am suffocated to death. I tried to scream but it just echoed in my mind. I can feel the sweat beading on my forehead and the chilling sensation that crept over my body, my spirit is awake but I was unable to move. I am imprisoned, not in a cell but in an invisible chain that cut off a peaceful night's rest."
This is the haunting story of those whose basic human rights have been trampled on.
Muffled voices! Silent screams! Restricted actions! We cannot remain indifferent. Their story is our story.
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ART BY REN ESTEVES
October Afternoon
WRITTEN BY RENALIE RILLON
9 months has passed, 2 months to go, Hanging, still there,
To yesterday’s foe, Wearisome guts, Impending shred, Resounding beat,
From dusk until dawn.
We told stories of the knights, the dragons, the fame, and the riches — we dreamt a night of endless stars abiding by a singular order of the heaven; it was bound to be a love told more than Romeo who drank poison for Juliet. The more I opened up, the more we saw glimmer in each others’ eyes. It was never something else from afar; it was a fairy tale destined to become a play.
No.
Your words were my Achilles heel — my heart was robust, but your sword of flowers was gentle.
And when they tell stories about the knights, the dragons, the fame, and the riches, I will be there — the gullible lover, seeking love, facing death, and traversing the endless stars abiding by a singular order of the heaven, regretting everything. The more I opened up, the more you saw opportunities to hurt me.
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ART BY REYMARRIZE BERME
"in the midst of nowhere …” "in the midst of nowhere …”
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ART BY SUNDAE BALUYOT
I learned through you that not every hard work gets rewarded,
Even though my friends told me to let you be, I can’t get over of the what that could have been,
Prelims,
Now I say goodbye to you to embrace the new, Just let me say this to help me make it past:
“Paalam mahal kong prelims at bawi midterms, trust”
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ART BY VERNON JOHN OTOMAN
We all know the feeling:
Staring at the screen, longing for a miracle, But instead, the grades march in—
A disheartening procession of mediocrity.
It’s like pulling the lever on a slot machine, Hoping for a jackpot, only to receive... this.
If only those numbers had fallen into place, They might have justified the sleepless nights spent at 3 AM, Decoding lessons that felt like ancient hieroglyphics.
But then—there it is, a dazzling 98, Transforming our frowns into awkward smiles.
A 98—not in math, not in science, But in CFE, where the homework is simply “be kind,” And the toughest exam is a mirror reflecting our lives.
Perhaps we embraced that Louisian Christian spirit a bit too wholeheartedly, Scrolling past the 70s as if they never existed.
Maybe, just maybe, this is what they meant by “Blessed are the faithful.”
After all, who needs a perfect GPA when your faith can score at a solid 98?
