“The stars will always align if it is yours to have, and the universe will always find its way back to you.”

For Lee Van Cleff M. Labsan, these words were not just a comforting reminder—they were a lifeline during the darkest chapters of his young life.

An only child raised by a humble family in a modest fishing community, Van grew up carrying not just his own ambitions, but the unfulfilled dreams of his parents. His father worked at the local water district and his mother, a full-time housewife and fish vendor, stretched every peso to keep the family afloat. Life was tough, but it was a life filled with warmth, faith, and simple joys.

He dreamed of becoming a journalist, his heart drawn to storytelling even as circumstances seemed to quietly close every door to that path. He pursued a Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand in Senior High, believing it was the only route to a Mass Communication degree. But then, 2020 came — and with it, a pandemic that devastated the world and uprooted what little stability his family had.

In the middle of a global health crisis, the Labsan family faced their most harrowing ordeal: they were evicted from their home without reason or warning. The experience of losing shelter, dignity, and direction overnight shook the very foundations of Van’s young world. Dreams felt like luxuries no longer meant for people like them.

A Light in the Darkness

Desperate for a way to continue his education and lift his family from despair, Van searched for scholarships. Not as a recognition of excellence, but as a means of survival. That search led him to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Fisheries Scholarship Program — a beacon of hope at a time when everything seemed to be slipping away.

Yet, even that hope came with its own set of battles.

One requirement was a Fish-R certificate, which his mother qualified for as a fish vendor. But when Van approached their Municipal Agriculture Office, hoping for help, he was met not with compassion but with ridicule. The memory of being laughed at for daring to dream still stings.

“Anak ni Gene? Yaglisod da baya gayud kay gapangita dasa ng scholarship,” someone mocked.

It was a moment that could have broken anyone — but not Van.

Refusing to give in to despair, he submitted his application anyway. For two agonizing weeks, he heard nothing. And then, a call from the DA-BFAR Caraga changed everything.

Van passed the scholarship examination and was accepted into the Bachelor of Science in Fisheries program — an unexpected path for a young man whose heart once longed for broadcast microphones and newsrooms. At first uncertain, he would soon realize that this wasn’t a dead end, but a redirection.

Redefining Dreams

Enrolling in BS Fisheries connected him back to his roots. His late grandfather was a fisherman, and his uncles still make a living from the sea. His father once enrolled in the same program decades earlier but had to abandon the dream due to hardship. Now, through Van, that unfinished story finally found its ending.

More than a course, the program became a calling. Van began to see the resilience of the fisherfolk community — those often overlooked yet essential hands that feed the nation. 

“The BS Fisheries program made me see things differently. I began to understand the hard life of our fisherfolk — people who work before sunrise and come home long after dark, yet are often overlooked. They’re not “mangisdaay lang”; they’re the reason many of us eat. The more I learned, the more I realized this wasn’t just a program — it was a calling,” Van shared.

Through organizations like The Sea Strivers, he revived his love for journalism.

“Through BSFi, I found my voice again when I became part of The Sea Strivers — writing, speaking, and standing behind the mic like a true MassCom student. I also met journalists I once only admired from afar, traveled, covered stories, and saw life through the eyes of a storyteller. For a moment, I wasn’t just dreaming — I was living the purpose I was meant to find,” Van recalled.

A Scholarship That Changed a Life

Van’s story is a living proof to the quiet but transformative impact of the DA-BFAR Fisheries Scholarship Program. It isn’t just financial aid; it’s a vehicle for hope. A second chance for students who, like Van, are weighed down by life’s relentless storms yet still dare to dream.

In his heartfelt pre-commencement address, Van did not merely recount academic victories. He honored unseen sacrifices—the hardwork of his parents, the people who offered refuge when his family was homeless, and the kind-hearted mentors who saw potential in a trembling young man.

His message resonated with countless students who faced their own battles — working students, breadwinners, self-supporting scholars, and those chasing delayed dreams. Van reminded them, and all of us, that setbacks are not endings, but redirections toward purposes we may not yet understand.

A Future Bright as the Stars

As Van closed his speech, he gave thanks not just to his family and friends, but to DA-BFAR Caraga—the agency that believed in his worth when others dismissed him. Their scholarship didn’t just pay for tuition; it rebuilt a young man’s confidence, rewrote his destiny, and honored generations of quiet fisherfolk dreamers.

Today, the boy once mocked for his audacity to hope walks the stage a proud graduate with flying colors, carrying with him not only a diploma but the hearts and stories of those who came before him. And through his voice, their stories will finally be heard.

For students like Van, scholarships like those from DA-BFAR are not mere financial grants. They are lifelines that restore dignity, mend broken spirits, and align stars for those who once believed they were undeserving of the sky. (Andy T. Ordoña, Information Officer, DA-BFAR Caraga)