For the uninitiated, getting into the “Top” scene in UP Diliman isn’t just about popularity. It’s about recognition. It’s about your creative projects getting noticed, your event concepts getting greenlit, or your talent finally being seen by the right people in the industry.
For Mia, it meant:
Ang UPd Top Lifestyle and Entertainment ay bago lamang. Ito ay inilunsad ng UP Diliman Office of Student Activities kasama ang ilang digital media partners upang kilalanin hindi lang ang mga tradisyonal na artista, kundi pati ang mga breakout digital creators, independent musicians, at lifestyle influencers na nagbigay inspirasyon sa mga kabataan sa panahon ng pandemya at pagkatapos nito.
Ang nominasyon para sa kategoryang Breakthrough Female Digital Artist of the Year ay puno ng mga sikat na pangalan: isang dating PBB housemate, isang viral TikTok singer, at isang theater actress. Ngunit ang pangalan ni Kring ay naroon din.
"Kinakabahan ako. Hindi ako sanay sa ganitong eksena. Ang eksena ko ay sa kwarto, nakatutok sa ring light at selpon," kuwento niya. "Pero sa loob-loob ko, sinabi ko, 'Ito na ang pagkakataon. Hindi na ito babalik.'"
Noong gabi ng seremonya sa University Theatre, suot niya ang isang simpleng itim na damit na hiniram lamang mula sa kanyang kaibigan. Hindi siya nakapag-ayos sa isang mamahaling salon. Ang kanyang makeup ay ginawa niya mismo—isang bagay na natutunan niya sa mga panonood ng beauty vlog noong high school.
The success of the first UPD Top Lifestyle and Entertainment has already prompted the Chancellor to announce a second season next year. But for the thousands who witnessed it, the event will be remembered less for the glitz and more for the grit.
In a world where "lifestyle" often feels like a status symbol reserved for the rich, one Filipina proved that true entertainment lies in authenticity. Mila Cruz did not win because she was a victim of circumstance. She won because she was the master of her resilience.
As she signed her enrollment papers last week at the College of Arts and Letters, a young freshman stopped her. "Ate Mila," the girl asked, "Is it too late for me?"
Mila looked at the girl, then at the golden sunset reflecting off the UP Main Library. She remembered the little girl who used to peek through the fence.
"Anak," she said. "The dream doesn't care how old you are. It only cares that you show up."
And for the first time in two decades, Mila Cruz walked through the gates of UP—not as a spectator, but as a scholar. The pangarap (dream) was no longer a fantasy. It was finally, gloriously, natupad (fulfilled).
To nominate a candidate for UPD Top Season 2, visit the UPD Office of Student Activities or follow @UPDTopOfficial on social media. Applications are free and open to all Filipinos aged 18 and above.
Here’s a feature story concept for UP Dateline’s Top Lifestyle & Entertainment section:
Nang tawagin ang kanyang pangalan bilang nagwagi, tumahimik ang buong teatro. Hindi makapaniwala ang madla. Marami sa kanila ay hindi siya kilala. Ngunit ang mga taong sumuporta sa kanya mula sa simula—ang kanyang ina, ang kanyang dalawang kaibigang sumama sa kanya sakay ng bus mula Batangas—ay napahagulgol.
"Pangarap na ni Pinay natupad... sa unang UPd Top Lifestyle and Entertainment!" bulalas ni Kring habang hawak ang tropeo na yari sa recycled wood at tanso. "Hindi ko alam kung paano ko ito sasabihin nang hindi umiiyak, pero ito ang patunay na ang pangarap ay walang pinipiling uri ng tao, walang pinipiling eskuwelahan, walang pinipiling kapalaran. Kailangan mo lang maniwala, magtrabaho, at maghintay sa tamang panahon."
To understand the magnitude of Mila’s victory, one must first understand the event. UPD Top is not your typical campus variety show. Conceived by the UPD Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development and a coalition of student councils, the program sought to redefine "lifestyle" in the Filipino context.
Unlike America's Next Top Model or The Apprentice, UPD Top focused on "Everyday Greatness." The competition had three pillars:
The grand prize was not a cash windfall, but something arguably more valuable for a struggling Pinay: a full-ride scholarship to complete her college degree through the UPD Open University, plus a permanent stall space in the UP Town Center to launch her small business.
"It was like the universe finally opened a door," Mila recalls, sitting on a bench outside Vinzon’s Hall. "When I saw the poster, I couldn't breathe. It said: 'Para sa lahat ng may pangarap na natabunan na ng panahon' (For those whose dreams have been buried by time). I felt like that poster was calling my name."