3 UP Theatre Graduates Look Back After Delayed Journey to the Finish Line
Three theatre graduates from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman went viral after sharing their long-awaited graduation journey.
Recently, Ynaang, a TikTok user, shared their long-awaited graduation journey. The post immediately Recently, spread like wildfire on social media and garnered various reactions from the online community.
Their story stood out because they believed they had fallen under the so-called “Oblation curse,” a UP superstition that says students who take a photo or video with the Oblation statue before graduating will face delays.
Ynna Rafa and her friends Juge Tagle and Shun Gomez filmed a video with the statue back when they were still fourth-year students. Not long after, each of them faced different hurdles that postponed their graduation.
For Ynna, the delay came as she chose to accept roles in theatre productions outside school. She wanted to build experience in the field she loved, even if it meant finishing school later than planned.
Her friend Juge, on the other hand, had to take on work to earn money for their thesis, which required producing an actual theatre performance. Shun decided to pause his studies altogether after feeling drained from the demands of online classes.
@ynnaaang SUMPA NI OBLE? Thank you Oble sa masayang college life!!! ༘⋆🌷🫧💭₊˚ෆ #updiliman #sablay2025 #univgrad #fyp #oble #delayed ♬ Funny video "Carmen Prelude" Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai)
He worked different jobs during his break to find balance and recover.
Despite the delays, the three friends shared that they have no regrets. They believe what matters most is how they grew along the way, not just the diploma at the end.
“Wag masyado matakot kung [na-delay] ka at ‘wag masyado maging harsh sa self kasi nga kaniya-kaniya naman tayong pacing and mas important talaga yung nakikita mo sarili mong nag-grow talaga,” Rafa said.
In another post, a former homeless teen graduates from Ateneo w/ honors
Now proudly wearing their sablays, the three friends remind others that delayed does not mean denied.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
