09/09/2025
๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐, ๐ฏ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃโ๐ฉโ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ?
In the quiet town of Bulwang, Numancia, Aklan, Joseph Victor Briones has always stood outโnot by the way he looks, but by the strength he carries in his heart. At 19, Victor is a second-year student from the College of Computer Studies, taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Major in Software Engineering at Aklan State University - Kalibo. But his journey goes far beyond academics. It is a story of overcomingโnot limitations, but the strength that blossoms when one chooses to rise despite every obstacle.
He remembers those early years fondlyโmarked by laughter, curiosity, and a boundless eagerness to explore. โI was always asking questions,โ he recalls, a smile tugging at the memory. โI loved making friends and finding joy in the little things.โ Even then, he knew his path would look different. But rather than letting that unsettle him, he embraced itโtransforming every detour into a discovery.
Growing up, Victor became aware of how others perceived him. There were looks, whispersโquestions left unspoken but felt all the same. Still, he stood tall in spirit. โIt wasnโt always easy,โ he admits. โBut I realized their reactions said more about them than they did about me.โ That quiet insight became his armor, soft yet unbreakable, allowing him to face each day with courage.
There were times he felt apart from the world around him, standing just outside the games others played or the spaces they moved through with ease. Yet, instead of letting those moments weigh him down, Victor gathered their lessons like petalsโempathy, patience, resilience. Each one shaped, refined, and strengthened him. โI couldnโt always join in,โ he shares, โbut that taught me to understand others better and made me more determined.โ
That determination is something he carries every day. When physical spaces posed challenges or expectations fell short of his abilities, Victor met them with a quiet resolve. He didnโt ask for pity, nor did he seek approval. Instead, he simply let his work and attitude speak. โI donโt waste energy proving,โ he says. โI just keep doing, and eventually, people see.โ
Behind that strength is a foundation that never faltered: his family. His parents, especially, saw not what the world sometimes feared to see, but what Victor truly wasโcapable, brilliant, deserving. โThey see my ability, not my disability,โ he says, the words soft but certain. Their encouragement has been his anchor; their belief, his wings. Through every low point, their voices reminded him of his worth and lifted him back up.
Like any young adult stepping into college life, Victor faces his share of battlesโmoments of doubt, days of frustration. But he has learned not to run from them. He allows himself to feel, to write, and to breathe. โThen I remind myself how far Iโve come,โ he says. When that isnโt enough, he leans on faith, family, and the quiet fire within him that never goes out.
At his core, Victor is driven by more than ambition. Heโs driven by purpose. โI want to use my voice to inspire,โ he says. โI want others to find strength in their own stories.โ This desire to lift others up while climbingโthat is what makes him not just an individual, but a light for those who struggle in silence.
To anyone who feels confined by their circumstances, Victor offers a gentle truth: โYou are more than your limits. Start where you are. Use what you have. And take one step at a time.โ His words, like his journey, carry no bitternessโonly hope.
He doesnโt wish to be seen as extraordinaryโonly as someone who keeps going: someone who loves deeply, chooses courage, and walks forward, even when the path is steep. Not defined by the conditions of his body, but by the resilience of his spirit.
Victorโs story isnโt loud or flashy. It doesnโt unfold on grand stages. Yet, with each quiet victory and every step he takes against the odds, a revolution unfolds. His strength doesnโt shout; it whispers. Itโs not in leaps, but in the steady steps he takes, one after another, with unwavering faith.
And if thereโs one truth his story leaves behind, it is this: Our struggles donโt diminish us. They shape us. Through faith, love, and persistence, we can riseโnot in spite of our journey, but because of it.
So now, the question is this: Are you willing to take a brave step today, even when the path ahead doesnโt seem built for you?
Written by: Shainah Amor Diaz
Layout by: Kenneth Capillo
Pictures by: Kyra Jamilah Isleta
