Before the sun finally lets go of the day, a banca quietly carries a small universe across Lake Buhi.
On this banca crossing Lake Buhi, silence speaks louder than words. Students clutch their phones not for scrolling, but for comfort—counting minutes until they see familiar faces waiting at home. Phones glow briefly, messages sent: “Paabot na.” “Nandito na ako.” Almost home.
Workers sit with tired shoulders and steady eyes, carrying the weight of long days and unfinished dreams. Children nibble on early snacks, half-awake, half-excited, unaware that this daily journey is already shaping their future.
The lake is calm, but their lives are not easy.
This banca is not just transportation—it is a bridge between sacrifice and hope.
Every ripple on the water holds a story:
A student chasing education as their way out, studying hard so one day they won’t have to wake before dawn.
A worker returning home with calloused hands, knowing that love and responsibility wait on the other shore.
A family bound not by distance, but by the promise of coming home.
Their faces carry fatigue, but also quiet strength. No complaints. No drama. Just movement—forward.
This is what New Beginnings looks like.
Not loud. Not glamorous.
But real.
This Canon Mini Photomarathon Challenge, New Beginnings—happen every day when people choose to come home. When they choose family. When they choose hope, even if it means crossing a lake before sunset.
In Lake Buhi, new beginnings float gently—wooden, weathered, and full of life.
The photo was printed on a Canon printer via the Canon PRINT app, which was connected to my phone.
