Constellation of Hope

Born in Manila, he was the offspring of Negros Oriental parents. Until first grade, he attended a public school. However, showing promise at an early age, he took a scholarship exam for a private Christian school and fortunately passed. Using his impoverished background as motivation, he excelled academically and consistently earned honors throughout elementary school. From just being recognized with awards for certain subjects to becoming third and second honor, he finally graduated as Valedictorian with countless accolades. He also displayed impressive leadership skills at a young age.

With high school on the horizon, he began planning for the next chapter of his academic journey. Suddenly, his family made a move back to their home province of Negros - although it was where his parents were from, it was foreign to him because all he had ever known were tall buildings and the bustling city environment. Trees were only familiar to him through television, books or field trips; swimming at the beach was a luxury he had never experienced. While excited for this new adventure, he was also anxious about leaving his friends behind without even getting to say goodbye.

Days passed and he started attending a public high school - a completely different environment. As a newcomer, he quickly became popular among his peers. Though it wasn't what he had envisioned for himself, he accepted his reality and embraced this new chapter in his life with determination to explore and learn more about his surroundings.

With determination and eagerness, he embraced a new chapter in his life, determined to explore and discover his hidden talents. He joined the dance troupe and surprised everyone with his skills in both modern and traditional dances. He even had the opportunity to travel to different places with his team, competing against other dancers. He also became part of the school paper where he excelled in writing editorials, creating illustrations, and even taking on the role of a photojournalist. He competed in these three categories and won first place in all of them. During intramurals, he participated in various sports such as chess, Sepak takraw, volleyball, boxing, and basketball. His skills didn't go unnoticed as he was recruited to join their high school basketball team that competed against other schools in the region. His chosen subject was Civil Technology, as he had a natural talent for drawing. He honed his architectural skills and even competed in skills competitions for house planning and landscaping, bringing back honors to his school by winning first place.

Despite his many talents and achievements, he couldn't help but feel anxious about not being able to afford college. His family's source of income was farming and they barely had enough to support themselves. Graduation day arrived but it wasn't as joyous as he had hoped for. His parents were present but it was his uncle who went up on stage with him instead of them. Confused and hurt, he kept these feelings to himself and chose not to ask his parents about it anymore.

While most of his classmates enjoyed their summer vacation, he took on odd jobs to save up money. He taught dance choreography for the town fiesta dance festival, joined dance competitions, and helped fishermen catch fish which he sold for profit. When enrollment came around, he still didn't have enough money - not even half of the required fees. But he refused to give up hope and went straight to the mayor's house to inquire about government scholarships. Miraculously, there was one spot left and he begged for it to be given to him. He passed the entrance exam with flying colors, placing first among all other applicants. He chose to study Information Technology, thinking it would have fewer expenses since he observed that other courses required a lot of photocopying which he couldn't afford.

Despite being enrolled, his next challenge was figuring out how to sustain himself as the school was 8 kilometers away from his home. How will he afford his daily expenses and other costs? His parents are unaware that he is already enrolled in school. He walks to school every day, regardless of the weather. Class starts at 8 am, but he leaves home at 6 am to give himself enough time for the journey. He takes his time walking so he won't arrive drenched in sweat. The first week went smoothly, but it soon became exhausting. He realized this plan wouldn't work, especially during severe weather conditions. It's difficult to focus when you're hungry, and all he brings for lunch is boiled corn rice with salt. During lunchtime, he hides in a secluded area behind the school not out of shame for his simple meal, but because he doesn't want his classmates and friends to see him cry while eating. He wants to appear strong despite his circumstances.

After two months, he can no longer keep up with the daily walks and has run out of excuses for not completing projects due to lack of funds. One day, on his way home from school, he hears some boys talking about a job opportunity in Manila where all expenses will be covered by the recruiter. He immediately asks for more details from the boys and becomes determined to seize this opportunity. The longest night of his life is spent contemplating and strategizing how to secure the job offer.

In the morning, instead of going to school, he goes directly to the address given by the recruiter and presents himself as a candidate. He has already crafted a convincing story in order to get this opportunity at any cost, possibly influenced by his role as a member of the school journal team. The recruiter is convinced but requires him to provide a birth certificate as part of the requirements. Only being seventeen years old at the time, he knows this could jeopardize his chances if discovered. But he cannot lose this opportunity now. He goes home, photocopies his birth certificate, carefully erases the last two digits of the birth year and uses his drafting skills to create a falsified version that will make him appear legal age. After producing this nearly flawless document, he presents it to the recruiter. He then informs his parents about his plans, despite their initial disapproval. He explains his dreams and how this job opportunity is his ticket to achieving them. His parents, though not fully convinced, eventually give in and he prepares to leave for Manila the following week.

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