"THE LIFE OF AN UNFORTUNATE BOY"
The life in the barrio was very hard to progress because one should persevere to get the stable living in ones life. The unfortunate boy named Tonton was born from an unfortunate family where he would have to sacrifice to get his aim in life. He thought and never minded that being an unfortunate student was not a hindrance to success.
Tonton graduated in high school as a salutatorian. His father Ulot was a farmer and his mother Sabeth was a vegetable vendor. They were eight in the family in which the eldest was a girl named Ame, married already with one child. The next to her was his sister name Jovy who was already marriage with two children and to her was his brother named Cocoy who was a teacher already in their barrio. The next to him was his second brother name Dondon who couldn’t graduate his elementary education and he was the take charge of their farmland. He was in a fifth rank to the family and next to him was Dongdong. The second to the last rank was Inday and Jayson as a youngest.
He inspired to pursue to study in college by his parents, particularly their situation in his hometown. The problems exist on how he could send himself to college in order to take a professional course because he couldn’t allow himself, just to remain digging their farmland as a result to no progress life. He experienced the hard life in a barrio that one should really have to sacrifice to experience the delightful living. That was the main reason that keeps his strong determination to continue in college.
One day when his mother told him.
“Tonton your father already decided that you should have to stop this coming opening of class”.
Tonton surprisingly heard it.
“Ma, I do my best when I am in high school in order that you would appreciate what I do so that you can send me to college. What happen?” he said.
“Child we don’t have enough money to send you in college. How can we support you?” Mother replied.
Tonton remained silent with it.
Tonton’s parents could not send him to college because of the insufficient financial to finance, as he would study to college.
When he heard a news about the scholarship of the Congressman and the City Social Service and Development office he applied their scholarship and assistance program whose main target as a beneficiary or the recipient were the unfortunate student who cannot afford to college education.
There were some requirements that he had to be done and to be accomplished in order to be qualified in the program. He thought of it as a big opportunity and a blessing that would help him to continue to his aim in life. No one knows that he was luckily accepted in the scholarship and to the financial assistance offered by the City Social Service and Development Office. Tonton was very happy at that time for the noble God’s gift for him and the gift reminds him that God is always in his back Who always hear his prayers and everything he wanted to happen in his life. Although, his scholarship he applied was not enough for him because that was only limited and they will only pay his tuition fee not in full and he pursued to do risk work wherein he pursue to work and study at the same time. Many days passed by, the day comes enrolment, he ignored and never knows of what really the life in the city compared to his hometown. He was officially enrolled in the first semester during his first year college education but the problem exist because he doesn’t have the boarding house yet wherein he could stay during his schooling.
Her sister said, “okay I’ll allow you to stay in my boarding house but you have to clean it everyday before you go to school.
“Okay sister, I will do that for the sake of my study”. He said.
She offered her boarding house with a condition that he shall have to sacrifice first as he stayed in his sister served as a janitor who would maintain the cleanliness of their house. He’s willing to sacrifice in order to get the call of his life for the future. It was his sister who welcomed him to stay with her together with his sister’s husband.
He thought positively to look forward to get his aim of life. During his stay in his sister’s house there were some problems he experience for a second time because his sister had a very stringent attitude to him and dealt with him as not her own brother but he still have a great patience to face this problem. In the middle of the months and its really nearer to the end of the first semester, his sister already told him that for the second semester they will not allowed him to live with them and asked him to find an another house for him to stay during his schooling in college. And he never minded it wherein he knew that his eldest sister would not do it to his own brother. Everyday his sister never gave him even a single peso but still he doesn’t ever discourage to move on. The last day of the first semester ends and the day that sorrow and pain he was experience because that day for him, was very historical that he cannot forget in a long years of his life. This day was memorable at all because during this day, his sister frankly told him to look for a boarding house.
His sister said,
“Okay since your first semester is already ended, you can now leave here. I didn’t want to your face will be here today.
Tonton was crying, “Te, how can I continue my study? Even if how many tasks you will be given to me, I will do that.
His sister never minded it. The reason why his eldest sister get angry to him because he ate the bread of his sister and his sister found him eating it.
It was a day that his plan vanished in the future where he becomes hopeless and discouraged in that day, on how he could survive.
Life was still meaningful and beautiful. After the end of the first semester because he was not allowed to stay his sister’s house, he back to his hometown in order to relieve his pain that he had been experience from his sister’s hand, the pain that enter in the core of his mind.
In the second semester, he stayed in his grandmother’s house. As the time goes on, he was very careful for everything in doing such things that was related to his schooling. In fact, he doesn’t only experience pain and trials from his sister but also to his grades wherein his teacher gave him a grade that doesn’t passed to the requirements of his scholarship. During this semester, he couldn’t avail again the scholarship in his school. His scholarship helped him more for him to stand and rise in times of his distress with the help of his brother, congressman scholarship and the financial assistance program of their municipality and because of it he could pay his tuition fee in his school. His parent was still proud of him even if they were unfortunate.
During his stay in his grandmother’s house, he experienced seemingly the same with his sister’s house that he had to be very careful for everything he wanted to do so because the things planted to
his mind, was to be careful at all time. It was a barrier and obstacles he faced on his journey of life. There was a time that he experienced being frustrated because his grandmother would said a word that would hurts him but he didn’t provoked it and have a great patience to face this trial in his life. His mother couldn’t support him in terms of financial support that would help him to sustain his own but it was not enough for him to support his own needs particularly to pay for his tuition fee in school which matter for him in every examination that he couldn’t pay anymore and also to his needs in school.
In order that his parents would not problem him regarding his schooling, he applied to a gasoline station and serve as a pump attendant. But few months after, after he was hired in that company, the gasoline station has been sold to the other gasoline station owner. They were diminished in the gasoline station and Ton-ton was one of them.
In short, the management was close and everyone had no job.
He still does his best on how he could carry his own to excellence and even if he experienced frustrations in life he remained strong and vigorous to face the future with a strong faith to God. He did his best in his school, as it is best he can do and he can show to the other people.
During his first semester in his second year college education, he pursued to apply in the scholarship of his school.
One afternoon, after applying the scholarship program, he received a call;
“ Good afternoon sir, this is from University of Mindanao HRMD informing you to please report tomorrow for your examination. Hope you will be there”
“Yes Madam, I’m sure I’ll be there tomorrow. Thank you so much for the information.” He answered.
Before the management would accept him, he must under the screening in order to examine his own ability to do one’s task. Fortunately, he was accepted in the program although he still become a deans lister of their school but he tried to choose the most important one because he knew that not all times his grade would be acceptable and satisfactorily pass to the academic scholarship grade requirements of his school but he chose the most significant one to his life. He selected the scholarship that he could work and study in their school where he could feel secured because only the passing grade was the requirement in every subject. Before he became a regular scholar, he must have to under the six months training within the office. Even if he was under training in the program of the school, he tried to apply in a fast food chain. It was a fast food chain that was well known in the country, the Jollibee food corporation wherein he applied being a service crew in that company. He thought that he would not be accepted because he was only from a poor family who didn’t have yet the experience in cooking processing but he tried his own self to prove that not only the other people had a talent, skills and capabilities to perform ones task. It was a month of October that he passed his biodata as his personal identification and personal educational background information was stated with an attach application letter.
One month ago, after he had passed his biodata to the management he received a call from a manager;
“Good afternoon, this is from Jollibee San Pedro. We just informed you to report tomorrow here in our office for your interview.
“Okay I’ll be there tomorrow. Thank you so much for the information. He replied.
In the evening before his interview in the next day, he felt different from a usual one wherein he himself experience the feeling of being tense and in order to relieve it, he concentrated his study and try to forget it knowing that he could face it and he could fight it by doing his best during the interview. When the day comes for the interview, he feels tense and he didn’t know what to do during the interview. He observed to his companion what they do during their interview. He was the only one boy and the rest were the girls seeing that they were confident to answer the question of the interviewer during one-on-one interview. He was in the fourth entry of the interviewee. During his interview
“What is your purpose of applying Jollibee.” Manager said.
“ I want to apply because I want continue my study in college. In fact, my family cannot support me to study. That’s why I able to pursue to apply hoping that I will accepted as an employee of you company. He said.
In his interview, the manager ask him what was his purpose for applying in Jollibee and he said that he wanted to continue his study in college because his family cannot support him to send him into college education.
Second time, the manager asked his personal information and his educational background.
“What are the achievements that you have already achieve in your school? Manager asked.
he replied and said;
I am an honor student and a scholar in which it was not enough to support my own everyday needs.
Then, the manager understood to it and asked him;
“What are the sources of income of your parents?
And he said.
“Its only farming is their source of income and it was not enough for him to sustain my college education.
The manager continues asking
“What are your highest grade that you get already in your every subject?”
“I have my 100 percent in my one subject and others is also good.”
He answered.
The manager finally talked to him.
“You have to report tomorrow in our main office for your exam. If you will pass this examination, you will be employed here.”
“Okay ma’am, thank you so much.” He said.
In the morning he woke up early to prepare his own self for his exam, although this morning he had his class but he tried to report in the class by asking permission to his subject teacher if she would allow him to absent in the class.
“Good morning ma’am, will you allow me to absent in your class because I have to report in Jollibee Ma’am for my exam.” Tonton said.
“Okay, I’ll allow but you cannot take the long quiz we have this day.”
He was worried to it and he tried to choose the heavy one for his own; he preferred to choose his Jollibee examination. He went immediately to his destination wherein the examination was waiting for him. The exam was quite difficult but he tried his to answer and it was time pressure wherein he had to be quick as possible in answering it. He was from his class when checked the result posted at the outside part of the examination room. In that day, after his examination in the morning, he also attended his other subject class and after it he went to the examination room of the Jollibee in order to see his name if he is included in the list. A minute later, he comes to the outside part of the room where all the examinees with their name are posted outside of it. He tried to found out his name in the list when look first it but he never found his name. Second time, he found his name to the list and he finds it in the lower part. He was very happy of it because he was passed the exam.
“ God thank you so much that I pass in the exam.” He said silently.
Therefore, he has a job that helps him more to pay his exist tuition fee in school. He comply all the requirements before he would be under training. There were some requirements that he had to be complied as soon as possible would be in the management he was applied for. In his duty in school office, he asked permission to his supervisor if he would allow him to go to comply his requirements; his supervisor understands his situation and allows him to fulfill his requirements in Jollibee.
“Sir, will you allow me to comply the all requirements in Jollibee, even if I am working here in your office?” he asked.
“Okay Ton no problem. I understand your situation. Okay comply it.” Sir Albin said.
Finally, he was accepted and works as a food attendant. Life inside the store and in school was not easy and quite difficult to understand because there were some priorities and responsibilities to be done. He feels being pressure wherein he would do many things in short time. He made a time schedule in order to execute and use it in an effective way. He divided the schedule as a time in the class, in the store and in the school office work. Everything was alright because he made it as a challenge to his own self on how he could measure his own strengths and abilities when in terms to heaviness and stress that might affect to his own self and to his own health.
During the summer enrolment, he experienced desperate because he never find any money in order for him to enroll his own. In that last day of enrolment, when he had on duty in Jollibee he asked his manager.
“Sir, can I advance even five hundred pesos because I do not have yet the money to enroll in my summer class wherein it is needed for us that we the scholars should be enroll in the summer class” he said.
“ Tonton I have five hundred pesos here and you should pay this if you have already your salary, okay? Sir Mike said.
“ Yes sir, I have to pay it if I have my salary already. He said.
He was very blissful in that time because of the opportunity gives by God for him. In the morning, the last day of the enrolment he enroll his own because the school management allow him it was because he was the scholar to them and with the help of his manager’s money he was officially in their situation. He was not hopeless to the things that had happen in his life and he did his best as he performed his work in Jollibee.
He realized and thought that not only that his life would still be in Jollibee with pressure and difficulties in time he had experience but always in his mind was the schooling which was the most important than his job.
“ God not that I’ll be still in Jollibee, I just want to find a better opportunity that helps me to continue my study in college.”
He do this prayer every night before he sleep.
Many days pass by, it was in the month of February, when he heard news regarding the new scholarship impose by the local government of their city, he dreamed to apply that scholarship. It was his brother that informs him and said to him to inquire in the office of the scholarship section of the city government.
“ Tonton inquires to the office of the scholarship for you to know the qualification.” His brother Cocoy said.
“Okay bro, no problem I just try. Thank you for the information.” He replied.
He inquired to the office of the scholarship through telephone call and asks for the initial requirements in order to avail the scholarship. He was very pressure due to time was limited with many obligation to be accomplish.
“Oh my God can I do this all task you have to me God? But I never mean that I almost to give up. I am willing to face and accept it God.” Praying to God silently.
There were many times that he feels pain and difficulty to his life with many duties and responsibilities that he has to be done that was both in school and work. He thought and found a new way in order to survive from the problem he had face with one goal only to fulfill his aims and goals in life for a bright future wherein he had to sacrifice first before he would get his aim in life. That was why, he never mind on how pressure he had experience to his life and he forgot to take good care of his own self because of his many responsibilities to his society and his own self. But he still had the courage and hopes to go on and let this problem as not a barrier, obstacle or even a hindrance to success. He was a model for everyone who believed that poverty was not a hindrance to success and he was always remember that he had to lose hope and always have faith in God in order to become strong and vigorous enough to face the challenges of his life. Although, he was from a poor family but he tried to prove his own self to others by showing and doing his best to perform one task as it was a very important to his life that he wanted to show and to be proud off in order to prove to his parent that a life of a poor student has many challenges and trials that one must sacrifice in order to struggle and fight to survive that the outcomes in the future was happiness that no can steal with it. It was so good to hear for him that when he achieved a difficult task and his parent was very proud of it.
One day, when he went to the office of the scholarship of their local government. He inquired the main requirements for their scholarship in order that he could avail with it and as early as he could comply and finish the requirements to qualified and to for sure that he could avail it after he passed all the requirements in the scholarship.
Two months later, he was still working in Jollibee where he was waiting for their call and text to inform him that he would be under the interview and examination to pass it. For a long time waiting, the day comes that he never expected to happen in his life wherein received a call and text from the scholarship in-charge informing him that the local government scholarship management wanted him to report and they wanted him to under the psychological interview and examination.
“Good afternoon. This is from scholarship for Education Program here in Davao City informing you to please report in the office this March 25 in the morning and bring your parents for your psychological interview and examination” Ma’am May said to him through celphone.
“ Okay, you can hope it Ma’am.” Thank you so much for it.” He said.
He was very happy in the news that he had never be expected to happen in his life.
The day before his interview and examination schedule, he heard news about his schooling that he was very amazed to it as news that would makes him more proud to his own self. He was informed by his classmate that he was a honor of their school wherein he would receive an award that he had never be expected to happen in his life.
The day of the recognition was the schedule day of his interview and examination to the scholarship ha had waited for a long time. He chooses the most important and that would help him into his study and it will save his tuition fee. Although, it was sad to said for him that a day he would make proud of his own self to his fellow students was failed to fulfill and it was not successful. In that day, his mother was selling a vegetable in their town public market. He immediately went to his mother and brought her to the scholarship office of their local government because it was needed that an applicant should have a parent. Then, he bring his mother to the scholarship office for their interview together with his mother because it requires that there should be a parent in it and his mother was surprisingly with the news she heard from Tonton.
“ O what happened, why is it you bring me?” his mother asked.
“Mother, your presence is needed just bare with me. You will know it after okay? He said.
When they were in the office, there were two psychologists waited to them. One of them interview and asked him together with his mother.
“ Good morning. Tell me your personal information such as your name and age, okay?”
The interviewer asked to him.
“ I am Tonton Jainar, eighteen years old
The psychiatrist asked to his mother.
“ Mom, What he was done when he was already young until he develop to his present life today? Have you remember?”
And his mother answers it. “He is a responsible child and he is healthy when he was too young.”
The second psychiatrist asks him.
“ If you will be accepted in the scholarship, what will be your contribution for the progress of the city?”
“I can only returned to the government with all my good grades in all my subjects. I think that’s the best way to value the scholarship.” He answered.
The psychiatrist nodded.
She finally asked to Tonton.
“Are you hopeless in your situation today that you are working and at the same time your studying?”
“No, I’m not hopeless Ma’am because I know that God is good to me in all the time and if I will not be accepted in the scholarship I just have to continue my work in Jollibee even if it is stressful in order that I could still continue my college education with the help of my scholarship from the school, congressman and the City Social Service and Development financial assistance program for the unfortunate student. He said.
A month later, it was a month of April when he inquired to the scholarship in-charge if his name was included in the list of the accepted scholars. Luckily, he was in the list.
“ Yes, God thank you so much for the opportunity You have given to me. Now I can say that I can still continue my study in college to finish my course.”
He prayed silently.
He was very happy and proud of his own self in that day where all his prayers was fulfill wherein it was the blessing and opportunity that God had given to him.
After one week later after he was accepted in the scholarship his brother and sister were extremely and surprisingly know the news in the television because their name was reported to the television station and one of it was Tonton.
“Huh! Is this true?” his brother and sister asked him.
“Yes that’s true because I still believe that God is always in my back that hears my prayers. He said to them.
They couldn’t believe that he would be impossibly accepted in it. They were very happy and blissful about Tonton’s life as he was willing to sacrifice to get his aim in life. When he was already accepted in the scholarship his mother and his father would not be problem him anymore because he was already free of tuition fee in school with allowance for him to use to whatever he will need it in his project and his other needy in his study.
Tonton himself was successful but he still believed that he had many trials and difficulties that may comes to his life to be face and he would be encounter in the near future. He still prayed and gives thanks to God for the entire blessing that he had receive from Him. It helped him more to his college education.
When he was already a regular in his training in students training assistance program of their school, he benefited the scholarship by twenty one units was deducted to his tuition fee and it was a big help for him that he may be relying to his parent who cannot support him satisfactorily in his college schooling. He had the duty and responsibility that correspond to the scholarship he had benefited wherein he worked in the audiovisual room of their school and in-charge as operator to the all equipments available inside it.
He knew that being a working student was not a hindrance to get his aim in life. Being a STAP scholar, there were times that he was too busy particularly when there was an activity in their school like intramurals, graduation day and other school activity that requires him to take a video and picture coverage. Although, even if there are some activities that he have to be done be but he feels in the end that it’s fun and full of enjoyment.
There were times that he could experience sadness and loneliness when their supervisor got angry with them for committing such things that their supervisor is not satisfy to what they have done and if they do an invaluable act towards work that was against for his supervisor like late on duty, poor performance, etc. but despite of it, he learned from my mistake because he knew that he was not perfect.
Even if he was a working student, he gave time to study because aside of being a STAP scholar in their scholarship, he had his government scholarship that requires grade of eighty five percent in every subject so he had to study as well so that he could get a better grade of his every subject.
There were times that he could experience being pressure like doing things in a little time. If there was a things that he had to be done regarding my study he cannot do it because he had his work as his duty and responsibility that he was obliged to do so but Tonton himself take it as a challenge. Indeed, he realized that a life of a working student was full of sacrifice and challenges that hardens his heart and determination to study as it was not a barrier or obstacle to get his ambition and dream to life.
He was very proud his own to others that he showed his best in both schooling and work that in enable him not to be hopeless that harden his faith to God. Tonton himself was competitive when it comes to his schooling inside his classroom. He didn’t show to his classmate that even if he was a working student and a scholar at the same time had no capacity that he could show to them. He always showed his very best ability to compete the better one in their class. He always remember what he had experience in his younger years of schooling in his hometown, the pain and suffering in order to send his own self to school to acquire the knowledge that molds the him in order to become knowledgeable at all time in his life as a tool or bridge to enlighten his mind that life was colorful and meaningful and it had a purpose of having it. Tonton’s inspiration was his parent and his two brother and one sister that they were both living together with his parent in their hometown whose main source of income was only farming that helps them to survive. The situation they had experience in their daily survival makes Tonton to concentrate his study and did the best he can be without the help of his parent in his everyday life in the city. He tried to be independent from his mother and brother.
Tonton was the only one in their hometown that continues to study in college in order to take a professional course. He idolized his older brother who also experience the fatality of his elder sister when he stayed also to their boarding house when Tonton was only in first year high school that his brother studying in college wherein seemingly the same to the experience of Tonton that he was study and at the same time he was working and study also and his brother was successful to fulfill his dream in life. And his brother becomes a teacher in their hometown. The two brothers and one sister who also study in a public school of their barrio also walked in how many kilometer apart from the school everyday in order to attend the class either rain or shine. They were dreaming to study in college if they will graduate in high school. Even they are many in the family but his mother and father find a way that they can feed their children. His father is only a farmer and his mother is a vegetable in their city. He truly feels the situation they are already experience in their lives and he wanted to up lift to the higher one.
Life was too short he knew it that God would provide him a new blessing.
He received a call from his eldest sister Ame who didn’t allow him to live with them when he was just in first year college.
Tonton is this true that you have pass to government scholarship.” She asked to him.
“ Te, That’s true.” He said.
“ Okay congratulation to you.
“Now I allow you to get back in my boarding house.”
She said.
“ Okay thank you so much ate for it.” He replied.
Tonton immediately come back to his sister’s house to stay while he was studying in college as he already a third year student.
His sister had changed his attitude to him where she knew that his brother was willing to sacrifice to get his goals and ambition in life. She said to Tonton that he was surprisingly heard the news that he became one of the beneficiary in the scholarship program of their city. She was proud to him that even if how pain and agony he already experience from her, still he accepted his sister with no anger to his heart from what she did to Tonton when he was only a first year college that time. The feeling towards his sister had change to a better wherein he loved his sister and his sister loves him.
"In God, nothing is impossible."