PULUPANDAN, Negros Occidental — Everyone has a dream. A dream to become somebody whom one is wished for.

Just like Larc Sapul of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental who is dreaming to become a police officer since childhood. He chases and works for it and now this dream become closer to reality.

Poverty might be the biggest obstacle in reaching his dream but for somehow this was also the key to why his hope and determination in life become more intense every single day.

Larc is the eldest among nine siblings. His mother, Ma. Aluna is a vegetable vendor stationed at Libertad Market in Bacolod City while his father Sandy is a welder in a small gasoline station in their town. Their family has been a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for more than five years already.

After graduating from high school, Larc was not able to enroll in college because of financial problem. Being the eldest sibling, he took the responsibility in helping his parents augment their daily needs. He accepted the offer of their relative to be their house helper. For four long years, he was then the breadwinner of their family. Until one day, he realized that without a college diploma he could not land to a more decent job with good compensation to augment his growing family. He keeps praying to God that someday a miracle will happen to their life.

God is really good for those who knew how to knock His door. One day, good news sent to Larc. He was one of those qualified ESGPPA grantees. He did not let the opportunity to pass. He took the examination and luckily passed.

As an Extended Student Grant in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) passer, he enrolled at Carlos Hilado Memorial State College supposedly to take his dream course – the Bachelor of Science in Criminology and also to follow the footsteps of his eldest brother who is currently enrolled in the same course.

Unfortunately, it was not listed in the priority course of Commission of Higher Education (CHED), the one implementing the ESGPPA. Instead, he enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, Major in Mechanical Technology. However, this doesn’t lose hope for Larc to chase his dream.

His four years in college was not that easy. Though he was receiving an allowance amounting to P3, 500 a month through his scholarship, he still struggles with his projects and school activities. There was the time that he got sick and was absent in school for one week but he never thought of giving up.

Larc knew the hardship his family is going through especially that two of them are in college. Sometimes, he needs to share his allowance to his brother just to pay the school fees.

Temptation also of peer pressure was a test during his stay in college but with his family love and moral support, he was able to overcome those challenges.

Finally, the hardship of their family was paid off when Larc and his brother graduated from college. His brother took the Criminologist Licensure examination last December 2018 and by God’s grace, he passed. Larc also took the NAPOLCOM examination last October 2018 and also passed. Larc is one of the 11 percent or 3,742 out of 32, 912 takers who passed the examination.

“The faithfulness to the Almighty Creator coupled with perseverance and hard work of my parents led me to where I am now”, Larc said.

The two brothers are both preparing for their training this year./dswd.6//MGC (Writer: Pulupandan Municipal Link Madiyn Doronilla – Negros POO2).