Parang kailangan kong balikan ang aking nakaraan. Ready ba kayo samahan ako?? 10yrs ago when our haligi ng tahanan died. Yes my father left us without any signs. Yung kinukuhanan niyo ng lakas, saya at inspirasyon left us. Worst, we are all studying. Life is so unfair right? But my mother become strong and determined.

Every morning we worked at fields para kumuha ng kangkong at binebenta namin sako-sako sa aming kapit-bahay. My mother become labandera, tagaplantsa, dishwasher in eatery and she even sold different kakanin in Badiangan, Elementary School. Ginawa niya lahat makakain lang kmi at makaahon araw2. Bata pa lang po kami naranasan na namin ang masakit na katotohanan.

But in God nothing is impossible. Year 2011, our family became one of the benefeciaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).,It is a big help for us since wala naman po kmi stable source of income. This serves as our monthly budget for our basic necessities and for our studying.

Pero hindi diyan nagtatapos ang biyaya sa amin ni God. Truly life is full of surprises. Last 2014 when our government offered a scholarship for all 4Ps beneficiaries who are incoming 1st year college, I am blessed that I was chosen. But may kailangan po ako piliin. Kasi po ang kinuha ko course is Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and sad to say hindi po siya cover ng scholarship o hindi priority course ng Commission of Higher Education (CHED) as one of our partner agency. So the program coordinator advised me that I should slide to Bachelor of Science in Business Administration for me to have a full grant.

I felt so sad and hopeless that time. I only have two choices, pipiliin ko ba ang kurso hindi ko gusto pero with full scholarship or ipupush ko ang dream course ko pero alam ko maghihirqp si mama at possible hindi ako makapagtapos. Ano pinili ko?? Yes, I chose Bachelor of Schience in Business Administration and fully become part of the Expanded Student Grant in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) grantee. Being a scholar includes free tuition and miscellaneous plus with monthly allowance and a book allowance.

My monthly allowance is not only for me. I also share to my siblings at kung may sobra binibigyan ko si mama to buy for our basic necessities. I want to thank you for all the taxes/buwis. Because of that our education made attainable. Through this, I have accomplished much of what I never thought possible. I am proud to say I had worked hard to be where I am, but I certainly could not have done it without this grant/scholarship. I am forever grateful and blessed.

But being an ESGP-PA is not easy. People in our school sees as a happy go lucky students. Maybe because they are insecure that we have our my monthly allowances. In our four-year in college hindi namin makakalimutan ang mga pangungutya at negative feedbacks na natatanggap namin.

I know marami nakakarelate sakin. Mahirap maging 4Ps di ba? Yung akala ng tao naghihintay lang lagi tayo ng pera at umaasa lang sa 4Ps. Masakit db? Sobrang sakit. Kaya ngayon Graduates, lets prove to them na hindi nakadepende sa 4Ps ang buhay at yaman niyo/natin. We can still stand meron man o walang 4Ps.

May nabuntis man at nag-asawa sa batch namin hindi iyon naging hadlang para abutin ang amin pangarap. Sa kabila ng lahat, may nagbigo man abutin ang kanilang pangarap mas madami naman po nakapagtapos at ang iba with flying honors. And I am proud and humble to say that I am one of them.#

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I am CRISTINE BICAS REMOLA

a degree holder of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION major in Human Resources Development Management

Cum Laude and currently working in a private company as a regular employee as Human Resources Assistant.//