User:Rhicsistoso

My dreams, ambitions, motivations, persuasions in life started when my father passed away at early age of 10. Part of a big family of 9 with 3 sisters and 3 brothers (3 half brothers), I’m the third child and tagged as the black sheep of the family. Before, I didn’t know the real meaning of me being tagged “black sheep” in the family until I realized it made me who I am now in such positive outcome.

I was born February 7, 1986 in one of the wonderful towns of Bukidnon, considered to be the food basket of Mindanao. Bukidnon is an agricultural economy; it is a major producer of rice, corn, sugar, coffee, rubber, pineapple, banana, tomato, flowers, cassava and other fruits and vegetables. It is also a major producer of chickens, hogs and cattle. Almost all large firms operating in the province are into production or processing of these agricultural products. Why am I sharing this? We were one of the poor families behind the dirty work and I realized life struggles and obstacles after my father’s death.

Each of us were left in the homes and taken cared by our relatives in pursuing life. My mother on the other hand, had to leave to find fortune to work as house help in Metro Manila to support our financial needs especially our education. Since then, we had different lives, trainings from different characteristics of our relative’s homes. One of my personal experiences was farming - physical hard work like part of corn production from planting until harvesting. I know I was doing the right things at that time but I made my decision and chose not to be a farmer forever. At young age, I had little faith of myself that I can do so much more aside from farming. Farming indeed was a good foundation to start with.

While enjoying my chores as a farmer on weekends, I also enjoyed my primary and secondary schools on weekdays and made sure to top amongst co pupils and students. I was even active in participating extra-curricular activities at school. Sports; like volleyball, table tennis, badminton, singing and dancing competitions, quiz bees, I was a band master and had invited to play in fiestas and many other things that I participated at school just to enjoy my pupil and student life trying to forget hardships at home.

Senior year at high school for me it was a pressure, these are the times that students starting to plan for their universities, taking their assessment tests left and right and in what courses to take. I did not take any of the tests because I didn’t have plans in pursuing my college degree at our province. I dreamed BIG! I wanted to pursue my college degree only in Manila and I did not have any idea on how to do it. I started to take little steps going to the right direction by making sure my grades were okay and I graduated top ten in high school. I started working at summer jobs at our local municipality, part time helper at little cafeteria in our town until I had enough money for my transportation going to the city. I also worked in a public market from not a direct family relative until I made my way going to Bohol, where my older sister’s family is there and thought of settling with them.

I will quote one of my personal verses from the Bible “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”, Jeremiah 29:11. God’s favour and plans for me is always so wonderful! On my 1st week in Bohol we received an LBC pouch from Manila and didn’t have any idea where it came from and it seemed like it was not from our mother because she wasn’t the sender. On that same day, I was already accepted to work for a known mall as a sales boy in a department store. When my sister opened and read the letter it came to our big surprise, instructing her to book me a ticket to a ship for next day trip bound for Manila.

I jumped and shouted like I won a lottery! I felt like doors started to open and my vision started to clear out, opportunities started to come my way. The letter came from my mother she recommended me to work as a house boy at the same house she was working in Angeles, Pampanga. I did not even care what type of job I was going to have that time, I went here in Manila together my 2 goals in my heart without FEAR; to work and the same time to study and finish up my degree.

I worked for 2 years in Metro Manila started as a house boy, service crew in food chains in Lipa City and finally I got the opportunity to work and trained by advertising practitioners from known advertising companies in the Philippines and happened to be the boss of my mother as well during that time. They were my key to choose what course to pursue and tried my luck for a scholarship at Asia Pacific College.

Luckily, I was granted a 75% scholarship primarily because I had good grades in high school on my 1st and 2nd years and 100% scholarship on my 3rd and last years. The full scholarship grant was my initiative, since my mother told me that she cannot support me anymore on my 3rd year and told her it was okay, I will find a way. I made a letter addressed to the President of the school trying my luck requesting for support and help just to finish off my last 2 years. I was not expecting a reply or anything but I know in my heart that I was doing the right step. I was surprised when I opened my email at school and received a reply; I was scheduled to meet all the college directors and some department heads to discuss how they could help me out. I was granted the 1st ever Presidential full scholarship and to work for admissions and marketing department with allowance. I was so thankful and wowed with God’s favour and His blessings for me! Before that letter request, we just took home a trophy from an annual Marketing Competition - La Salle Marketing Approach to National Development, DeMand 06’ hosted by De La Salle University, we were four in a group and Championed out of 40 Universities and Schools nationwide which help pushed the scholarship grant.

I personally believe in dreams and visions in life. When I was in the farm during weekends and at noon breaks, while relaxing and lying down under the shade of a tree looking at the blue skies imagining my life in the future. One of my imaginations were I was in a high rise building wearing my corporate attire and I was happy. I have no idea and how it all made came true!

I will not stop dreaming and will not stop envisioning for my life. My 3 other siblings are living contentedly with their own families in Bukidnon and in Bohol. My mother who is still working as house help in Lipa and her choice not yet to retire because she believes she has a mission in the family where she serves at the moment. My motivation right now is to have the rest of my siblings and my mother living together in a home full of love, hopes, and inspirations and living comfortably, one of the places I consider settling myself is in Laguna.

My real life just started and I want to move on by having this verse from the Bible “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” Mathew 7:7