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UPLB student fights poverty to become family's first college graduate

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Raffy Cabristante, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="UPLB graduate Jaynard Ronquillo takes pride for fighting poverty to become his family" s="" first="" college="" graduate.="" Jaynard="" Ronquillo="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/08/17/jaynard.jpg"/><figcaption>UPLB graduate Jaynard Ronquillo takes pride for fighting poverty to become his family&#x27;s first college graduate. Jaynard Ronquillo/Facebook</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — At first glance, Jaynard Ronquillo&#x27;s opening quote on his post marking his graduation from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB) may raise eyebrows: &quot;Sana hindi n&#x27;yo na lang ako ipinanganak.&quot;(You should have not given birth to me.)Originally an insult that he blurted to his mother as a child while having a tantrum, Ronquillo gave the phrase a new meaning by turning it into a tribute to his parents for supporting his studies despite limited means.In a now-viral <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=5996594727111711&amp;set=a.131854223585820&amp;type=3">Facebook post</a>, Ronquillo recounted how he, as an 11-year-old boy, first said those words to his mother after she did not give him money to enjoy carnival rides with his friends.&quot;At that time, she worked as a kasambahay and had just finished doing laundry... I saw the shock on my mom&#x27;s face as she hit me with the stick once more, expressing her concerns about the financial burden of raising me,&quot; he wrote.As he continued pursuing his chemical engineering degree at UP, those words came back to haunt him after his parents could barely pay for his internet, electricity, and other bills when his scholarship stipends got delayed.Over time, another meaning to the insult dawned on Ronquillo, this time imagining what his parents would have enjoyed if they didn&#x27;t have him — &quot;one where they had the chance to pursue their own passions and dreams without the burden of poverty.&quot;&quot;It saddened me to think that they might have missed out on the opportunities and joys that life could have offered them if circumstances were different. Maybe they had dreams of becoming artists, musicians, or explorers. Perhaps they had aspirations to travel the world, discover new horizons, and embrace the beauty it had to offer,&quot; he added.But at the same time, Ronquillo used those words as a warning to future parents not to bear children if only to expose them to hardships brought by poverty: &quot;Don&#x27;t let your child be like me.&quot;&quot;Kaya ko po gusto i-share ang story ko ay dahil gusto ko pong tumatak sa isip ng mga future parents ang naging karanasan ko. Gusto ko po silang mag isip kung gusto ba nila na maranasan ng kanilang anak &#x27;yong naranasan ko,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News.&quot;Kaya sana, isipin natin na malaking parte ang ginagampanan ng gobyerno para mawala na ang mga ganitong klase ng istorya. Mga bata na sa murang edad ay tila ba pasan ang buong mundo,&quot; he added.Now that he&#x27;s a fresh grad, Ronquillo said that while he wanted to rest from four years of nerve-wracking college courses, he was looking for work to save up for his board exam.&quot;Para sa mga magulang ko po, oo naman po tutulungan ko po sila dahil sobrang dami po nilang sakripisyo para sa akin. Alam ko po na may pagkukulang ang mga magulang ko pero ito ay dahil biktima lang din po sila ng generational trauma. Kaya naman para makatulong sa kanila, wala muna po sa isip ko ang magkaroon ng sariling pamilya. Gusto ko po iheal yung inner childhood ng parents ko,&quot; he said.&quot;Reflecting on this journey, I&#x27;m proud of how far I&#x27;ve come and the person I&#x27;ve grown into. The challenges I&#x27;ve faced have only made me stronger, and I&#x27;m excited to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. Remember to always stay faithful to your dreams and never stop believing in yourself,&quot; Ronquillo added.He takes pride as the first member of his family who finished college.As of writing, his story has more than 100,000 reactions and 50,000 shares.

Jaynard Ronquillo's story on how his parents supported his studies at UP despite his family's limited means has gone viral on social media.

UPLB student fights poverty to become family's first college graduate

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UPLB student fights poverty to become family's first college graduate

Raffy Cabristante,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 17, 2023 10:35 PM PHT

|

Updated Aug 17, 2023 10:39 PM PHT

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Jaynard Ronquillo

University of the Philippines Los Baños

UPLB

graduation

chemical engineering

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