TONI Episode 12 | Stories Behind The Board Exam Topnotchers — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:09He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering,
2. 0:13Cum Laude, at Bicol University and topped the 2018 Electrical Engineering Exam.
3. 0:21Now we will listen to the story of Niño Boy Dacer.
4. 0:26Hi, Niño!
5. 0:28Hi, Ma’am. Yes po.
6. 0:29Your story is also very inspiring because
7. 0:32your life wasn't easy when you were a child, right?
8. 0:36Since Niño was born and raised in Albay, what did your parents do in Albay?
9. 0:40At that time, my mom hadn't finished her degree as a teacher yet.
10. 0:45She had actually just graduated when I entered college.
11. 0:49So basically, right after I finished high school, she was graduating from college.
12. 0:54The only thing that was a conflict then was that she could not immediately enter
13. 0:59the public school she wanted due to the fact that she had just graduated,
14. 1:03so she was forced to practice in a private institution as a teacher.
15. 1:09Then my father had another family.
16. 1:12How many siblings does your mother care for?
17. 1:15Five.
18. 1:16Five? Then she is a single parent and still pursuing her studies?
19. 1:19Yes.
20. 1:20We salute your mother. Can you imagine?
21. 1:22The way she juggles studying and raising five lovely children.
22. 1:27Yes.
23. 1:27Isn't it when you are young and then you see that your life situation is like this,
24. 1:31and then you see how your mom made sacrifices for you,
25. 1:35that the love and respect that you have for your mother deepens?
26. 1:39Yes. Actually, Ms. Toni, my mother, is the type of person who,
27. 1:43even when we were in grade three, would always talk to us about our reality.
28. 1:47She will say, "<i>Oh, this is it; this is our situation.</i> <i>This is us.</i>
29. 1:52<i>So you should study properly; don't allow your lives to be forever like this</i>."
30. 1:57So you witnessed how your mom jumped from one job to another?
31. 2:00That's right. She tried to be a lady guard.
32. 2:04Then I will see her sometimes borrowing money from our neighbor.
33. 2:08When we thought that they’re just casually having conversations
34. 2:10but in reality she’s borrowing money from them.
35. 2:13So she often scolded us every time we asked her for something.
36. 2:17We thought we were being scolded because we are spenders,
37. 2:21but in spite of all of that, she can't give us anything as our mother
38. 2:26because the budget she has is enough for us to have food.
39. 2:29How did you get interested in learning?
40. 2:32To be honest, in high school and elementary school, I had no passion for learning.
41. 2:35Because I already know what will happen to us,
42. 2:39of course you will lose your drive to study.
43. 2:41Instead of studying, I chose to sell steel and bottles in the market
44. 2:46so that at night I could bring home twenty pesos or the family to buy food.
45. 2:53That’s the point where my mother and I had a conflict. She said,
46. 2:56I should focus on my studies and just let her work for our sake.
47. 2:59You have a great mom.
48. 3:01That’s her mindset.
49. 3:02So that's what struck you.
50. 3:04When did you realize that you needed to focus
51. 3:06on studying because this might change the course of your lives?
52. 3:11What we did that time was try to apply for a CHED scholarship.
53. 3:16Fortunately, I was given a chance to take Electrical Engineering.
54. 3:19That’s the course that I eventually chose.
55. 3:20When I entered my second year of college, I felt that what was being given to me was unfair.
56. 3:25What exactly?
57. 3:26Grades. Because when you’re studying, you can’t help but be a bit competitive sometimes.
58. 3:30Another reason is that you can’t afford to fail because the scholarship will be taken from you.
59. 3:34When I felt like my grades were declining,
60. 3:38I went back to my old phase.
61. 3:40Of what?
62. 3:41Of being uninterested in studying.
63. 3:44You work again?
64. 3:45Yes.
65. 3:46To raise some money.
66. 3:47Yes.
67. 3:47I didn't let them know that I was doing something else besides studying.
68. 3:51I asked my friend if I could clean their boarding house.
69. 3:55Anything as long as there is..
70. 3:56How much were you paid when you cleaned the house?
71. 3:58Thirty pesos per day.
72. 4:01Sometimes we have classmates who are financially capable.
73. 4:04I met some of their requirements and said,
74. 4:07I'll do that, but you have to pay me.
75. 4:09You make a way?
76. 4:10Yes.
77. 4:11It’s amazing how you’ve learned these things in order to help yourself,
78. 4:14to survive, to help your family, and to continue your studies.
79. 4:17Then you didn't just study to graduate,
80. 4:20you're also at the top.
81. 4:23Top 1 means that you are the smartest in the batch.
82. 4:26How does it feel to be on top?
83. 4:28To be honest, I never dreamed of topping the exam.
84. 4:33All I want is to pass and help improve the passing rate of our batch.
85. 4:38When the results came out,
86. 4:39I was in the top.
87. 4:40Are you surprised?
88. 4:41To be honest, I was not happy about that at first.
89. 4:43I just felt joy when I was back in Albay.
90. 4:46What did your mother say?
91. 4:48I felt her energy come back. We are well taken care of,
92. 4:51she even picks us up from places.
93. 4:53It's like the joy she had before my father left us
94. 4:56it came back as soon as I finished my studies.
95. 5:00It's beautiful because you gave her the joy she hasn't felt in a long time.
96. 5:07Isn't that kind of feeling rewarding?
97. 5:09Super.
98. 5:10It's like everything you've suffered for and worked hard for is for your mother.
99. 5:17You know that aside from you, the person who also ace in life is your mom.
100. 5:21Exactly. This success is for her.
101. 5:23Because your achievement is also her achievement.
102. 5:25Thank you very much for sharing your story with us.
103. 5:30She graduated with a Bachelor of Education Major in Science,
104. 5:35Cum Laude, from Romblon State University and placed second on the 2015 Licensure Exam for Teachers.
105. 5:43With us today is Iah Seraspi.
106. 5:46Hi, Iah!
107. 5:48Hello po!
108. 5:48Very impressive, Cum Laude!
109. 5:51How does it feel to be a Cum Laude graduate?
110. 5:53Actually, the story of how I became Cum Laude is still bittersweet since-
111. 5:58Yes.
112. 5:59despite having said that my objective was to graduate at the top of my class,
113. 6:04there was once a semester when I was given a grade of two, which meant I was disqualified from being Magna Cum Laude.
114. 6:10But that's also what inspired me to ace the board examination because
115. 6:18I feel like I need to redeem myself for not graduating at the top of my class.
116. 6:22I must confess that I am a frustrated achiever.
117. 6:25She is still frustrated with that… with being a Cum Laude. Wow!
118. 6:29But little did everyone know that, while Iah is overjoyed right now,
119. 6:31she has faced many hardships in her life, right?
120. 6:34Iah was born and raised in Romblon. What do your mom and dad do in Romblon?
121. 6:38My father is a fisherman, and my mother doesn't have a job, so she takes care of us instead.
122. 6:45Your mother is a housewife.
123. 6:46Yes.
124. 6:47How many siblings do you have?
125. 6:48Three. I am the eldest and the only girl.
126. 6:51My father was only earning 20 to 50 pesos per day.
127. 6:56So basically, there is no nutrition in what we eat.
128. 7:00So what I used to eat was salt, sugar, and junk food.
129. 7:04Then we don't have electricity at home.
130. 7:07I really study hard despite just using a gas lamp.
131. 7:13I also don't have a lot of supplies when I go to school.
132. 7:17Basically, I was severely deprived of material possessions, but this hasn't stopped me from dreaming.
133. 7:25Because I'm conscious, even in elementary school, that all I have is a dream and my intelligence,
134. 7:30and that's what I used to invest in to make all my family's dreams come true.
135. 7:36How did you pursue your studies at that time, Iah?
136. 7:38Scholarship. Actually, when I was in fifth grade, I had my first heartbreak.
137. 7:44So supposedly the school year will end with me in third place,
138. 7:49and then all of a sudden I will be ranked number five because I don't have any extracurriculars.
139. 7:53Then I had a teacher who introduced me to one of her batchmates,
140. 7:57and she was the one who paid for my high school education.
141. 8:00Then I met another individual in college, Ate Debs, who also sent me to school.
142. 8:05She pays for my tuition and allowance, and when I earn my CHED scholarship,
143. 8:11I pay it to her as well.
144. 8:13So it seems like the scholarships really paved the way.
145. 8:15All the reasons to quit life, to quit studying,
146. 8:20and to not pursue the dream were given to you, but you didn't do it.
147. 8:24Because what is the perspective you had as a child that drives you to study?
148. 8:29That poverty is not an impediment to our success,
149. 8:36and I am living proof that I only have a dream. It's all a dream.
150. 8:42And the day will come when we will be able to achieve all of our dreams.
151. 8:47Iah was able to pursue her studies without money,
152. 8:51only with her scholarships
153. 8:53She has nothing but confidence in her dreams and her intelligence as a weapon.
154. 8:58Thank you very much, Iah, for the inspiration you gave us.
155. 9:02Great job, Iah!
156. 9:03Thank you so much.
157. 9:07He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from UP Diliman
158. 9:12he placed in the top 2 of the Architecture Licensure Exam
159. 9:16and just this January and the following month,
160. 9:19he topped the Master Plumber Licensure Exam.
161. 9:23Let’s all welcome Lance Nathan Lim.
162. 9:27Hi!
163. 9:28Hi, good evening.
164. 9:29How was your life growing up in Davao?
165. 9:31Because Lance was born and raised in Davao, right?
166. 9:33Yes.
167. 9:34How is that?
168. 9:35It's really different from my experience here in Manila.
169. 9:38It's more peaceful, I guess, in a way
170. 9:40the community is smaller, and the people there are really closer to each other.
171. 9:43But the pressure was still there, especially with family,
172. 9:47to keep up with the academics and our performance,
173. 9:51so I was really pushed to really try my best.
174. 9:53So you loved to study when you were young?
175. 9:56I didn't really like it at first, but it seems to have become second nature to me
176. 10:00because of my parents' lifestyle.
177. 10:03What is the lifestyle of your parents?
178. 10:04They focus more on academics.
179. 10:06My mom is a dentist, and her belief is that there is a future if I focus on academics.
180. 10:13And then my dad was an architect,
181. 10:16and I believe I got the passion for design from him, so I also pursued architecture.
182. 10:23How does it make you feel when you are number 1, the one who topped the licensure exam?
183. 10:29How does it feel as a student to be able to achieve something big for yourself?
184. 10:34To be honest, when people asked me, Do you expect to top?
185. 10:40I would say, like any other topnotcher, that we don't really expect to top.
186. 10:46So what are you expecting?
187. 10:47Well...
188. 10:48Just to pass the exam?
189. 10:48In a way, yes. We are aiming to do our best. I mean,
190. 10:52even though I'm the top 1, there's still a lot I don't know.
191. 10:54I can always improve, and I can always learn.
192. 10:56So that's what became my passion, even if I'm top one or top two,
193. 11:01I know that there are always people better than me. So I really tried to look out for.
194. 11:05The smart ones in school are really humble in life.
195. 11:09I can't really attribute my intelligence to myself because,
196. 11:13like I mentioned, it's because of my parents, because of the circumstances,
197. 11:18and because I'm surrounded by very smart people in PhilSci,
198. 11:22in UP Diliman, and in UP Mindanao.
199. 11:25It's like I'm just a product of my circumstances. I can't really attribute it to myself.
200. 11:28There are many children who have not been discovered or are not given enough opportunities,
201. 11:34but if they are given the right support, attention,
202. 11:38and love, they will also excel in school.
203. 11:41Exactly.
204. 11:42Thank you, Lance!
205. 11:43Thank you.
206. 11:47He is a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Lorma Colleges.
207. 11:52He placed in the top 8 in the 2010 Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination
208. 11:57and topped the 2016 licensure examination for teachers.
209. 12:03With us now, Prince del Rosario.
210. 12:06Hi, Prince!
211. 12:07Hi, Ms. Toni!
212. 12:08Hello!
213. 12:09Your life story is also pretty interesting because
214. 12:12of your involvement in online gaming. How did you get into online gaming?
215. 12:15For me, online games and computer games are like a way to escape from the reality of your life,
216. 12:22which is messy. You are not rich; you are not poor;
217. 12:25but you are not able to lift yourself up either. So it's really saddening.
218. 12:28So when you're in online games, you're the strong one, you're the good one,
219. 12:32you're the one who wins, and you can reset or restart.
220. 12:34That was my escape when I was young.
221. 12:36But what amazes me is that even though you’re into gaming,
222. 12:40you’re still at your best in academics.
223. 12:41How did you balance it?
224. 12:43Your studies, activities, and then you like to play games.
225. 12:46Because usually those who like to play games fail in school,
226. 12:50or their grades in school are not good because they are addicted to games
227. 12:54and don't have time to study. How about yours?
228. 12:55Actually, I feel that was one of the fatal mistakes of my life because,
229. 13:00even though I love to play, I was still doing honors while my classmates couldn't pass,
230. 13:06so I said that the Lord loves me.
231. 13:08It's just that when I was in my second year of high school, I was totally immersed in computer games.
232. 13:12That was the time I didn't really go to school anymore, so I dropped out.
233. 13:16What I did was lie to them abou finishing my second year in college
234. 13:19they didn’t know that when I was about to enroll for the third year,
235. 13:23well, my mom usually enrolls me there in school, so I just said,
236. 13:26"'<i>Mom, I'm too old already; I will enroll myself.</i>"
237. 13:29When I came home, they though that I was already enrolled in my third year.
238. 13:32So they thought I studied, but I didn't. I wasn't actually enrolled.
239. 13:36One whole year?
240. 13:38It's been three years until the end of my fourth year.
241. 13:40You did that for three years, and they thought you were entering school?
242. 13:43I faked it till graduation day.
243. 13:45What did you do with the enrollment money?
244. 13:47I spent it in computer shops.
245. 13:50I even told myself that I made the computer shop rich.
246. 13:52Yes, because that's where you invested.
247. 13:53I agree.
248. 13:54So when was the point when you woke up and realized this was not good anymore?
249. 13:57The way that you lie to my parents, or did you get caught?
250. 14:00When I saw that some of my classmates were all successful, graduated, and went to college,
251. 14:05I said to myself, okay, I'll admit to mom and dad that I didn't really study.
252. 14:09I was about to retake my second year of high school
253. 14:11when I found out about the Alternative Learning System program of the Department of Education.
254. 14:17So if you don't graduate from elementary or high school, you can go straight to…
255. 14:23ALS..
256. 14:24High school or college.
257. 14:25As long as you are qualified according to their qualifications.
258. 14:27So I went to DEPED, and they said, "<i>Okay, you can take the exam.</i>"
259. 14:31Destiny is always in your favor.
260. 14:33So that's what hurts the most, like when my parents were too kind to me,
261. 14:39they were proud of me, and I still do that.
262. 14:41When does guilt come in?
263. 14:44When I'm tired of playing computer games, when I finish an event or have already leveled up,
264. 14:52I ask myself, What's the point of all of these?
265. 14:53At the time when I passed ALS and could go to college,
266. 14:56I said, "<i>Oh, okay, Prince, you'll graduate from college, </i>
267. 15:00<i>you'll graduate Cum Laude,</i> <i>and then you'll march and give a speech</i>.’"
268. 15:05So I said I would get better.
269. 15:06I enrolled in a college of nursing in La Union.
270. 15:09So my first year of college, I was already on the dean's list, and I ranked as number one.
271. 15:12Wow.
272. 15:12Then in the second semester, I was still the number one,
273. 15:15so I said, "<i>Wow, I've changed. Is this true?</i>"
274. 15:17However, in the second year of college, DOTA was introduced.
275. 15:22That’s it.
276. 15:23Online games really hit me differently, so I tried playing until I couldn't maintain my grades
277. 15:29so I wasn’t able to graduate as Cum Laude. I just graduated as a normal student.
278. 15:31Then I realized, 'Oh, there's still a board exam.
279. 15:34I said I'd top this board exam, and that's when I'll tell mom and dad…
280. 15:39This is it.
281. 15:40So they never found out in the span of three years?
282. 15:42No.
283. 15:43Now they know?
284. 15:44They only found out in 2016.
285. 15:46How did they know?
286. 15:48I took another licensure exam for teachers.
287. 15:50I said, "<i>Lord, another ace.</i> <i>I promise I'll tell them for sure.</i>"
288. 15:55So, when I topped the LET in 2016,
289. 15:59I told my mom, and I explained it to her in detail.
290. 16:03All she did was say, "<i>You’re really something</i>" that's all.
291. 16:06Really?
292. 16:08I don't know what to actually feel. I was sad because why didn't she scream? Why isn't she angry?
293. 16:14What I expect is for her to make me leave the house and say that I'm a useless child.
294. 16:19She doesn't have much of a reaction.
295. 16:21So I said, Okay, maybe my parents are just really nice.
296. 16:26Then it started there: Okay, it's time to take this seriously, and I will really take my life back.
297. 16:33I will live faithfully.
298. 16:35Because you're really smart, right? You're strategic and smart,
299. 16:40but your story is so rare that you're able to turn your life around like that.
300. 16:46Do you have any regrets about what you did?
301. 16:48I really realized that we can always play the games we love,
302. 16:54but we should never play the hearts of the ones we love.
303. 16:58And I think for those who are listening,
304. 17:01you should be your own inspiration, your own hero;
305. 17:04perhaps you don't need to look to others for inspiration.
306. 17:07I feel like it will start with you; it will start with the decision that I don't want to be stubborn,
307. 17:13I don't want to get too addicted to games, I don't want to be lazy, and I don't want to be worthless.
308. 17:20It all starts with a decision,
309. 17:22and that decision will create a ripple effect.