Life could not have been any easier for both Belmor and Ardrian, but they chose to move mountains – and rise victorious amidst the adversities they had to face.
Two Abra SPES graduates, Belmor Christian B. Pataray and Ardrian Domingo Malangen, are living proofs that one’s financial background is not a hindrance to achieving big in life.
Belmor’s academic pursuit is a long rocky pathway with a steep climb. His father is a farmer, mother a housekeeper, and six of his nine other siblings were tudying while he was in 2nd year college. Being the 5th among 10 children, he saw education as a ladder for a successful life for his loved ones.
Ardrian, on the other hand, is the eldest among six siblings, who lived with his parents, a farmer and a vendor. As his parents cannot financially support his studies after high-school, he had to take an academic hiatus and look for work to help in their family’s needs.
Life could not have been any easier for both Belmor and Ardrian, but they chose to move mountains – and rise victorious amidst the adversities they had to face.
The Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) were gateways for Belmor and Ardrian to opportunities which they did not even begin to imagine. The SPES Program bridged their perseverance to their respective goals.
When Belmor entered the SPES program, he was assigned as an office clerk in the Treasury Office of the Provincial Local Government Unit of Danglas, Abra.
He recalled how challenging it was for him to work, when he met and interacted with various clients and persons, and worsened by the pressure of the upcoming opening of classes.
In an interview, Belmor mentioned how his family’s economic situation did not thwart him from enduring and persevering to meet the challenges he encountered.
He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) Major in General Sciences. He currently works with the Department of Education (DepEd-Abra).
For Ardrian, starting with the SPES program was a huge leap of faith. He had a hard time in hurdling through the examination and submission of the required documents.
He remembers tearfully exclaiming, “Thank you, Lord!” as he received news of being accepted into the SPES Program, a week after.
He noted on his professional and technical adjustments when he was assigned as Administrative Staff at the Provincial Veterinary Office of La Paz, Abra.
During his tenure, he was fortunate enough to receive additional trainings and actual involvement in the office work while developing collaborative attitude with other people.
Ardrian thanks the SPES program for instilling in him strong work ethics and open-mindedness to new experiences and learnings.
To date, Ardrian has earned his Bachelor of Secondary Education – Major in Mathematics, Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision – awarded with Distinction, and currently works as Associate Professor II at the Dr. Carlos S. Lanting College, Quezon City since 2016.
Belmor and Ardrian are just two of the many students whose lives were changed when they entered the SPES program. They made the most of the opportunity given them, and gave put their best foot forward.
They knew that while program aims to give poor but deserving students, out-of-school-youth, and dependents of displaced workers an opportunity to augment their family’s income while pursuing their education, it is ultimately hinged on one’s dedication and industriousness,
For the two graduates, SPES served as an avenue to improve their character and skills. They attribute the program as a means to advance in their careers, and give back to their families.
Congratulations, Belmor and Ardrian!
end//Daryll B. Ponard
LEO III-FNLI