Naisulat ko minsan sa aking Facebook status ang aking 3 main advocacies sa buhay.
1. Education
2. Entrepreneurship
3. Good Values
EDUCATION
I was orphaned at a very young age, I was barely graduating in high school when the word 'responsibility and survival' fall on me. After graduation, I left and venture to a place completely unknown to me, just so I can pursue my college education through scholarship with a meager grant. I lived and stayed in a house and family where I am a complete stranger. I scrub the floor, cook, wash, and feed the pigs and chickens -name it. I am a literal, domestic boy. But there are good people who adopted me, saw the potential in me, and treat me like a human being. I was the president of our college, but I was walking everyday for 2-3 kilometers from home to the university (because wala akong pera pamasahe) just to go to my classes. I would bring food, puto, kakanin to school and sell them so I can buy my school supplies. The best thing about Mindanao State University is you just maintain your grades and scholarship status, and you will only pay 10 pesos every semester. Matira ang matibay, 56 kaming nag-umpisa sa klase, 16 kami na nakagraduate.
My classmates, who might be reading this entry knows and can testify to the truth of this experienced I have had.
Since then, I bear in my mind and my heart, that I will do everything I can to help, support and if yumaman na ako,(kelan pa hehe) established a scholarship foundation where orphaned and poor kids but are deserving and have a strong potential, will not find it hard to pursue their education. I believe that education will unlock the door of opportunity. I believe that education will help alleviate poverty. I believe that education will make someone make right choices, and good decisions towards success.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Ever since I was young, I am an entrepreneur by heart. In my elementary and high school days, I cooked lugaw, turon, etc and sell them every weekend. I also create a mini-store, with a capital of 100 pesos with my siblings and cousins as my customers, selling candies and goodies. When I was in college, I am also a kakanin dealer, haha, and even my teachers and professors are my customers.
When I was in Khobar, I repair, put applications to mobile phones, and worked as data encoders, and PC repair. Anything under the sun. Sabi ko nga sa wife ko, I am a multi-task person, to make sure, di kami magugutom.
Lately, I am thinking or dreaming big. Open an internet station, a calling station, a mobile phone station, a nursery school, a water refilling station, a groceri store, an apartment, a condo, a mall! (di ba, ang lalaking mga plans, wala naman pera lols)
I am still studying the possibilities, because I don't want to be an OFW forever. I want to invest in a business where I can roll my sleeve, work and see it succeed on my own strategies and judgments. I want to create jobs for people whom I will treat good and as human beings, who have families, who have hearts and minds na di natin kayang bayaran or bilhin. I want to create a working atmosphere where there is unity, common respect and working for mutual benefit. Now if you want to invest with me, email me! hehehe
GOOD VALUES
I want to rear a generation with good values, disciplined, and correct principles. That feat is impossible unless I am inventing a robot. But the greatest thing of this advocacy is I am not involving anyone. This advocacy is my own. I would like to TRY to live with good values. And hope through my example, hope others will TRY it too. This is an open to all advocacy. It is an open-partnership, but the result is dependent on individual's commitment to time tested values and principles.
So those are my 3 main advocacies in life. As I shared in my Facebook account:
©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO
