Poverty inspires student to graduate summa cum laude

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — To most Filipinos born poor, living a good life is left to chance. Others are ashamed of it and would find ways to cover it up. But to a summa cum laude graduate of a prestigious university here, poverty is what he thanks the “Greatest Physicist” for. 

Marvin Flores grew up understanding that his parents do not have much to support him. His mother earns P100 per day stuffing longanisa, and his father is a carpenter who gets paid P150 daily when contracted for construction work.

He never questioned why other kids had toys the family’s joint income could hardly even buy. It did not even bother him selling sliced mangoes at the park at that time when his father’s pay was postponed for a month. 

“I never pitied myself. I was born to this kind of life, and I am able to adjust to it. If I were rich, I likely would not be able to find fulfillment in my achievements and appreciate the value of my struggles,” he said. 

While rich kids had their family’s material wealth to back them up, he explained, “I had my determination to excel in my studies as my driving force. Even if I had less, I knew I could do more.”

Now at 21, Marvin made history with his degree in Bachelor of Science in Physics as one of only two summa cum laude graduates of Silliman University last March 22. This highest academic distinction was last awarded in 1984. The same distinction was given to Stacy Danika Alcantara from the College of Mass Communication. 

Marvin recalls how he had to study without electricity in a small nipa house when he was in elementary. He had to rely on a glimmer of light from a gas lamp. He laughed as he shared how his classmates always teased him that his notebooks smelled of kerosene the next day. 

“Perhaps because I am left-handed, my hand always hit the lamp and kerosene spilled on my notebook. There were also times when my brother accidentally kicked the lamp while sleeping,” he shared. 

Despite not having electricity in their house since birth, Marvin managed to consistently top his class and graduate a valedictorian.

The opportunity to have electricity came when Marvin was in Grade 6 and he won a national quiz bee competition in Philippine history held in Tagaytay. 

“When I came home, then Mayor Ipe Remollo asked me how I wanted to be honored by the city. My teacher suggested for electricity to be installed in our house,” he said. 

This request did not fall on deaf ears. Marvin remembered this gift as he lamented on the absence of response from local politicians when he recently sought their assistance to help him pay the balance of his tuition before graduation. 

A computer set was part of the prize Marvin got in the national tournament. But it did not reach him. “The sponsor had a problem shipping it, so my mother had to borrow money for her to claim it in Manila,” he said.

Thinking of the debt they incurred, Marvin agreed to sell the computer to a family friend in Manila. They paid their debt and the rest of the amount from the sale was used to buy a television set. ”Growing as a teenager, I did not know what those R&B grooves and hip-hop bands my classmates were talking about, until we bought a TV. I was so left behind. So I was happy to have sold the computer,” he said. 

From that time on, Marvin found practical use for his winnings in tournaments. In high school, where he also graduated valedictorian, he used a portion of his prize money from a regional tournament in Philippine history to buy a VCD player and the rest, to cement the walls of their house. 

Just this year, he committed his Bank of the Philippine Islands Science Award cash gift to repairing their toilet. ”Our CR is in a bad shape. I promised my parents to help them repair it. It is good enough though compared to when I was in elementary when we had to use our neighbor’s CR because we had none,” he shared. 

Looking back, Marvin could only point to how he transformed his family’s economic condition into a challenge to be excellent. “I was convinced that I had to do my best. I had a goal, and I set myself out to fulfill it,” he said.

Although he revealed that graduating summa cum laude was never part of his plan, he considered excellence to be addicting. “The more you achieve something, the more you give your best to maintaining the quality of your performance.” 

There was a time when Marvin did not entertain studying in big universities regarded for their standard of education and the costs that came with it. His family’s income left good private schools out of the picture. But determined, he tried the entrance exams of Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines and Silliman. He passed all three, and decided to stay closer to home. 

In Silliman, Marvin worked as a student assistant at the Office of Student Affairs and in the laboratory of the Physics Department. This, plus his scholarship from the Department of Science and Technology and the academic scholarships from the university, helped put him through college. 

“I did not envy those who spent their free time lounging around. I learned a lot as a student assistant and developed discipline and hard work within myself,” he said. 

People’s familiarity with his attitude towards work and commitment to his studies generated scholarship endorsements for him. His perseverance also paid off when a Silliman alumna and the Silliman administration shouldered the balance of his tuition in his last semester in college. 

It is not all work for Marvin. He also finds time to play and has a long list of favorite computer games. He loves reading, and interestingly shifts to physics and history books when he gets bored.

A rock music aficionado, he explained: “Rock music is more intellectual than love songs. If only you pay attention and interpret the lyrics in rock music, you will realize consequences of certain actions and hopefully decide to avoid them.”

Marvin dreams of being called “Dr. Marvin M. Flores” and regarded a physicist. He dreams bigger of receiving a Nobel Prize in Physics. While optimistic for the Philippines, his concept of patriotism is one that views discoveries and inventions not to benefit only Filipinos. 

“Of course, Filipino scientists want to make the country proud. But it is a sad reality that there is lack of support for their inventions. You cannot blame great Filipinos for bringing their inventions outside the Philippines, especially when they have done their best to get government support and recognition,” he said. 

As Marvin joins thousands of Filipinos fresh from college, he confronts himself with a tough question: “Must I pursue what I want or what I need?”

Marvin wants to proceed to graduate school. But he weighs this option against an offer to eventually hold a managerial post in a bank. 

“My family needs money. I have plans for them,” he said, but added, “I know He also has plans for me. I am strong in my faith and my constant question about God makes me know Him more.”