"Garbage boy" is valedictorian at night high

CEBU, Philippines - The old saying, “poverty is not a hindrance to education” was proven anew by two Cebu City students who continue with their studies despite their difficulties of being poor.

An 18-year-old, Raffy Sanchez, graduated at the Cebu City Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial Night High School as class valedictorian last March.

He earned money as basurero and slept at the sidewalk while he was still a student. 

Sanchez said he is aware that education will be the key to a better life in the future and will uplift the living condition of his family, saying that they have no permanent roof to stay and they are transferring from one place to another.

Since they have no house of their own and rented a small house four years ago at the Pier 3 area, Sanchez never stayed with his parents and siblings but prefered to stay along the sidewalk until he graduated high school. 

“Wala man gyud mi’y balay. Nagpuyo ra gyud among pamilya sa sidewalk ug nagtabil-tabil lang og karton hangtod naka-abang akong ginikanan sa Pier 3. Mamasurahay ug basurero ko aron maka-eskwela lang gyud. Kaluoy sa Ginoo naka-graduate bisan mamasurahay,” Sanchez said. (We never had a house, we used boxes to shield us at nights until we were able to rent a place.)

From his first year until he graduated, Sanchez said he earned money to buy school requirements from being a basurero and even studied along the sidewalk after hours of looking for trash from along the streets.

He is the fifth of eight siblings and the only child to graduate high school. “Aron makapadayon ko sa akong pag-eskwela, mi-enroll gyud ko ug night high school aron sa buntag mamasura unya inig ka-gabii, mo-eskwela,” Sanchez narrated. (I enroled in night high school so I can earn during the day.)

Sanchez, during school days, went to a drop-in center at the Balay sa Samaritano sa Sugbo for him to take a bath. His school materials he left at a store nearest his school. When he reached third year high school, Sanchez stayed at the drop-in center.

He vows to take college education.

Like Sanchez, Lamberto Yulin, 20, was valedictorian when he completed at the Cebu City Don Carlos A. Gothong    Memorial Night High School as class valedictorian in 2002. Now, Yulin is now a fourth year college student at the University of Cebu-Main Campus taking up education.

Yulin said that in order for him to survive and help his family, he works as a trisikad driver in Alaska, Mambaling since he was grade five. At 5a.m. until 3p.m., Yulin already starts his day with his trisikad, earning over a hundred pesos.

“Kung wala’y pasahero, naa man ko’y notes pud dalhon sa akong pag-trisikad, mag-study ko kadali,” Yulin narrated. (I always bring my notes so I can study in times when I have no passenger.)

Sanchez and Yulin thanked the night high school program of the Cebu City Government, saying that even if they are poor they are still pushing through with their studies, and even getting medals as honor student.

In the radio program of Tommy Osmeña over dyLA, Cebu City Vice-Mayor Joy Young was able to talk with the two students and saw their determination to finish their class.

“We saw this determination in some of our night class students,” Young said, who was considered as the father of night high school which was started in 1994.

Young said that he admired the two students who have to stay up late at nights just to meet the requirements of their teachers. – (FREEMAN)