For the chance of a better future

23-year-old Bonifacio Caldito found himself knocking at his uncle’s door one early morning. This was not the first time that he ran to his uncle to ask for money. And this wasn’t the first time either for his uncle to turn him away, saying he had no more money to lend Bonifacio or his family.

But Bonifacio wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not this time. And not after all the effort he put in just so he could finish senior high school. 

After all, Bonifacio wasn’t merely asking for food or transportation allowance. He was begging for money just so he could commute all the way to Laguna in order to undergo the National Certification for Electrical Installation administered by TESDA. Touched by the determination of his nephew to obtain the said certification, he gave Bonifacio a 500-peso bill, albeit doubting that the small amount would be enough for Bonifacio to purchase a better future for himself and his family. 

As far as Bonifacio was concerned, however, his gamble paid off. Truly, for poor youths like him, every risk is worth taking for the prize of a better tomorrow. 

Bonifacio was abandoned by his father when he was just three years old. In her desire to make ends meet, Bonifacio’s mother left for Manila to work as a maid. After saving a little amount of money, she decided to transfer her kids to Manila, knowing they had better chances of receiving quality education in the nation’s capital. 

Unfortunately, the realities of urban poverty caught up with the Caldito family. The children simply couldn’t function well due to the absence of a parental figure. Soon, two of Bonifacio’s sisters had to drop out of school due to early pregnancies. Before long, it was Bonifacio’s turn to give up his tertiary studies, leaving him no choice but to work as a merchandiser at a mall.

What was a life trapped in poverty all changed when Bonifacio’s sister told him to quit his job as she was about to enroll Renz at the University of Makati (UMak). 

To his luck, (although it didn’t seem like it then), UMak did not offer first year college when Bonifacio enrolled. Instead, the university had agreed to be a pilot school for the Department of Education’s K-12 Senior High School (SHS) Program. Instead of college, Bonifacio had to complete two more years of secondary education. 

Bonifacio found solace in the words of UMak president Tomas B. Lopez: “I told the parents and students that in this experiment, after two years, our graduates would already be employable. That simple message, that idea that a college degree, as we know it, is no longer a prerequisite to be gainfully employed is a powerful incentive if explained the right way,” says Lopez. 

In fact, Bonifacio did not need to wait for two years. Three months before his graduation, Bonifacio looked for a company where he could spend the required number of hours for his on-the-job training, a requirement incorporated in the senior high school curriculum. 

“I invited my friends to apply at Romago Incorporation, not as an OJT student but as a regular employee,” Bonifacio relates.

Once again, lady luck smiled on Bonifacio. He was accepted at the said company as an employee and was assigned at Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City under strict supervision of senior electricians of the said company. 

Ever since he was a kid, Bonifacio already had a keen interest in tinkering with electrical gadgets and appliances. What was once a hobby now became a career opportunity of choice for economic advancement.

“Kasi hilig nila e. When you talk to them, it’s not school work for them, they’re very happy because they’re doing what they like to do,” remarked Lopez when asked to explain the importance of elective courses in senior high school. 

Best of all, last March, thanks to the P500 loan he secured from his uncle, Bonifacio was able to pass the National Certification assessment of TESDA, thus earning him an NC-II certificate. Bonifacio proudly showed his certificate to his uncle who told Bonifacio that he need not return the P500 he borrowed from him.

“That NC-II certificate is more powerful than a college diploma, because employers are assured of the skills that this graduate has, which in turn best suits the company’s needs,” explains Lopez.

“Nabago ng K-12 ’yung buhay ko kasi dito, nagkaroon ako ng trabaho at sustento para sa pag-aaral ko at para sa mga kapatid ko. Nakakatulong din ako sa mama ko dahil ako na ’yung nagbabayad ng mga pangangailangan ko sa school (K-12 changed my life because here, I got a job and allowance for my studies as well as for my siblings. I am able to help my mama because I’m the one who already pays for my needs in school),” says Caldito.

Fortune favors the brave, says the proverb. If one is to defeat poverty, one needs to take risks to better one’s chances of a good life. But personal risks aren’t enough. Along with Bonifacio was an educational institution like UMak, which cast its die for education reform by agreeing to pilot the senior high school curriculum. And with them was the Philippine government, through the Department of Education, which risked most by pursuing the K-12 curriculum despite criticisms and threats of backlash from the public that thinks they will be burdened by an extra two years of secondary education.

But any risk is worth it for the end goal of having an educational system that will produce not just graduates but qualified graduates capable of overcoming the worst of poverty.