21/04/2024
TRUE STORY
As requested by one of my college mentors, may I share my life story, hoping to inspire many, especially the youth.
I am 27 yrs old at present, I am the 7th among the 9 siblings of Mr. Manuel P Binwag, a native of Banaue, Ifugao and Mrs. Mary Atiwon Binwag(+), a native of Hingyon, Ifugao. We were raised in Lepanto Mankayan, Benguet since our father worked there as a miner and my mother as a housewife.
I graduated elementary at Elem School (2006-2007), Sapid, Mankayan, Benguet, and graduated at National High School (2010-2011), Km. 4 Asin Road, Baguio city for secondary education. We moved to Baguio city last 2009 since my father was terminated from Lepanto mines.
After graduating from High School, I enrolled at the University of Baguio (2011) as a working student and took up BS Criminology, I study during the day and serve as campus security (Student Marshals) during the night at the University in exchange for free tuition fee.
Despite the hardships of balancing things between time, duties, studies, rest, and financial problems, I am proud that I was a consistent academic scholar during my stay at the university. I even became the Student Body Governor of department in the Academic Year 2014-2015.
Despite all my efforts, I failed to graduate criminology because I moved out of the university on April 15, 2015, since God blessed me with a better career after I passed the PNPA Entrance Examination. Luckily, I passed all the rigors of the selection process and landed as a PNPA cadet and became part of CLASS Of 2019 ( Located at Camp. Gen. Mariano N. Castañeda, Silang, Cavite)
After graduating from the academy last March 2019, we were commissioned as Police Lieutenants and were temporarily assigned at PNP NHQ, Camp Crame, Quezon City for orientations and seminars before deployment.
However, among PNP members in our class, only 10 of us were given the chance to undergo Scout Ranger Training.
The ten of us reported to Camp Tecson, Bulacan on January 3, 2020, for the Qualifying phase ( it was a rigid screening process to test the mental stability, stamina, skill, and knowledge of a student to include marksmanship, swimming, land navigation, map reading, Physical Fitness Tests and others that are in Military Terms to explain). After Qualifying Phase, only 5 of us made it to form part of the Scout Ranger Class 211 that opened on March 11, 2020.
Among the 232 qualified Ranger students who qualified to form part of SRC 211-20, only 206 had made it up to graduate on February 25, 2021, after almost a year of rigorous training, sleepless nights, and sacrifice of blood. Our Test Mission in Jolo, Sulu lasted for nearly two months of the raging war with the Abu Sayaf group from December 2020 to mid-week of January 2021. Those who did not graduate were the ones who failed to overcome their fear, weaknesses and decided to quit along the way.
AWARDS Received -Academics:
1. Mr. Intramurals year-2010(Joaquin Smith National High School)
2. Dean's Lister academic year 2014-2015( SCJPS )
3.Deans Lister for Academic Year 2018-2019 PNPA
3. Leadership Kampilan Awardee (as the 1st Captain Year 2019)
4. 4th Placer ( -Oral Debate year 2013 at Cebu City)
5. Certificate of Commendation from Regiment Commander FSRR as for Class 211-2020
MOST Challenging Life Events:
1. We were nine siblings in the family, and we are stuck beyond poverty, our distant relatives predicted us as future general problems of the society, nobody believed in us. I, accepted it as a challenge on how they look at us from below, that sooner or later, we will strive to fail all those malicious predictions to us, and that's what we slowly did.😇
2. Lack of Financial Support for Study- while I thank the government for free primary and secondary education, going to college is a harder choice to take especially if you have jobless parents who rather expect you to go looking for earning rather than go learning in school. However, I promised my father that I will send myself to college without him burdened with tuition fees. I entered the University of Baguio as a working student. Studies during the day and serve as campus security during the night. For I swore myself that I must sacrifice in order to achieve a brighter future, not for my own benefit but for the benefits of my soon-to-be children as well. Shall they not experience the life I had and a bright future be my gift for them.
4. Entering the academy, is a fulfillment of a dream, however, surviving cadetship up to graduation is the realization of it. Living in a regimented way of life for 4 years is very challenging, a bit of carelessness to all aspects within the academy may lead to dismissal or separation especially surviving the rigors of academics. In order to survive, I did always remind myself that a cadetship is my one-way ticket for the realization of my dreams and this is the best shot to start for a carrier, and, that made me until I graduate..☝️🙏🙏🙏
Thoughts of Inspiration to all student, professionals, examinees, trainees, and public:
PUT GOD first before anything.
- Don't make excuses and start working for your dreams. Considering that we are all poor, we have two choices for survival, by asking or by earning, choose who you are...
-Success in everything does not happen overnight or granted by fairy godmothers nor by the falling stars, it is built over time with your skill, knowledge, hard work, and blood as the strongest foundation.
- Always have a plan,.. knowing utmost what you want to become will answer all the succeeding questions on how things will be done it will serve as a compass to guide you in all your endeavors.
- Give your best in everything you do,. Especially that in every employment, credentials will speak on our behalf, either someone's gonna is hired or be fired.
-Mostly, keep good health and stay alive, because a dead man could no longer tell tales.😇😁
May God bless you after reading my story. I pray for everyone's safety during this difficult time. ALL GLORY TO GOD.
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Inspiring Story by PLT John Smith Binwag
