Given the opportunity to go to school several ANCOP scholars overcame the challenges of being poor and strove hard to achieve their dreams for a better life.
School year 2014-2015 was a banner year for the Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) of CFC ANCOP in the Philippines. The CSP produced a Magna Cum Laude, 5 Cum Laude and 7 Elementary and High School Valedictorians and Salutatorians. A good number of ANCOP scholars landed in the college Dean’s List, class Top Ten, and cited for exemplary academic and non-academic performance in various schools in the Philippines.
Leading the pack of outstanding graduates is Ruby Kailing, Magna Cum Laude from the Visayas State University, a premier state-funded school in the Visayas, Philippines. Ruby’s parents are farmers who only managed to reach grade school, thus they aimed for a good education for their 7 children. However due to poverty they were unable to do so. After high school, Ruby was out of school for 4 years until 2010 when she became an ANCOP scholar. ANCOP supported her until she completed college in 2015 with a degree in Education. It took Ruby 8 years to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher, but she never lost hope.
Jovie Beso graduated Cum Laude with a degree in BS Computer Science at the Cavite State University in the Philippines. Right after graduation, she was immediately hired by HSBC, an international banking corporation, upon completion of their On-The-Job Training (OJT).
Frieldyn Soria also graduated Cum Laude from the Philippine Normal University in Manila, Philippines where she finished BS Biology for teachers. Friedlyn is grateful of ANCOP’s support as her family would have never afforded her going to school. Her parents were separated and her mother was getting a meager income as a housemaid.
Ancop Canada supported the education of Diane Obillos since 2004 until her graduation in 2015 at the Systems Technology Institute. She graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Information Technology. Dianne was also the school’s academic scholar while in college. Jessa Ruales completed BS Economics at the Visayas State University graduating Cum Laude. Lastly, Primrose Agustin sustained her education as an Accountancy student at the Antique State University and also graduated Cum Laude.
The achievement of all ANCOP college graduates was a testimony of their zeal, dedication and commitment to excel despite the difficult and stressful journeys they had in obtaining tertiary education.
Many other Ancop scholars in elementary and high school level also excelled. Among them are valedictorians Grace Olar from Southern Leyte, Ruby Saludes from Ilocos Sur, Josie Tirao from Camarines Sur, Angela Marie Lucero from Surigao del Norte, and Anilov Martin from Metro Manila. John Patrick Delima of Camarines Sur and Diane Bacurin of Camarines Norte graduated elementary as salutatorian.
Since the start of the global ANCOP CSP in 2010 it has provided educational support to a total of 6,939 poor and marginalized children of indigenous people, healed hansenite families, farmers, fisher folks, urban poor, and calamity victims; the street children, abandoned, and orphans.
ANCOP is grateful for the support of its partners, donors and sponsors in making a difference in the lives of poor children; for paving the way so that these children could eventually lift up their families from poverty.
By Efren Tompong/ANCOP Global