Nagmula si Francis Gubangco sa pamilyang mahirap.
Isa na siyang engineer at professor ngayon.
Ang kanyang success story ay ikinuwento sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) last February 23, 2023 thru email ng isang scholarship program na tumulong sa kanya para makapagtapos ng pag-aaral.
Nakapanayam naman siya ng PEP.ph last February 26 via Facebook Messenger para sa mga karagdagang detalye.
Pagbabahagi ni Francis, “I grew up in the slum area along 10th avenue in Caloocan City.
“My family used to live below the poverty line, I would say. We had no regular income to sustain the daily needs of our family.
“Sobrang hirap... Nangungutang lang kami sa tindahan ng tita ko para may pamasahe ako papasok ng school.
“Tinitipid ko lang ang PHP17 na baon ko per day para maka-survive.
“Madalas pamasahe lang ang meron ako sa bulsa para makapasok sa school.”
Pero sa halip na ma-discourage, ani Francis, “This became my inspiration to study hard to uplift the economic status of my family.”
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NAG-ARAL SA SARILING SIKAP
Dumating naman sa puntong pinakiusapan si Francis ng kanyang parents na huminto na sa pag-aaral nang makatapos siya ng high school.
Hirap na hirap na kasi ang mga ito na mapag-aral sa kolehiyo ang dalawa niyang nakatatandang kapatid.
Pero kahit ikinalungkot niya noon ang financial situation ng pamilya, “That didn’t stop me from pursuing my dreams.”
Nagdesisyon siyang suportahan ang sarili sa pagpasok sa kolehiyo.
“I took part-time jobs while waiting for the start of the school year. I needed to earn money for my tuition fee.”
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Pero bago pa man nagsimula ang pasukan ay nabasa niya sa isang pahayagan ang tungkol sa isang ino-offer na scholarship grant.
Nilakasan niya ang loob at nag-apply.
Suwerte namang nakabilang siya sa first 100 pioneering scholars.
Sa pamamagitan nito, nakatapos siya ng Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering sa New Era University noong May 1998.
Pumasa rin siya sa licensure exam for electronics and communication engineer noong April 1999.
“I THINK THIS IS MY DESTINY”
Natanggap agad si Francis sa trabaho bilang design engineer sa isang company.
Habang nagtatrabaho, sumailalim siya sa training program para sa Science Research Specialists ng DOST-Advance Science and Technology Institute ng University of the Philippines-Diliman.
Para lalong gumanda ang kanilang buhay, tumanggap siya ng second job bilang part-time professor sa AMATel Caloocan.
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Dahil nag-enjoy siya sa pagtuturo, nag-apply siya ng panibagong part-time teaching job sa University of the East-Caloocan.
“After a semester in UE, the program chair asked me if I wanted to work as a full-time professor.
“I immediately accepted the position, and the rest is history.”
Pagtatapat niya, “I never dreamt of becoming a professor, but I think this is my destiny since I started to join the UE ECE Department on October 24, 1999.”
Natulungan ni Francis na mapagtapos sa kolehiyo ang iba pang kapatid.
Nagtagumpay rin siyang maputol ang tanikala ng kahirapan na matagal na gumapos sa kanilang pamilya.
GRATEFUL SA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Ayon kay Francis, “My ultimate goal now is to help other people achieve their dreams and to become professionals in the future.
“I never stopped helping other people. Since 2000, I have been the Chairperson for the Committee on Outreach Program for the College of Engineering.
“This enabled me to pass on the kindness and help given to me by the program.”
Ang payo niya sa mga mahihirap na estudyanteng mabibigyan ng scholarship, “They should be thankful to the scholarship they had because only chosen people have this kind of opportunity.
“Be grateful to those people who gave you the chance to be educated to have a better life in the future.
“Make yourself a blessing unto others.”