The proverbial adage, “Poverty is not a hindrance to success,” is once more proven by a testimony given by a 2024 cum laude graduate of a bachelor of science in agribusiness from Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte.
Alvin Nopal spoke before an audience of approximately 700 farmers, public and private stakeholders, government officials, and educators in the recently concluded national convention of Save Coconut Foundation, Inc. (SCFI) held at the Negros Oriental Convention Center, Dumaguete City on the theme, “Coconvergence of Stakeholders Towards Sustainability of the Philippine Coconut Industry.”
“Hindi po ako lumaki sa farm (I didn’t grow up in a farm),” confessed Nopal, “but I am the proud son of a hardworking farmer.” Nopal continued, “My father is a farmer during the day and, at the same time, a barangay tanod at night. My mother, on the other hand, is a housewife who had undergone surgery for a cyst in her ovaries.”
Nopal described his family’s life in their province of Leyte as a simple one, often struggling financially. Yet, despite these challenges, the young lad said they always chose to live with happiness, embracing the saying, “Ang mahalaga nakakakain kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw (What is important is that we are able to eat three square meals a day).”
Life for the family is not easy, but “it is worth fighting for,” expressed Nopal. This motivated him to do his best, especially in pursuing his dream of finishing his studies, as “I firmly believe that education is the key to a brighter future.”
Reflecting on his journey, Nopal said “it was a path filled with hardship, but it was also marked by perseverance, determination, and an unwavering faith in God.” When he learned that he had passed the entrance examination at Visayas State University, “I was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.”
Overjoyed at the achievement, he was also anxious about how his family would be able to afford his college education, especially that his sister was already in her second year in the same university. “However, I did not let fear stop me because I knew that with God, everything is possible. As it says in Luke 1:37, ‘For with God, nothing is impossible.’”
Then, the pandemic struck, something that no one was totally prepared for and something that was unexpected, no one knew exactly what to do. While the CoViD-19 pandemic undeniably brought extremely dire circumstances to everyone, it was an altogether different situation for the Nopal family.
According to Alvin, the pandemic became a “blessing in disguise” for his family. “It actually lessened our financial burdens related to school,” he shared. However, his experience with online and modular learning made him realize how much better face-to-face classes were. Again, he began to question how they could afford the costs of Internet connection and other household bills, knowing that they were isolated at home. During this time, his father’s honorarium as barangay tanod was the family’s source of income and their means of survival together with the ayuda (aid or assistance) from the government. “Yet, I witnessed firsthand the unending goodness of God,” enthused Nopal.
One day, he came across a post on the university’s Facebook page about a scholarship being offered by SCFI. Without hesitation, Nopal applied, confident as he had all the necessary requirements readied. “By God’s grace and mercy, I was selected as one of the three scholars.” Upon hearing the news, he could not hold back his tears, “thanking God for always providing a way, especially when there seems to be none.”
Under the leadership of Chito Delorino, himself a former Cocofed scholar during his student days at Silliman University, Dumaguete City, the SCFI scholarship has been a tremendous help in sustaining the college expenses of Nopal and his fellow scholars, Ms. Jezza and Ms. Sheila.
“From my monthly allowances, boarding house, book allowance, and even during my on-the-job training (OJT) and the making of my case study, SCFI has supported me every step of the way,” he recalls, “sometimes, I could even buy groceries for my family.”
In his desire to pursue his dreams, the scholarship allowed Nopal and his fellow scholars to focus on their studies without the constant worry of expenses.
“The confidence in our abilities and potentials has been a powerful motivator for our continued success and for helping us turn our dreams into reality. I hope this scholarship will continue to support other young students in achieving their dreams, just as it has helped us,” Nopal concludes gratefully. | NWI
