ONE STEP AT A TIME
Three thousand eight hundred and seventy two steps—this is what took Mharwin V. Cabangon to get to his school at MAE from Krus na Ligas every day. He would rather save his fare for the things he needed at school while he was taking up the techvoc course Hotel and Restaurant Services.
“I’m from Macalelon, Quezon Province. My parents are farmers and then my father became a janitor at UP. After graduating high school, we came here to Manila so I could take up a techvoc course. My class was from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. By 4 p.m., I would start walking to school. I needed to save my fare because we needed to buy a lot of things for this course,” says the 21-year-old Mharwin.
Life was never easy for Mharwin even when he was a child. He says he considered himself lucky for getting involved in an organization where he could get food allowance, as long as he taught the children in the coastal areas of their province about their rights and disaster risk management.
“I would use my food allowance as my allowance for school. When I was in high school I was an ambassador for our theater group and we were sent to Manila. I only had two pesos as my pocket money then, but I wouldn’t let anyone see how hard it was for me. I wanted people to see that I was strong and that I could endure this hardship,” he says.
Mharwin moved to Manila after high school, just as planned. Wearing his old polo, a pair of pants from his brother, and a pair of shoes borrowed from his dad, he soldiered on even without knowing what was ahead of him.
Manila was a whole new world, but his fear didn’t hinder him from finishing his studies. Soon, he began getting the attention of his professors because of his skills.
“One of my professors helped me obtain an OJT at the Asian School in Hospitality Arts in Kamias where I learned how to be a barista, a receptionist, and a housekeeper. I also had another OJT at Cravings where they made me an eco-ambassador because I always tried to recycle everything. Now, I’m working at an events place in Greenhills. I just didn’t let my situation get the best of me, instead I try to make the best of every situation I find myself in,” says Mharwin.