There are many rich students who complain how difficult their lives are because their parents didn’t buy them the exact brand of stuff they wanted. Yet on the other side of the coin are poor students who can’t even buy proper bags and continue to worry the entire school year whether they have money to pay for their tuition fees…
Benjie Liloc recently went viral after sharing the inspiring story of how he went from puto-kutsinta vendor to a respected teacher.
Born to a poor family in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, life was harsh for the young man and his siblings, especially after their father left. Unable to feed the children and provide for their basic needs, their mother thought about giving them away at one point, but her love prevailed; she decided to keep them despite the difficulties they had to face together.
Understanding the difficulties their mom had in providing for them all, Benjie decided to become a puto-kutsinta vendor at age 13. He would walk around Balingoan in search of customers to sell his puto-kutsinta.
While there were some good days, he also experienced plenty of hard days when only very few people buy his goods.
After one rather hot, tiresome day, an exhausted Benjie felt frustrated because only a handful of his goods got sold. He had spent the entire day walking around Balingoan yet he only earned a few coins.
He was ready to give up, but he realized this difficult situation should push him harder to make his dreams come true that so he won’t remain a puto-kutsinta vendor forever.
Recently, he was invited to make the inspirational talk during the 12th General Assembly of Iskolar Ko Ni Bambi (IKNB), the scholarship program of Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano.
“There was a time, I spent the day selling and it was a very hot day. I roamed many times around Balingoan but only a few people bought something. I almost cried. I sat, breathed heavily and told myself, ‘Benjie, you cannot live your lifetime like this, take a rest but do not stop. Get up and keep moving on,’” he shared.
With this in mind, he kept himself motivated to study and work harder to complete his studies.
He enrolled at Misamis Oriental Institute of Science and Technology in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental after someone promised him a scholarship. Sadly, the promise wasn’t kept; his tuition fees were not paid.
This forced Benjie to quit school for a year because his mother couldn’t also pay for the fees. But proving that he’s not a quitter, Benjie did not lose hope. Instead, he continued selling puto-kutsinta and enrolled again the following year.
“I survived my first year in college pleading to my teacher to let me take my exam and making promissory notes but still I keep on searching for scholarship,” he admitted.
His hard work paid off. He was chosen to be among the recipients of IKNB, allowing him to complete his college education.
“I am Benjie Liloc. A kutsinta-puto vendor and now a licensed professional teacher, believing, Good things come to those who wait but better things come to those who work for it,” he shared to over 3,000 young people at the IKNB assembly.
“There is no shortcut to success. In order to be successful, do not underestimate the power of prayer. Just take a rest, but do not stop. Listen to yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Plant your seed and have a sweet harvest of tomorrow.”
Kudos, Sir!
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Benjie Liloc recently went viral after sharing the inspiring story of how he went from puto-kutsinta vendor to a respected teacher.
Born to a poor family in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, life was harsh for the young man and his siblings, especially after their father left. Unable to feed the children and provide for their basic needs, their mother thought about giving them away at one point, but her love prevailed; she decided to keep them despite the difficulties they had to face together.
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| Photo credit: YouTube / Benjie Liloc |
Understanding the difficulties their mom had in providing for them all, Benjie decided to become a puto-kutsinta vendor at age 13. He would walk around Balingoan in search of customers to sell his puto-kutsinta.
While there were some good days, he also experienced plenty of hard days when only very few people buy his goods.
After one rather hot, tiresome day, an exhausted Benjie felt frustrated because only a handful of his goods got sold. He had spent the entire day walking around Balingoan yet he only earned a few coins.
He was ready to give up, but he realized this difficult situation should push him harder to make his dreams come true that so he won’t remain a puto-kutsinta vendor forever.
Recently, he was invited to make the inspirational talk during the 12th General Assembly of Iskolar Ko Ni Bambi (IKNB), the scholarship program of Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano.
 |
| Photo credit: YouTube / Benjie Liloc |
“There was a time, I spent the day selling and it was a very hot day. I roamed many times around Balingoan but only a few people bought something. I almost cried. I sat, breathed heavily and told myself, ‘Benjie, you cannot live your lifetime like this, take a rest but do not stop. Get up and keep moving on,’” he shared.
With this in mind, he kept himself motivated to study and work harder to complete his studies.
He enrolled at Misamis Oriental Institute of Science and Technology in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental after someone promised him a scholarship. Sadly, the promise wasn’t kept; his tuition fees were not paid.
This forced Benjie to quit school for a year because his mother couldn’t also pay for the fees. But proving that he’s not a quitter, Benjie did not lose hope. Instead, he continued selling puto-kutsinta and enrolled again the following year.
“I survived my first year in college pleading to my teacher to let me take my exam and making promissory notes but still I keep on searching for scholarship,” he admitted.
His hard work paid off. He was chosen to be among the recipients of IKNB, allowing him to complete his college education.
 |
| Photo credit: Sun Star Cagayan de Oro |
“I am Benjie Liloc. A kutsinta-puto vendor and now a licensed professional teacher, believing, Good things come to those who wait but better things come to those who work for it,” he shared to over 3,000 young people at the IKNB assembly.
“There is no shortcut to success. In order to be successful, do not underestimate the power of prayer. Just take a rest, but do not stop. Listen to yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Plant your seed and have a sweet harvest of tomorrow.”
Kudos, Sir!
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
