Being a single mother while pursuing college degree is a huge struggle, but for 23-year-old Rigie May R. Marbella of Barangay Millabas, Pilar, Sorsogon, balancing her life as a student and a mother has inspired her to achieve her life’s goal.

“May” as she is fondly called by her friends got pregnant at the age of 19. However, it did not break her spirit and pursued to continue her studies. Today, she is on her way graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with Honorific-Academic Award from Bicol University (BU) Polangui Campus.

In her facebook post, she expressed her thanks to her family which became her strength to persevere. “Maraming Salamat po Ma Gina and Pa sa inyong walang sawang pagmamahal at pag-unawa sa akin. Napakaswerte ko dahil kayo ang naging magulang ko. Hindi man tayo mayaman at madalas kapos sa pera, pero hindi ninyo ako pinabayaan. Kahit na kahihiyan ang ibinigay ko sa inyo noon, mas naramdam ko ang pagmamahal kaysa sa panunumbat na siyang naging dahilan upang patawarin ko ang sarili ko. Salamat po sa lahat ng hirap at sakripisyo. Salamat din sa mga kapatid ko dahil nanatili tayong buo sa kabila ng lahat [Thank you, Mother Gina and Father, for your tireless love and understanding. I am lucky to have you as my parents. We may not be rich and oftentimes we do not have enough money but you did not abandon me. Although, I gave you shame, but, I felt much of your love instead of blame—which made me forgive myself.  Thank you for the hardships and sacrifices you made. Thank you to my siblings because our family remain complete and whole despite of what happen],” she stated.

Her struggle as a Mother

After four years of being employed in various companies in Metro Manila, she found out that she was pregnant on her four months in her first year in college. “May scholarship sana ako pagtapos ng High School pero hindi ko gusto ang kursong education noon kaya naglayas ako at nagtrabaho bilang cashier sa isang electronics company, sa iba’t ibang factory sa Manila para kumita at matulungan ang pamilya ko [I could have a scholarship after High School but, before, I do not like the education as my course so, I ran away from home and worked as a cashier in an electronics company and various factories in Manila to earn and help my family finance their daily expenses],” she said in an interview.

Having experienced the hardships of being employed with no permanent job, and with minimum earnings, she opted to pursue her college and embrace the course – education given the opportunity to be a grantee of Expanded Student Grant-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA)

ESGP-PA is an educational grant which gives priority to the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) by providing them opportunity to get college education, increase their chance to get better employment in the future and ultimately uplift the lives of their family so that they become contributors to national development.

The ESGP-PA is implemented by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

According to May, she do not regret having a three-year old daughter but she recalled that the odds are heavy, stressful and college life pushes her to cry many times. “Sobrang hirap. Ang hirap mag-aral habang iniisip kung saan kukuha ng pang gastos sa mga susunod na araw, kapag sabay-sabay ang deadlines ng projects, kapag wala ng gatas si baby tapos sasabayan pa ng sakit. Pero lahat ng yun ay pwede naman pala malagpasan. Lahat ng hirap, pagod, puyat, hiya at kapal ng mukha ay magkakaroon din ng bunga sa huli [It was so hard. It was so hard to study while you were thinking where to get money for your expenses on the following day, when the all the deadlines on our projects are overlapping, when my baby have no more milk and at the same time she is sick. But, all these can be surpassed. All the adversities, weary, sleepless nights, shame, countenances paid off in the end],” she shared.

Her suffering was even aggravated back in the year 2015, when she was still pregnant and was hospitalized due to eclampsia with severe anemia and occurred for four times. “Pangalawang buhay ko na po ito, sabi nila mamatay na po ako noon pero laking pasasalamat namin dahil pati si baby ay nabuhay [This would be my second life, they said I could have died but we are grateful because even my baby survived and lived],” she said while wiping her tears with her hands.

May said that a lot of people ask her how she could possibly finish school with a baby. But, she has learned not to care, even though other people’s judgments hurt her and her parents, and that stereotypes do not define people.

“Nagpapasalamat sa magulang ko ng sobra sa pagtanggap nila sa akin at sa pagsuporta sa kabila ng lahat. Sila ang naging sandigan ko. Tinulungan nila ako sa pag-aalaga sa anak ko tuwing kailangan kong iwan siya upang bumalik sa paaralan, kapag hindi ako makauwi kasi wala akong pamasake at delay ang allowance namin [I thank my parents this much for accepting and supporting me all the way. They were the ones I depend on. They took the responsibility of taking good care of my daughter when I have to leave her and go back to school, when I could not go back home because I have no money, and when my allowances are delayed], she said.

Some single parents — and grandparents — nearly collapse under the strain of working and raising children. But other parents rise to the challenge. May wants to tell all single mother saying “life is tough but they can do it.”

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to DSWD in partnership with LGU Pilar Municipal Mayor Carolyn Reyes, to BU for giving me this chance to change my life. Thank you Ma’am Arvie and DSWD staff — Team Pilar for all the support and encouragement. I am very blessed to be an ESGP-PA grantee,” she added.

Her Success

I am proud that I have a daughter and I offer what I have achieved to my daughter, parents, my siblings, relatives who helped me, to all my friends, to all the schools Magurang Elementary School and Polangui North Central School for my field study 1-6. My practice teaching would not be this memorable, to all my classmates, to my best friend Honey Jhoanne, thank you,” she added.

Rigie May’s story is a vivid proof that teenage pregnancy may not hamper a woman’s ambition in life. “Pero heto ako ngayon. Suot na ang simbolo ng tagumpay. [But here I am now, wearing the symbol of my success],” she proudly said.

May plans to take a review class and pass the licensure examination and have a good job. “Malaki po ang pangarap ko sa aking pamilya, anak. Balang araw, alam ko maabot din namin ang lahat ng aming pinapangarap at ginhawa [I have huge plans to my family, my child. In the near future I know we can attain our dreams and have a financially stable life],” she said.

Also, it is huge for her to be an inspiration to others and left all people who are in the same situation saying that “look around you, there are still good people who will guide and help you, a miracle is just another term for hard effort, so if I can, you can.” ***GLindio, IO-4Ps