By: Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
The online news portal of TV5
BAGUIO CITY - Jestony Aman Lanaja, the valedictorian of Class 2013 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), said the road he took was "long and crooked," yet he managed to overcome the challenges because of the values taught by his parents.
"The road I travelled just to be in this precious destination was long and crooked. I surpassed all those rough roads and carried on the values my parents had taught me," Lanaja, 22, said in a speech during the PMA commencement exercises here.
Born to a poor family in Davao del Sur, Lanaja had to work in a sugarcane plantation at a young age, to earn few pesos for his daily allowance.
His father, Antonio Lanaja, was a tuba gatherer himself, who used to climb coconut trees every day.
His mother, Erlinda Lanaja, took care of their home and his two siblings.
"Since we don't have our own coconut plantation, we rent each coconut for P1.50, then we are able to sell tuba at P10 per gallon, currently it is P25 per gallon," he said.
Not earning enough from this, he said his father also sold ice cream in his spare time.
When he was in Grade 5, Lanaja said he also sold ice cream during weekends and special occasions. The little amount he earned went directly to a bamboo coin bank, which he opens during Christmas.
Electricity came to the household when he was in Grade 4. But still, because they did not have the money to pay for the monthly bill, they tapped power from the house of a relative.
Even when burdened with poverty, Lanaja said his parents instilled in him the value of education, thriftiness, and distinguishing needs from wants.
That's why, even with the meager earnings his father got from the sugar plantation, they managed to save a few pesos, which he used to continue schooling until he finished high school.
Not able to go to college, he said he took up a course in Building Wiring Installation at a school accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). He did not get to finish the course because the opporturnity to enter PMA came.
Lanaja will be joining the Philippine Army. Class 2013 was named Pudang Kalis (Puso't Dangal ng mga Kawal ng Lahing Nagkakaisa or Soldiers with Heart and Honor, Unified in Strength).
Pudang Kalis was derived from a Muslim term meaning sacred sword.
"My story never ends here. It will continue until my Master tells me to stop," he said.
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