Mandaluyong Mayor Benjamin Abalos Sr. yesterday urged city scholars — in the event they become successful in their careers — to give back to poor students like them.
During Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, Abalos hailed the 31 honor students — 18 cum laude, 12 summa cum laude, and one magna cum laude — and 16 board passers from the Rizal Technological College.
“I am happy for all those who finished their respective course while earning high honors. My wish is for you to give back the blessings you’ve gotten to the next generations of needy students,” Abalos said in Filipino.
The mayor said successful scholars helping the next generation of bright but poor students would ensure the continuity of the cycle of helping and excellence.
Abalos recalled meeting an engineering city scholar working aboard a cruise ship who pledged to help other poor students.
“It was a very pleasant feeling knowing that our city’s scholarship program has produced an officer aboard that ship,” the mayor said, referring to the program started in 1996 when the city entered into a deal with RTC to send its scholars to study there.
Abalos added he himself came from a poor family whose mother was a household worker at the posh Wack Wack subdivision in Mandaluyong City.
He said he had to work in a factory and also served as a gold caddie while studying law.