Inspiring

Whiz Kid Wows Everyone after Graduating from College at 16 as Summa Cum Laude

With summa cum laude being the highest honor that anyone graduating from college could ever receive, everyone is surely impressed with anyone who receives that distinction. But one young lady topped everyone else when she graduated from college as summa cum laude at age 16!

In the Philippines where schools often refuse to accept you to a grade or year level if you don’t meet the age requirements, it is surprising that child prodigy Mikaela Irene Fudolig was allowed to enroll in college and finish her degree at such a young age.

Photo credit: Gineers Now

Allowed to enroll in BS Physics at the University of the Philippines – Diliman under an experimental program for gifted children called the Early College Placement Program (ECPP), Mikaela was actually just 11 years old when she started joining classes at the university. But it was only a year later that she was officially enrolled.

Enrolled at Quezon City Science High School but working on her college lessons at UP Diliman, Mikaela was a well-known but puzzling figure in campus. Many thought at first that she was a teacher’s daughter visiting the school, what with her girlish clothes and doll shoes, but it was soon clear to everyone that this small girl meant business.

Thankfully, her parents had an agreement with the university to keep the girl out of the media’s prying eyes to allow her to enjoy her college life like any other ordinary student. She isn’t an ordinary student, of course.

Photo credit: Gineers Now

Feeling intimidated on her first day of class, she failed in her first test. The young girl was shocked to receive a grade of 72 on her first test. But this challenged her to try harder – and by the time they got to the second test, she was acing the exams and getting the highest scores in class!

As an official BS Physics student at the UP National Institute of Physics, Mikaela graduated at the top of her class, completing the degree as summa cum laude. She also received the Best BS Physics Student award and the Dean’s Medallion for Excellence in Undergraduate Studies at the UP College of Science.

At just 16 years old, the age that kids graduate from junior high school, this was certainly a huge achievement in the academic community.

Photo credit: Gineers Now

But her education didn’t stop there. Mikaela would soon complete her master’s degree and Ph.D. shortly afterwards as she became a Fulbright scholar in Economics at the University of California-Irvine.

The young woman would also become a full-time faculty at the University of the Philippines Institute of Physics, a job that might be daunting considering she’s teaching students older than herself but Mikaela readily faced those challenges with ease.

“Many people think that a child, even if equipped with the mental abilities, is not emotionally prepared to enter college. I am glad to have proven them wrong,” Mikaela said.

Inspiring

Scavenger Saves Php500k+ to Buy 3.5-Hectare Land

A scavenger saves Php500k+ that was enough money to buy 3.5 hectares of land – and here I am wondering how I could save up some cash to buy even just 100 sqm! Isn’t he cool?

Scavenger Saves Enough Money for Land

If someone asks what you can imagine about a scavenger, your answer will likely be a person who pushes a cart or brings sacks filled with recyclable trash, and living in a shack or even on the streets. That person is likely homeless.

But that doesn’t apply to all, of course – and many OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) have actually earned some extra cash abroad by doing this. In many places, it’s not a dirty job but something they can earn some money from, that doesn’t require a lot of skills.

Janry Alburo of Payatas, Quezon City, is a scavenger who earned everyone’s admiration after he bought 3.5 hectares of land from the money he earned from collecting trash.

Alburo and his wife were able to save Php500k+ in coins. He revealed that there were times when they managed to get jewelry, gadgets, and even foreign money from the trash bins – and they saved up all those until they had enough to buy the land.

During the pandemic when no one was allowed to go out, the family was forced to pawn off the property for Php58,000 so they can have food.

scavenger saves Php500k+ 2 — Photo credit: GMA News

Part of their contract is for the couple to pay the borrowed money in 2 years, or they forfeit the land. Imagine originally paying for that land for more than Php500k, only to lose it to a small fraction of the price.

So, the couple worked double time after they were allowed to go back to scavenging. They also helped each other make rags and sell grilled food.

After 2 years, they went to the bank to exchange coins – but did they save at least Php58,000 to get the land back? Watch this video:

Money Savings Reminder from BSP

According to the BSP, it’s best to save money in the bank because the money saved at home is money out of circulation.

Inspiring

Blessed Mom Receives Php500k for Her 77th Birthday from Her 7 Children

One blessed mom with 7 children received the surprise of a lifetime for her 77th birthday after all her kids chipped for a grand celebration where she got a total of Php500,000 in different surprise gifts. Amazing, right?

Blessed Mom Receives Php500k for 77th Birthday

Many families want to make sure that they can give back to their parents by providing them a house, a car, a grand trip, or an amazing birthday party.

It’s their way of thanking their parents for giving birth to them, raising them, and providing for their needs. Now that they’re older and successful, these kids are grateful for their parents and wish to give back so their parents can be happy.

In Lemery, Batangas, Nanay Belen celebrated her 77th birthday with a grand surprise from her 7 kids as she received a total of Php500k in cash – and that’s not counting the amount they spent for the party itself!

Of course, her kids don’t mind giving her this much money because they love her and are all thankful for everything that she did for them.

She got one umbrella money, two money bouquets, two money cakes, and two boxes of money. It’s like she hit the jackpot, right?

“We believe parin naman na its not the monetary value na makakapagpasaya sakanya, pero kahit paapaano masurprise man lang siya, masiyahan siya,” explained Sherwin Mulingtapang, one of Nanay Belen’s kids.
“Usually kasi ‘yung iba nagaambagan lang para makuha ‘yung P77,000 so sabi namin lahat naman able tayo as magkakapatid. Para mas ano pa ‘yung happiness. Per anak, nak, nag P77,00 kami. Kaya umabot yung suprise namin ng morethan half million. We made sure din na iba’t ibang pakulo.”

He added that they know giving expensive gifts is not mandatory. What’s important is to show them how much you love and cherish them.

“Hindi naman kinakailangan na ganun ka bongga, or hindi rin naman talaga nasusukat sa monetary value ‘yung pagmamahal natin sa mga magulang. If hindi natin kaya, wala naman problema. Maging mabuting anak na lang tayo at napakalaking bagay na ‘yun sa ating mga magulang. Pero if meron naman tayong means, meron tayong sobrang pera, minsan nakakapagbigay ligaya din naman ito sa kanila,” he explained.

Best Gifts for Parents

The best gifts for parents are really something that they can surely use – and many parents will even tell their children that they don’t need anything as long as their children are alright.

Still, here are some popular gifts for parents:

A smartphone (and you have to patiently teach them how to use it, if they don’t know how to)
Framed family photo
A grand vacation
A money bouquet
Some other form of money surprise, such as a money umbrella

Inspiring

New Teacher Literally Saves Her School after Becoming Topnotcher in March 2022 LET

A new teacher literally saves her school from closing down after she ranked among the top 10 in the March 2022 LET (Licensure Examination for Teachers). The pressure to save the school scared her, but it also motivated her and her batchmates to try harder and do their best.

Their extra hard work definitely paid off!

New Teacher Literally Saves Her School

Lucille Taro Dejos from Barangay Linao, Talisay, Cebu, is the Top 3 of the March 2022 LET (Licensure Examination for Teachers), garnering a score of 91.40%.

It has always been Lucille’s dream to become a teacher to become an inspiration to young minds.

“So, I took education in college. I love children, and I want to teach them not just school lessons but life,” she explained.

new teacher literally saves her school — Photo credit: PEP

What Lucille didn’t know is that she’d also become a hero for her alma mater, not just a hero for the students whose lives she wanted to influence and improve.

The inspiring young woman shared that while they were reviewing for the board exams, they were told by their dean from Talisay City College that if they don’t pass, the college’s education department might be dissolved or closed down.

“I admit that it scared me to take the LET and fail,” she shared.

Aside from that pressure, she also admitted that she really wanted to pass so she could become a licensed teacher and find a job to help her family. Her dad works as a welder while her mom is a dressmaker.

Money was tight for the family, with Lucille needing to take on tutorial jobs to help fund her board exam review.