Before becoming a college graduate, Symone Estabillo was a young boy growing up beside the mountains of garbage in Payatas, Quezon City, where his family’s survival depended on what others threw away. His parents worked as scavengers, and there were times when their family depended on “pagpag,” discarded leftover food recovered from garbage, cleaned, and reheated for consumption. However, their hardships eventually became part of a powerful story about education, family, and the determination to create a better future.
Facing Public Exposure and Teasing
Years ago, journalist Kara David featured the family’s living conditions in a documentary, which unfortunately brought an unexpected challenge for Symone.
When he returned to school, some classmates began teasing him about his family’s circumstances. Nevertheless, he refused to be ashamed of his parents because he knew how hard they worked. Instead of letting the mockery defeat him, he experienced a major turning point: he realized he wanted to change their situation and pursue his education.
A Scholarship That Changed Everything
Through Kara David’s Project Malasakit, Symone eventually received educational assistance that helped him continue his studies. In the documentary, Kara emphasized that the assistance provided was modest, noting that
What mattered most… was the change in how he viewed himself and his future.”
Rather than letting his difficult circumstances diminish his confidence, Symone used them as motivation to take his studies seriously and refused to settle for mediocre work.
Graduating and Giving Back
Eventually, Symone achieved a major milestone by graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree, later working as an account manager. Furthermore, his journey did not end with securing a job; he began helping his younger siblings complete their education as well. Despite their improved circumstances, the Estabillo family chose to remain in Payatas to show that residents should never be judged solely by their surroundings, proving that their path was about reclaiming their dignity.
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