Perseverance and education: The road to success

By PERCY A OSTONAL

 Jun 'Boy' Loveria

IT'S that unspoken determination and perseverance that he believed was the only means to hit the greater good.

Couple this with education, there’s no way he could miss.

Leaving his hometown Mambulao in the mid 60s to search for a better future in Manila, Rodolfo 'Jun' A Loveria, Jr’s set his focused on one main goal --  to earn a college degree.

“I can't emphasize enough the gravity of the trouble you're going to have without proper skill, training and education in finding a decent wage, especially in the city where everything was expensive and staying afloat had its price,” said Loveria.

As a self-supporting student, working as casual employee at the information office at Bureau of Posts, Manila, topping group-A 1966 entrance examination at University of Santo Thomas (UST) College Of Architecture and Fine Arts was an amazing story to tell for our young Mambulaoan.

Forget about walking five kilometers from where he used to stay at Aguado, San Miguel, Quiapo and a further ordeal during bad weather walking the distance to school and staying. He was quite lucky to have a sister who gave him a space at her home in Malate, Manila.

"My 20 centavo-fare had to end up at where the fare should last … and from there, I still had to walk at least two kilometers more to reach UST … that's why "madaling napudpod ang sapatos ko (the soles of my shoes went that fast).”

“It may be surprising, but there were people who wanted to have everything in life that quick. In my case, I did not mind earning my college degree and passing the board examination after seven long years.

“On the side to earn his keep, he worked as layout artist and as Tagalog columnist at Philippine Journal of Philately, moonlighted at the office of Dean Desiderio Santos, Dean Jose Pardo and other UST professors during that time.

He also had been an architectural designer and construction supervisor with Emil G Tamayo and Associates (Perpetual Help College).

"No matter how future could get too complicated and elusive, trust me … given a great deal of thinking to earn an education was comparable to precious material wealth secure in a ‘safety deposit box’ as a way of preserving, protecting and ensuring tomorrow's needs,” one author said.

And with that, Mr Jun Loveria Jr has this to say: "Hoping this inspires young Mambulaoans, my goal is to project to our younger generation that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. My determination to finish my studies at all cost was the only way to success (ang mahango sa kahirapan).

After various job stints overseas, Loveria Jr found his second home in California, USA and has settled there since 1984. 

For comment email the writer: ostonal@outlook.com