Success Story: John Carlo Sapungan

Success Story: I had the pleasure of having a chat with the following former students. I had a wonderful email from John Carlo from a couple of years ago. I contacted him to find out about the experience he had at Francisco Kiko Manlises Calingag High School. Let me remind you about his first email to me. “Hi, Ma’am/Sir… I am John Carlo Sapungan, son of Mr. Nicolas and Mrs. Helen Sapungan. I am an alumnus of our beloved school, Francisco “Kiko” Manlises Calingag High School in Calingag, Pinamalayan. I just want to say thank you for all you’ve done for us especially for providing us a school where we can study and have knowledge in order for us to enroll in college and conquer our dreams. Without you all, maybe I am not in college today. I am now already 17 years old, First Year College studying at the Polytechnic University of Philippines-Sta. Mesa, Manila taking Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I hope our school will continuously grow with excellence. This may be the beginning of our community’s innovation. More Power! And God Bless us all.“ And, I was interested to find more about him and his family. John Carlo Enriquez Sapungan I was born in Dec. 1998. I have three brothers and a sister. My father is a farmer and my mother a public servant in the Barangay Health Centre. Four of the children, including myself, have graduated from FKM Calingag High School. The youngest is still studying there. After primary school, I wanted to go to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, a private High School in the town of Pinamalayan or failing this, a public school in Nabuslot High School. However, neither was possible, as my parents could not afford the extra cost of travel and daily allowance. Therefore, I went to FKM Calingag High School instead and graduated there in 2015. I never regretted what happened. The school is small and lacks the resources and facilities of other, larger schools. Computer equipment was limited when I was there. However, now there are computers in the classrooms and the students have better access to learning. This was made possible through the help of the SIKATcharity- Helping Children Develop. Also, all the teachers were extremely helpful. They always guided us in our studies, encouraged us to be leaders, and gave us advice on our personal lives. My family is thankful for having created Calingag High School and the help of SIKAT have given it. Children and young adult who went to pursue their further education can now do so even if their family cannot afford to send them to school elsewhere. Without the creation of High School with the support given by the SIKAT- Helping Children Develop, My siblings and I could not have gone to High School and thereafter to College. Now, however, I am studying Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila Philippines.