How does the daughter of a hardworking MEPZA factory worker, Jonathan, and a sidewalk vegetable vendor, Marilyn, end up being part of the loving family of KFF Foundation Inc. and now a 4th year college student? Well, here’s my story.
We are a family of eight, including my parents. I am the second of six siblings, the “ate,” which means I’ve always felt the responsibility to look after for my younger siblings while also pushing myself to do better.
In 2008, as young as 4 years old, I took my first steps in school as a kindergarten student at Matumbo Day Care Center.
Fast forward to 2016, I graduated from Pusok Elementary School with honors. To be honest, I wasn’t really the studious type of student. The very first award I received was “Most Behaved”, and that’s when I was in Grade 4. By Grade 5, I began to consistently be part of the honor list.
In the same year, I started my junior year at Pusok National High School. This was where I discovered that I actually liked Mathematics more than any other subject. I joined math quiz bees and MTAP contests, but I can’t say was really great at it. I just learned that you can get a lot from listening carefully and understanding the basics, especially in class.
Life tested us hard. On May 21, 2017, a huge fire hit our place. At least 200 houses including ours were destroyed in Sitio Matumbo, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City. Everything we owned turned to ashes. We were already struggling financially, and that tragedy pushed us even further down. It felt like life had reset us to zero, but life continues.
In 2020, I graduated junior high, ranking 3rd overall in our batch. Sadly, we weren’t able to walk on stage because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic was also the time I went through one of my darkest moments. I was in Grade 11, ABM strand, and I started off strong, ranking 2nd overall. But by the second semester, I suddenly lost myself. I distanced from my friends, ignored messages, didn’t do my modules, and spent most of my time on my phone. The lively, bubbly, and loud Redz people knew suddenly disappeared. My teachers and classmates were asking, “What happened to Redz?” Honestly, I didn’t even know and understand myself at that time.
Thankfully, I had people who didn’t give up on me. My teachers gave me special projects just so I could pass. My friends encouraged and helped me with my modules. And my family never stopped reminding me that I was not alone. Slowly, I found my way back.
Then in December 2021, Typhoon Odette hit us hard again. The wooden walls and roofs of our house got flown by the strong wind. But despite all those calamities, I was thankful because my family was safe. Since the fire incident in 2017 up until now, our house remains unfinished. It’s patched up here and there with no proper walls. Still, we’ve learned to work with what little we have and find strength in each other to keep going.
By 2022, I graduated senior high as the 5th overall in our batch. That was proof for me that even if you stumble, you always have the choice to get back up and still finish strong.
That same year, I entered Cebu Technological University, taking up a Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics. I knew our financial situation was hard, but my desire to study was even stronger. So I looked for scholarships. A friend told me about KFF Foundation Inc., and by God’s grace, I became part of this family.
Every school break, I do my best to help ease our family’s burden. I’ve worked as a call center agent, an ESL teacher, a tutor, and when I have free time, I help my mother sell vegetables on the sidewalk. Those experiences taught me resilience, humility, and how to be grateful for even the smallest things.
And now, here I am. I am Redz Jomi H. Caga-anan, 21 years old, the “ate” of six siblings, a 4th year college student, and a proud KFF scholar. My journey has been full of struggles, lessons, and blessings. I know I still have a long way to go, but as we say in Bisaya, “layo pa ko, pero layo na ko.”
See you!
