From Manila’s Streets to Ateneo’s Halls: A Graduate Triumphs Over Adversities

From Manila’s Streets to Ateneo’s Halls: A Graduate Triumphs Over Adversities

By Bing Jabadan – Thenationweek.com  

June 23, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – In a sea of blue and white gowns at the Ateneo de Manila University’s commencement, one graduate’s journey resonated far beyond its hallowed halls.

Eugene Dela Cruz, 25, is a testament to the indomitable human spirit.

His Bachelor of Arts in Economics isn’t just a degree; it is a symbol of resilience forged in the severe tests of Manila’s streets.

Dela Cruz’s story, posted on his Facebook page, is a poignant narrative of rejection, survival, and the transformative power of a second chance.

At 12, he was disowned by his father for being gay.

“He couldn’t accept it,” Dela Cruz recounts, with a lingering pain of rejection in his voice.

Forced to navigate the city’s underbelly, he faced hunger, hardship, and the crushing weight of loneliness.

For four years, survival was a brutal daily battle. He begged for coins, meticulously rationed scraps of bread, and sought refuge in the city’s forgotten corners.

“On a lucky day, I might earn P25,” he remembers. “On the worst nights, I had a peso or nothing.”

Public restrooms became his sanctuary, a place to wash away the grime and the shame.

Formal education became a distant, unattainable dream. “No one noticed when I vanished,” he says, a hint of sadness clouding his voice. “No one asked where I had gone.”

But fate, it seemed, had other plans. A chance encounter offered a glimmer of hope: a job opportunity.

He briefly returned to school, only to be confronted with an impossible ultimatum from his father, leaving him once again to fend for himself.

Refusing to surrender, Dela Cruz found solace and support in unexpected places.

Kind teachers offered guidance, and eventually, he found a welcoming home with his stepmother’s sister.

To support himself and give back to those who had helped him, he tutored, choreographed, and shared his meager earnings.

His dedication paid off: he graduated high school with honors, a testament to his unwavering determination.

Driven by ambition, Dela Cruz applied to three of the Philippines’ most prestigious universities, securing scholarships from all.

He chose Ateneo, drawn to the practicality of the school’s Economics program.

“I needed a program that offered a wide job market because I needed to work,” he explains. “I had no place to stay.”

Ateneo’s scholarship provided a lifeline, but the transition was daunting.

Surrounded by privilege, Dela Cruz battled feelings of inadequacy.

“I felt so out of place,” he admits. “I couldn’t help but think, ‘Oh, Ateneo, where many are wealthy,’ while I was just scraping by, almost like a beggar.”

However, he drew strength from his past hardships, reminding himself of the battles he had already won.

He found unwavering support from the Office of Admission and Aid, the Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association, and Scholars United, who became his new family.

Mentors, friends, classmates, and even kind strangers offered a helping hand.

He also found solace in his faith, believing in a God who stood beside him in his darkest moments.

“Whenever I faced difficulties after leaving the streets, I reminded myself of what I had endured,” he says resolutely.

“How could I give up now when I have a bed, food, and a chance at a future? I owe it to my 12-year-old self to finish this.”

Today, Eugene Dela Cruz stands as a beacon of hope, a testament to the transformative power of education and the resilience of the human spirit.

He graduated with honors, earning recognition for his outstanding thesis.

His story resonates far beyond the Ateneo campus, inspiring a nation to believe in the power of second chances and the extraordinary potential that lies within each of us, regardless of our circumstances.

“I just thank God for not abandoning me and the people who helped me, even with just small coins, because that support built my future,” he says, his face radiating with hope.

His message is clear: even in the face of unimaginable adversity, triumph is possible.

And if Eugene Dela Cruz can rise from the streets to graduate with honors, perhaps, so can we all.