Life doesn’t stop when your hair turns white, and neither does the pursuit of education. For the past month, social media has celebrated inspiring stories of senior citizens defying age barriers to achieve their educational goals. These milestones, delayed by societal expectations, have finally arrived at the perfect time for these determined individuals.
Among the viral posts that caught netizens’ attention are the inspirational journeys of three 67-year-old senior citizens: Lola Dominga Malinog of South Cotabato, Lolo Marcelino Estonactoc from Caloocan, and Lola Lolita Escal of Rizal. These are their stories.
Lola Dominga Malinog finished her junior high school through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) on May 20, 2024.
“Sobrang saya niya, kasi noon gustong-gusto niya talagang mag-aral. Pero, sa kahirapan ng buhay noon, hindi sila pinag-aral ng kaniyang mga parents,” the son of Nanay Dominga, Wilfred Malinog, said in the Department of Education (DepEd) post.
[“She is very happy because she really wanted to study back then. However, due to the hardships of life, her parents were unable to send them to school.”]
Lola Dominga was encouraged to study by her son who happened to be an ALS teacher. In an interview with Brigada News Koronadal, Nanay Dominga said she has not yet decided if she will proceed with taking up a senior high school program.
Lolo Marcelino Estonactoc graduated senior high school in the accounting and business management (ABM) strand. Estonactoc shared he studied while working as a driver. According to his daughter, her father’s dream was to finish his studies. Accomplishing his dream at his age made him proud and happy.
“Congratulations, ulit sayo dad at sayong mga classmates na halos apo mo na. Nawa’y maging inspirasyon ka ng mga kabataang tinatamad ng mag aral maski may pang pa aral naman,” Annabella Estonactoc, wife of Tatay Marcelino, shared on her Facebook page.
[“Congratulations again to you, Dad, and to your classmates who are almost like your grandchildren. May you be an inspiration to the youth who are unmotivated to study even though they have the means to do so.”]
Lolita Escal, a salt vendor from Rizal, is another senior citizen high school graduate who has taken her dreams higher. Lola Lolita took the college admission test of the University of Rizal System (URS) Angono Campus. Her name was among those announced to have passed in the test results released on June 7.
Escal aspires to be a lawyer and is one of 26 students admitted to the pre-law degree of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
“Ang pag-aaral, karungungan at kaalaman, nasasaiyo pa rin ‘yon hindi nawawala ‘yon. Maganda na may sarili kang achievement,” said Escal in her 24 Oras interview, after some people doubted her determination to get into college studies.
[“Studying, wisdom, and knowledge are still within you and never disappear. It’s great to have your own achievements.”]
More stories of senior citizens including 91-year-old Lolo Pedring who graduated from La Union High School and 66-year-old Nanay Josie who is now pursuing a college degree, prove that despite challenges in life such as old age, unwavering determination and perseverance can lead to fulfilling education goals.
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