Astig na PUPian Millionaire October 10, 2006

By Ms. Abby Balendo

“Poorman’s University of the Philippines” is one of the common stereotypes for PUP. The university accommodates students who are not belonging from a well-off family, a household that earns adequate income only for simple living. Rightfully so, PUP has the lowest tuition fee in Metro Manila; a student may enroll paying only P300 to P500 per semester, very affordable.

However, what make student’s life complicated are other expenses aside from tuition fee; transportation fare, everyday allowance, lodging, and school projects.Though technically living in difficulties, many of PUP students excelled in their fields after graduation; became rich and prominent individual of the society. Lloyd Abria Luna is one of them – a successful PUP alumnus, a millionaire at the age of twenty-five (25).Lloyd Luna took his Bachelor of Science in Electronics & Communications Engineering at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines from 1999 – 2004. During his stay at the university, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of PUP Spectrum, the official student publication of the College of Engineering. He founded the Editors in Chief of the Philippines (EICP), presently known as Network of Campus Journalist of the Philippines (NCJP). Lloyd Luna was also cited as an Outstanding Student in 2002. At the age of 22, Lloyd gained experiences a professional journalist could have. He works for “The Manila Times”, one of the major broadsheet newspapers in the country, and he also ventured website engineering.

Although he was not able to get a profit from his first client from New Jersey as website engineer, it improves his skills and eventually paves the way for having an investment, a book. “Wala po akong kinita dun sa pinaghirapan kong dalawang website pero ngayon po ay meron na akong libro na pumapasok na sa international market”, he said. In 2005, his first book entitled ‘Is there a job waiting for you?’ was published and due to the overwhelming appraisals from different newspaper writers and columnists, it gained him prestige and more clients. Eventually, he was able to build his own company, LLOYD LUNA COMMUNICATIONS.

When he was featured in Rated K, Korina Sanchez asked, “Anong sikreto mo?” Lloyd has one thing in his mind, DREAM BOARD. He showed it to Korina and the board reveals his dream of owning mansions, luxury cars, and multinational corporations. Moreover, to make this dream a reality, he included in the board his target income. For him, it is important to write his plans in life, “Sa akin po, ang plano kapag hindi nakasulat ay isa lamang hiling. Kung maisusulat mo ang iyong mga pangarap at paraan kung papaano ito gagawin, iyan ay ganap na matatawag na isang magandang plano.” Today, Lloyd Luna is a regular columnist of ‘The Manila Times’, JobsDB.com and GoodNewsPilipinas.com in Singapore. He is the president and CEO of LLOYDLUNA Communications, founder of LLOYDUniversity.com, website engineer of GoNegosyo.org and chief webdeologist of Webdeology.com

Being poor, at some point, is disappointing but that does not the case of a PUPian millionaire who passionately advocates diligence and humility. PUPians may all pass through the same hardships that Lloyd encountered, but in the end, you’ll have the final say to your life and maybe, you might end up a millionaire if you’ll be optimistic too. By the way, PUPians were all trained on the principle of hard working and humility, so we’re actually not far from getting what Lloyd Luna achieved. However, might as well use some strategies on applying those principles to get our dreams in easier ways.If Lloyd has his dream board, what should we have? Well, we might get one too, anyway we’re schoolmates. Astig!

Start moving on with your dreams now; you might be the next PUPian millionaire to be featured in this blog! Always remember, possibilities are endless.

Astig na Summa Cum Laude October 6, 2006

Her views

School Facilities

When asked about the facilities of the university, she said “don’t be distracted by it, you’ll just end up disappointed”.

She accepted this reality since the beginning of her college life in PUP. Grace, by being resourceful, has managed to address her needs in her own means. Instead of complaining, she tried to understand the situation. More so, she lends her books to those who are needy.

Activism

PUP is considered a haven of activists. She considers herself an activist as well. According to her, an activist is a progressive person clamoring for change on the different issues confronting the society. An activist must insinuate changes.

“Ang aktibista ay hindi lang yung mga nagpupunta sa kalsada at sumisigaw ng pagbabago, it’s the common notion for an activist. Para sa akin, there is an emerging alternative way of activism, and that is engaging in discussion and debate in a decent, responsible, and constructive way. And I think, that it is the more educated and civilized way of fighting for change and reform – that is our gift for embracing democracy instead of communism. We just need to be critical and proactive to make our mission as reformist to be realized”, Grace said.

Politics

Grace shares same views with former CEFP Dean Dannug “Politics is like a half-filled glass of water. You can view it either half-full or half-empty depending on your perspective.” According to Grace, many would say that politics is dirty, “Madumi man ang pulitika sa tingin ng iba, but they really don’t have any choice but to pass through it because life, as it is, is politics. What important is, not to stay on it and hold by it.”

Moreover, in facing the challenges of politics, decision-making is utmost consideration. As her educational background insists, before making her decisions, she needs to do “POSDCORB” as she was taught: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, regulating and budgeting. Passing through these methods makes her decisions and plans a “hundred percent sure.”

Today, she is working as a part time researcher at the office of Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel. One day, if she still have the dreams of becoming a politician, she’ll courageously enter politics. What about a President of the Republic of the Philippines graduated from PUP, not a bad idea.

Atty. Mary Grace Ronquillo “in the making”

The very reason why she took Bachelor of Public Administration and Governance is that this is a preparatory course for Law. And, if she will practice law, her specialization would probably be a corporate law. She’s hoping that one day, she will be a part of the Legal Department of San Miguel Corporation or SM holdings.

Her Message

“One good success erases all the failures of the past. And greatness once achieved, however brief, stays with the man or with the nation”, she inspiringly said in her valedictory address.

Grace has only three things to advice the freshmen. These are her three keys to victory.

1. No one could bring you down except God.
2. Kung gusto mong magtagumpay, magsimula ka ng malinis, maayos at walang masamang ginagawa.
3. Kung gusto mong maging angat sa iba, always put your feet standing firm on the ground at lagi mong iisipin na lahat ng ginagawa mo ay para sa mga mahal mo sa buhay at para sa Diyos.

“Beautiful” by Cristina Aguillera is the song that would best define her life. She is beautiful no matter what they say. Words can’t bring her down.

She ended giving a message to all the people who applauded her and look up to her, “Anumang karunungan ko ay kamangmangan lamang sa Kanya at anumang karangalan ko ay hindi makahihigit sa ngalan Niya.”

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Valedictory Speeches

Mary Grace Rongquillo (2007)
Cindy V. Rumbaoa (2003)
Annabel Paredes (2002)
Edelle D. Mabazza (2002)
Annalee Foz (2001)
Edgar Feliciano Aringay

Astig na Summa Cum Laude October 6, 2006

Study Habits

Grace admires Albert Einstein’s ‘xyz formula’ that is why she made ‘xyz formula’ for herself. ‘X’ for study, ‘Y’ for work and ‘Z’ for recreational activities – this formula equates ‘excellence’.

She reads book once if it is easy and thrice if it is difficult, with the aid of “stabilo

boss”. She usually sits at the back of the classroom, center aisle, wherein she can look at her professors eye to eye. Actually, she gets that seat in her whole college life.

While studying, she prefers a clean environment accented with soft music playing and of course with food to eat. She has a little table, bookshelf, personal computer and laptop in her room that makes her equipped for any assignments that her professor would require her. During break time, she usually writes poems or watch tv. Her favorite shows are Law and Order, CNN and Knowledge TV, but her most loved is Maging Sino Ka Man. She even told me to watch out for its Book II. She also loves to cook. Adobo and spaghetti are her specialties.

If you ask her secret of getting a 1.16 general weighted average, she will only say “proper time management.”

In PUP, examinations are announced, more often than not, a week earlier. What she does is chops her readings for the whole week, assigns chapters or pages to read each day, and execute it. This way, she absorbs everything without pressure – everything is being planned ahead of time. When exam comes, she scans the pages, remembers the keywords, rests and face the examination day with cool minds.
She confessed that she is not a “nocturnal reader” and she hasn’t experienced studying late night unlike the usual practice of many students. She has big eye bags not because of studying but because of chatting until 3:00 am. She knows that others may say that she’s saying this to boast but she’s just actually telling the truth. Her main goal was only to achieve a Latin honor and to her surprise, she gained the title, Summa Cum Laude.

Extracurricular activities

Grace is affiliated to only two student organizations in the university where she is “just” a simple member; Political Science Society (PSS) and Kapatiran ng Talino at Galing (KATAGA). She has decided, upon her enrollment, that she will prioritize her studies among other things. However, her involvement in community is a different case; she enjoys giving advice to various civic organizations.

“I have attended a lot of leadership trainings and the best thing that I can do is to apply it.” Ronquillo said. “In applying it, I’ve chosen community works over school activities because I feel that the youth in my community needs it most.”

Love life

If we try to compare her love life to a fairy tale, she’s more of Sleeping Beauty rather than Cinderella. Literally speaking, as of now, she has no romantic love life but she knows that someday, her prince charming will come and will wake her heart with a kiss. She believes that true love waits, so you don’t need to hurry. Mr. Right will arrive in God’s perfect time and will approach her in God’s perfect way.

Contrary to what other people may think about her standards when it comes to selecting a partner, she’s just looking for a guy who is God-fearing, honest and faithful. By the way, like the other female political science students, she has a crush on one of her professors. It’s an open-secret that Prof. Antonius Umali is known as “kilabot ng mga kolehiyala ng polsci”

Barkada

She’s very apologetic to admit that she’s very choosy when it comes to friends. For her, friends are like boyfriends so you really have to choose the best. Good friends are very hard to find but when you have them, it’s really rewarding.

She’s proud of her generous, supportive, and good-hearted best friend, Reyma, a fifth year civil engineering student in PUP. In their classroom, she’s blessed with her barkada called “bida” as in protagonists and who are them, you may ask, she’s very proud when she enumerated their names; Joy, April, Toni, Ivy, Rea, Jenn, Angge & Joben. They don’t have any vices. They usually gathered to have a bible study and have a small talk about their common goal — to excel academically. Read on