This father missed his daughter’s moving up ceremony due to his work. After the program, his daughter decided to surprise him!
“Congrats, Pa!” daughter Sheila Bartolaba Rebayla can be heard saying while hanging her medals to her father.
Tatay Leonardo couldn’t believe that his daughter dropped by at his workplace just to offer him her medals! He was speechless but very happy and excited to celebrate his daughter’s new milestone.
“My father is the best po. ‘Yung sa viral video po, hindi po siya nakapunta dahil po nagtatrabaho siya at kami lang po ng mama ko at ng ka-relatives ko po ‘yung nakasama dahil nagtatrabaho po siya para po sa aming magkakapamilya,” Sheila shared.
Sheila said that Tatay Leonardo really wanted to attend her moving up ceremony, but had to finish his work as a construction worker in their hometown in Misamis Oriental.
“Naappreciate ko po ‘yung mga sacrifices ni papa. Pinuntahan ko po siya sa construction site niya po dahil po hindi ko po alam kung nasaan ako ngayon, kung naabot ko po ba ‘yung medals na ‘yun dahil po nasa kanya po ‘yun–lahat ng mga sakripisyo niya, hindi ko po alam kung nasaan ako ngayon kung wala siya,” she added.
Sheila said that Tatay Leonardo had no idea about her surprise. That’s why he became speechless upon seeing Sheila and her medals. “Tuwang-tuwa po siya ma’am at [hindi] expected po na makapunta kami doon at nasurprise po siya na may nagsasabi na, “congrats!” dahil hindi niya po alam na kami ‘yun.”
Despite experiencing poverty, Sheila said it was not a hindrance for her to excel at school. Her mother works as a dressmaker while her father has been a construction worker for 20 years now. Sheila also has four siblings.
Sheila used her difficulties in life as a motivation to graduate with flying colors.
“Nagmomodule po kami this year saka ‘yung mga gadgets ko po, ’yung mga kinakailangan ko sa paaralan ay nagawa ko po ‘yun dahil nagtututor po ako sa umaga at nagaaral sa gabi, at wala po kaming kuryente sa bahay dahil wala kaming line pero nagawa ko pa rin po ‘yun dahil alam kong makakaya ko lahat ng mga pagsubok na ‘yun,” she recalled.
Sheila received three medals during her moving up ceremony on July, 1, 2022 at the Naawan National Highschool.
“Gusto ko pong malaman ni papa na sobrang proud po ako sa kanya, at saka, na-appreciate ko po’ yung mga sacrifices niya at hindi ko po alam na nandito ako ngayon, at saka hindi ko po maabot lahat lahat ‘tong mga achievements na ‘to kung hindi dahil sa kanya dahil araw araw po siyang lumalabas ng bahay at saka umuuwi ng madalas mag-overtime pero nagawa niya pa rin suportahan ‘yung pagaaral ko kaya salamat po talaga, salamat po talaga kay tatay,” Sheila said.
The uploaded video on social media tugged the hearts of netizens. It garnered more than 4 million views and 183,000 reactions on Facebook.
Sheila said she is thankful to have supportive and hardworking parents, who never give up just to provide a comfortable life for their family.
“Hindi po naging rason ‘yung pagiging mahirap na hindi tayo makapagtapos, kung hindi nasa puso po nating lahat na kahit ‘yung magandang asal, kung may malinis po tayong puso at may pangarap sa buhay, kaya natin ‘yung malagpasan. We pursue our dreams in the face of adversity,” she said when asked about her message to fellow students.
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