A Gen Z went viral on TikTok after he shared his life as a working student to help sustain his needs as both of his parents were diagnosed with cancer.
20-year-old Franze Nathaniel Regondola shared his daily routine as he tried to juggle attending school while earning money for his future.
“Bago po ako pumasok, may dala po akong tinda. Tinutulungan po akong ayusin ng nanay ko po nang around 5 AM po. Pagpasok ko po ng 7 AM, ako na po ‘yung naglalako, nagbebenta po sa school po namin. ‘Yung iba ko pong kita, binibigay ko po sa kanya,” he said.
Stressing, “Talagang pinush ko po talaga ‘yung sarili ko na ituloy po ‘yung pag-aaral ko kahit super hirap po ng sitwasyon po namin. Thankful naman po ako na kahit papaano nakakaraos po kami sa araw-araw.”
Franze’s parents are both cancer patients. Because of their situation, he was forced to mature early.
“Yung kabataan ko po, hindi po talaga siya masaya, hindi ko po na-enjoy ‘yung pagiging bata ko. Peroisa po ‘yung malaking bagay na nakatulong po sa akin ngayon kasi natuto po akong dumiskarte sa buhay,” he recalled.
His stepfather has bone cancer while his mother was diagnosed with stage 2 thyroid cancer.
“Buto’t balat na lang po ‘yung stepfather po namin pero nakakain naman din na po siya kasi nga naoperahan na po ‘yung baga niya po. Ngayon po, medyo nagiging okay naman po ‘yung magulang ko po,” Franze described the health condition of his parents.
His parents weren’t able to finish school, that’s why his main goal in life is to graduate no matter how hard life is.
“Nasa isip ko po noon, kung mag-iistop po ako ng pag-aaral magiging mas lalong complicated po ‘yung pamumuhay po namin kung hindi ko po itutuloy ‘yung pag-aaral ko. Hindi naman po naranasan ng magulang ko po na maka-graduate. CUT Kung ipagpapatuloy ko ‘yung pag-aaral ko, siguro po mapaparanas ko po ‘yung buhay na maganda,” he noted.
Franze is currently a marketing student at the PHINMA Araullo University. When asked why he is going the extra mile to finish college, he has a firm and bold answer.
“Kahit may nagtatanong po sa akin kung hindi ba ako nahihiya na nagtitinda po sa school? Sinasabi ko lang po sa kanila, “Ito po kasi ‘yung buhay na meron po kami kaya hindi ko po ikakahiya ‘yung buhay na binigay po sa amin,” he said.
Franze is also aware that he is just one of the thousands of individuals who are experiencing hardships in life—trying to manage their time with work and academics.
“Wala naman pong mahirap siguro kung may pangarap po ang isang tao lalo na po kung talagang may pinaghuhugutan po sila ng motivation. Ituloy lang po nila ‘yung mga gusto and pangarap po nila sa buhay po nila kasi po wala naman pong mangyayari kung mag-iistop po sila sa kung ano po ‘yung nasimulan po nila sa buhay po nila,” he said when asked about his message to fellow working students.
