My name is Frank Bernard Espanto and I was born on the 8th of October, 1986 in Magosilom, Cantilan Surigao del Sur. My parents were Franklin Espanto and Bambi Bernadith Yu Hayco-Espanto. I have a brother named Francis Joe Espanto and two sisters namely; Fritz April Espanto and Christell Joy Espanto.
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My early childhood was a typical middle class environment
circa the 1980's. I do not remember much of my early childhood, as I remembered
I was very shy but curious child. My dad worked for Eduhome Enterprises as the
manager and my mom was working in her uncles office. I had a happy, normal
childhood as an only child, leaving me somewhat spoiled. I really don’t ask questions but instead I
make my own ways to discover things. I think because of my shyness my parents
enrolled me in basketball clinics, dance class and music class. And because of
curiosity I suppose that is why almost got drown in the lake when I was 5 years
old in Agusan del Sur. I want to cross to the laundry area in the lake using
leaves of bananas. Until now I and my brother are the one who knows about that
accident.
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| Grade-2 at Father Urios High School |
I was active in my school. I
join the basketball team but when I got elbowed accidentally during a game and
I quit immediately. Academically I was always an honor pupil in class. I was
passionate about arts. My childhood dream was to become a pilot. I like buttons
a lot during my childhood. It’s like I’m operating a robot because of so many
buttons to touch.
My mom died when I was six years old. My mom died at the age
of 30 from cancer of the ovary. The time after New Year in 1992, Eight days
after my sister Christell Joy was born in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. I was
very close to my mother. They call me “mama’s boy”. Whenever she travels I
always go with her. I didn’t really know what the reason why my mother died
that time. I really can’t believe that I can’t see my mother at that age. At my
age that I understand already what was happening and I explained to my brother
not to cry also. I just want us to be strong. I don’t want to see my
father very sad because we cried. Because of that my father decided to send us
to our grandparents. The reason that it’s very difficult for him to work
especially he always travels when they have a business meeting.
When I was in Grade 3 we lived in Siagao Island. Growing up
with grandparents was not especially difficult since my grandparents loved us
so much and my father visits us twice a month. Having my brother and sisters
really makes me happy. We played all the time and fight sometimes. We lived
with our grandparents until I was 7 until high school. By my sophomore year in
high school I had a misunderstanding with my father because he didn’t told us
that he is going to marry again. After several months, I just realized what
really the reason is. I was able to finish high school with flying colors,
graduating from our High School.
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| I was the Adjutant in this picture |
By my sophomore year in college I had begun to hang around
with friends that got me into playing online games like MU online, RF online,
RAN online and DoTA. I was rapidly heading down a negative path, I never
go to school, I didn’t pay my tuition fee just to play in the internet café the
whole day and the whole year without my father noticing that I was not going to
school. Fortunately my father noticed it before I had done any serious
damage. So my father decided to let me stop to punish me and realized what was
I’m doing.
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| MUST-CdO |
When I was out of school and a stand by, I met this girl
named Samm in our place. She was from Manila. Her parents grew up in our place
so they decided to stay. She was very beautiful and I fell in love with her and
she became my girlfriend. I experienced doing something that I have never done
before just to make her happy. Due to lack of financial income and I have
to give gift for her in her birthday and our monthsary. I tried t-shirt
printing to make our personalized couple shirts by contacting my friends who
has experienced in t-shirt printing and borrowing cellphones with slideshow
maker. It really makes her happy.
Unfortunately after 2 years during our 2nd anniversary when I was able to go back to college at Mindanao University of Science and Technology in CdeO, she broke up with me.
Unfortunately after 2 years during our 2nd anniversary when I was able to go back to college at Mindanao University of Science and Technology in CdeO, she broke up with me.
After a year staying with my father and my stepmother, my
stepmother died because of appendicitis and she can’t be operated because of
complications with her leukemia. I can’t explain what my father is feeling that
time because for the second time around the woman she loved died. For me also I
was like we are cursed to have a mother. It was the time that I was getting
close to her. I was hurt also because my half-brother and half-sister are
really young that time. What I experience has been experienced by them and it
hurt so much looking at them. They were again were sent to my grandparents
place where we are raised by my grandparents. Because of what happened I again
stopped my studies.
After a year my father and I decide to have our own business
in Cagayan de Oro. We established our own surplus car business. That time I
learned how to deal with customers. I really support my father. My father is my
role-model. I really appreciate what he has done to us. After my mother died he
gave us what we need; love, care, education everything that we ask. It’s very
difficult to be a single parent with four children. Even he has a family of his
own already. He never forgets his siblings. He helps his brothers and sister to
finish their studies. All of them are professionals already and has stable life
and family. One of them is now in BJMP, two of them are Civil Engineers and his
only sister is now the Assistant Superintendent in our place. As to his
children, Francis is now a teacher; Fritz is now working in our municipality and
Christell is also a teacher. I really believe my father is the real SUPERMAN.
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| The Real Superman |
When we were starting our business I decide to have business
course because sometimes I lack techniques in marketing our products. Unlike my
father that he has more experienced in that field. My father worked for several
companies like Yamaha, Honda motors, Norkis, Eduhome and RDAK. I was also
motivated to take business education because of my friend who is working as a
mechanic in Saudi asked me to have a partnership in the future. We planned to
have a Car Customizing Shop, I will be in-charge of marketing and design, and
he will be in-charge in the installations of the parts. Unfortunately the
business we established with my father didn’t last because we lack in in-house
financing. My father decided to go back to Siargao Island because the place
reminds him of my stepmom.
When we came back to Siargao Island I was working as a labor
in the building of our flood control system in our place and worked in the
municipality as a data encoder. What stand out the most about my time being not
in school, I realized so many things that I would never learn in school. While
I was in our place I learned so much by observing the community. There were
lots of people who need work. They have to go to abroad just to work for money.
There were times that I lived in my uncle’s house. My uncle was an engineer and
my aunt was working in an electric cooperative. I hear them talking about some
money issues and boss issues. There I realized that working as an employee
doesn’t really improve your life. There I decided if I have a chance I would
build my own business and be the boss. I want to start a small business in
which I can give employment for some people who needed work. Unfortunately my
work in the municipality didn’t last longer because of some problems in the
municipality. My uncle told me that my talents can be used to have an extra
income. But the problem is I don’t have enough money to capital my idea. My
father also told me that money is not the problem; it’s like saying, “Resource
is not the problem, it’s the resourcefulness”. He gave me hints that our
barangay needs some to prints their uniforms for the coming Municipality day.
The barangay gave me all the things I need, all the tools with some extra labor
fee for printing. That starts my t-shirt printing shop. I also got to help one
of my friends to work with me. It’s like I’m starting to be an entrepreneur.
Some of my happiest memories and some of my worst memories
come from my time I was out of school. One thing that I am sure of is that it
shaped me to become what I am today are the many experiences in life. Now I’m
continuing my studies at Mindanao State University – Marawi City to fulfill my
dreams. I am now taking up BSBA-Entrepreneurial Marketing in which I can
practice and improve my skills where I meet amazing people that really helped
me. The faculty and staff in our department that never gave up in molding us
the students and the JEMA officers that makes me feel at home. Now I’m a senior
student in our department. I’m almost there to grab my dreams. I’ll always remember
what my instructor said, “Don’t stop when you are tired; stop when you are
done.”
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