Mayor Osmeña delivers a message during the awarding ceremony at the International Eucharistic Congress Pavilion in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON
Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Academic Award
In a fast-paced civilization where money is the lifeblood of the system, one could say that the absence of it will eventually lead to a doomed future.
But this is not the case of Cebuana high school student who was among the 253 recipients of this year’s Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Academic Excellence Award.
The award is considered as the highest academic honor that the City of Cebu bestows to the top graduate of every public school in the city.
Mele Rose Mercado, whose parents are both farmers, experienced the bitterness of life. But she was able to prove that life’s challenges can be overcome through determination and by being optimistic.
Mele Rose finished the K to 12 curriculum with the highest honors at Bitlang Integrated School in Barangay Sudlon 1, Cebu City this year.
Her parents, Leocadio Mercado and Alberta Mercado, raised her and her five other siblings through farming. The Mercado family has a tomato and bean farm in Sudlon 1.
However, this is not enough to sustain both their household and educational needs. Thus, Mele Rose promised to finish her studies in order to land a job and help her family.
Mele Rose garnered awards for Best in Mathematics, English, Filipino, Conduct, Practical Research, Work Immersion and Leadership. She rose from being a low achiever in her early years in school to becoming a top performer in high school.
“Magkugi ko kay daghan baya mi. Para pud makabangon among pamilya kay wala baya’y naka-graduate ug college sa akong mga igsoon. Mao nga ganahan ko nga ako ang mo-fulfill sa ilang dreams (I want to lift my family out of poverty. Nobody from my family graduated college and I want to be the one who will make their unfulfilled dreams come into fruition),” Mele Rose said.
Since she graduated top of her class during her seventh grade, Rose maintained her standing.
She said she agreed with the message of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña that “Second placers are first losers in terms of rank.”
“Kanang hapit na ko mataktak from the top, feel naku mura’g loser na ko. So, naningkamot gyud ko nga ma-first. Dapat, di gyud ma-second (When I almost fell off the top, I feel like I’m already a loser. So, I strived to do my best. I should not be second).”
With the various entertainment platforms brought by the new technology today, Mele Rose reiterated that students should learn to draw a line between studies and leisure.
Mele Rose, second to the youngest, has a twin sister who is also an honor student. “Kung naay bayranan, times two. Kung P500 mahimong P1,000 kay duha man mi unya classmate (School fees have doubled. If the fee is P500, it will become P1,000 because we are twins and we are classmates),” she said.
Mele Rose, who wishes to become a teacher, earned praise from her mother Alberta and school principal Ma. Jessica Batindaan for her diligence, hard work and determination. /Palompon Institute of Technology Communications Intern Marthy John Lubiano