To serve and protect

Anthony was undergoing training with the Philippine National Police when he received his first salaried paycheck almost seven years ago.

The middle child of five siblings, born to a lifelong fisherman and a laundress in the Province of Aklan, Anthony remembered a childhood where his family barely had enough food for their daily meals.

Holding the first paycheck earned in his first official role as a full-time police officer felt like the start of everything he had ever dreamed of.

As an elementary school student, he had often found himself envying what he described as the “more comfortable, worry-free lives” of his classmates who had parents working as police officers. He dreamed of one day helping his family live a more comfortable lifestyle, one where they didn’t have to worry about how their basic needs would be met.

“I told myself that, someday, I wanted to become a policeman, too,” said Anthony, now 29.

For a child growing up in poverty in Anthony’s neighborhood, such a dream could feel impossible. Then, sponsorship at age 10 changed everything, turning hope into something Anthony could finally imagine achieving.

He spent the next 10-plus years using every opportunity available to him through sponsorship — and later, the Unbound Scholarship Program  — to shape his dream into reality.

A coastal upbringing and an open door to opportunity

The Province of Aklan in the Western Visayas region is historically the oldest province in the Philippines. It is well-known as the gateway to Boracay, a resort island with white sand beaches and coral reefs that is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the country.

Though Aklan is considered the “least poor province” among the six provinces in the Western Visayas, the proportion of residents whose per capita income was not enough to provide for their basic food and non-food needs was estimated in 2024 to be 8.6%.

Anthony grew up in a home made of plywood, cement and nipa palm leaves, constructed on land owned by one of his father’s employers, less than a mile from the sea. His father, Alfredo, was a day laborer, fishing and doing carpentry work, among other jobs, and Alfredo’s eldest children often helped him in this line of work.

Anthony’s older siblings didn’t have the opportunity for education beyond secondary school and, without the support through Unbound, Anthony believed he would have been in the same situation.

“In the beginning, I often lost confidence that I could ever [obtain] a college education,” Anthony said. “I saw firsthand how difficult life can be when you grow up poor and how my family struggled to meet our daily needs. But I never stopped hoping.”

When he was sponsored in 2006, Anthony was determined to use the opportunity — and his sponsorship funds — wisely, to reach his educational and career goals and to lift his family out of poverty.

Over his time in the program, he learned how to budget and save his sponsorship funds as needed, developed strong friendships with other sponsored individuals who had similar dreams, strengthened his faith in God, and found connection and motivation in the letters he received from his sponsors. Later, as a part of the Unbound Scholarship Program, Anthony learned how to manage his time and found opportunities to develop his confidence and communication skills.

“The staff at Unbound guided and molded me into the person I am today,” Anthony said. “They were not just mentors, but also like family to me, always ready to give advice, encouragement and support when I most needed it.”

A life of service, honor and justice

Anthony earned a four-year degree in criminology from Northwestern Visayan College in Aklan in 2017. Having completed his studies, he officially retired from the Unbound sponsorship and scholarship programs that same year.

Anthony said he believed that the best way to “give back” to Unbound and the sponsors and donors who supported him was through earning his diploma.

“My diploma is proof that [I’ve] made it, that their support has borne fruit,” he said.

But he took his goals to the next level, sitting for and passing the criminology licensure exam. He spent several years working as a security guard, helping his father with fishing and working in construction, all the while saving his earnings to pursue his goal.

In 2019, after much persistence, Anthony realized his dream when he was accepted into the Philippine National Police. Part of the special operations unit now, he’s been stationed at the Caticlan (Boracay) Airport MPH for more than a year. His unit is responsible for handling hijacking incidents, bomb threats and maintaining overall airport security.

Trainings such as weapons handling and field and tactical operations helped Anthony hone his skills, build his confidence in high-pressure situations, and strengthen his commitment to serve and protect. He believes the best police officers are helpful, respectful, humble and God-fearing.

Continuous learning and growth are important to Anthony and, professionally, he is working toward obtaining a higher position in the Philippine National Police because each step to him is a “step toward becoming a better and more capable policeman.”

Love of family keeps him driving toward change

Just as he once learned to do with his sponsorship funds, Anthony put his first paycheck as a police officer into savings.

With his professional goal met, he began working on his next goal — helping his family reach a more comfortable, sustainable way of life.

Since becoming a police officer six years ago, Anthony has made improvements to his family’s rented home in Aklan. He bought a motorcycle for their transportation to and from the markets, and he’s purchased a 400-square-meter plot of land where he plans to someday build his family a home that they can call their own.

In addition, he’s responsible for the education of his two younger siblings.

“Despite the challenges, I do my best to provide for my siblings’ needs,” Anthony said. “I believe that helping them finish their studies is not only my responsibility but also my way of ensuring a better future for all of us.”

And though Anthony is the first in his family to graduate college, his positive influence and determination mean he might not be the last, and the cycle of poverty may have ended with him. One of his younger siblings aspires to follow in his big brother’s footsteps by becoming a police officer.

“I’m determined to help him achieve that goal just as Unbound once helped me,” Anthony said.

Help other youth living in poverty realize their dreams of education when you support the Unbound Scholarship Program with a monthly gift or a one-time donation. 

Unbound Regional Reporter Tristan John Cabrera contributed information and photos for this story.