Raised by a single mother, Shyla Karylle Oraya, a 3rd-year Political Science student at Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), helps her mother by accepting commissioned arts to sustain her studies.

Shyla's mother, a provincial-paid teacher, has single-handedly raised all four of her children ever since her husband left for abroad seven years ago. Little did she know, the head of the family left her for good with four young children to take care of.

“Gikurii nga experience nga hasta yana bagan nagyi-yearn pa ak hit father figure tak kinabuhi kay iba gud man it mayda talaga tatay nga present. Basta today, thankful po ak nga mayda ko mama ngan tuhay kami niya nga ginpadako,” shared Shyla while recalling the experience of her 12-year-old self.

(It was a horrible experience that until now I'm still yearning for a father figure in my life because it could've been different if a father is present in a child's life. However, I'm thankful that I have a mother who did a great job of raising all four of us despite her situation.)

With her mother's meager income and her seasonal earnings as a freelance visual artist, Shyla sometimes finds it hard to budget the limited money she has to meet her daily needs and academic requirements.

“Makuri gad it daily food ngan allowance kay nagboboard man. Huhunahunaon pa nim kun ano tim kakaonon, hubyaon ka ngani pagluto or pagpalit waray manginginano haim. Masi-stress ka pa kay hit aragmotan kay diri sadang im allowance. Makuri daman maka-budget kay prices are too high these days,” Shyra said.

(Budgeting for food and allowance as a boarding student is difficult. Aside from needing someone to take care of you or prepare food for you, school expenses add to the burden of managing a limited budget, especially because prices are too high nowadays.)

“Pero mag-aano man kit. Asya man talaga pero it's the least of my worries these days because I know that God provides, like always,” Shyla added.

(But this is life now, and it's the least of my worries these days because I know that God provides, as always.)

SMART Scholarship 

Shyla was one of the 358 scholars from ESSU who received a one-time fixed scholarship grant of P25,000, wor a total of P8.95-M for all scholars, under the Commission of Higher Education's Student Monetary Assistance for Recovery and Transition (SMART) scholarship.

House Minority Leader and 4Ps Partylist Representative Marcelino C. Libanan led the distribution of the scholarship grant to deserving college students across Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) campuses on April 12 at Canuctan Hall, ESSU Main Campus.

“Sa ating mga scholars, binabati ko kayo at nawa’y  patuloy ninyong pagyamanin ang kaalaman at gamitin ito upang makatulong sa inyong pag-aaral at sa inyong komunidad,” Libanan said in his message.

(Congratulations to our scholars. I hope you continue enriching your knowledge and use it to help your school and community.)

Meanwhile, ESSU president Dr. Andres Pagatpatan commended CHED and Rep. Libanan for their unwavering support fo the university.

"The impact of this initiative goes beyond just the scholarship recipients, as it helps to build a more educated and skilled workforce that can drive economic growth and innovation in our country," Pagatpatan emphasized.

Despite the hardships and consequences of not having a complete family, Shyla has been a consistent honor student since elementary and an active student leader.

“Diri la dako an bulig han scholarship for me, pero para na daman tak family,” Shyla said.

(The scholarship is a huge help, not just to me but to my family.)

Shyla shared that she only took P5,000 and gave the rest to her mother to budget so the rest of her siblings could also benefit from the assistance.

“Adi po nga 5k nga adi ha ak yana, pinambayad ko na hit akon rent for boarding house, essentials like rice, food, aru-allowance ko na ngada ka May, since based han school calendar tubtob man la hit na bulan. Bali wara ko na po hit problemahon since maaram man daman po ak magbudget given my circumstances,” Shyla added.

(I already paid for my boarding house and bought essentials such as rice and other food using the P5,000. This will also serve as my allowance until the end of class for this semester this May, which means I don't have problems anymore because I know how to budget given my circumstances.)

A portrait of thanks

As a token of gratitude, Shyla gave Libanan a portrait of him that she drew.

“To be honest, diri po talaga ak hit mahilig mag-patronize hit politicians kay as leaders, trabaho talaga it nira. Pero personally, na-appreciate ko it iya bulig hit mga estudyante that's why daman nga gindrawing ko hiya and also, to showcase my talent na gihap,” she emphasized.

(To be honest, I'm not into patronizing politicians because, as leaders, it is their job to look after the welfare of the people. But I appreciate his help to us students, so I gave him a drawing as a token. It is also one way of showcasing my talent.)

She shared that her talent is a huge factor in her financial situation, citing, for example, the days when her phone broke and she needed a replacement.

“As a freelance portrait artist, panalagsa la ak hit nagkaka-mayda client and the best thing about it is it appears whenever I need it,” she added.

(As a freelance portrait artist, I seldom have clients; however, the best thing about it is that they appear whenever I need them.)

Aside from her profound gratitude for Libanan and CHED, Shyla also shared that she's particularly thankful for her God-given talent and the many blessings He bestowed on her, especially during difficult situations.

“If one was given talents, palaguin mo. Wag itago. Not only na I can earn from it but nare-recognize daman ako,” she remarked.

(If one is given talents, nurture them and make use of them. I not only earn from them but also receive recognition.)

She also shared one of the lessons she learned from her situation.

“These days, I learned how to let go. Kaya kasi tayo nasasaktan kasi pinipilit natin na masunod yung mga sariling plano. There are instances nga nayakan kita nga bahala na hi Lord pero bawo, you are secretly thinking nga masusunod it imo karuyag kasi plano mo yan eh naka-engrave na it im isip. We should always be reminded nga we are not alone in fighting our battles in life. Pag taga-financial, pag taga-self confidence, heartbreak—He will heal us and we will be fine eventually. Let go and let God,” Shyla said.

(These days, I learned how to let go. The reason we get hurt is because we insist on following our own plans. There are instances when we say 'Lord, Thy will be done,' but deep down, we secretly think that what we want will prevail because it's already engraved in our minds. We should always be reminded that we are not alone in fighting our battles in life, whether they're financial, related to self-confidence, or heartbreaks—He will heal us, and eventually, we will be fine. Let go and let God.)

The SMART scholarship initiative is made possible through the generosity and goodwill of Rep. Marcelino C. Libanan, in collaboration with CHED Regional Office 8, under the leadership of Dr. Maximo C. Aljibe, who was also present to award the scholarship grants.  (VTG, PIA Eastern Samar)