CHILDREN OF THE FALLEN SOLDIERS
2016
Story of a silent worker...
The President incognito...
Posted by Eunoia
30 March 2025
It was November 2016, just a few months after he took his oath in Malacañang. Out of nowhere, this man showed up at our office. Not with a convoy or media coverage, but quietly and with purpose. He came personally to request scholarships for the children of our fallen AFP soldiers.
According to his close-in guards, he slipped out through the back door of their house to avoid the PSG and not cause any commotion at the school. He didn't even ask for parking. When we checked the CCTV, we saw him step out of his car, walk up to the guards, and politely ask where the school head's office was. Just like any ordinary person.
Students who passed by froze when they saw him. They couldn't believe that the President of Republic was walking across our quadrangle like a regular visitor. A few minutes later, a man in a checkered polo opened our office door and greeted us with a simple, "Good afternoon, Ma'am."
He had only one close-in guard with him at that time. The door had to be closed because people were starting to gather outside. He sat down with my boss and talked about how he could help provide scholarships for the children of soldiers who had died in service. A few minutes later, more PSG personnel arrived since his house was just a few kilometers from our school.
After the meeting, he allowed us to take photos with him. He thanked us, said goodbye, and even gave time for some students and staff waiting outside to take a group picture with him.
That moment is still so vivid to me. Not just because I saw him up close, but because I witnessed him personally fighting for the children of his fallen soldiers. That says a lot about the kind of leader he was.
I was stunned. I had seen him many times in Davao, but standing face to face with the President was something else entirely. The only words I could manage were, "Tay, pa-yakap po." He smiled and hugged me tight like a father does.
©Credit to the rightful author.
