Stories about starting from the bottom are not new to everyone. But what is it really like to achieve life goals amid financial difficulties?
Francisco Gabel, a retired Chief Treasury Operations Officer of Kalinga and Apayao, is one of those who started from the bottom of the career ladder empty-handed and with no amount in his pocket.
Francisco was born to an economically challenged family and farmer parents in Quirino, Ilocos Sur in 1958. He is the third of five siblings.
At age 6, he was brought by his grandparents to Tabuk where soon his parents and siblings followed. He described their house to be like that of a chicken – not enough space to move around and barely furnished.
He attended his elementary school at Tabuk Central School and as young as 7, he had to juggle his studies and labor work at the rice field.
“Sabado, Domingo, taltalon latta. Mapan makiraep, makigapas nu panaggagapas, kumpurmi basta taltalon latta. Apan agsaka iti nuwang kasdiay,” he recalled, adding he was still able to get ribbons at the end of school year in spite of having to balance two things at a young age.
Francisco described that their life was ‘extremely’ difficult that he only got to wear slippers when he reached 4th grade and long pants at 6th grade. He added he only had at least 3 pairs of clothes.
As he finished high school at Tabuk National High School in 1977, he knew he had little chance to get a college degree because of their limited budget not until he got the news that he was one of the three who were qualified for a government scholarship.
The grant covered his studies at the University of Baguio where he took Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting. While studying, he worked as a part-time Auditing Aid at the Baguio Country Club.
Climbing the career ladder
After getting his college diploma in 1981, he was employed at the Rural Bank of Tabuk in 1982 where he started with a P700 salary. The amount at the time was enough to finance his family’s daily needs.
Seven years later, Francisco entered the public service and worked as a Clerk IV at the Bureau of Treasury from 1990 – 1995. He stayed in the agency as he slowly climbed the career ladder.
In 2015, he became the Chief Treasury Officer of Batanes; then he was transferred to be the head of the Bureau of Treasury of Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya in 2018; and then he came back home to lead the same department for Apayao and Kalinga in 2021.
On January 28, 2023, Francisco wrapped his 33 years of serving the public. He was able to retire swiftly with no traces of anomalies from his record in the past 3 decades.
From difficult life to working his way up the past decades, Francisco emphasized the importance of patience, determination, and asking guidance from the Creator in every endeavor.
“Anus lang and in every undertaking, always invoke the presence of God,” is what he could tell to those who strive hard to give a better life to their loved ones.
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