MANILA, Philippines – The camera clicks, and the frame freezes: a man in a black academic gown and cap, beaming with pride, stands beside a woman whose weathered hands have peeled thousands of balut under the dim light of the street. Her smile is soft but deep, the kind that carries decades of unspoken stories.
 |
| Photo courtesy: Kim Lavapie Magno/Facebook |
This is not just a graduation photo—it is a dream, nine years in the making.
It took him nine years, but on the eve of his Master of Arts in Education major in English graduation, one MA holder finally captured the photograph he had been dreaming of—a “creative shot” dedicated to the woman who made it all possible: his mother Rosita Lavapie, a balut vendor, solo parent, and fighter through life’s toughest battles.
“It took me 9 years to finally have this creative shot,” Kim Lavapie Magno said on his Facebook post.
“Noong college, wala akong creative shot. Gusto ko pero hindi ko pa afford. Kaya sabi ko sa grad school na lang... kung makaka-graduate.”
“Ganito mismo yung shot na na-imagine ko back then. Kasi gusto ko i-honor itong eabab [babae] na ito. Kaso, it took me 9 years sa MAEd.. pero, officially, graduation na sa Monday.”
The image he imagined back then was simple yet powerful: him in his graduation regalia, standing proudly beside his mother. But it was not just about a picture: it was about telling a story. A story of sacrifice, perseverance, and love.
His mother’s life had been far from easy. A high school undergraduate, she raised three children alone, selling balut to provide for their needs. She battled psoriasis, yet never wavered in her determination to see her children succeed. Her relentless hard work bore fruit, three children graduated, and now, one holds a master’s degree.
“Salamat sa lahat ng sakripisyo mo, Ma. Ikaw ang tunay sa master! Para sa'yo ito at sa lahat ng selfless and responsible na parents at guardians!” he said.
Kim is currently a Master Teacher I at Doña Teodora Alonzo High School in Manila.
The creative shot, at last, is no longer just a dream; it is a celebration of a journey they both took together. Congratulations!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express