Rhelyn Harder
- These young parents inspired a lot of people after taking photos together, wearing their toga with their baby
- Chrislar is a woman full of dreams but knowing that she is pregnant, she had felt the weight of discouragement and shame
- Despite the discrimination she received, she chooses to stay focused and remain strong
- He did not return his toga after his graduation, as he planned to have a photo shoot using his toga on Chrislar’s graduation
There is never an easy way to achieve our dreams and sometimes we make mistakes that we get judged by people around us. Like this young couple, who took a lot of courage in pursuing their dreams; despite judgment and discrimination because of a mistake.
A profile photo has been uploaded by Diego BlckShep Lopez Camposano of young parents both wearing their toga with a cute little baby boy. Many were inspired by their photo because they were able to graduate, despite being young parents.
The young couple who took the courage to raise their son while studying is Mike Jefferson Composano and Chrislar De Veyra of Baybay, Leyte.
In an interview with the Dailypedia via messenger, Composano shared their struggles the moment they knew that Chrislar was pregnant. She was only 18 back then, a second-year college student in a catholic school of Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception. At the same time, Composano is a third-year college student taking up Bachelor of Animal Science at the Visayas State University.
Knowing his partner is studying in a Catholic school, a strict policy of the school is to expel a student who gets pregnant, which became one of their fears, but they never retreated.
Chrislar is a woman full of dreams, but when she knew that she was pregnant, she felt the weight of discouragement and shame.
“Sa umpisa po ma’am hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko kasi sa tingin nang Papa ko batang bata pa lang daw ako parasumabak sa ganyang problema at higit sa lahat malaki ang expectation ng mga magulang ko sakin. Nahihiya din ako sa Papa ko, kasi kahit pag enroll ko sinasamahan pa niya ako at naka fully paid pa yung tuition ko, tapos ito lang isusukli ko sa kanya. Halong-halong emosyon ang narasan ko nong nalaman kong buntis po ako, parang gumuho yung mundo ko po.”
Despite all her worries, she took all her courage to hide her pregnancy so she won’t be expelled from school, and at the same time hide it from her father’s knowledge.
“Opo, kaya tumayo talaga ako sa sarili kong paa, kahit buntis ako, pumapasok parin ako kahit nahihilo na ako sa kakapilit bumangon sa umaga at nasusuka, pumapasok parin ako kasi gusto kung taposin yong 1st semester na binayaran ng Papa ko sa tuition ko dahil hindi pa po alam ng Papa ko na buntis ako, mga 4 months pa kasi niya nalaman, malapit nang matapos yung 1st semester namin.”
She didn’t have any friends whom she can depend and trust with her problem. Accordingly, instead of helping her, they were the ones who pulled her down.
After a few months, she was called in the Deans Office because her baby bump was already too obvious and she finally admitted that she was pregnant. But then, it was already too late to expel her because yhe first semester had already ended.
It was so hard for both families to accept that their children, at a very young age, would became parents in a few months. Disappointed for Composano as they expected him to support them financially after he graduated, and Chrislar, whose mother had already passed away, had been raised by his father alone.
Chrislar’s father had never lost hope for her daughter to finish her education. After 4 months she delivered her child, with the support of her father, and continued her studies for the second semester and her journey was not easy.
“Talagang napakahirap mag-aral na may baby kang nag breastfeeding sayo kasi tumitigas yong dede mo tapos masakit pa po.”
Going back to the same school was another challenge for Chrislar, for she had to face all the judgmental people who never tried to think how hard it was to be in her situation.
“Double pa nga yong panghuhusga nila dahil ano-anong mga salitang binabato nila sakin sayang daw kasi bata pa daw ako na buntis, maganda sana pero malandi, hindi daw ako nag-iisip sa kinabukasan ko, at nagpalaglag daw ako.”
Despite the discrimination she received, she chose to stay focused and remain strong because she knew she never asked help from them.
“Pero hindi ko sila pinapansin kahit gaano pa ka toxic yung nagpapalibot sakin pumapasok parin ako dahil alam kong kahit piso wala akong hiningi sa kanila.”
Camposano is an active skateboarding event organizer during fiestas and charter day in their city and graduated ahead of her. Currently, he is working in the City Agriculture office of Baybay’s LGU as an Animal Health Consultant and is also studying for the LEA licensure Exam for Agriculture. Chrislar, on the other hand, is a fresh graduate of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Filipino.
Accordingly to Composano, he did not return his toga after his graduation as he planned to have a photo shoot using his toga on Chrislar’s graduation. This is to prove that being a young parent is never a hindrance to finish your education.
For both families, they now see the child as a blessing as they love their grandson so much.
For a strong woman like Chrislar, she had given a message for young mothers-to-be.
“Sa mga kababaihan po na maagang na buntis dapat po nating panindigan yong responsibilidad natin bilang ina dahil walang kinalaman ang inosenteng baby sa mga kamalian natin sa mundo, balang araw ang baby din natin ang magbibigay satin nang kahalagahan sa buhay…
As she also gave a message to all who judged people like her.
“Sa mga taong mapanghusga, wag kayong humusga kung hindi niyo narasan yong mga pagsubok na narasan niya, siguraduhin mo munang malinis ka at matawag kang perpekto.”
At the end of the interview, Composano leaves this piece of advice.
“Okay lang magkamali, basta panindigan at huwag talikuran ang ang ginawang mali.”
Now, the couple’s goal is to find a stable job to give their son a better life.
